Greetings,
I think it would be neat if you brought in the Egyptians. They could even be an Ottoman hybrid civ, since the Ottomans conquered Egypt and held onto some of the Egyptian culture. They could also be an entirely new faction that would come with their own campaign, similarly to how you did the Jin Dynasty, showcasing their war with the Ottomans.
https://ageofempires.fandom.com/wiki/Ayyubids
Though I guess a separate Fatimid civ or variant with some Berber influences could be interesting.
Mamluk civ maybe? Though there’s already the Byzantines for a merc-based military
Yes, you have several options that are seen in the Sultans Ascend campaign:
Seljuk Empire (1037-1194):This is the easiest one…basically they would be like the Ottomans but without gunpowder (aka no Janissaries nor Great Bombards/Galleys)…
Fatimid Caliphate (909-1171):Being a Shiite caliphate (the only one in history), it curiously had religious freedom among non-Shiites, such as Sunni Arabs, Christians, and Jews… this would allow the hiring of mercenaries from all over, like the Byzantines (you could have Ethiopian Shotels, Berber units, or Sicilian units like the Sergeant)…
Mamluk Sultanate (1250-1517):It would be a mix of the Ayyubids and perhaps Delhi. They would use Mamluk architecture and units, have free technologies, a strong navy, and use African elephants in their troops. To face the Mongols and Ottomans, they could use gunpowder in Castle Age.
In the Age of Empires 3: Wars of Liberty mod, the Egyptians have these units, so we might see them in some form in Age of Empires 4…
Fellah: Cheap weak and amassable raiding infantry.
Naffatun: Egyptian equivalent of the Grenadier which is Cheaper and weaker.
Mehariste: Ranged Cavalry unit which is good at raiding.
Mamluk: Tough melee cavalry that can sponge a lot of damage.
Muhammad Ali Pasha: Unique Explorer that can boost the gather rate of nearby Villagers or boost the attack of nearby military.
Bedouin: Unit that replaces the House.
I wish the flag gets updated one day… the main Fatimid color was white, with additional yellow/gold for the standard of the Caliph himself (that’s where Ayyyubids and Mamluks got their yellow from).
To differentiate the Fatimids from other civs with yellow flags, the devs could use the Lion of Allah, the symbol associated with Caliph Ali from whom the Fatimids descend. Perhaps a white flag with golden lion?
Edit: here’s a Fatimid standard depicting a lion:
