SP - Player, NPCs & Troops Comments about Aserai Troops and Culture

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Just want to say, I really enjoy the game, I have a Sturgia playthrough and it's been an absolute blast.

But, I wanted to start a new game, as an Aserai Merchant, since I've seen in the e1.0.4 patch notes that the Recruit / Tribesman issue was supposed to be fixed.

NOTE : e1.0.5. came out as I was writing this, I will still publish the other comments
Updated for e1.0.7.


So, I've got a couple of comments/complaints about the current state of Aserai that I would really love to be adressed so it can become a competing faction.

CULTURE
1
: Their cultural bonus does not currently work for caravans.
2: Pack Camels are easy to come by, but Hunsphree are impossible to find, 400+ days in my trader game, looking at each merchant and tournaments for years in game and never found a single one. Since Aserai culture offers no bonus in the desert, but the Camels do, adequate Camels shouldn't be impossible to find.

HEROES
3
: There was not a single Aserai Wanderer (Heroes) in the whole game in my playthroughs. Fixed in e1.0.7.!
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TROOPS
4: In the current state of the game, a whole section of the Aserai tree is unavailable, because of the Recruit / Tribesman issue. e.1.0.5. fixed it for new games, thank you so much!!
5: No specialised Camelry top tier troop. This could be fixed by making the Bedouin troop a Camel Rider, and making the Minor Factions recruitable from their affiliated culture.
6: This is a more complex one, but, excluding the Noble Troop Tree, Aserai only has 4 choices of Fifth Tier Troops, all other factions (aside from Khuzaits, who also got 4) have 5, this diminishes the diversity of the faction.
Aserai only has 4 choices of Fifth Tier Troops
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As you can see, Sturgia has 5 choices of Fifth Tier Troops
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7: The Jawwal Minor Faction, the Camel Rider has a distorted image on the party screen (and is listed as an infantry in the default formation). The Bedouin (top tier Jawwal) is really underwhelming, especially compared to the Beni Zilal Royal Guard, I would suggest to make it stronger and Camelry instead of Cavalry (so you don't upgrade from the Camel Rider to generic Cavalry), fixing the lack of top tier Camelry at the same time!
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My suggestion for a Barter option for Minor Faction Troops.

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This would add the missing fifth option, add a dedicated Camelry option (skirmish cav), allow the Mamluke Heavy Cavalry to focus on melee cavalry! Thank you @Earth Dragon for the idea!

TERRAIN
8
: As a geologist, I love the map, but I've got some complaints about the Aserai terrain. (and that lone mountain West of Rhotae, look up 'Collines Montérégiennes Québec if you want to see how a lone mountain form (you need a couple in a line)) If a developper wants an insight of what's wrong, send me a message and I'll be happy to explain. (It's really aesthetic, just not realistic)
9: Their arenas have unfinished texture on the ground.

I'll update the list, but I just want to see this faction get as much love as the others,
Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!
 
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The layout of their territory puts them at a severe disadvantage. There's only two ways in or out, and it's extremely long and narrow so it takes them forever to move armies from one side to the other. So by the time defenders show up sieges are generally over.
 
They fixed the Aserai Recruit/Tribesman issue for recruiting, but Aserai Tribesmen still have Aserai Recruit stats.
 
There are my favorite faction, but my biggest issue with them is about aesthetics. They seem to have very few original armors. Many Aserai troops are wearing Khuzait armor. But devs have already confirmed in the forum that they're going to add more variety to the Aserai armors, so I am optimistic.


The layout of their territory puts them at a severe disadvantage. There's only two ways in or out, and it's extremely long and narrow so it takes them forever to move armies from one side to the other. So by the time defenders show up sieges are generally over.


That's true. They are at wars with the southern Empire, yet they only share this small part of border with them in the east. After joining the Aserai I've spend most of the time in the eastern part of their territory, simply trying to defend the border agains the Empire.
 
