Hello and welcome to this developer diary for Imperator: Rome!
Today I will be returning to our combat mechanics, some of which have been iterated a bit on since we last touched on the subject.
Battles & Deployment
In the period covered by Imperator, battles were in many ways quite different from periods we cover in our other games. The battle system of its predecessor, Europa Universalis: Rome, did have a unique touch to it with its unit types and their various strengths and weaknesses, but was otherwise more similar to the battle system of the Europa Universalis Games.
In Imperator we have revamped combat in a number of ways to behave more like you would expect from the era, while also giving you greater control over how battles are fought.
First I’d like to refresh some things we have already gone through. Like in EU: Rome battles are fought in phases were a unit will attempt to damage the unit in front of it. If there is no unit immediately facing your unit it can try to damage a unit diagonally adjacent to it. The maneuver rating of each unit type determines how far away it can target a unit on the opposite side (for an overview of unit types see this former diary).
How much damage each unit can deal is dependent on its strength towards the unit it faces. As an example a unit of heavy infantry will deal more damage to light infantry.
Modifiers from Military Traditions and Unit Abilities can further strengthen certain units overall, or in certain terrains, as can well chosen Battle Tactics.
Now for the new stuff
Unlike in its predecessor, there is no second row from which units can deal damage in Imperator:Rome. Instead there is a Primary Frontline and a Secondary Frontline.
The First Frontline will enter battle first, damaging the opposing side until its morale breaks or it suffers enough damage to be eliminated.
The Secondary Frontline will then begin to move forward to become the new front.
On the sides the units designated as Flank units will be deployed, these will first fight and kill the opposing flank, and then start targeting the center if they can (decided by their maneuver value as described above).
In the army interface you will be able to select which unit type you want to be prioritized for First Frontline, Second Frontline and Flank. The preselected choices will depend on your Military Traditions but they can be changed freely by the player or the AI for each army.
The size of the flank can also be set, either 2 cohorts, 5 cohorts or 10 cohorts.
Additionally some unit types are now scripted to be able to deal or take more morale damage or more physical damage, making them more or less suited for each role.
In most cases this means that you might see a first skirmish phase where your Primary Frontline of Archers or Light Infantry try to do as much damage as possible to the other side before their morale breaks and they retreat.
They are then followed by the units of the Second Frontline, potentially composed of heavier units such as Heavy Infantry or/and Elephants.
In an ideal world you might want to deploy something like Horse Archers on the Flanks, with a high maneuver value that would allow them to deal damage far into the center once they have defeated the opposing flank, but you might also go for something specifically to prioritize countering the opposing flank.
Since the choice is free you can to put any type of unit in each of these roles. If you are playing a country with specific bonuses to certain unit types from military traditions, that might change which unit you want to be in which position. If you just want to try something unexpected that is also possible.
When you do not have enough of your preferred unit type for a role the game will fill out with units in order of how high their build cost are.
Apart from being strong against other unit types some units also have modifiers to how much morale damage they take, or deal. Archers take 25% more morale damage for instance, and Heavy Infantry deals more damage to unit strength of the opposing unit.
Battle Indicator
Like in Europa Universalis or Crusader Kings, Imperator will show an indicator on the map when a battle is expected to occur in a location where two armies are headed.
In Imperator we have added information to this indicator to give a quick view of some of the more relevant combat data of this expected battle. The indicator will change appearance depending on how likely a victory is, and its tooltip will summarize why it predicts a certain result.
Now there are many factors that influence the outcome of a battle, and together with the random elements that can skew a battle result this means that the indication might not always be entirely correct. But it will allow you to quickly gauge your chances of success, and show some of the factors that you would otherwise have to look around in the interface for.
Attrition:
A constant factor in warfare in this era and up until this day is the non-combat related losses in a conflict. Armies moving through hostile territory, or just areas unable to support them in general, will often suffer as many, often more, than ones directly involved in combat.
As in other Grand Strategy Games such as Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis locations in Imperator will have a supply limit (shown as a value next to the cauldron in the screenshot above), which is the size of army that the land can support without suffering attrition.
Weather and hostile terrain can also directly increase attrition of present armies. An army in a desert city will always suffer 1% attrition from it, as will armies in locations with harsh winter. Base Attrition is shown by the Skull in the province interface above.
Together with the mountain passes, roads and other features of the map this means that you will have to pay closer attention to the map when on campaign. Minimum attrition means that an unsafe route might be more punishing than what you are used to. The automatic path-finding will prefer shorter movement times and low attrition when possible, but at times you might want to cross that desert to reach the battlefield you want.
That was all for today! Next week I will be back with some more information on Trade, Diplomacy and regional information about the starting situation in the British Isles.
Hello and welcome to this weeks developer diary!
Today I will be returning to the matter of Trade, Diplomacy and to the geopolitical setup of the British Isles.
Trade
Trade is a subject that is integral to this era in many ways. Flow of goods and people over the Mediterranean is the primary reason it was natural for an empire to form around it. This is how this sea could ever conceivably become Mare Nostrum, or “our sea”, to the Romans.
In Imperator Trade is not limited to something you conduct to make money, it also ties into the other systems in the game.
So before I move on to the things we have adjusted with this system I will reiterate what we have touched upon in previous diaries about Trade in Imperator. I will also be using Grain as an example:
Trade Good bonuses are dependent on the type of Good and they come in a wide variety. This allows you to tailor your provinces, and even more so your country, to your needs and desires by controlling what you produce and where you ship it.
- Each city produces one type of Trade Good for your province. -For instance Grain.
- Having a Trade Good present in a province gives a modifier in that entire province. -Grain gives +0.10% Population Growth.
- Each of your provinces has a certain number of routes it can use to import goods, and each route can be used to bring in one Trade Good.
- Having a surplus of a Trade Good in a province gives a small modifier, but one that stacks for each extra unit of surplus. -For each surplus of Grain the Province gets +0.05% Population Growth.
- Trade Routes can be used to import Trade Goods either making them present in provinces where they are not produced, or to increase the surplus of them, adding to the stacking modifier in the province. -The more Grain you bring in the more Population growth your Province will get.
- Exporting a Trade Good from a province also requires a surplus in that province.
- Generating a surplus without importing requires can be done either if your province has more than once city producing the same Trade Good, or if it has 15 slaves in one of its cities. Each group of 15 Slaves will increase the Output of a Trade Good by 1.
- Surplus of a Trade Good in your capital province gives a national bonus. Capitals have more import routes than other provinces, most notably they gain more from the rank of your country. -Grain gives +10% National Manpower when in surplus in capital.
Last but not least each active Trade Route creates Commerce Income in your province, which may add up to quite a bit of money if you have many active routes.
We have divided our Trade Goods into functional categories to reflect their effects:
By mixing and matching which Trade Goods you import, you can decide what kind of country you want to build.
- Strategic Goods such as Wood, Iron or Elephants, are required to be present in a province in order to recruit certain types of units there.
- Military Goods are those that impact the performance of your Armies.
- Growth Goods, such as Grain, are Trade Goods that increase Population Growth (and since population size reduces population growth these goods may also be required to maintain population without starvation in very populous regions).
- Population Goods are Trade Goods that will increase the happiness of your pops, making them more productive and less likely to revolt.
- Economy & Technology, the last category, provides a variety of bonuses to technology, buildings, tax, commerce, loyalty or civilization level.
By importing Strategic and Military goods you could build stronger and cheaper armies.
A mix of Growth and Population Goods would allow you to build a stronger internal economy, with more productive and prosperous population.
Technology boosting goods for greater scientific leaps.
And of course any mix of the above. Some things might not be as obvious, a country that conducts a lot of expansion may well see the need to focus on the Population Goods such as Wine, Olives and Precious Metals, to keep the recently conquered foreign populations happy.
Diplomatic Range
The Mediterranean world was in some ways very interconnected, but travel time, reputation and maintaining diplomats for long distance diplomacy for a small country would not have been easy.
In order to conduct most Diplomatic Interactions except for declaring war, military access, and suing for peace, will be limited by your Diplomatic Range.
In order to determine if you are within diplomatic range of another country, your maximum diplomatic range will be compared to the distance between your capital and theirs.
The Maximum Range is modified primarily by how high your Rank is, but it is also modified by inventions. An overlord and a subject will always be considered to be within Diplomatic Range of each other.
Powerful and advanced countries will thus be able to perform far reaching diplomacy, while smaller states will be more limited to their immediate area.
Exports:
We only touched briefly on export in the previous diary on trade, and what we did mention has changed. There are no longer any general Trade Access treaties. Rather than making you sign one deal to get access to all the Trade Goods of a country you will now be able to ask any country within diplomatic range to be allowed to import something they have a surplus of.
Likewise other countries will be approaching you for the right to import your Trade Goods.
So why would you agree to export something when there are so many nice benefits from stacking things inside your own country?
To start with there is an economic incentive. The amount of Commerce from international trade is much higher than that from internal trade routes. Meaning that exporting can net you much higher income, especially if you do it from somewhere with good modifiers to commerce (such as a province with many high happiness Citizens and Markets).
Secondly there is a fourth modifier to be had for exporting a Trade Good. For Grain, our old example above, this would be +5% National Manpower.
Taken together this means that export is sometimes quite a bit more lucrative than using your own import routes to move Trade Goods around within your own country, though there will of course still be situations where you may prefer not to export a Trade Good that would benefit a neighbor more than you are comfortable with.
The British Isles
Southern Britannia
As we move on into territory that is further from the Mediterranean we are now approaching lands of which we know far less. The British isles were by no means unknown to the ancient world, most recently the islands were supposedly visited by Pytheas of Massilia.
Of Pythias works however very little remains, and we only know them from what others have written about them. So for most cases we have had to extrapolate what information we do have backwards.
What we do now, from written sources as well as archaeology, is that the British isles were undergoing a period of growth and wealth. Rich in iron, base metals and even gold, these islands were also good agricultural land and are described as exporting grain and cattle.
Southern Britain would also have been in somewhat close contact with Gaul to the south, commercially as well as politically, and would in time come to receive increasing numbers of Gallic and Belgic tribesmen.
Starting Countries:
Northern Britannia, Caledonia and Hibernia
- Icenia: Middle size Tribal Kingdom in what would much later be known as Norfolk. Would historically ally with the Romans in their invasion after our timeline. Icenia starts independent and unaligned.
- Trinovantia: Another middle sized Tribal Kingdom, between Icenia and the Thames. Their prosperous capital Camulodunum has been suggested as a possible site for the legendary Camelot, at our start it was still an insignificant village. Trinovantia starts the game independent and unaligned.
- Cantiacia: Tribal Kingdom stretching from the Thames to the English Channel. Described by Caesar as a maritime oriented kingdom, with close ties to the Gallic states to the south. Cantiacia starts independent and unaligned.
- Durotriga: Small Tribal Kingdom of settled agriculturalists on the southern coast of the island. Durotriga starts independent and unaligned.
- Dumnonia: Tribal kingdom in modern Devon and Cornwall, with an economy based on fishing and tin mining. Tin was so bountiful that it found its way from this region far south, helped by Phoenician merchants from Gadez in southern hispania. Dumnonia starts independent and unaligned.
- Ordovicia: Tribal Kingdom in the fortified hills of northern Wales. Ordovicia starts independent and unaligned.
- Demetia: Small Tribal Kingdom in western Wales, etymologically close to the later name Dyfed. Demetia starts independent and unaligned.
- Deceanglia: Small Tribal Kingdom in northern Wales, a region that would become known for its precious metal mines during Roman Rule. Deceanglia starts independent and unaligned.
- Siluria: Warlike tribal kingdom in southern Wales. Known later for their resistance to Roman occupation. Siluria starts independent and unaligned.
- Dubonnia: Large Tribal Kingdom in modern Western England. The Dubonni economy and society is based on agriculture and like many other societies in the British isles and elsewhere guarded their people with hill forts. Dubonnia starts independent and unaligned.
- Cornovia: Tribal kingdom in the northern midlands, north of Dubonnia. Starts independent and unaligned.
As in Southern Britannia there are scant sources for this region. The north was only partially subdued by Rome and so we have even less to go on here in some ways.
The southern part of this region is home to the strongest of the Pretani states, while the far north of Caledonia has a number of resilient Pictish kingdoms, in between some unowned (but populated) stretches of land.
As in the south the region had seen the rise of societies around strong hill forts, and is home to a number of growing cities in the Lowlands and Northern England.
Starting Countries:
- Brigantia: Largest Tribal Kingdom in Britain, and at the start also the strongest. Controls all land between the Irish and North Seas. Would remain a substantial power long after Roman conquest. At start Brigantia is independent and unaligned.
