The modding team incorporated themselves as the devs and the mod as the official content.
I donât think any medieval or ancient kingdom has a global influence⊠maybe the Mongols because of their massive empire or Spain and Portugal because of their superior navigation. But we can argue a lot about those 3.
But you have regions with large population and low population
Europe as a whole was around 25% of the world population, so when vikings raided in all of Europe is a major event to the world
Africa as a whole, was around 10% of the world population and I donât know how many times larger territory, so itâs not as relevant region, so a trading empire in the middle of the desert may not be important.
On the other extreme, we have China, with 25% of the world in one kingdom, and they have no campaign yet.
Itâs not that I wouldnât like any african civ⊠but the game is very short on asians and they are way more relevant
Just fyi Europe is estimated at ~15% of the worldâs population on average in the medieval period. Iâm curious where you found the figure of 25%.
Africa probably averaged ~12%, sometimes more than Europe sometimes less, sometimes roughly the same throughout the period c.400 to c.1600 CE. So Iâd say events in Africa were about as impactful in terms of number of people affected as those in Europe on average. Parts of Africa (like the East Coast) had a particularly massive impact due to trading with so many people on such a large scale for such a long period of medieval history.
Of course, most of everything that was happening in the medieval world happened in Asia, as you say. China and South Asia both had about a quarter of the worldâs population, with the whole of East/South-East Asia containing perhaps 35% to 40% of the worldâs people. This would mean that ~66% of medieval people lived in Asia, counting up all its parts. Definitely this is the region which deserves the most focus if we value all human life as equal.
For context, 46.5% (19/43) of the civs in the game are European, 7% (3/43) are African, 9% (4/43) are South Asian (Indian) and 18.6% (8/43) are East Asian/South-East Asian. (Compared to ~15%/~12%/~25%/~38% of world populations respectively). Unfortunately, to make the AoE2 civilisation percentages reflect medieval population figures there would need to be more than 125 civilisations in the game. Perhaps one day 11!
Some online sources: Historical Estimates of World Population, Population of the continents 10,000BCE-2000CE | Statista, List of countries by population in 1000 - Wikipedia, Estimates of historical world population - Wikipedia, Medieval demography - Wikipedia, Demographics of Africa - Wikipedia
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Some people speculate the DLC will be splitting an Umbrella Civilization like DoI. I think the best candidate for splitting is the Malays. Currently it is being used to represent all Austronesian Indonesian groups.
They can be split this civ into at the very least into 4 distinct civs:
The Visayans (representing Philipines and Polynesians), The Chams (representing Austronesians of Indochina), The Javanese (representing Bali, Java, Sunda, Borneo, Molucca), The Malays (Representing Brunei, Malacca, Sumatra)
It is a very large umbrella as of now encompassing a wide range of people.
Though I would prefer if it comes with a new architecture set inspired with Batak Style.
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Yes, or touch an area not yet touched, as happened with DoI with South Asia⊠thatâs why I think itâs a dlc in the Balkans, Caucasus, South Africa, and less likely North or South AmericaâŠ
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I just doubt there is enough identity for each of these small and historically less significant peoples that can be associated with a somewhat unique AoE civilization, architecture and tech tree considered.
There are already too many overlaps in military and economic strengths and weaknesses, that the only way we see new civs lately is through gimmicks and new mechanics.
I fear AoE should lose its classic gameplay over shallow diversity
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Yes Chams and Javanese would be good (Iâm quite ignorant about Visayans so I canât comment on them) and the current Malay civ wouldnât even need to be changed at all (except getting a new campaign). I donât see this as a split though tbh more just adding civs from an area which doesnât have many, but which had a lot of people and notable empires/kingdoms etc
I was thinking this for a civ concept for Javanese what do you think?
Javanese
Gunpowder and Naval civilisation
Architecture: South-East Asian
Wonder: Kalasan Temple
Language: Javanese
Campaign: Gajah Mada
Bonuses
- Foragers donât have to return to Mills/Town Centres to drop off food
- Swordsmen, Elephants and Hand Cannoneers cost wood instead of food (Supplies reduces wood cost rather than food cost)
- Trees last 40% longer
- Fire Galleys train 40% faster
- (TEAM) Each 250 food gathered provides +1 population space
Unique Unit
- Bedil Tumbak (hand cannoneer armed with a polegun, which deals pass-through damage)
- Jong (warship which fires exploding metal arrows, dealing melee damage)
Unique Technologies
- Kris Swords (villagers and swordsmen attack 80% faster)
- Cetbang (warships and gunpowder units fire an additional projectile)
Missing Technologies
- Barracks: Two-Handed Swordsman, Eagle Scout
- Archery Range: Crossbowman, Cavalry Archer
- Stable: Hussar, Cavalier, Camel Rider, Steppe Lancer
- Siege Workshop: Siege Onager, Heavy Scorpion, Battering Ram
- Blacksmith: Ring Archer Armour
- Economy: Gold Shaft Mining
- Dock: /
- University: Siege Engineers, Treadmill Crane, Keep, Arrowslits, Bombard Tower
- Monastery: Block Printing, Illumination, Herbal Medicine, Heresy
- Castle: /
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Yes, I mean eventually sooner or later AoE 2 will have more modern AoM, AoE 3, and AoE 4 civs bonus and mechanicsâŠ
It could also be the Cetbang cannon (Javanese unique improvement similar to the Bohemian Houfnice)âŠ
Adding some Eagle Warriors and Steppe Lancer as well as some archer civs would alleviate that.
Of course if the only thing youâre adding are some cavalry civs, the design space is already crammed full.
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The highest significance civ left to be covered in AoE2 is the USAians
Unique Unit: M1Abraham and Marines
Civ Icon: 
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Sounds more like an UT rather than a passive bonus, especially since it isnât so advanrageous on water maps, which the Javanese should be good on.
Can be very good on some nomad map and maps with extra berries but of very limited use on more standard maps considering mills are required for farms fairly early (and markets).
Filipinos and Polynesians are completely different. They should be separate civs. The former would be focused on gunpowder and navy, and the latter on infantry and navy.
I dunno about that. I came up with pretty unique Oceania civs, actually.
If only we had available civ slots. The max capacity of game engine is 48 civs and devs are using it to fill with âRomansâ
I think thatâs been debunked. The civ limit was removed a long time ago.
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Where was it debunked? @Apocalypso4826 @Siegelad4112
Supporting statements still hold firm:
- The old userpatch CD version was also capped at the same limit.
- And the devs are filling the strings one by one here:
(there are only 5 more slots left)
I wouldnât be worried. I think they can always add more slots.
Please prove your previous statement.
Someone else somewhere said that they removed the civ limit. They mightâve been wrong, but the civ limit is arbitrary anyway.
Someone somewhere? Ok thatâs your proof. Nice!