Zophim

As I see it, the original vision of 0 AD was to create a gameplay setting in which the ancient civilizations of a certain timeframe could all fight it out. Even if historically some of them never crossed paths, the fun was in seeing what the result might be if you took two or more civs, as-is, and pitted them against one another. From the beginning, historical accuracy was paramount, except insofar as the mechanics of gameplay demanded. https://trac.wildfiregames.com/wiki/0AD_The_Vision “It is a moment in time that never was. It is the spring of the world, and the dawn of history. It is a glimpse into an era when the empires of the world are at their zenith. It is but a breath of an age when mighty rulers wield rods of iron and brazen swords; to demonstrate that they are indeed the greatest ancient civilisation!” Now, no one’s denying that women served in leadership capacities or even in specific elite unit roles every so often, but I take issue with any proposed altering of the nearly-universally-male composition of 0 AD’s fighting forces to give the impression that the duly constituted armies of the Greco-Roman cultures and of their enemies contained a significant obviously-female rank-and-file presence. I fail to see any compelling reason, gameplay-based or otherwise, why such an ahistorical change is necessary, and the development team would need to see some reliable sources before they consider taking such a drastic step.

@Hidan@Lion.Kanzen I think a double cornucopia would work as the emblem.

I do have some ideas for this faction: Civ Emblem: Menorah Hero Units: Judah Maccabee (led the revolt against Seleucid rule), Simon Thassi (a younger brother of Judah; established Hasmonean independence), Salome Alexandra (a wise and skillful ruler; last ruling queen of Judaea) Wonder: Second Temple of Jerusalem (before Herod the Great's refurbishing) Military: The majority of fighters in the initial revolt would have been irregular light infantry such as slingers. Later on, as Maccabean forces grew in size, discipline, training, and equipment standardization, a typical soldier would have been armed and equipped along Hellenistic lines as a thureophoros type. It's possible that phalanx spearmen were also present. Cavalry, too, were used: light bow-and-javelin horsemen as well as heavier armoured Hellenistic spear cavalry. Judah Maccabee is described as wearing a corslet, and wielding the captured sword of Apollonius, governor of Samaria.

@Lion.Kanzen Hello! It's been a while! I like this Maccabaean Judaean idea.

Welcome! The Hebrews are definitely planned, probably encompassing the United Monarchy era (Saul, David, Solomon).

@ThuleDragon Welcome to the fora! The Hebrews are indeed planned for the Aristeia mod, but progress is slow, so patience is key.

Well, as things stand now, the timespan of Aristeia will no longer be divided up into several sections. So for example, there will now just be The Egyptians, instead of Old Kingdom, New Kingdom, etc. I haven't decided what to do about the Lydians, though.

You're welcome! The plan at the moment is for the Israelites to be represented by a single faction called the Hebrews; the timeframe will mainly cover the United Monarchy period, so yes, King David is a planned hero. If a second Hebrew-related faction were depicted, it would cover the northern kingdom of Israel from the Divided era.

As far as a Maccabean unit roster, this link is somewhat useful.

Hi all, I'm reporting in to say that, regretfully, I will be unable to do much further with the mod for at least three months or so, since I have taken on some full-time obligations in my life. Thanks to everyone for their continued support! Any and all able and willing contributors to the Aristeia mod are welcome. Specifically, any sources/materials pertaining to Egyptian, Hebrew, Assyrian, or Mycenaean civilizations would be much appreciated. Thanks!

I actually liked Delenda Est! It seemed to me that the level of added detail and complexity to the vanilla civs, as well as the brand-new civs he created, showed that @wowgetoffyourcellphone had really done his research.

@Tomcelmare Inspiration is part of the equation, but time is another huge one. I myself must find time where I can in order to make progress on Aristeia.

@LordGood You and your work are truly inspiring!