- Parisia: Small tribal kingdom in modern east Yorkshire, part of the Arras culture. Would in time come under considerable influence from Belgic tribesmen who migrated into this region. Parisia starts independent and unaligned.
- Carvetia: Tribal kingdom to the north of Brigantia, and likely closely related to them. Starts independent and unaligned.
- Votadinia: Pictish Tribal kingdom in what would become the northern end of Roman Britain, today Southern Scotland and Northern England. Votadinia starts independent and unaligned.
- Damnonia: Pictish Tribal Kingdom in in the western lowlands. Very little is known of this tribe, which is only attested in Ptolemy’s Geography. Damnonia starts independent and unaligned.
- Taexalia: Pictish Tribal Kingdom in the highlands. Starts independent and unaligned.
- Caledonia: Pictish Tribal Kingdom representing the tribes of the northern highlands. Starts isolated, independent and unaligned, at the northern tip of the island.
- Ulatia: Hibernian Tribal kingdom in Northern Ireland, representing the tribes around the royal center at Navan Fort. Starts independent and unaligned.
Hello and welcome to this Christmas Developer Diary for Imperator:Rome!
Today we will be looking at the peninsula of Hispania during the period around the start of Imperator.
Hispania:
As we move on to Hispania we are approaching another region for which there is less information available in the kind of detail that we have gotten used to in the wider Hellenistic world. While there is indeed a lot of information about tribes in Hispania at our start date, it is not nearly as detailed as that of the wider Greek and Roman spheres. Because of this some of the countries described below will be dealt with in groups.
In 450 AUC, or if you like 304 BCE, Hispania is a land populated by a disparate constellation of Tribal Kingdoms. Many consider themselves part of a larger tribal identity, such as the Caelici or the Lusitani, but they are not by any means a united people, or even a federation. To properly show this we have chosen to include many of the small tribal kingdoms that made up these larger groups, rather than have them anachronistically united. Should any one of the tribes rise to unite its kin it can form a larger tribal federation country. So a successful Arevacia for instance would form the Celtiberian confederation.
To the Romans and Carthaginians, Hispania was a very rich region. It produces large quantities of valuable trade goods such as metals and olives, wine and grain. As they grew Carthage and Rome would soon both desire the peninsula, and make it one of the richest parts of their respective empires.
In Imperator, Hispania is divided into five regions for administrative purposes: Baetica, Contestania, Tarraconensis, Gallaecia and Lusitania. These are based on historical divisions of the peninsula but also serve the gameplay purpose of governorships. As far as possible I will make use of these to structure the go through of the map, only breaking that format to keep together tribal federations.
Baetica:
The southernmost part of Hispania is Baetica. This region is a great source of mineral wealth (with everything from Iron and Base Metals to the bountiful precious metal mines of the Sierra Nevada mountains) but it is also a rich agricultural region. It would grow to be one of the greatest sources of Olive Oil, wine and fish (especially the fish sauce Garum, which was a staple of the Mediterranean diet) in this part of the world.
In 450 AUC Baetica is culturally Iberian and home to some of the stronger and more united tribes in Hispania. The Turdetani in particular is one of the stronger powers in Hispania at this point in time, often acting to attempt to block the influence of the Phoenician and Greek colonies on the coastline.
As the leader of the Phoenician trading cities in the Western Mediterranean Carthage also has a considerable presence in this region, in particular in the form of the two cities of Malaca and Carteia and their respective hinterlands. It was in Baetica, and later on the eastern Spanish coast, that Carthage would expand the most up until its final showdown with Rome in the Punic wars.
Starting Countries:
Contestania
- Turdetania: Strong tribal kingdom in the central part of souther Hispania. As the major power in the region they are frequently at odds with their Greek and Phoenician neighbors as well as other tribes such as the Turduli. Turdetania starts independent and unaligned.
- Tartessia: Tribal offshot of Turdetania occupying the region that was once part of the ancient kingdom of Tartessos. While Tartessos is long gone it has left its mark in the form of a distinctly different cultural influence in this area. Tartessia starts independent and unaligned.
- Menesthei: Greek city state just south of Lacus Ligustinus at the estuary of the Guadalquivir river. Menesthei was home to a local oracle of some renown and apart from Greeks it is also home to a significant Phoenician community. Menesthei starts in a defensive league with Gadir.
