Now that new natives are being added in regions already contributed by old expansions such as the Asian dynasties, to represent those regions with more historical precision, I believe that we should also do the same in South America.
For example these are potential minor factions that could fit into some existing maps, but would ideally add new maps with new fauna and flora. This in order for these tribes to meet the requirement of being present on at least 4-5 maps. Existing maps such as the Andes, the Orinoco and the Amazon could also be subdivided.(Guayu, the Quimbaya, Muisca, Tairona, etc.)
These are some of the minor civilizations that could potentially be in the game and these could be the units and upgrades/techs they could offer:
Muisca
Unit(s) :
The Franciscan friar, Pedro Simón (1578 – 1620) described the warriors as “men of great physique, bodies, bold, loose, determined and vigilant”. Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita (1624 – 1688) a catholic prelate described the warriors as “brave and determined men, with big beautiful physiques, lightness and skill”. Unlike the common men, the warriors wore their hair very short[5] and were allowed to wear gold beads and ornaments through edge-pierced ears, nose and lips.
The warriors carried clubs, darts, spears, bows and arrows, and slingshots. They took Panche and Calima slaves with them to war. The men went into combat with curled plumes of parrot feathers, and wide ribbons of fine gold encrusted with emeralds. They wore bracelets and fine coral and gold beads. Inks and Jagua tattoos were also used.
It could be a unit like the blowgun warrior, but with a good melee attack. Something like a fusion of the Zapotec lightning warrior and the Caribbean with a blowgun. With good speed. Changes armor depending on the mode it is in (When it attacks from a distance it will have armor from a distance, when it attacks from melee it will have armor from melee). I don’t know what label it might have. Maybe it’s light infantry, or maybe shock infantry.
Improvements/technologies:
Worship of the guatative goddess: Unlock a passive ability where every certain amount of time you can sacrifice coins in exchange for a lot of experience.
Summary
The origin of the legend of El Dorado (Spanish for “The Golden One”) in the early 16th century may be located in the Muisca Confederation[citation needed]. The zipa offered gold and other treasures to the Guatavita goddess. To do so, the zipa covered himself with gold dust and washed it off in the lake while tossing gold trinkets into the waters. This tradition was well known outside the Confederation, as far as the Caribbean Sea; the Spaniards were attracted by stories of a “city of gold” that did not exist. Indigenous people sometimes got rid of the avaricious Spaniards in that way, pointing them in the direction of other peoples. Lake Guatavita was explored by conquistadors who were looking for gold offerings from the zipa to the goddess. The legend grew until the term became a metaphor for any place where great wealth may be found or made.
Muisca emerald extraction method: Reveal all the emerald mines on the map and you can get more coins and experience from the emerald mines.
This would imply a new type of mine, ‘Emerald Mine’. It’s a new type of mine where villagers can mine experience and coins at the same time, it’s inexhaustible like whales, but only 4-6 villagers can work at a time.
Why also experience? Because emeralds tend to be rarer than diamonds, their value may also reflect prestige, which translates to in-game experience. They were also very popular around the world in that period: Colour of Paradise: The Emerald in the Age of Gunpowder Empires, by Kris Lane (2010) - Not Even Past
Emeralds were exploited using pits dug next to the formation. Because the emeralds from Somondoco were in sedimentary rocks, they would wash clean into the pits during the rainy season
Salt people: The muisca will give you access to a salt mine that you can extract from any point on the map, and you will be able to extract 10% faster from the salt mines. (You can recreate it once it runs out)
They were called “Salt People” because of their extraction of halite from various salt mines on the Altiplano, predominantly in Zipaquirá, Nemocón and Tausa. Muisca mummification - Wikipedia
Salt was mined in Nemocón , Tausa and Zipaquirá, giving the Muisca the name “The Salt People” Muisca economy - Wikipedia
Muisca Barter: Natives are 10% cheaper, and trading posts are 30% cheaper. You will also have access to a construction cart that turns into a muisca market where you will have access to 3 improvements:
-
Excess food: It is a button that converts all current food into coins. It can be reused every 5 minutes and the first time you use it increases crop production by 5%.
The fertile Muisca lands make food produced in excess, but you can trade it with other tribes. -
Muisca goldsmith: From now on the muisca market will give you a passive experience income.
-
Muisca Textiles: All villagers are 5% cheaper.
Cotton Cloaks: Muisca villagers and warriors with more tolerance to projectiles. Gives 0.20 armor to projectiles (even if the muisca warrior is in mele mode).
Muisca warfare - Wikipedia
This is a game that I found by chance based on Muisca. Use landscapes like the ones I proposed for the north of the Andes, such as the frailejones.
That’s all for now. Later I will propose about other minor civilizations.