Hello, everyone! Aristeia Bronziron is compatible with Alpha 22: Venustas. If you have not already done so, you will need to download the latest version of the game onto your machine in order to run the Aristeia mod on it. The Aristeia mod is available from Github. Four civilizations are playable at the moment. They are the Egyptians, the Judahites, the Assyrians, and the Archaic Greeks. The Egyptians are the most complete faction, but they are still a work-in-progress. The other three factions are placeholder civs for gaming purposes, mainly using units and structures from the 0 AD scenario editor atlas. Here is a tentative design document for the final revision of the Egyptian civ. Egyptian_Design_Document.pdf Next, some concept art! Below is a revised Egyptian civilization emblem, the Eye of Horus. It was a sacred symbol throughout ancient Egyptian history, and represented health and protection. The background shield color yellow/gold represents an eternal or imperishable quality, often associated with the sun, and the eye's blue color represents creation or rebirth, often associated with the sky or water. Below is a representation of a (conventional) Middle Kingdom spearman, with variations of bulls' hide shield covers. The appearance of this unit and his equipment is based on the Cairo Museum's wooden soldier models from the tomb of Mesehti, an 11th dynasty official.

After a lengthy deliberation, for which we sincerely apologize to our loyal fans, we on the Aristeia mod design team have arrived at a clearer vision for making a way forward. No more the divisions of time and space, no more the fractured kingdoms and petty city-states of the threefold separation previously envisioned. Rather, four powers of the ancient world, spanning over a thousand years of history, will be depicted in a mighty struggle for supremacy. The earth of Mesopotamia trembles beneath the mighty hosts of Assyria’s great kings. From Egypt, by land and sea, pours forth a multitude of the Pharaoh’s followers, devotees of his Majesty. The waters of the Aegean are blackened by the ships of Mycenae, bent on revenge and plunder. The Hebrew monarchs, beset by foes on all sides, fortify their fenced cities and arm their people as if for an agelong war. The battle of Nations draws nigh. Stay tuned for further developments!

I'm in favour.

How much is actually left to do to get Aristeia compatible for Alpha 22? Once that is done, then as far as I'm concerned, if the rest of the Council has no objections, I see no reason not to Alpha-22-release Aristeia as is, with placeholder civs and everything. I will say this: The more I study ancient history, the more I realize how much we don't actually know about things that far back in time, and a lot of what we read in the textbooks and reference works is often educated guesswork based on bits of material remains, manuscripts, classical writings, inscriptions, monuments, artwork, etc.. Part of my problem is that I was constantly in the process of trying to rework things based on a three-part model, and if I'm not careful my perfectionist streak starts to kick in. That's part of the reason I decided very recently stop being so "exact" about the whole thing, to do away with this whole Part I, II, and III business for Aristeia, and to just have a set of general civs, those civs consisting of Egyptians, Assyrians, Mycenaeans, and Hebrews (and add more civs only if those first four got completed). So what you'll end up getting for an Aristeia civ is a cross-section of that civilization's architecture and army across a thousand or more years, often because there simply isn't enough information from any one single period to put flesh and blood on the skeletal outline.

You're welcome! Thanks for finding the images of the horsemen relief carvings. You're welcome! I'm thinking that the Musawwarat horsemen that Sundiata depicted are the ones that Dr. Edwards referenced in the Osprey book. As far as the horse harnesses, I found a section from László Török's book The Image of the Ordered World in Ancient Nubian Art: The Construction of the Kushite Mind (800 BC - 300 AD) that mentions, on page 277: “Besides Amun of Kawa and the desert hunters and warriors, Apedemak and Arensnuphis, other male deities also appear with a bow and quiver in the early Meroitic period and continued to be represented with these attributes during the subsequent centuries, cf., e.g., Amun of Napata, Amun of Thebes, Apedemak, Arensnuphis, and Khnonsu on silver horse harness decorations from the royal burials...." [emphasis mine] The silver harnesses in question are from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. I also found the following plates with accompanying descriptions of harnesses from a work by Dows Dunham, The Royal Cemeteries of Kush: Royal Tombs at Meroë and Barkal.

@Sundiata, here’s what I have gathered from the Osprey book, Rome’s Enemies (5): The Desert Frontier by David Nicolle, published in 1991. - Spears and bows were the basic weapons. Many bronze weapons were still in use in Meroitic Kush, along with iron. Melee infantry would have used great oval oxhide shields, and fought with broad-headed spears, axes, and occasionally Greco-Roman-style short swords. - Archers used leather quivers containing stone-and-iron-tipped wood or cane arrows (sometimes poisoned) - Many warriors would have had tattoos and scarred faces. - It seems that the Meroitic Kushites used elephants in ceremonies, and perhaps also occasionally in warfare. The kind of elephants used would probably have been the now-extinct North African elephant (Loxodonta africana pharaoensis) and/or the desert variation of the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana africana). - Fortifications were built on pre-existing Egyptian structures, or else consisted of huge 3-storied citadels made of whitewashed mud-brick. I'm not sure what kind of cavalry Meroe would have had, but the book The Nubian Past: An Archaeology of Sudan by David N. Edwards, published in 2004, states that relief carvings suggest the warlike use of horses, and that several Meroitic kings were buried with horse harness. Make of that what you will.

