Why East Asian? It’s perfect for the Japanese. Also, what do you propose we base the Aztec and Mayan Castles on? Unlike the Incas, they didn’t build any.
I’d much prefer something that isn’t just a single fat tower.
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Aztecs will get the existing one. Mayans will probably get mini version of their wonder.
What do you mean? A single civ for all the chinese 3k period factions, but then each faction would use already existing civ… I don’t understand, honestly.
Nevertheless, I really really hope they don’t add a 3k period civ. The region is already full of intresting civilizations and stories to tell. I don’t want the medieval setting of the game to be lost. Dalis, Thais, Chams or any other have been requested for a long time, nobody ever asked for 3k representation in the civ roster.
I’m really worried. I really want this game to keep being about the middle ages.
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[quote=“Gaudio3342, post:551, topic:269270”]
A single civ for all the chinese 3k period factions, but then each faction would use already existing civ… I don’t understand, honestly.[/quote]
Instead of one civ for Cao Cao, one for Liu Bei, etc, only one civilization representing china at that period, with technology of that period, and then in a mission changing names to represent the kingdoms.
And for the others civs, well they always did that, using a civ that “represent” well the group, and later on when they release an update, as we see here for genghis khan campaign, updating the civ of that faction in the scenario.
Really wish to see either the Chams or the Siamese/Tais in the game, if we could have both then that’ll be even greater. The Chams could have an amphibious pirate type UU to reflect their historical prowess in naval raids.
But if we could have a civ representing Nanzhao/Dali that’ll be great too! Finally some representation for South China.
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To be honest, 3000 civs is a lot of work
He means three kingdoms civis.
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It’s debatable anyway when medieval China started. There’s the whole chaotic period between the fall of Han and the tang dynasty that could be described as their late antiquity but I’ve seen Chinese middle ages start placed with the three kingdoms sometimes.
However I agree that the three kingdoms would work better in chronicles so you could place the start with the Jin dynasty and sixteen kingdoms (266 to 300-something) since the other possible date, 420 (China divided in southern and northern dynasties), is already too late cause of the new scenario of V&V set in 383.
Top Middle: Malay - Central stupa and archways look like something you’d see in Srivijaya.
It resembles Borobudur stupa, a Javanese temple made by Shailendra dynasty, not Srivijayas of Sumatra. But I agree in-game would be Malay, because Java in AoE 2 is named as Malay. I hope there will be a Malay and Java split in the future. Central stupa and archways look like something you’d see in Java.
Malay–Sumatran and Javanese–Java temples are very different. The current wonder of the Malay civ is Kalasan temple, the last temple depicted here.
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Isn’t that what Chronicles is for? They should add ancient civilisations to that instead of the base game.
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With the new DLC inbound, I’ll share some East & SE Asian civs that I designed earlier, and we can compare and contrast my designs with the devs’ designs. I’ll explain the history behind my choice of the UUs. I can read Classical Chinese and most of my units are based on historical records.
UU Mangpung is based on Song era records about the pirates active on the South China Sea. Some of them were Chams, and some of them were South Chinese groups and others. There were a group of people known as the She (輋) in Guangdong from the 1170’s to the 1190’s who traded heavily with SE Asia by smuggling iron and salt. Some of these South Chinese groups could have collaborated or even worked for the Chams. Song records mentioned that pirates active along the southern coast of China in the late 12th century often wore paper armor. In terms of gameplay this unit is kinda similar to an amphibious version of Eagle Warrior, being a fast raider on land and a one-man raft throwing fire bombs on water. Though since it carries the ship armor class it’s countered by Camels and Spears.
Unique upgrade the Elephant Crossbowman is based on a Tang era record saying that the soldiers of Lam Ap (predecessor of Champa) wore rattan armors and used bamboo bows and crossbows on the backs of elephants.
This one is basically the civ that covers Nanzhao, Dali, as well as all other South China ethnic groups or chiefdoms during the medieval era.
