In the wake of the announcement of The Sultans Ascends DLC, I thought what I can be doing is bring the second version of my Persians civ concept from Reddit into the Discussion with the Age of Empires Forum with one difference I made here. So here it is:
The Persians are a civilization, representing the namesake civilization within modern-day Iran. In the late antiquity to the early middle ages, the Sasanian Empire ruled over Persia and other areas influenced by the Persians. However, after the Islamic conquest of Persia, the Sasanian Empire would ultimately collapse and be replaced by various medieval dynasties of Persia and the indigenous religion, Zoroastrianism would be severely declined due to the majority populus becoming Muslim after the conquest.
- Year span: 498-1587 CE
- Civilization type: Caravanserais, Military Strength, Culture
- Difficulty: 3/3
Bonuses:
- Receives a free villager after a technology has been researched (doesn’t apply to age-ups) but villagers are created 15% slower at the Town Center.
- Markets are available in the Dark Age.
- Landmarks can garrison villagers with each garrison villager increasing the HP of the Landmark by 3% but if the Landmark is below its original HP and the villagers are no longer garrisoned, the Landmark stays with 1 HP.
Influence: Caravanserai System
How the Caravanserai System works: Markets built within the influence of the Caravanserai generate a certain number of resources. Each Market generates 25 of each resource. Madrasas are also affected by the Caravanserai if the Higher Education technology has been researched. Each Trader that’s created can help speed up the influence production by 2%.
Unique units:
- Shah - Cavalry leader that gives nearby Landmarks and Caravanserais +40% resistance to attacks. Like the King and the Khan, it receives upgrades for free and is restricted to one build limit. It can switch between melee and ranged mode. Available at the Town Center starting in the Dark Age and as well as the Rayen Castle and Keep.
An example portrait of a Shah
- Dailamite Warrior - Medium melee infantry unit that is armed with a battle axe and javelin and can form a wall with their shield if Dailamite Formation is researched. Strong against other infantry units but weak against cavalry. Available at the Barracks starting in the Feudal Age.
Dailamite Warrior depiction
- Ispahbed - Medium melee cavalry unit that has an attack good against ranged infantry and light cavalry but weak against heavy cavalry and the Spearman. Available at the Stable starting in the Feudal Age.
Modern recontruction of an Ispahbed
- Zamburak - Unit that’s very similar to the Abbasid Camel Archer except that it wields the arquebus instead of the bow and arrow and as well as costs gold of the same amount (60) instead of wood. Available at the Archery Range starting in the Imperial Age.
Zamburak portrait
Zamburak portrait from AoE III: DE
Unique buildings:
- Agiary - Religious building that can heal nearby units. The fire ability can be activated to speed up the healing process by 200% for 5 seconds. Relics can be placed into this building. Can be constructed in the Dark Age.
- Caravanserai - Economic building that make nearby traders resilient towards raids especially when the traders are taking a rest. Resources coming from the influence can be changed. Can be constructed in the Dark Age.
Unique technologies:
- Qanats - Docks are capable of storing stone. Available at the Dock starting in the Dark Age.
- Dailamite Formation - Dailamite Warriors are given the ability to form a wall with their shield. Available at the Rayen Castle starting in the Feudal Age.
- Dah-Bashi - The Rayen Castle spawns 10 random military units. Available at the Rayen Castle starting in the Castle Age.
- Urbanism - Villagers take up 0.9 slot of the population instead of 1 slot while Villagers garrisoned in Landmarks no longer take up population slots. Available at the Town Center starting in the Feudal Age.
- Kamandaran - Archers are 15% cheaper. Available at the Archery Range starting in the Feudal Age.
- Pearls of the Persian Gulf - Fishing boats get extra gold every time they return with fishes, which is equal at 20% of the resources deposited. Available at the Dock starting in the Feudal Age.
- Khorasan Road - Traders are 50% cheaper to create. Available at the Caravanserai starting in the Castle Age.
- Mahouts - Elephant units move 25% faster. Available at the Stable starting in the Castle Age.
- Eschatology - Religious units have increased conversion radius but take longer to convert. Available at the Mosque starting in the Castle Age.
- Higher Education - Madrasas become affected by the influence. However, they generate less resources than Markets. Available at the Caravanserai starting in the Imperial Age.
- Cultural Orientation - Caravanserais have +2 Influence range. Available at the Caravanserai starting in the Imperial Age.
- Enhanced Weaponry - All existing non-gunpowder ranged infantry become Hand Cannoneers and gunpowder units have +1 attack. Available at the Blacksmith starting in the Imperial Age.