- Gadir: Ancient Phoenician trade city in Southern Spain. Many hundreds of years older than Carthage itself Gadir remains its own actor and is not directly tied to the great African city. Gadir starts in a defensive league with Menesthei.
- Turdulia: Turdulian Tribal kingdom north of Turdetania and at the southern border of the celtiberian tribal region, based around the city of Iporca. The tribe is separated from other Turduli tribes in Lusitania by the Celtici to its west. Turdulia starts independent and unaligned.
- Cynetia: Iberian Tribal kingdom on the southwestern tip of Hispania. Small and under pressure from the expanding Celt-Iberian tribes to the north, Cynetia often sought outside protection from powers like Carthage and Rome. Cynetia starts independent and unaligned.
- Eburania: Small tribal kingdom north of the Carthaginian controlled coastline. Eburania starts independent and unaligned.
- Oretania: Strong Iberian tribal kingdom in the Sierra Morena mountains with ample access to Precious Metals and Base Metals. While weaker than the Turdetani, Oretania would remain independent up until Roman conquest and exerts authority over some nearby tribes. The Oretani starts independent and unaligned.
- Garmania: Small tribal kingdom north of Oretania in a mixed region of Iberians and Celtiberians (Romans would later speculate that they were also related to Germanians far from Iberia). Garmania starts as a Tributary of Oretania.
- Mentasania: Small tribal kingdom north of Oretania with many characteristics similar to Garmania. Mentasania starts as a tributary of Oretania.
North of Baetica lies a region that would historically soon come to be called Carthaginian Hispania. With New Carthage/Carthago Nova as its main city, as well as the economic and political center. In 304 BCE however there is little direct Carthaginian influence over this region and the future site of the great Carthaginian city is controlled by Iberian tribes.
Split between Iberian and Celtiberian tribal kingdoms this is a region with considerable economic wealth, if it can be properly consolidated and developed. Together with Tarraconensis this region is home to two of the more important tribal groups in the peninsula, the Celtiberi and the Carpetani, and for simplicity's sake we will describe both groups in their entirety here rather than split them between sections.
Starting Countries:
Carpetani Tribes:
- Bastetania: Ancient Iberian Tribal Kingdom that has been much diminished by the expansion of the Phoenician colony around Malaca. Bastetania starts the game independent and unaligned.
- Mastia: Iberian city state near modern Cartagena, formerly in league with Tartessos. While the region under Mastian control is small it includes some of the richest and most accessible Gold Fields in Hispania. In time this area would come under Carthaginian influence and be the site of the flourishing city of New Carthage, the main port of Hispania. Mastia starts independent and unaligned.
- Contestania: Perhaps the strongest tribal kingdom in a very divided region, Contestania is a medium sized Iberian state with some influence beyond its borders. At starts it is independent and unaligned.
- Deitania: Tribal offshoot of Contestani. Deitania starts as a tributary of Contestania.
- Hemeroskopeion: Greek city state on the eastern coastline founded by Massalian settlers. Hemeroskopeion starts in a defensive league with Massilia and Emporion to its north.
- Edetania: Iberian Tribe in the eastern Hispanian inland. Edetania starts independent and unaligned.
- Saguntum: Iberian tribal city state with its hinterland. Would in time grow to a thriving trade power in the region and attract attention from Rome and Carthage. Eventually the allegiance of Saguntum would become the trigger for the second Punic war. At our start Saguntum is independent and unaligned.
- Lobetania: Small tribal kingdom pressed south by the Celtic Bellia tribe. Lobetania starts independent and unaligned.
In 304 BCE the Carpetani is a tribal identity but not a united federation. There are a number of tribal Carpetani kingdom that could come to form a united Carpetanian Tribal Federation if they can unite their home area by either conquest or voluntary submission. Not a lot is known of each tribal kingdom but they would in time come into conflict with Carthage (and also supplied Carthage with mercenaries). The main city of the region, Toletum, would grow to be a major urban settlement under Roman rule.
The following Carpetanian Tribal kingdoms all start independent and unaligned:
Celtiberi States:
- Solicia
- Duitiquia
- Tirtaliquia
- Aelariquia
- Moeniccia
- Duniquia
Not strictly limited to in game Contestania the Celtiberi tribes can be found in the eastern inland plain of Hispania, and they are in many ways one of the more dominant groups in 304 BCE Hispania. Later Roman and Carthaginian expansion would in time marginalize the Celtiberi but not before they united in a Celtiberian confederation (and like the Carpetani the Celtiberian states will also be able to do this).