The layout of their territory puts them at a severe disadvantage. There's only two ways in or out, and it's extremely long and narrow so it takes them forever to move armies from one side to the other. So by the time defenders show up sieges are generally over.
I was talking more about geological problems with the desert (they use sedimentary gorges like they are mountains, but they are more like dryed up rivers. They shouldn't be that much above the rest of the landscape or the rivers that carved them would simply have followed a different path. Also, they don't look like they have been carved by rivers) Using sedimentary gorges for what they are and not like reskinned mountains can allow three different type of interaction:
1 : The civilisation is above the gorges and uses bridges to bypass them. This can allow complex paths in the Aserai terrain, using these gorges like what rivers are for other factions.
2 : The civilisation is where the rivers where, at the bottom of the gorges. This would make the Aserai terrain maze-like.
3 : Mix of both! The civilisation has towns both above and in the gorges, making them a two-leveled civilisation with complex paths to go on the plateaus from the gorges.

But after playing Aserai in e1.0.5., I must agree with you, Aserai struggles to both expand and protect the desert, which should be 'army devouring'. It should be the harshest terrain in the game for invaders and I reckon that reworking the way sedimentary gorges are used in that part of the map really make a difference.
 
Would be interesting if there was a speed penalty for deserts like there is for forests, and the Aserai (and maybe Khuzait to an extent) got bonuses to it.

There's also a mechanic to add a food bonus to forest and marsh, so it makes sense you could also add a food *malus* to desert and let the Aserai ignore that as well.
 
Would be interesting if there was a speed penalty for deserts like there is for forests, and the Aserai (and maybe Khuzait to an extent) got bonuses to it.

There's also a mechanic to add a food bonus to forest and marsh, so it makes sense you could also add a food *malus* to desert and let the Aserai ignore that as well
Yes! I like both of those ideas, Aserai needs a mechanical and a tactical advantage in the desert.
 
I was talking more about geological problems with the desert (they use sedimentary gorges like they are mountains, but they are more like dryed up rivers. They shouldn't be that much above the rest of the landscape or the rivers that carved them would simply have followed a different path. Also, they don't look like they have been carved by rivers) Using sedimentary gorges for what they are and not like reskinned mountains can allow three different type of interaction:
1 : The civilisation is above the gorges and uses bridges to bypass them. This can allow complex paths in the Aserai terrain, using these gorges like what rivers are for other factions.
2 : The civilisation is where the rivers where, at the bottom of the gorges. This would make the Aserai terrain maze-like.
3 : Mix of both! The civilisation has towns both above and in the gorges, making them a two-leveled civilisation with complex paths to go on the plateaus from the gorges.

But after playing Aserai in e1.0.5., I must agree with you, Aserai struggles to both expand and protect the desert, which should be 'army devouring'. It should be the harshest terrain in the game for invaders and I reckon that reworking the way sedimentary gorges are used in that part of the map really make a difference.

+1

The aesthetics are pretty nice but the layout is weird for most of the reasons you mentioned. The ground textures being unfinished is rather trippy- I had to think a moment what was going on when I first went into a hideout in the desert( I thought maybe I had been playing too long and my eyes were doing something weird).

There are also some lighting issues with the desert sun/dust as the entire sky turns pink in a big square.
 
My issue with Aserai is desert bandits. They're just too fast, and part of could be an issue with riding skill development. Same with Beni Zilal. Trying to play around the Aserai territory is annoying because when you're smaller than bandits, they will mercilessly hunt you down, and when you want to hunt them they're impossible to catch.

Even if you're full cavalry, they can run at like 7.2 speed on the map. Plus because of the terrain, you can't catch them in choke points, they just bugger off to the desert where the camera can't even go to follow them.

Steppe bandits have kind of the same issue, but they are at least more confined by terrain and you can occasionally corner them.
 
They are my favorite faction and the one I usually play as. I can't, as of 1.07, reliable get their upper tier armor spawning. The lack of camel units is also a disappointment, as is the minimal armor.

The desert maps and battles are incredible and the towns/villages are so wonderful. I hope to see more development for them in the future.
 
They are my favorite faction and the one I usually play as. I can't, as of 1.07, reliable get their upper tier armor spawning. The lack of camel units is also a disappointment, as is the minimal armor.

The desert maps and battles are incredible and the towns/villages are so wonderful. I hope to see more development for them in the future.

+1 Probably the most beautiful environments in the game aesthetically. Some areas of the Empire/Vlandia are also nice but the desert Hideouts and the Sea Raider Hideouts are awesome.

The gangwars in Aserai cities are also really nice. Dust swirling in the street, a desert moon, some robes and a flurry of blows- probably the most fun moments I have had in the game so far.
 
