Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

With someone asking about the lack of camels in Dominions, it got me to thinking of a certain lack of Arabian mythology, and how great it would be to have at least one Arabian-themed nation per age. Some thoughts off the top of the head for Arabian Nights themed nations:

-wasteland survival and Heat Resistance 50 for all units, most with high mobility and high natural defense, leather armor and robes, no shields, basically superb light infantry and nothing approaching medium or heavy infantry, darker skinned
-assassins with poison daggers
-stealthy eunuch spy/assassins with strangulation
-courtesan with seduce command
-national blood, air, fire summons - dust devils, efreet and djinn
-whirling dervish sacreds with two scimitars, possibly berserk
-scimitar weapons: Attack 1, Defense 1, Damage 5, Reach 2, costs same amount of resources as broadsword
-mounted nomad archers - shortbow, scimitar, robes
-horses or camels never have any extra attacks
-at least one air mage with a flying carpet!
-mages never have any water paths
-air, fire, astral are common magics, with perhaps one commander getting a blood random
-poofy pants!
-at least two different tribes per nation in every age
-maybe a snake cult?
-weak priests
-nomad princes and sheiks
-some kind of merchant unit?

Also really makes keenly feel the absence of a Stand Off and Fire command for mounted archers where they move away from infantry units and pepper them with arrows.

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

Post#520679
Al Murrah - desert dwellers, MA nation started year ago but never finished.


Another unfinished mod from a year ago: Arabs and carthaginians


This short exchange happened in a thread named "Possible missing nations in Dom III?", but AFAIK nothing more ever happened. This was at the end of 2006.
Thoughts on Persian/arabic/byzantinian mod for DomII, by Thinktank. Never finished.

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

Assassins are a must...the word assassin comes from the Hashashin, after all...

Although you don't say it, preferring Heat-2 seems like a gimme.

The camel units should possibly have a reduced supply requirement for their size.

Although this is more Ottoman, and much later, it would be nifty if you could build special Janissary troops only in conquered territory.

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

I realize this is somewhat tangental, however I have an Achaemenid Persian nation (330 BC) written out, and it's on the schedule/list to be completed. It would be created jointly with a Macedon nation (with the idea of focusing on 1on1 SP/MP duels).
Currently planned after 3 other mods (though one is almost finished and ready for release).
Which means at least 3 (more likely 6) months away.

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

Ah yes, temperature scales. Heat 1 sounds sufficient, there's not really anything very magical about the population (base MR 10) so more might sound like a little much.

Camel units could have Need Not Eat, maybe even Supply Bonus 1. And thinking of them... there should probably be medium camel cavalry just for the thematic aspect, and to add something fantastical. Perhaps even make them sacred? Battle camels that spit poison! lol

Yeah and gotta have the assassins, I had at least two-three types in there including the courtesan. She has a poison knife, of course. But I also liked my Court Eunuch with strangulation and maybe Instill Uprising on him.

Court Eunuch:

"The Eunuch has grown up in the confines of the courts of the shieks and princes. Rising in rank through poison, assassination, and intrigue, they become much larger than normal men through their appetites, both for food and the cruel and unsavory practices of the courts. Their great size and bulbous bodies belie their surprising strength and speed, and they are quite fleet of foot. Survivalists by nature, they care only for themselves and never lead troops."

Gold 180? ---------- Resources 3
Hp 19 (Size 3) ----- Strength 15
Protection 3? (Robes and Leather Cap) ----- Attack 11
Morale 13 ---------- Defense 10
Magic Resistance 12 ----- Precision 10
Encumbrance 3 ---- Move 2/12
Leadership 0

Weapons: Strangulation - Strength, Defense, Reach all 0, Attack 1. Always attacks head, OR Armor Piercing. Once it hits it will always hit every round thereafter. Equipping a weapon removes this ability.
Armor: Robes, Leather Cap

Spy with Instill Uprising, Stealth 10, Glutton 2, Assassin, Heat Resistance 50, Wasteland Survival

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

I don't think Blood would be thematic, they weren't into sacrifices to the best of my knowledge. I'm not sure heat resistance is so appropriate either, or reduce it to 25. Certainly make them Heat 1 or 2.

I think they should have some decently armoured troops. Some pretty average infantry with spears and shields and some cavalry with lance and shields, both with armour no better than chainmail. Archers on both foot and horseback should have composite bows. They could also have militia-quality ghazi troops, border raiders with light armour and axes or clubs.

They'd arrive in MA, in LA they could be more like the Turks, mostly similar but with heavier armour, and less Heat.

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

National summons are easy; you have Marids, Ifrit, Shaitan, Ghuls, and Jann.

I was thinking they should have fire and earth with minors in air and death. Hidden in Sand should be something they should be able cast out of the box or with randoms.

One big problem is that horse archers are awful in Dominions 3. Even with composite bows they will be too expensive for what they do, and there's no Parthian Shot built into the game. Might be better to go the LA C'tis route and have some incredible capital only swordsmen, but just average recruit everywhere units.

It's important to separate out the eras. The Arabian Nights theme seems like it would be EA. Would 11-13th century saracen warriors and assassins be MA? After the fall of Alamut and the arrival of Marco Polo, the Mongols have a heavy influence and the "Arabian Nights" theme doesn't really apply. If that's LA, it would be largely divergent nation.

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

Is it just me or is half of the stuff you all are mention basically abysia? I always felt that they were loosely based on the middle east. Personally I would prefer a LA turkish nation than a MA arab one, or maybe one of each hmmmm. I do not think they are "fantasy" enough to be in EA personally. They didnt emerge into the world until "MA" anyhow.

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

the Whirling Dervish is actually a priest, not a warrior. A priest-mage would be more appropriate for this Persian archetype; probably with air, earth, astral, and death magic paths. The 'whirling' adjective is a reference to the spiritual dance they perform.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dervish
http://www.dankphotos.com/whirling/

Re: Ideas for 1001 Arabian Nights-themed nations
 

Very interesting and a good point Omni, but let's not forget the mythology of Magic: The Gathering, either. Whirling Dervish or any unit doesn't necessarily have to be their historical equivalent. It's often more fun to mix it up and take some artistic liberties!

In my opinion, the name Whirling Dervish deserves some play as a badass melee unit. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif