Important question

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I ll start by congratulating Paradox for such an intriguing game as crusaders II is turning to be. However for all of us who are history lovers, although it is a game, when something so essential is alienated this game looses some flavour. I was waiting for 1.07 because i took it for granted but for whoever did the historic research i have a simple question where were the albanians living in 1066?1187? or 1337 i dont see them at the European map of Paradox so whoever did the research aparently missed a lot even at the new scenario Alexiad (and Anna mentions them heavily) . Where are the families of Muzaka, Arianiti, Mambrika, Vrana, Thopia, Balsha < dukagjini, Kastrioti, Spani, What was the population of Dyrrachion province? Ochrid? north of Epirus? I hope someone can give me an answer why the Albanian culture was left out unless someone missed the fourth grade history research.

 

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A Brief History of Albania during the High Middle Ages
as written by a Certified Fourth Grader*

~880 AD: Conquered by the First Bulgarian Empire.
~1014 AD: Conquered by the Byzantine Empire.
~1081 AD: Raided by the Normans of Sicily.
~1190 AD: Conquered (partly) by the emergent Serbian Kingdom. The first independent Albanian principality is established.
~1204/16 AD: The Fourth Crusade leaves Albania under the dominion of the Despotate of Epirus.
~1267 AD: The Angevin Kingdom of Naples conquers Epirus (and thus Albania), King Charles d'Anjou styles himself »Rex Albaniae«.
~1281 AD: Byzantine reconquest of Epirus.
~1343 AD: Stefan III Dušan, Tsar of Serbia, conquers Albania.
~1355 AD: Multiple Albanian princes regain their independence. Around this time, the distinctive Albanian culture starts to emerge primarily in the Kosovo, Epirus and parts of Thessaly.
~1392 AD: The Republic of Venice conquers most of the principalities, actively engaging in regional politics.
~1430 AD: Ioannína falls to the Ottomans.
~1443 AD: Skanderbeg, valiant prince of Kruja, founder of the League of Lezhë, defends his people against the Ottomans for nearly a quarter of a century, holding out in Northern Albania.

That's not an awful lot, but I can definitely see how crucial Albania's role was in the final hours of Byzantium. It seems to have been a trading hub of moderate regional importance, especially Durrës/Durrazzo/Dyrrachion; the problem with implementing the Albanian culture is probably that it would be restricted to a single county for almost the entire period of the game. I must agree with you, however, that there's a severe lack of Balkan characters in the game (I've never once seen Bulgaria formed by Bulgarians, and Serbia likewise never by Serbians), and in the Byzantine Empire especially.

 

[A_Dane]

There are several cultures that could be added to the game, but hasn't. Lombard for one I'm sure there are mods that adds the albanians somewhere