Making the factions feel unique

[Vulpes_Corvum]

I'm curious to hear everyone's ideas on how to make the factions play unique. Something beyond a single flat numerical bonus and different troops to add variety depending upon your faction.
Just spitballing, but reading through the lore of the world, these ideas came to my mind:
Empire

• The three imperial factions should be a playthrough of political intrigue. Open conflict between the three factions should be rare. Lords of the imperial factions should be scheming to draw other lords to their side internally while fending off assaults from the nonimperial factions.
• The empire has a history of bribes and assassinations. Bribes should change hands often (perhaps through a criminal quest) so that lords flip flop between the three factions often. Political maneuvering and changing alliances should be rampant and the borders between the three factions should be fluid. Similarly building influence with powerful gang leaders should unlock assassination quests against pesky lords who are present in the city.
• Increased influence and clan rank from engaging in political intrigue. Should be able to spend influence on getting other lords to vote on certain issues. Bonus to tactics against parties of nonimperial culture. More "senate-like" voting system. Your initial goal should be to reconcile the schism.

Vlandian

• Clans should be very independent. Clans should be able to take out mercenary work with other kingdoms in keeping with their historical tradition as long as they answer the call when the king goes to war.
• Renown and influence gain increases for winning tourneys and mercenary work. Lords can challenge other lords to single combat to improve their standing within the kingdom. Spar with local "champions" in villages to improve recruiting.
• Extra companion slots to function as an "honor guard". Can demand fiefs in payment for mercenary work. Initial goal is to win tourneys and get rich through the wars of others.

Battanian

• Traveling the Battanian forests should be dangerous for other factions. Hill Forts spawn akin to bandit hideouts where Battanian lords can rest and send out troops to conduct guerilla warfare, springing up out of the woods to harass enemy parties and inflict damage before retreating back into the woods.
• Clans should be independent and renown/influence gains should come from guerilla attacks and raids. Ability to conduct night raids against enemy camps and settlements, stealing supplies, sabotaging siege engines, and inflicting casualties.
• Battanians should have expanded disguise options for generally causing mayhem under the guise of another factions party.

Sturgian

• Settlement economies should be boom and bust, rising and falling like the tides. Villages can have "rushes" where resources and troops are greatly expanded. Sturgian lords should gather trade goods like fur while traveling through their lands as well as have the opportunity to forage for food or more lucrative goods.
• Infighting among Sturgian lords to increase their standing within the kingdom should be commonplace. Increased renown and influence gain from trading and battle.
• The Sturgian winter should be a huge roadblock for non-Sturgian troops allowing Sturgian lords to starve and outlast enemy parties during the winter months.

Aserai

• A faction of financial warfare. Increased workshop/caravan limit. Influence and renown gain heavily influenced by workshop and caravan income. The clan with the highest workshop/caravan income rules the Aserai.
• Wage financial warfare by raiding other caravans (even those of other Aserai lords), using influence and money to manipulate markets in towns and villages. Expanded options of purchasing mercenary troops and companies.
• Ability to unlock loan sharking quests through powerful gang leaders so that you can use your money to finance other lords and merchants and use their debts to manipulate them into wars or other situations to your benefit. Insert moles or agents into caravans or workshops of other lords to create market manipulations or work stoppages.
• Use financial warfare to plant the seeds of uprising in other settlements. Your initial goal is the accumulation of wealth and power to rise up the ranks of the kingdom.

Khuzait

• Most Khuzait settlements should revert to imperial culture and function by paying healthy tribute to the Khuzait lords. Khuzait troops are recruited from nomadic parties on the map which essentially function as mobile villages. Over time these nomadic parties will settle in Khuzait owned settlements, changing the culture from Imperial to Khuzait.
• Ability to force settlements and villages to pay tribute to you. If your reputation is enough to be feared, the settlements will pay this tribute routinely with no battle required, simply visit the settlement to reap your rewards. Payment can be in goods, gold, or troops.
• Ability to raid and force tribute outside of war at the risk of losing relations with the Khuzait lords who favor the current Khan while gaining relations with those that do not.
• Increased renown/influence gain from selling loot and ransoming prisoners from raids and collecting tribute from settlements. Your initial goal as a Khuzait lord or Khan would be to settle the remaining nomadic tribes.

