Disappointed with African DLC

[Olaus Petrus]

Not surprised. If they actually accurately modelled the different shaped faces of the two different peoples it'd be twice as much work. Ethiopia would also have to be one of the least played countries... especially concidering it's difficulty.

The question also has to be asked, even if this dlc got a decent number of sales... how many people actually bought it for it's sake and how many bought it to be a completionist. So far with at least one dlc I fall into the second category and it'll probably be the same way with this one (as soon as I'm able to make purchases online again in a couple of days).

Ethiopia and Nubia were popular enough that Paradox added Coptic Pope and Miaphysite religion into the game after people had constantly complained that religious situation in Ethiopia is incorrect. You can divide Ethiopia/Nubia fanboys into two categories, there are those who are interested about the history of the region and those who just want the challenge.

And it's not just limited to CKII. East Africa has sort of cult following among the Paradox players. In original CKI Nubia was popular choice (Ethiopia wasn't on the map) among the players who wanted the ultimate challenge. And in EUIII many people have conquered entire Africa and more as Ethiopia. I assume that Ethiopia is still considered as a good challenge also among the Vicky and HoI players too (don't have the latest version of these games, so I don't know for certain).

 

[Spartanlemur]

East Africa has sort of cult following among the Paradox players.

Perhaps it does...but obviously nothing on the level of the genuine cult of The Eastern Roman Empire which a very large percentage of fanboys follow religiously (myself included).

 

[liamgamer55]

Ethiopia and Nubia were popular enough that Paradox added Coptic Pope and Miaphysite religion into the game after people had constantly complained that religious situation in Ethiopia is incorrect. You can divide Ethiopia/Nubia fanboys into two categories, there are those who are interested about the history of the region and those who just want the challenge.

And it's not just limited to CKII. East Africa has sort of cult following among the Paradox players. In original CKI Nubia was popular choice (Ethiopia wasn't on the map) among the players who wanted the ultimate challenge. And in EUIII many people have conquered entire Africa and more as Ethiopia. I assume that Ethiopia is still considered as a good challenge also among the Vicky and HoI players too (don't have the latest version of these games, so I don't know for certain).

You're comparing 5 minutes work (changing the way orthodox religion is lots of extra work, but once you have the system set up to allow russia to have a pope coding in a coptic pope too isn't much work and adding a new religion/sub religion definitely doesn't take long) to quite possibly 3-4 hours or 10x more.

Also, I'd like to add that if you like face packs it's probably a good idea to buy them all to increase the chances of future ones. Even if you never play african nations buying the african facepack is probably going to increase the chances of more facepacks happening in the future.

 

[Olaus Petrus]

Perhaps it does...but obviously nothing on the level of the genuine cult of The Eastern Roman Empire which a very large percentage of fanboys follow religiously (myself included).

While Byzantine fanboys are one of the largest fanboy groups there are many others too. Besides East Africans, also Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Spanish seem to get fair share of threads, while there are relatively few threads about Bulgaria or Poland.

You're comparing 5 minutes work (changing the way orthodox religion is lots of extra work, but once you have the system set up to allow russia to have a pope coding in a coptic pope too isn't much work and adding a new religion/sub religion definitely doesn't take long) to quite possibly 3-4 hours or 10x more.

Also, I'd like to add that if you like face packs it's probably a good idea to buy them all to increase the chances of future ones. Even if you never play african nations buying the african facepack is probably going to increase the chances of more facepacks happening in the future.

I think you underestimate the work they have done to improve the religious situation in Africa and Middle East. Research alone takes lot of time. And personally I assume that they wouldn't have published two Africa DLCs if there was no demand for black units and faces. While some people might buy those to get all DLC I believe that Paradox has made unit, face and music DLC specifically for those regions/nations it believe will sell the most, therefore we have special Byzantine and African units DLC instead of units for less popular regions.

 

[Sleight of Hand]

While some people might buy those to get all DLC I believe that Paradox has made unit, face and music DLC specifically for those regions/nations it believe will sell the most, therefore we have special Byzantine and African units DLC instead of units for less popular regions.

That and the more pressing point that the setup before was just wrong. The people of Ethiopia and Mali did not and do not look like Arabs, whereas the Polish are at least white and Eastern European, and therefore objectively speaking aren't really being done a great disservice with the way they look at present.

 

[Olaus Petrus]

That and the more pressing point that the setup before was just wrong. The people of Ethiopia and Mali did not and do not look like Arabs, whereas the Polish are at least white and Eastern European, and therefore objectively speaking aren't really being done a great disservice with the way they look at present.

Well, that too. But then again unless you like to play as Black Africans or North African Arabs, you probably won't care how some factions at the remote end of the map look like. My observation was based on the fact that also EUIII, Vicky 2 and HoI3 DLC seem to focus to most popular factions, so I assume that they follow the same principle here.

 

[septusRR83]

I am more disappointed that the Imperial Crown for the Africans is simply the western male Crown with some feathers in front of it, even though you can easily find some good examples of African Crowns like these doing a simple google search.
Well at least i hope the Byzantine Portraits DLC will be somewhat historically accurate.

 

[TheGreatSnoop]

I appreciate that it's more work, but I think releasing an African portraits DLC with only West/Southern African faces is a bit iffy, it's like releasing a European faces DLC and making everyone look Celtic, even Spaniards and Italians.

i agree, also english should have messed up teeth, french little moustaches, italian big noses, also i want 9 different german sub ethnicities and 500 sub cultures for the holy land.

Are you suggesting ethnic facial differences don't exist? Should the Mongols look just like the Irish?

 

[Bloodmerchant]

They look too west African and pagan. Where are the Christian-centric graphics? Somalis and Ethiopians do not look like West Africans nor Arabs.

 

[Sleight of Hand]

They look too west African and pagan. Where are the Christian-centric graphics?

There aren't any, really. I think they were designed very much with the Mandé in mind; as has been said in this thread and others, the East Africans should have different crowns, Christian regalia and braided hair. There are some good posts about it here (read further down, too).

We won't get another African GFX DLC, though.

 

[Lamprey]

Also, I'd far prefer a russian face pack to an east african one.

So basically, regular European faces but slightly tipsy?

I'm just kidding, obviously, so please don't take offense. Seriously though, I never really noticed European Russians looking much different from the rest of the Europeans.

 

[unmerged(521638)]

I quickly turned off the African portrait pack because too many characters had the face paint graphic. It didn't feel right. Would African Nobles and Kings really go around in face paint during that time period? When they're trying to impress Muslims and Europeans?

I doubt it. Maybe the Pagans would, but most Africans in the game end up as Muslim or Christian pretty quickly.

 

[minke19104]

I just bought the dlc for completion. Although as I mostly play catholics, i scour africa and middle east for geniuses. So in the end quite a lot of african and arabian looking rulers in europe

 

[tnick0225]

I still and always will think that leaving the ethiopians as well arabic looking would have been better but eh. I bought it anyway just to see, and I like it, in fact have somehow snagged a few africans into duchies in England, in fact its fun having an African dark skinned Duke of Munster in Ireland.

But with that said my wife is very unhappy how PI makes her people in ethiopia look...especially the female faces...those definitely need some serious work since I have a hard time distinguishing between male and female sometimes.