[Poll] Where to Next in Europe?

Age of Empires IV IV - Discussion
42

Iberian union? Portugal definatly was part of Spain in history.

1 Like
43

  • Venetians and Genoese could easily be represented by the same civ. The problem is with the Sicilians. I think the creators would be able to create a civ that could represent the Apennine peninsula. Italians civ and HRE civ should have similar mechanics to Chinese civ (dynasties).

  • I think it makes no sense to divide Castilians and Aragonese into two separate civs in AoE 4. One Spanish civ is more than enough.

  • One Scandinavian civ is enough - the Kalmar Union. This civ could start out as Vikings in the Dark Ages.

Finally, I left myself 4 civs from this poll that require more thought and would not have their own representation.

  • The Scots would be a very interesting option for this game, but if you added them it would be nice to add the Irish to AoE 4. It didn’t exist if I remember correctly the common Irish and Scottish state (without the English), so creating one of these civs would be a hassle and adding two it would be destructive for this game - I don’t want to have a problem with still missing civs like in AoE 2.

  • The Lithuanian civ is very fascinating because it would represent all Balts, but it is worth noting that the majority of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were Ruthenian lands and Orthodox Ruthenians, even Ruthenian became the language used at the GDL court. Of course, this civ would focus on the Baltic aspects, but I think a better solution would be a common civ for Poles and Lithuanians - the Polish-Lithuanian Union (1385-1569, 1569-1791). This Civ could be a great and very interesting solution, at the same time it could be a really very asymmetrical civ.

I had a big dilemma about the Balkan region. The Byzantine Empire did not represent both the Slavs and the Albanians culturally, but for example, in terms of architecture, the Bulgarian civ would practically not differ from the Byzantine civ at all. One would love to see South Slavic UU and other things, but I think choosing a civ from this region is very difficult.

  • A Bulgarian civ would be nice, but I think the Byzantine Empire would be able to cover them seamlessly. I think the Bulgarians themselves can be represented in the Byzantine civ - by one Unit and mentioning them in the description of the Byzantine civ. The Bulgarian Empire was powerful, but it was built on a Byzantine foundation.

  • A Croatian civ, like a Scotch one, would require the addition of another civ - Serbs civ. I think that some Croatian Unit in the Hungarian civ would be enough and, of course, mentioning that Croatia was in the Personal Union with Hungary (1102–1526).

I think that a golden mean should be found for the second Balkan civilization. It should be a civ that would represent both Serbs and Bulgarians (Croatia would be represented historically by Hungarians civ).

4 Likes
44

we don’t have to represent every nation, I don’t see any space in the current concept for Croats, Scots, Irish. Bulgarians, Hungarians, Poles can be a good DLC

3 Likes
45

Logically each DLC will add only 2 extra civs. I don’t expect adding more asymmetric civs with each dlc. For that reason, I also don’t expect more than 2 dlc each year. I hope to see sooner more DLC than what I say, I really hope, but I doubt. :frowning:

46

Summarizing

Necessary civs
  1. Byzantium Empire
  2. Kingdom of Italy
  3. Spanish civ e.g. Castile-Aragon Union or Catholic Monarchs of Spain
  4. Kingdom of Portugal
  5. Kingdom of Hungary or Crown of Saint Stephen
  6. Polish-Lithuanian Union
  7. Kalmar Union
Potential civ

Bulgarian Empire
or
Serbian Empire

Potential civs but not necessary
  1. Balts civ
  2. Finns civ
  3. Sicilians civ
  4. 1-2 more British Isles civs - Scots and Irish
  5. Aragonese civ
4 Likes
47

exclude Serbs, introduce Poles and Lithuanians as separate and I agree

1 Like
48

If these civs were added to AoE 4 in the DLCs, I think it would be great to divide them into pairs:

  1. Iberian DLC - Spanish civ + Kingdom of Portugal
  2. Balkan DLC - Byzantium Empire + Bulgarian Empire or Serbian Empire
  3. Southern European DLC - Kingdom of Italy + Kingdom of Hungary
  4. Northern European DLC - Polish-Lithuanian Union + Kalmar Union

Another option could be large DLCs:

  1. Spanish civ + Kingdom of Portugal + 2 American Native civs
  2. Byzantium Empire + Bulgarian Empire or Serbian Empire + Kingdom of Hungary + Ottomans
  3. Kingdom of Italy + 3 African civs
  4. Polish-Lithuanian Union + Kalmar Union + Finns / or better Tatars, or Khazars + Caucasian civ

Of course, these are proposals containing European civs. I have not offered DLCs without European civs here.

49

Not in the Middle Ages, only lasted 60 years, and was still a seperate kingdom, just had the same king.

Portugal never had much to do with Spain, and precedes it by centuries. The Iberian Union was one of the worst mistakes in History, and certainly not a Medieval event.

4 Likes
50

Byzantium Empire + Bulgarian Empire + Ottomans
Poland + Lithuania

51

First DLC
Aztecs, Incas, Aragonese, Castilians
Second DLC
Byzantine Empire
Bulgarian Empire
Venetians
(fourth civ is a toss up.)
Croatians, Genoese, Sicilians

52

Portugal seemed to be more significant than Aragonese. Genoese is HRE.

HRE should have Italian, Czech, German and crusader units.

3 Likes
53

In a Mesoamerican DLC? No, Portugal is not important.

54

Yet that was not what you said. You said it was never united. You didnt specify medieval ages you even go about to this day them breaking away from Spanish culture.

55

Why would he need to specify when the topic is AoE IV, a game that’s going to be about the Medieval period and Early Modern period?

2 Likes
56

Because he was talking about also modern times.

This in context means more towards saying it was never a thing even untill today than a simple in didnt exist in medieval era.

As soon as you talk about an entire timeline its pretty much standard to mention if what you say excludes periods of those timeline.

Also AoE IV timeline is atleast into 1600s. The union started in 1580 so even then it was not never in AoE IV timeline.

57

Only with China, all the other factions end before 1580.

2 Likes
58

Of course, HRE was tremendous in terms of the ethnic diversity of its people, but I think you couldn’t portray it that well in a game. The Kingdom of Italy (northern Italy without Venice) was part of the HRE, but in AoE 4 it could be a separate civ - thus it could represent Italian states and even Venice - why not?

HRE would then focus on German and Low Countries states, Crusaders (Teutonic Order and Livonian Brothers of the Sword) and also the Kingdom of Bohemia - it’s a huge umbrella anyway.

59

As soon as one faction does the timeline has been extended. Thats like saying AoE II never went into 1600s with age of conquerers.

60

Seeing we get limited civs the HRE is one of the best civs to appease people from those nations.

It has potential of representing:

  • Czechs
  • Germans
  • Dutch
  • French
  • Italians
  • Slovenes
  • Silesians / Polish
  • Sorbians
  • Danish (I think)
  • Swiss

It can very well be done by having mechanics either based around the imperial circles, choosing royale marriages and picking between the kingdom of Germany, Burgundy or Italy etc. The reichstag could be a special building where you choose between unique units from all around the empire, like Landsknecht, war wagons, Genoese crossbowman, Conditierri, etc.

And the HRE was an actual country, not an umbrella civ in terms of gameplay we tend to use for civs like India in AoE II.

2 Likes
61

Everything else you said is correct other than danish, I think danish will be represented by the Vikings/ Norse.

1 Like