Okay, I’ll start:
Spain
Well, the enthusiasm is admired but the build has many problems with historical representation:
-
First of all, it is an idea of Spain from 1500-1700 instead of the Spain of the game era (800-1650).
-
The thing about Spanish gold destroying historical sites sounds more like the mechanics of the Mongols and Black Legend than a real mechanic. Historically: the Spanish kept several of the landmarks of the cities they conquered both in the Iberian Peninsula and in the New World, otherwise we would not have the Cathedral of Seville, the Mansion of Moctezuma II (converted into a royal palace), the Muslim Alcazars, the Alhambra, Saccayhuaman, Cuzco itself with the shape of its houses in the form of a court.
-
The pikemen of Tercio and Arquebusiers of Tercio would be for the Imperial Age (IV) but for the Spain of Europe.
-
The missionaries are something from the Conquest, not from Medieval Europe in the Reconquista.
-
About the conquerors, the thing about becoming stronger away from the urban center is interesting. However, the unit itself did not exist, it was a term to refer to all the Spanish conquering soldiers, and among them there were both infantry and cavalry, siege, monks, etc. Heavy cavalry of the New World would be the “Cuirassiers”, light the Horsemen. There were mounted arquebusiers, but not many, and they later evolved to be known as “leather soldiers.”
-
Of course, there could be a variant to represent the Army in America, like “The Conquistadors,” that could have Missionaries as a religious unit, or even Native American mercenaries.
-
I suggest you read about Spain in the Medieval Age: The Kingdoms of Castile, Leon and Aragon, The Reconquest, Mesnada, Tribunal of Mesna, Religious Orders (Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara), Hidalgos, El Cid, Alfonso the Battler, The Caliphate of Cordoba (their enemies), Almogavares, so you can see that Spain already had a very rich history before the era of the American Conquest.
I actually made a concept but I haven’t posted it yet because I’m in doubt if Aragon deserves to be the Spain variant rather than Conquistadores, but with the latest devs reveal that a civ could have 2 or 3 variants, I’ll easily make a concept for Aragon as well, mainly to represent the Catalan Grand Company and their Conquests in Italy and Greece.
Denmark
I know that many want there to be Vikings, but I think that then they should go by the name “Nordics” or “Scandinavians”, rather than Danes, Swedes and Norwegians.
I say this because Viking societies had a very extreme change when they became Christian, and I know this because I researched for a concept:
-
They lost the Longhouses, Viking temples, Trelleborg etc.
-
They adopted the 6-unit rule: Spearmans, Men-at-arms, Horsemans, Knights, Archers and Crossbowmans.
-
They banned Berserkers.
-
They gave up the life of pillage.
Now, that transition was not so immediate and in fact the Danes are the most recognized as the most problematic during the final periods of “Vikingdom” (900-1000), raiding England, creating the Normans, and even conquering Norway (The North Sea Empire of Canuto):
So I understand the use of them to represent them. In any case I would accept them as Danes if certain conditions were met:
-
That they went head-to-head with Christianity in the Castle Age, with monasteries and monks.
-
Without stone walls, just like Rus, and the dThey are especially blocked in Imperial Age (IV). Instead they have a super-stockade called “Danevirk”.
-
In the English campaign they actually have a unique unit of their own, the “Danish Raider”. It could be renamed to “Danish Axeman” so that veteran and elite versions exist. Let’s avoid using the term “Viking” for units because this term means “Robber”, and was more of an exonym to these Scandinavian raiders than their actual name or the unit itself.
To represent the Danes already in their later years, when they started selling the kingdom to the HRE, there could be the civ “Kalmar Union”, a Danish variant. Although honestly, they wouldn’t have many unique units and their mechanics would be more about “Renting buildings” like “Timeshares” to get money, that would be funny.
Genoa
I actually made a concept for Genoa:
The Republic of Genoa: Civilization Concept
-
The Genoese Crossbowmens, of course that has to be their unique unit. and of course, he should be an early crossbowman (II). Other units that come to mind would be pavisieres, perhaps a special type of spearman (although in my model I made them men-at-arms), or Master Crossbowmans, like a super-crossbowman for the Imperial Age.
-
I think the Papal Guard is better for the Papal States themselves.
-
The condottiero weren’t really “soldiers” as AoE2 makes them seem but “Generals”. Those who were soldiers were the “Condotta” of the condottiero. so it would be more or less: “Condotta men-at-arm” or “Condota Broken Lance”.
-
The idea of the chariot, although it was Italian, I think it was not used much in Genoa, it was more from Milan or Florence (other possible Italian civ), although these could also enter with the names of Lombardy and Tuscany.
Timurids
After reading a lot about the Timurids, I am quite convinced that they should be a Mongol variant. At least for the following:
-
Troops: According to all the old descriptions, they dressed, acted and fought LIKE the previous Mongols, so when describing them they often refer you to read other books about how the classic Mongols of Genghis Khan fought. Of course, they did incorporate some new and different units:
– Vassals: Unlike the classic Mongols, they depended a lot on the vassal system, of the forcibly incorporated peoples, these including: Persians (kwarasmian), Armenians, Indians (Delhi, Rajputs).
– Dromedary Raider: Soldier on a 2-humped camel. Has the ability to use a suicide attack by setting the camel on fire and throwing it at enemy troops. Extra bonus against “Elephants”. -
Persian Architecture: While the classic Mongols have several Landmarks and buildings with Chinese architecture, the Timurids would have it with Persian, although with their own style.
-
Islam: Goodbye Ovoo, hello Mosques
-
Sedentary: Hello houses, of Persian-Timurid architecture. Buildings in general would change their architecture to Persian and would no longer be mobile. At least the upcoming New Expansion confirmed that certain Variants can have different architecture than their parent civ, so I’m encouraged to propose it.
-
Stone: Now the need to pick them like any other civs, and have walls.
-
About the Elephant Artillery, it was more of a Babur and Mughal unique unit than a Timurid, although Total War Kingdom II has it as one, it’s more of a creative license than a real unit. In Humankind is a Mughal unique unit.
Aztecs
I made an Aztec concept myself.
Aztecs Civilization Concept for AoEIV_ by GoldenArmorX
Now, I have to say that after reaching Diamond, I now see some flaws in my own concept:
-
The ritual skills: It can be very cumbersome if they have more than 2 effects. It would be better to give only 1 effect to each ritual and also, every time you use a ritual you have an agriculture bonus (Because apparently all Aztec gods always influence agriculture in some way).
-
Capturing soldiers: It could be cumbersome to activate the capture ability with each of your units, so it could actually be “Automatic”, and be percentage-based, like the Aztec Mod from Age of Mythology, or with all enemy units with low health. If not, at least one that work without penalties, but with a time limit (1 minute of capture mode or similar).
-
More unique units: Nahuatl Archer and Nahuatl Spearman, with less stats than the base units but cheaper (I was inspired by the Japanese Yumi Ashigaru), to represent that their weapons were weaker than the European ones.