Tarraconensis
- Arevacia: Strongest and reputedly most warlike of the Celtiberian Tribal Kingdoms. Would in time come to unite the area and form the Celtiberian federation. Starts independent and unaligned.
- Olcadia: Middle sized tribal kingdom between Arevacia and Boletia. Controls the mines of Segobriga, which in time would become the main source of Lapis Specularis in the mediterranean. A transparent stone wanted for, among other things, windowmaking. Olcadia starts independent and unaligned.
- Boletia: Middle sized tribal kingdom bordering the Iberian states on the coastline. Would often get provoke conflict with their neighbors and at times allied Carthage. Participated on the Carthaginian side in the second Punic War. Boletia starts independent and unaligned.
- Bellia, Lusonia, and Tithia: Small tribal kingdoms in Celtiberia of which we know very little. They all start independent and unaligned.
Named after Tarraco on the northeastern coastline of the peninsula Hispania Tarraconensis is the entire north eastern part of Iberia in Imperator, encompassing the Ebro river valley, the Pyrenees and their surroundings. Right at the border of Gaul and Iberia this is a varied region with Iberian, Celtiberian and Greek settlements in the east and south, as well as Celtic Aquitanian states in the west.
Starting Countries:
Gallaecia:
- Emporion: Largest and most influential Greek settlement in Spain. Emporion is a Plutocratic Republic that has acted as the main entrepot for Trade between southern Spain, Massilia in Gaul, Greek Italy and Greece. While its power is small compared to the military might of its nearby competitor, Carthage, it has maintained its independence in cooperation with nearby Iberian tribes. Emporion starts in a defensive league with Massilia and Hemeroskopeion as well as an alliance with Indiketia.
- Indiketia: Iberian Tribal Kingdom and patron of the nearby Greek state of Emporion. At start Indiketia is allied with Emporion.
- Cessetania: Iberian tribal kingdom just south of Emporion and Indiketia. The main city of the Cessetani, Tarracona, would under Roman rule grow to be the most important city in the region.
- Ilercavonia: Iberian tribe on the western coastline of Hispania by the Ebro estuary. Ilercavonia starts independent and unaligned.
- Sedetania: Iberian inland Tribal kingdom west of Ilercavonia. Sedetania starts independent and unaligned.
- Ausetania: Small tribal kingdom between the Pyrenees and Cessetania. Would swap allegiance between Rome and Carthage during the punic wars.
- Ilergetia: Relatively strong and economically prosperous Iberian Tribal Kingdom between the central Pyrenees and the Ebro river. Ilergetia starts independent and unaligned.
- Vasconia: Tribal Kingdom in the plain south of the western Pyrenees. Neighboring Ilergetia and Vardulia. The Vascones are often thought to be the ancestors of the modern Basque. Vasconia starts independent and unaligned.
- Vardulia: Tribal Kingdom on the western tip of the Pyrenees, west of the Vasconians, in what is today the Basque country. Vardulia starts independent and unaligned.
- Caristia: Small Aquitanian Tribal kingdom west of Vardulia. Starts independent and unaligned.
- Autrigonia: Celtic tribe that arrived in this region in the last century. Originally settled to the south of where they now are they have been driven from their old capital in Autraca by the Turmodigia.
In the far north, towards the atlantic coastline, lies the region of Gallaecia. A hilly and somewhat isolated, yet heavily fortified, region. Gallaecia is home to a great number of tribal kingdoms, from Cantabrians in the east to the Callaecians in the west, and would be one of the last parts of the peninsula to be conquered by Roman troops. Precious Metal and Iron can both be found here in great quantities.
Starting Countries:
Vaccaeia: Mid sized Tribal kingdom in Central Hispania, bordering Arevacia. Having arrived at the same time as many of the Celtiberi tribes the Vaccaei were often actively involved in Celtiberian politics. Vaccaeia starts independent and unaligned.
Turmodigia: Small tribal kingdom between Vaccaeia and Autrigonia. The former has recently helped them gain independence from the latter, securing more Autrigonian territory in the process. Land that the Autrigones likely want back. Turmodigia starts independent and unaligned.