They are my favorite faction and the one I usually play as. I can't, as of 1.07, reliable get their upper tier armor spawning. The lack of camel units is also a disappointment, as is the minimal armor.
+1 Probably the most beautiful environments in the game aesthetically. Some areas of the Empire/Vlandia are also nice but the desert Hideouts and the Sea Raider Hideouts are awesome.
The Aserai towns are simply gorgeous. If it wasn't for my good old nordic biais, Aserai would be hands down my favourite faction for a multitude of reasons.
My two biggest complaints were the Recruit/Tribesmen problem and the lack of Aserai wanderers, but both are fixed now, impressive work from TaleWorlds, making me enjoy even more my Trade playthrough!
 
Aserai caravans are a great target (well, up until the 1.0.7 patch which has changed horse loot - gotta test this) they tend to have loads of high quality horses which I can sell lol. They're extremely easy to hunt down and kill on the little straight just west of Ortysia (you can funnel them into a killzone just to the left of the ocean crossing, then sell everything and be back at it with little down time, making like 5-8k per run [gotta fund those workshops early on, somehow]. With a couched lance you can wipe out their entire unarmoured cavalry regiment in minutes then let your infantry swarm them).
 
Would be interesting if there was a speed penalty for deserts like there is for forests, and the Aserai (and maybe Khuzait to an extent) got bonuses to it.

There's also a mechanic to add a food bonus to forest and marsh, so it makes sense you could also add a food *malus* to desert and let the Aserai ignore that as well.

But then who are the Aserai? What if I am Empire but all my men are Aserai?
 
I ended up declaring war on the Beni Zilal, making peace and then declaring war on the Jawwal. I know Minor Faction are not balanced yet, but anybody else experienced a huge difference in power of these two factions? Beni Zilal are extremely durable, strong and intimidating medium armoured Horse Archers, but the Jawwal are average all around and they lose their Camel if they upgrade from Camel Rider to Bedouin.
 
The Aserai feel like an unfinished faction for sure.

Not all factions need to be created equal in all areas, but they should be comparable in total content.

their position is not as terrible as some suggest. While it’s long and spread out, you know where the focal point of wars are at. They also start out with the largest amount of towns/cities/castles, so have more resources to draw from. As someone who has restarted a dozen times trying different things out, The Aserai are sticking it to the Southern Empire about as much as the other way around.....maybe a little less, but taking that city that starts with a D and sitting on it is a common occurrence.

But one thing that needs to go the way of the world is main theme troops being reserved for only specialty trees.

Battanians have no main tree bowmen (seriously)

Aserai have no main tree camel Cav OR Javelin Skirmish Cav (you know, the fighting style developed in North Africa). These seem like odd omissions. In particular since they have so much ground to cover.

I’d like to see A dedicated Mamaluke Camel Rider branch, camels get treated differently then Horses as far as “upgrade” fodder, them being more prevalent and available at Desert Horse stables just like Midlands Stables have three different lines (Midlands, Saddle, and Sturgian lines), and have troops that need a camel to upgrade.

The special faction troops seem to do more harm to the main faction unit composition them good in this regard. The argument could be made that “they do have” what I’ve listed, just not in the main tree. But because they are somewhere else, it actually makes the factions look a lot less like what they should without those other trees, they have those glaring omissions.

As others have posted, with maybe the exception of helmets, their aesthetic options are severely lacking as well. Considering they have one of the deeper real life pools to draw from, its strange they are an after thought.

This is certainly the most disappointing part of the game for. I was super excited about Camel Cav. I was super excited about having a grand camel mount myself. I was excited to carve out a kingdom using Aserai troops, but right now, these things are all between unusually difficult to non-existent.

The game is great in general. The Aserai are not nearly as great as they could (and should) be
 
The game is great in general. The Aserai are not nearly as great as they could (and should) be
I could not agree more.
Everything you said, even the lack of Archers in the Battanian main tree (I even made a suggestion about this in the past!)
They could adress both the fact that they don't have a skirmish cavalry, the fact that they have no camelry option and the fact that the lack one of the top tier choices compared to the other faction with your suggestion:
I’d like to see A dedicated Mamaluke Camel Rider branch
This is really needed, a fifth Tier 5 option for Aserai, a Skirmish Camelry! If this is added, it might be a good idea to make the Aserai Tier 5 Mameluke Heavy Cavalry not an Horse Archer.

I added this in the main post! Thank you for the idea!
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