Just a few ideas I had while reading through the lore. Hopefully it sparks some ideas and discussion to make the sandbox have a little more variety.

 

[Midnitewolf]

Aside from the 3 Empire factions, I think each faction does feel pretty unique already, at least a far as battles are concerned.

As for the 3 Empire factions, honestly it has always felt lazy to me. It would have been OK if each of the 3 factions was unique for example, Western Empire's government is obviously a Military Dictatorship, while the Southern Empire is obviously an Aristocracy and the Northern Empire is Oligarchy controlled by the Senate. It would have been nice if they would have took the time to have their troop trees reflect the differences at least a bit.

 

[lunelune2413]

Aside from the 3 Empire factions, I think each faction does feel pretty unique already, at least a far as battles are concerned.

As for the 3 Empire factions, honestly it has always felt lazy to me. It would have been OK if each of the 3 factions was unique for example, Western Empire's government is obviously a Military Dictatorship, while the Southern Empire is obviously an Aristocracy and the Northern Empire is Oligarchy controlled by the Senate. It would have been nice if they would have took the time to have their troop trees reflect the differences at least a bit.

Maybe their noble line, but the standard soldier shouldn't be different per imperial faction due to the civil war not having lasted for too long. Look at the Roman civil war between Pompey and Caesar for example. If you took a pompeian legion from Italy and a caesarion one, they would both have pretty much the same weapons and fighting style as eachother.

I'm curious to hear everyone's ideas on how to make the factions play unique. Something beyond a single flat numerical bonus and different troops to add variety depending upon your faction.
Just spitballing, but reading through the lore of the world, these ideas came to my mind:
Empire

• The three imperial factions should be a playthrough of political intrigue. Open conflict between the three factions should be rare. Lords of the imperial factions should be scheming to draw other lords to their side internally while fending off assaults from the nonimperial factions.
• The empire has a history of bribes and assassinations. Bribes should change hands often (perhaps through a criminal quest) so that lords flip flop between the three factions often. Political maneuvering and changing alliances should be rampant and the borders between the three factions should be fluid. Similarly building influence with powerful gang leaders should unlock assassination quests against pesky lords who are present in the city.
• Increased influence and clan rank from engaging in political intrigue. Should be able to spend influence on getting other lords to vote on certain issues. Bonus to tactics against parties of nonimperial culture. More "senate-like" voting system. Your initial goal should be to reconcile the schism.

Vlandian

• Clans should be very independent. Clans should be able to take out mercenary work with other kingdoms in keeping with their historical tradition as long as they answer the call when the king goes to war.
• Renown and influence gain increases for winning tourneys and mercenary work. Lords can challenge other lords to single combat to improve their standing within the kingdom. Spar with local "champions" in villages to improve recruiting.
• Extra companion slots to function as an "honor guard". Can demand fiefs in payment for mercenary work. Initial goal is to win tourneys and get rich through the wars of others.

Battanian

• Traveling the Battanian forests should be dangerous for other factions. Hill Forts spawn akin to bandit hideouts where Battanian lords can rest and send out troops to conduct guerilla warfare, springing up out of the woods to harass enemy parties and inflict damage before retreating back into the woods.
• Clans should be independent and renown/influence gains should come from guerilla attacks and raids. Ability to conduct night raids against enemy camps and settlements, stealing supplies, sabotaging siege engines, and inflicting casualties.
• Battanians should have expanded disguise options for generally causing mayhem under the guise of another factions party.

Sturgian

• Settlement economies should be boom and bust, rising and falling like the tides. Villages can have "rushes" where resources and troops are greatly expanded. Sturgian lords should gather trade goods like fur while traveling through their lands as well as have the opportunity to forage for food or more lucrative goods.
• Infighting among Sturgian lords to increase their standing within the kingdom should be commonplace. Increased renown and influence gain from trading and battle.
• The Sturgian winter should be a huge roadblock for non-Sturgian troops allowing Sturgian lords to starve and outlast enemy parties during the winter months.