UU Luojuzi is based on a Tang record about the elite soldiers of Nanzhao, and them being skirmishers is kinda my deliberate interpretation although there’re numerous historical records dating back all the way to the Han era saying that the tribes in Southwest were proficient at using javelins and shields.
2nd UU Raeuz Tribesman is again based on Tang record. The Nanzhao used some of those southern tribes as their vanguard forces when they invaded the Tang in 829-830, and those southern tribes really hated the Tang so much that when they captured a Tang civilian they would cut off his or her nose and ears. Of course my version is much less brutal than the ones from actual history. Mine is a gatherer / infantry hybrid unit which could transition between the two modes with a switch just like how the Ratha is switching modes. The term “Liao” (僚) is a medieval Chinese blanket term for all Non-Sinitic tribes in South China. It likely derived from the Tai-Kradai word “Raeuz”, meaning “we” or “us”. To avoid any confusion with the Khitan Liao (遼) Dynasty (which these tribes had absolutely nothing to do with by the way), I decided to give them the Tai-Kradai Cuengh name “Raeuz”.
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Created a new thread about my post, please see here: Comparison between my own civ designs and the upcoming new East Asian DLC - Age of Empires II: DE / II - Discussion - Age of Empires Forum
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Rofl…Three Kingdom !
But you’re right 
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The Top-Right Castle might be a Han Castle.
Look at the roof similariy with this reproduction found on Wikipedia: Biyong of Han
I found that on the Wikipedia - Han Dynasty page.
I think I found the chinese version of the siege weapon, but I have no clue what the name is.
Legend on the wikipedia page is “武備志 茅元儀 明朝” on this image: 武備志 茅元儀 明朝
If you analyse carefully the images, you can see the reloading thing on the soldier foot, so it’s probably a movable part used to reload the big bow then the operator removes it to fire the weapon.
You can also see that it’s mounted on some kind of tripod thing, confirming the rotating capability.
The image comes for the Wikipedia - Wubei Zhi page.
I’ve also found some images of a city linked to Dali kingdom that ressemble a lot to the latest sneak peak image we saw with the greens guy. The “wonder” type building has similarities with Confusian memorials. The page where I found those images is the Wikipedia - Old Town of Lijang page. The other screenshots, including confusian memorial are on the Wikipedia - Yunnan page.
On the Fire-Archer topic, I found very few things on the web, but what I found was related to a Nepal famous guy, so maybe Nepal is the new SEA civ, or a group in this area. But the more I think about it, the more I’m starting to think this unit is a Kipchak style mercenary available to allies from a team bonus of one of the 5 new civs from the DLC.
About the new castles, I think none of them are for the new DLC but only for existing civs, so Top-Right is probably Mongol. Top-Left is definitly Vitenam, the inspiration come from a Vietnamese palace that someone already highlighted. Middle-Right is probably Korean castle, due to the white parts of the roof corresponding to Korean style I’ve found. Chinese castle is probably the one we saw on the screenshot with Red vs Yellow.
I’m abit lost on what dynasty we’ll have because there are too much element linked to too many dynasties infact.
But my guess are more on the gameplay now:
- Siege oriented Civ (rotating ballista cart)
- Cavalry oriented Civ (guandao heavy cavalry [Green vs Red])
- Archer oriented Civ (Fire-Archer)
- Infantry oriented Civ (Ji-Spearman [Green, Dali/Han])
- Gunpowder oriented Civ (grenadier [Yellow vs Red])
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Jurchens must have both Grenadiers and Guandao Heavy Cavalry aka Iron Pagoda. Chinese and Jurchens were famous for Grenadiers and according to balance changes Chinese won’t get Grenadiers, so it has to be Jurchens.
Thats the Jurchen castle. It has black flags that Iron Pagodas used.
I think:
Jurchens: Gunpowder & Heavy Cav
Tanguts: Siege
Khitans: Light Cav & Cav Archers
Dali: Archers & Infantry
5th, I’ve no idea, maybe Tibetans.
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Werent the grenades nearly identical to some surviving Tangut grenades?
It was used by Song China and Jin Jurchens according to this Wikipedia topic.
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