Great find, Lion!

Thanks; I try to keep busy. Modding can be hard work sometimes.

Post info, sources, suggestions, etc. here. Be sure to credit your source if you post images or written info. Below is a basic design document. FACTION: New Empire Assyrians TIMESPAN: 745-612 B.C. CIV EMBLEM: Star of Shamash [thanks to niektb for the emblem!] UNITS Note: With these placeholders, citizen soldiers should retain the same appearance regardless of promotion. The exact corresponding scenario editor actor files are listed beside the unit names below, followed by the structure(s) from which they can be trained. CITIZEN CAVALRY Syrian Horseman – pers_cavalry_spearman_e (Civ Centre, Stables) CITIZEN INFANTRY Chaldaean Archer – pers_infantry_archer_e (Civ Centre, Barracks) Hittite Spearman – cart_infantry_spearman_e (Civ Centre, Barracks) Hebrew Slinger – iber_infantry_slinger_e (Barracks) Elamite Skirmisher – pers_infantry_javelinist_b (Barracks) - cannot progress beyond basic rank CHAMPIONS Assyrian Officer – pers_champion_infantry (Fortress) – gives LOS citizen infantry + 2 attack – build limit 5 – auras do not overlap Infantry Guardsman – pers_kardakes_hoplite (Royal Apartments) Infantry Guard Officer – pers_arstibara (Royal Palace) - gives LOS guardsmen + 1 attack – build limit 1 Royal Bodyguard Cavalryman – pers_champion_cavalry (Royal Apartments) Scythian Horse Archer - pers_champion_cavalry_archer (Stables) – town phase Assyrian Chariot – pers_cavalry_archer_e (Stables) – city phase SIEGE Siege Ram – pers_mechanical_siege_ram (Siege Workshop) Siege Tower – mace_mechanical_siege_tower (Siege Workshop) HEROES Tiglath-pileser III hero – assyrian_hero_sargon_ii (Royal Palace) Sennacherib hero – assyrian_hero_sargon_ii (Royal Palace) Ashurbanipal hero – assyrian_hero_tiglath_pilaser_iii (Royal Palace) SUPPORT Conscript Laborer – athen_support_slave (Warehouse - only building this unit can be trained from) – can harvest domestic animals, wood, food (berries and farming), metal, and stone; cannot hunt; cannot build; cannot fight; fairly easy for enemy to capture; 1 Conscript Laborer should be included in the starting units group Assyrian Woman – pers_support_female_citizen (Civ Centre, House) Assyrian Merchant – pers_support_trader (Market) Priest of Shamash – ptol_support_healer_b (Temple) NAVAL Fishing Boat – assyrian_ship_fishing (Dock) Merchant Ship – cart_ship_merchant (Dock) War Ship – cart_ship_bireme (Dock) STRUCTURES The exact corresponding scenario editor actor files are listed beside the structure names below, followed by their trainable units. VILLAGE Barracks – assyrian_barracks (Chaldaean Archer, Hittite Spearman, Hebrew Slinger, Elamite Skirmisher) Corral – pers_corral (Sheep) Dock – pers_dock (Fishing Boat, Merchant Ship, War Ship) Farmstead – assyrian_farmstead Farm Field - assyrian_field House – assyrian_house (Assyrian Woman) Outpost - pers_outpost Storehouse - pers_storehouse TOWN Civ Centre – pers_civil_centre (Syrian Horseman, Chaldaean Archer, Hittite Spearman, Assyrian Woman) Blacksmith - pers_blacksmith Defense Tower - pers_defense_tower Market – pers_market (Assyrian Merchant) Stables – assyrian_stables (Syrian Horseman, Scythian Horse Archer (starting in town phase), Assyrian Chariot (starting in city phase)) Temple – pers_temple (Priest of Shamash) City Wall – pers_wall... etc. Warehouse – other/pers_warehouse (Conscript Laborer – only building this unit can be trained from) – the warehouse functions as a forward operating dropsite; it can be built in neutral territory, but slowly decays over time CITY Fortress – pers_fortress (Assyrian Officer) Royal Palace – pers_apadana (Heroes, Infantry Guard Officer) Royal Apartments – other/pers_apartment_block (Infantry Guardsman, Royal Bodyguard Cavalryman) Siege Workshop – other/pers_inn (Siege Ram, Siege Tower) Great Temple of Shamash at Hatra wonder – pers_tacara