Aserai

• A faction of financial warfare. Increased workshop/caravan limit. Influence and renown gain heavily influenced by workshop and caravan income. The clan with the highest workshop/caravan income rules the Aserai.
• Wage financial warfare by raiding other caravans (even those of other Aserai lords), using influence and money to manipulate markets in towns and villages. Expanded options of purchasing mercenary troops and companies.
• Ability to unlock loan sharking quests through powerful gang leaders so that you can use your money to finance other lords and merchants and use their debts to manipulate them into wars or other situations to your benefit. Insert moles or agents into caravans or workshops of other lords to create market manipulations or work stoppages.
• Use financial warfare to plant the seeds of uprising in other settlements. Your initial goal is the accumulation of wealth and power to rise up the ranks of the kingdom.

Khuzait

• Most Khuzait settlements should revert to imperial culture and function by paying healthy tribute to the Khuzait lords. Khuzait troops are recruited from nomadic parties on the map which essentially function as mobile villages. Over time these nomadic parties will settle in Khuzait owned settlements, changing the culture from Imperial to Khuzait.
• Ability to force settlements and villages to pay tribute to you. If your reputation is enough to be feared, the settlements will pay this tribute routinely with no battle required, simply visit the settlement to reap your rewards. Payment can be in goods, gold, or troops.
• Ability to raid and force tribute outside of war at the risk of losing relations with the Khuzait lords who favor the current Khan while gaining relations with those that do not.
• Increased renown/influence gain from selling loot and ransoming prisoners from raids and collecting tribute from settlements. Your initial goal as a Khuzait lord or Khan would be to settle the remaining nomadic tribes.

Just a few ideas I had while reading through the lore. Hopefully it sparks some ideas and discussion to make the sandbox have a little more variety.

While I do feel that each faction does feel unique in terms of clothing, names, troops and architecture. I do agree that politically they're all very similar. I will say though that adding "Political differences" between the various kingdoms is the least on their to do list since we're still waiting for keep battles, prisoner escapes, new city/castle scenes, AI fixes to siege towers and way more.

 

[Kyias]

I feel each empire town should have a minor faction notable to recruit their troops:

Southern Empire gets the skirmisher and horse archer cavalry, Western Empire gets Triari and oathsworn, Northern Empire gets the Skalda huscurals and golden boar crossbowmen.

I think that would cover the feel of auxiliaries for each empire, and give the player access to some cool unique units that we currently can’t get.

 

[niekdegrijze]

I'm curious to hear everyone's ideas on how to make the factions play unique. Something beyond a single flat numerical bonus and different troops to add variety depending upon your faction.
Just spitballing, but reading through the lore of the world, these ideas came to my mind:
Empire

• The three imperial factions should be a playthrough of political intrigue. Open conflict between the three factions should be rare. Lords of the imperial factions should be scheming to draw other lords to their side internally while fending off assaults from the nonimperial factions.
• The empire has a history of bribes and assassinations. Bribes should change hands often (perhaps through a criminal quest) so that lords flip flop between the three factions often. Political maneuvering and changing alliances should be rampant and the borders between the three factions should be fluid. Similarly building influence with powerful gang leaders should unlock assassination quests against pesky lords who are present in the city.
• Increased influence and clan rank from engaging in political intrigue. Should be able to spend influence on getting other lords to vote on certain issues. Bonus to tactics against parties of nonimperial culture. More "senate-like" voting system. Your initial goal should be to reconcile the schism.

Vlandian

• Clans should be very independent. Clans should be able to take out mercenary work with other kingdoms in keeping with their historical tradition as long as they answer the call when the king goes to war.
• Renown and influence gain increases for winning tourneys and mercenary work. Lords can challenge other lords to single combat to improve their standing within the kingdom. Spar with local "champions" in villages to improve recruiting.
• Extra companion slots to function as an "honor guard". Can demand fiefs in payment for mercenary work. Initial goal is to win tourneys and get rich through the wars of others.