- Clibanarii Fortitude - Cavalry have +2 melee armor and +2 ranged armor. Available at the Stable starting in the Imperial Age.
- Sasanian Preservation - Relics can be stored into Landmarks. Available at the Madrasa.
Landmarks:
- Bam Citadel - Landmark that acts as a Market and allows the Caravanserai to exchange the drop-off resources for a different kind of resource. Based on the Arg-e Bam.
- Rayen Castle - Landmark that acts as a Blacksmith and houses the Dailamite Formation technology and the Dah-Bashi technology. The Shah can be created there at 50% faster training speed but costs 50% more resources to create. Based on the building of the same name.
- Network Mosque - Landmark that acts as a Mosque. Let’s nearby religious buildings auto repair. Based on the Jameh Mosque of Nain.
- Equestrian Necropolis - Landmark that can auto train horse units but at a slower training time. The units being the Horseman, Lancer, Horse Archer, and Ispahbed. Based on the Two-Panel Equestrian Relief in Naqsh-e Rostam.
- Qabus Tower - Landmark that houses certain unique technologies that are 50% cheaper but have 50% slower research rate. The technologies that can be created at the Qabus Tower are Cultural Orientation, Enchanced Weaponry, Clibanarii Fortitude, and Sasanian Preservation. Based on the tower in Gonbad-e Qabus.
- Golestan Palace - Landmark that acts as a Town Center. The Shah can be garrioned to give it the ability to heal nearby villagers and traders. Based on the building of the same name.
Wonder: Shapur Khast
Units that are expected to become shared units:
- Horse Archer - Ranged cavalry that is to become shared among civilizations that historically used them.
- War Elephant - Melee cavalry that is to become shared among civilizations that historically used them.
- Camel Rider - Melee cavalry that is to become shared among civilizations that historically used them.
New shared unit expected to come into existence:
- Elephant Archer - Ranged cavalry unit where the archer is atop of the elephant and is available to civilizations that historically used military elephants. Delhi Sultanate uses the Tower Elephant instead.
Architecture: Age I would use Sasanian style with Age II using Khorasani style, Age III using Razi style, and Age IV using Isfahani style.
Language: Middle Persian and would evolve into New Persian.
Proposed Stats for each unique unit:
[Shah]:
- Cost: 125 Food and 125 Gold
- Training time: 30 seconds
- Maximum amount: 1
- Hitpoints: 200 (Dark Age), 240 (Feudal Age), 280 (Castle Age), 360 (Imperial Age)
- Melee armor: 1 (Dark Age), 2 (Feudal Age), 3 (Castle Age), 4 (Imperial Age)
- Pierce armor: 1 (Dark Age), 2 (Feudal Age), 3 (Castle Age), 4 (Imperial Age)
- Speed: 1.68 tiles/second
[Dailamite Warrior]
- Cost: 80 Food and 45 Gold
- Training time: 20 seconds
- Hitpoints: 115 (Regular), 130 (Veteran), 145 (Elite)
- Melee Attack: 8 (Regular), 10 (Veteran), 12 (Elite)
- Fire Attack: 13 (Regular), 16 (Veteran), 20 (Elite)
- Rate of fire: 1.50 seconds (Battle Axe), 2.00 seconds (Torch), 2.50 seconds (Javelin)
- Melee armor: 0
- Pierce armor: 2 (Regular), 3 (Veteran), 4 (Elite)
[Ispahbed]
- Cost: 110 Food and 55 Gold
- Training time: 30 seconds
- Hitpoints: 145 (Regular), 190 (Veteran), 225 (Elite)
- Melee Attack: 15 (Regular), 19 (Veteran), 24 (Elite)
- Attack bonus: +5 vs Siege (Torch)
- Rate of fire: 1.48 seconds
- Melee armor: 2 (Regular), 3 (Veteran), 4 (Elite)
- Pierce armor: 2 (Regular), 3 (Veteran), 4 (Elite)
- Speed: 1.70 tiles/second
- Upgrade cost: 100 Food and 250 Gold (Veteran), 300 Food and 700 Gold (Elite)
- Upgrade time: 30 seconds (Veteran), 60 seconds (Elite)
[Zamburak]
- Cost: 180 Food and 60 Gold
- Training time: 35 seconds
- Hitpoints: 200
- Pierce Attack: 35
- Rate of Fire: 1.62 seconds
- Range: 4
- Melee armor: 0
- Pierce armor: 0
- Speed: 1.62 tiles/second