Callaecian Tribes:
Occupying the entire north western portion of the Peninsula the Callaecian or Gallaecian landscape is dotted with small hillforts belonging to many small independent tribal kingdoms. With no written sources from the region at the time of the start of our period, it is nonetheless likely that these operated almost as small city states. Should one tribe manage to subdue or conquer the entire region they will be able to form a very powerful Callaecian federation, consisting of all of the below states.
At the start of the game all of the following Callaecian Tribal Kingdoms start independent and unaligned:
Asturian Tribes:
- Coporia
- Gravia
- Interamicia
- Leunia
- Neria
- Seurria
- Silenia
- Tamagania
- Varrinia
- Orgenomescia
- Caladunia
- Bracaria
- Baniensia
- Baedia
- Arronia
- Albionia
- Aebocosia
Like with many of the other tribes of northern Hispania we know most about the Astures from their reputation as mercenaries. Their homeland is not the richest part of the peninsula but it did prove quite hard to conquer for the Romans when they eventually tried to pacify the region. In 304 BCE the Astures are split among a great number of tribal kingdoms, who will all be able to unite into a Tribal Asturian federation through subjugating or conquering their kin. At the start of the game all the following Asturian Tribal Kingdoms are independent and unaligned:
Amacia
Beduniensia
Gigurria
Lanciensia
Lugonia
Paesicia
Selinia
Superatia
Tiburia
Zoelia
Cantabrian Tribes:
Just east of the Asturians, the Cantabrian tribes occupy the mountainous region towards the Atlantic coastline. Their region is rich in iron, base metals and silver. The Cantabri themselves were renowned for their military prowess and expertise, and would often serve as mercenaries in distant wars. When Rome was to eventually conquer the region, just around the end of the period covered by this game, it was only able to do so at considerable cost. In 304 BCE however the Cantabri tribes are quarreling and disunited. At start, all of the following Cantabrian Tribal Kingdoms are relatively small, independent and unaligned:
Lusitania:
- Avariginia
- Coniscia
- Concania
- Blendia
- Morecania
- Tamaricia
- Vadinia
Divided between Turduli, Celtici and Lusitanian tribes the region of Lusitania is as of yet free from direct foreign influence from Carthaginians, or Greeks. The region is perhaps not as endowed with agricultural and mining resources (though there are precious metal mines here as well) as Baetica to the south but still represents considerable wealth and power to anyone who can unify it.
Starting Countries:
Lusitanian Tribes:
- Oppidania: Offshot from the Turduli people also found in Baetica. The Oppidani occupy much of the coastline of modern Portugal, but they have few friends in a region almost entirely dominated by Lusitanian tribes. Oppidania starts independent and unaligned.
- Celticia: Celtiberian tribe north of Turdulia, most likely related to the celtiberi to the north. Would historically come to submit to the Carthaginians when they began to expand their influence over southern Hispania. Celticia starts independent and unaligned.
- Sefia: Celtician Tribal Kingdom south of Oppidania and north of Cynetia. Starts independent and unaligned.
- Cempsia: Another Celtician Tribal Kingdom, closely related to Sefia. Starts independent and unaligned.
- Bardulia: Triba Turdulil kingdom surrounding by bigger neighbors. With Tartessia to the south, Turdulia to the east and Celticia to the north the Barduli are going to need to find friends quickly. Barduli starts independent and unaligned.
Tribal continuum between the Douro and Tagus rivers. While the Lusitanian tribes were far from united in 304 BCE they historically managed to band together to go on the offensive against Carthage and later Rome. Like other tribes described any of the Lusitani countries can form a greater Lusitanian federation if it subdues or conquers all the other tribes. The following countries are all independent Tribal Kingdoms, and unaligned:
Vettonian Tribes:
- Paesuria
- Elbocoria
- Tapolia
- Igaedetania
- Lancientia
- Aravia
- Taluria
In the center of the Iberian plain the Vettonian tribes have settled in the past century (their origin is not entirely clear). In their near area the Vettones were often allies of the Lusitani against greater common threats such as the Carthaginians. If any Vettonian tribe unites the region by force or diplomacy they can form the larger Vettonian Federation. The following Vettonian countries are all unaligned, independent tribal kingdoms at the start of the game:
- Bletonisia
- Caluria
- Coerensia
- Calontiensia
You picked my interest, indeed you have my undivided attention. Please recommend me some quality literature on the subject of the Indo-Greeks, I would love to sink my teeth into it.