Battanian

• Traveling the Battanian forests should be dangerous for other factions. Hill Forts spawn akin to bandit hideouts where Battanian lords can rest and send out troops to conduct guerilla warfare, springing up out of the woods to harass enemy parties and inflict damage before retreating back into the woods.
• Clans should be independent and renown/influence gains should come from guerilla attacks and raids. Ability to conduct night raids against enemy camps and settlements, stealing supplies, sabotaging siege engines, and inflicting casualties.
• Battanians should have expanded disguise options for generally causing mayhem under the guise of another factions party.

Sturgian

• Settlement economies should be boom and bust, rising and falling like the tides. Villages can have "rushes" where resources and troops are greatly expanded. Sturgian lords should gather trade goods like fur while traveling through their lands as well as have the opportunity to forage for food or more lucrative goods.
• Infighting among Sturgian lords to increase their standing within the kingdom should be commonplace. Increased renown and influence gain from trading and battle.
• The Sturgian winter should be a huge roadblock for non-Sturgian troops allowing Sturgian lords to starve and outlast enemy parties during the winter months.

Aserai

• A faction of financial warfare. Increased workshop/caravan limit. Influence and renown gain heavily influenced by workshop and caravan income. The clan with the highest workshop/caravan income rules the Aserai.
• Wage financial warfare by raiding other caravans (even those of other Aserai lords), using influence and money to manipulate markets in towns and villages. Expanded options of purchasing mercenary troops and companies.
• Ability to unlock loan sharking quests through powerful gang leaders so that you can use your money to finance other lords and merchants and use their debts to manipulate them into wars or other situations to your benefit. Insert moles or agents into caravans or workshops of other lords to create market manipulations or work stoppages.
• Use financial warfare to plant the seeds of uprising in other settlements. Your initial goal is the accumulation of wealth and power to rise up the ranks of the kingdom.

Khuzait

• Most Khuzait settlements should revert to imperial culture and function by paying healthy tribute to the Khuzait lords. Khuzait troops are recruited from nomadic parties on the map which essentially function as mobile villages. Over time these nomadic parties will settle in Khuzait owned settlements, changing the culture from Imperial to Khuzait.
• Ability to force settlements and villages to pay tribute to you. If your reputation is enough to be feared, the settlements will pay this tribute routinely with no battle required, simply visit the settlement to reap your rewards. Payment can be in goods, gold, or troops.
• Ability to raid and force tribute outside of war at the risk of losing relations with the Khuzait lords who favor the current Khan while gaining relations with those that do not.
• Increased renown/influence gain from selling loot and ransoming prisoners from raids and collecting tribute from settlements. Your initial goal as a Khuzait lord or Khan would be to settle the remaining nomadic tribes.

Just a few ideas I had while reading through the lore. Hopefully it sparks some ideas and discussion to make the sandbox have a little more variety.

i like most of your ideas,
Empire:
yes, more civil war intrigue an backstabbing. Also an option to unify the old empire by political intrigue. another reason for unification would be that an almost beaten empire faction should want to join another empire faction before being totally over taken by barbarians.
Army: good use of tactics more focus on infantry than cavalry and archers. Each faction has an auxiliary unit from a bordering kingdom. This would make them stand out more on the battlefield.

Vlandia:
i don;t know how the vlandian mercenary work for other factions would play out.
Army. focus on cavalry charges

Battanian:
yes to raids and ambushes, especially in the Forrest.
Hill forts are nice additions.
I also would like a faction to use more troops of lesser quality. Battanian could be this faction.
because of the independent nature op the people it would be interesting if they didn't have castles, but walled villages. Preferable no cities either, but i think this is hard to do with caravan routes.
Get more renown and influence for raiding.
Army: more numerous but less armored, more skirmishers and two handed infantry, less on heavy cavalry

Sturgian:
More renown, loot and influence for raiding.
Winter indeed as huge obstacle for foreign armies.
war goals, more focused on raiding then capturing to get paid tribute.
Army: focus on heavy infantry and shield walls, more smaller parties on the map. more aggressive in the winter in snow area;s because they have more change to avoid retaliation efforts.