Post info, sources, suggestions, etc. here. Be sure to credit your source if you post images or written info. Below is a basic design document. FACTION: Divided Kingdom Judahites TIMESPAN: 930-586 B.C. CIV EMBLEM: Lion of Judah [thanks to niektb for the emblem!] UNITS Note: With these placeholders, citizen soldiers should retain the same appearance regardless of promotion. The exact corresponding scenario editor actor files are listed beside the unit names below, followed by the structures from which they can be trained. CITIZEN CAVALRY Judahite Horseman – cart_cavalry_javelinist_b (Civ Centre, Stables) – cannot progress beyond basic rank CITIZEN INFANTRY Benjamite Archer – pers_infantry_archer_b (Civ Centre, Barracks) – trained at advanced rank Benjamite Slinger – iber_infantry_slinger_a (Barracks) – trained at advanced rank Judahite Spearman – cart_infantry_spearman_b (Civ Centre, Barracks) – does not become champion unit at elite rank (ignore previous design doc) Ephraimite Swordsman – iber_infantry_swordsman_b (Barracks) Levite Guard – sele_infantry_spearman_b (Civ Centre) – 1 Levite Guard should be included in the starting units group CHAMPIONS Judahite Officer – iber_champion_infantry (Fortress) – gives LOS citizen infantry +10 attack – build limit 5 – auras do not overlap Chariot – pers_cavalry_archer_b (Stables) Mighty Man of Judah – cart_champion_infantry (Fortress) SIEGE Battering Ram – gaul_mechanical_siege_ram (Fortress) HEROES Jehoshaphat hero – pers_hero_xerxes (Palace) Hezekiah hero – pers_hero_xerxes (Palace) Josiah hero – pers_hero_darius (Palace) SUPPORT Judahite Woman – pers_support_female_citizen (Civ Centre, House) Judahite Merchant – iber_support_trader (Market) Priest of YHWH – _pers_support_healer_b (Temple) High Priest – brit_support_healer_e (Temple) – powerful healer - build limit 1 NAVAL Fishing Boat – egyptian_ship_fishing (Dock) Merchant Ship – cart_ship_merchant (Dock) War Ship – cart_ship_bireme (Dock) STRUCTURES The exact corresponding scenario editor actor files are listed beside the structure names below, followed by their trainable units. VILLAGE Barracks – cart_barracks (Benjamite Archer, Benjamite Slinger, Judahite Spearman, Ephraimite Swordsman) Corral – cart_corral (Sheep) Dock – cart_dock (Fishing Boat, Merchant Ship, War Ship) Farmstead – cart_farmstead Farm Field - cart_field House – cart_house (Judahite Woman) Storehouse - cart_storehouse TOWN Civ Centre – cart_civil_centre (Judahite Horseman, Levite Guard, Benjamite Archer, Judahite Spearman, Egyptian Woman) – 1 Levite Guard should be included in the starting units group Threshingfloor – egyptian_sb_threshingfloor – enables more farming techs Blacksmith - cart_blacksmith Defense Tower - cart_defense_tower Market – cart_market (Judahite Merchant) Stables – egyptian_stables (Judahite Horseman, Chariot) City Wall – cart_wall... etc. CITY Fortress – cart_fortress (Judahite Officer, Mighty Man of Judah, Battering Ram) Palace – cart_embassy (Heroes) Temple of Solomon – cart_temple (Priest of YHWH, High Priest) House of the Forest of Lebanon - cart_wonder

@wowgetoffyourcellphone I believe war chariots were from an earlier, Mycenaean timeframe though. And anyway, the current units roster represents the later archaic period, partly for compatibility with the vanilla game placeholders I'm using at the moment. But I'm not necessarily ruling out depicting some of the older items you mentioned (except for the no-skirt part, for gameplay purposes they will need to at least have a loincloth of some sort).

Thanks; if I do decide to for sure include the 25th Dynasty for Aristeia, then I will definitely let you know. I may also be able to assist with research for the Meroitic Kushites. But again, with all of the responsibilities I have at the moment, no promises!