If units were culturally unique for each civilization in Age of Empires 2. First of all it probably would have to be a submod, but even then let’s say it wasn’t they would have to be balanced changes. Because it will be kind of confusing what kind of unit you’re fighting. Things like a gala market and another ways to generate resources because the game would become very confusing.
Let’s take the Celts for example. If they were to give them the classic Celtic Warrior pre-roman Britain look, while not historically accurate it’s just done because cool and make them look like Brave Heart movie. The Woad Warrior is still indeed a unique unit. However the generic units are also changed.
Villager. Also a female variant. These are from Rome Total War 1.
Spearman. Just slap on some chain main and helmet and you get a halberdier.
Militia. Slap on some chainmail and give them two handed sword and then you get a champion.
Skirmisher. Etc.
Scout cavalry.
Paladin.
Archer. Crossbowman, Arbesttor.
Calvary cavalry.
How Celts looked around the time of Caesar is very different from what they portray in AOE2, mostly medieval Scotland and Ireland. Even by the time of barbarian invasion they wouldn’t look like that.
To push it further, the idea of half-naked Gauls (no longer relevant as very quickly assimilated as Gallo-Romans) wasn’t that common, there were a few mad ones who did that and left an impression, but overall they had very good armour. The standard roman mail armour, the lorica gallica, was copied on the Gauls (hence the name)
I fully agree with the idea of giving unique skins for civs but they should be historically accurate (and Braveheart is not a good example of that…), how Celts should look is having some tartan around your regular western european medieval armour. You could even play with the tartan designs to imply different clans supplied different units, possibly based on which clan was famed for what.
Kilts weren’t used in battle during the Middle Ages as they wouldn’t protect much, they became relevant in the age of gunpowder when soldiers were ditching armour anyway (why make yourself heavier if it barely protects against guns ?)
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