Aserai
I like all suggestions! especially the loan shark route to make other lords do your bidding, even in other factions.
Army: For the Aserai i would like to see a slighter weaker standard roster, but a strong mamluke branche of slave warriors. War captives could be taken back to Aserai and turned into slave warriors.
drawback 1: hard to fill out the army with strong troops if Aserai is loosing a war. Slave markets could be a place where AI nobles could by new recruits. If the strength ratio of slave warriors is high enough they can rebel and try to take over.

Khuzait:
I like the addition of mobile parties/villages, but i am not sure about the rest.
Army: focus on horse archers and cavalry in general, a high percentage of the army should be on horseback. They would be feared in open battle but be at a disadvantage at sieging and holding settlements outside their original domain. They would have higher unrest and more rebellions. This would keep fighting them special and prevent them from snowballing.

i know all of this is wishful thinking, but it was a fun thought experiment i will keep advocating for a more diversity between factions: different politics, different war goals, different army builds and preference for tactics. the difference between factions in total war: warhammer kept me starting up new campaigns after the old ones got boring.

 

[Neofd10]

I'm curious to hear everyone's ideas on how to make the factions play unique. Something beyond a single flat numerical bonus and different troops to add variety depending upon your faction.
Just spitballing, but reading through the lore of the world, these ideas came to my mind:
Empire

• The three imperial factions should be a playthrough of political intrigue. Open conflict between the three factions should be rare. Lords of the imperial factions should be scheming to draw other lords to their side internally while fending off assaults from the nonimperial factions.
• The empire has a history of bribes and assassinations. Bribes should change hands often (perhaps through a criminal quest) so that lords flip flop between the three factions often. Political maneuvering and changing alliances should be rampant and the borders between the three factions should be fluid. Similarly building influence with powerful gang leaders should unlock assassination quests against pesky lords who are present in the city.
• Increased influence and clan rank from engaging in political intrigue. Should be able to spend influence on getting other lords to vote on certain issues. Bonus to tactics against parties of nonimperial culture. More "senate-like" voting system. Your initial goal should be to reconcile the schism.

Vlandian

• Clans should be very independent. Clans should be able to take out mercenary work with other kingdoms in keeping with their historical tradition as long as they answer the call when the king goes to war.
• Renown and influence gain increases for winning tourneys and mercenary work. Lords can challenge other lords to single combat to improve their standing within the kingdom. Spar with local "champions" in villages to improve recruiting.
• Extra companion slots to function as an "honor guard". Can demand fiefs in payment for mercenary work. Initial goal is to win tourneys and get rich through the wars of others.

Battanian

• Traveling the Battanian forests should be dangerous for other factions. Hill Forts spawn akin to bandit hideouts where Battanian lords can rest and send out troops to conduct guerilla warfare, springing up out of the woods to harass enemy parties and inflict damage before retreating back into the woods.
• Clans should be independent and renown/influence gains should come from guerilla attacks and raids. Ability to conduct night raids against enemy camps and settlements, stealing supplies, sabotaging siege engines, and inflicting casualties.
• Battanians should have expanded disguise options for generally causing mayhem under the guise of another factions party.

Sturgian

• Settlement economies should be boom and bust, rising and falling like the tides. Villages can have "rushes" where resources and troops are greatly expanded. Sturgian lords should gather trade goods like fur while traveling through their lands as well as have the opportunity to forage for food or more lucrative goods.
• Infighting among Sturgian lords to increase their standing within the kingdom should be commonplace. Increased renown and influence gain from trading and battle.
• The Sturgian winter should be a huge roadblock for non-Sturgian troops allowing Sturgian lords to starve and outlast enemy parties during the winter months.

Aserai

• A faction of financial warfare. Increased workshop/caravan limit. Influence and renown gain heavily influenced by workshop and caravan income. The clan with the highest workshop/caravan income rules the Aserai.
• Wage financial warfare by raiding other caravans (even those of other Aserai lords), using influence and money to manipulate markets in towns and villages. Expanded options of purchasing mercenary troops and companies.
• Ability to unlock loan sharking quests through powerful gang leaders so that you can use your money to finance other lords and merchants and use their debts to manipulate them into wars or other situations to your benefit. Insert moles or agents into caravans or workshops of other lords to create market manipulations or work stoppages.
• Use financial warfare to plant the seeds of uprising in other settlements. Your initial goal is the accumulation of wealth and power to rise up the ranks of the kingdom.

