This is my idea for African DLCs.
E. African DLC: Somalis, Nubians, Swahili, (Ethiopians here) (new E. African architecture)
S. African DLC: Kongolese, Shonas, Beninese(could go Igbo or Yoruba here, just preferably in the southern Nigeria area (new S. African architecture)
W. African DLC: Kanembu, Hausa, Ghanaians OR Songhai (using the existing African architecture)
I’m working on a full DLC roadmap of my own currently.
So a bit like the recent South American compromise, with more Kongo and Nigeria inspired wooden architecture in Feudal, and more Zimbabwe inspired stone in Imperial? I can see it, though ideally I’d still have separate sets if possible.
Although Moors have the same meaning as Saracens (Muslims), they would actually be a split of the Berbers.
Split the Saracens is complicated. I’ve been reading lately about the history of the region, mainly about identity, and so far, the only split that seems to make sense to me is:
Arabs → new civ covering all of Arabia and part of Mesopotamia. That is, representing the Himyarites in Yemen, the Bedouins in the Peninsula, the pre-Islamic Ghassanids and Lakhmids, and the Rashidun and Umayyads (the only caliphates predominantly Arab).
Saracens (yes, believe me, it’s the best option 
) → civr remodeled to cover the Abbasid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk caliphates. In other words, it would still be an ethnically uneven umbrella like Byzantines, but it would cover fewer peoples/regions.
And the bonuses from the old civ, obviously, would be distributed between the two new ones.
I mean, kinda? Andalusia and Morocco mixed Berber and Arab (and a bit of Roman and Visigothic) influences, and El Cid campaign uses Saracens for Muslims in Andalusia and coastal Africa.
Perhaps they could be called “Bedouins” and have a bit of desert nomad flavour?
Technically yes, but who would they represent then?
Bedouins never formed a kingdom, only confederations that didn’t last long in a centralized form. Their influence on the larger Caliphates was just in the language (seen as the purest Arabic) and in the military, as one of several ethnic units — alongside Berbers, Turks, “Blacks”, Armenians, etc.
The history of the region is complicated in terms of identity. I can explain why, if you want, but it will be rather long.
Honestly I hadn’t gotten that far in thinking about what the S. African architecture would look like, but probably. My outlook is that it took 6 years to get a new architecture. I’m hopeful that this signals a change and the devs won’t be so resistant to doing it in the future, but i’m still going to be conservative about how many different architectures I ask for; I still don’t think we can expect too many.
TBH I don’t really like the idea of a Saracens split (unless you count Andalusians as a Saracens split, which it looks like you don’t). I’ve been considering the idea of a Kurds civ, but even that is a stretch. Overall the only good way to do a Saracens split is by dynasties, but AOE2 doesn’t do Dynasty civs and shouldn’t start now, so other than Andalusians i’d be fine if Saracens are left exactly as-is.
I’d use Moors as a civ to represent Andalusia and Arabized Maghrebis such as the Marinids, so basically placing them in place of the Saracens in El Cid.
I honestly don’t see much difference that would justify a new civ. The ruling elite might be Arab/Arabized, but the overwhelming majority of the population and army were Berbers.
In Morocco perhaps, but in Andalusia I’d say it was mostly assimilated Ibero-Romans and Visigoths. No idea how it was reflected in the warfare however.
Moors are an interesting civi to add ingame they are a good middle ground example between what should and could be added ingame.
On one side we have all the civis that are a part of moors already berber saracen roman and goths.Other side Moors are distinct enough to be its own thing with leader names wonder story etc.
Speaking of, what could replace the current Spanish wonder if Moors get added? Torre del Oro was built by Andalusians after all.
This would be a top pick
As someone using the “Andalusians” term for awhile now, i’m totally fine if they call them Moors instead, and I get what you’re saying, it could give them more utility