Khuzait

• Most Khuzait settlements should revert to imperial culture and function by paying healthy tribute to the Khuzait lords. Khuzait troops are recruited from nomadic parties on the map which essentially function as mobile villages. Over time these nomadic parties will settle in Khuzait owned settlements, changing the culture from Imperial to Khuzait.
• Ability to force settlements and villages to pay tribute to you. If your reputation is enough to be feared, the settlements will pay this tribute routinely with no battle required, simply visit the settlement to reap your rewards. Payment can be in goods, gold, or troops.
• Ability to raid and force tribute outside of war at the risk of losing relations with the Khuzait lords who favor the current Khan while gaining relations with those that do not.
• Increased renown/influence gain from selling loot and ransoming prisoners from raids and collecting tribute from settlements. Your initial goal as a Khuzait lord or Khan would be to settle the remaining nomadic tribes.

Just a few ideas I had while reading through the lore. Hopefully it sparks some ideas and discussion to make the sandbox have a little more variety.

Cool ideas

 

[Calabanar]

I'm in love with this thread!

The changes proposed here are very interesting because of how dynamic and representative of the cultures they are!

Here is my shot:

Empire:

I'm on board with the idea that political intrigues and attempts to unite the empires through diplomacy and deception should be their focus. This could be reflected by a unique questline... like the main one in the default campaign! Granted, the political intrigue should still be present in sandbox, but it would be easier to flesh out à la Viking Conquest. Each leader would then have a different set of pros and cons, such as Garios having better access to quality troops in high numbers but having penalties in diplomacy, Rhagaea getting relationship boosts with all males (), etc.

I think the Empire(s) should be the major mercenary hiring force in Calradia, after all despite their divide they were the major power in Calradia for a while and appear to still have many riches available. Except perhaps Garios, it could be argued he has more faith in his own men and the might of the imperial army than in mercenaries. It would also be an opportunity to add unique troop trees (one mercenary/auxiliary tree per Empire would be great). A cool perk for the imperials would also be to have the ability to recruit (some) mercenaries with influence.

Vlandia:

It does feel like vlandians should have a degree of independance, and should regularly challenge their king's authority (poor Derthert). Perhaps gathering armies should be more expensive and instead of using influence, you could use gold, as if they were actual mercenaries? Having clans join other factions as mercenaries would be a nice touch as long as it doesn't happen too often (otherwise vlandians would lose many troops helping other factions and find themselves weakened). Although it could make for an interesting way of reducing their aggression, I suppose the decision to go fo mercenary work could depend on Vlandia's relative strength..

Something I personally would is the possibility of hiring small "lances", so a knight accompanied by other troops in taverns and villages. It could be an actual reason to walk around settlements trying to get them because they would be less expensive than hiring all the units separately (plus you get high, mid and low tier units all at once).

Other than that, a nice touch would be to be able to hire tournament fighters (which would give a reason to watch tournaments unfold: to pick a companion).

Battania:

Small battanian "hideouts" dispersed around their territory sounds like fun. A similar idea could be big patrols of young warriors/chieftains. They wouldn't have the power/influence of actual clans but could act as mobile notables. You could even get them to the level of actual clans, turning them into precious, loyal allies.

They should be a predominantly skirmishing faction, couldn't agree more. They should have the fastest infantry in the game.

Battania would really benefit from the option to execute commoner prisoners, they like cutting heads after all. It could be a unique way to boost influence for characters of battanian culture or vassalage.

To make them less of a headache to attack, their settlements could have a limit of tier progression for some buildings (walls, commercial marketplace). It would also reflect their lack of architectural prowess.

Sturgia:

They are undeniably the raiding culture and should thus be able to gather more loot and faster than any other culture. Raiding should also increase influence. They should get big bonuses when fighting during Winter, not only in party speed but in strength in auto-calc. I agree with niekdegrijze, lore-wise they should be the ones getting into short, profitable tribute-seeking conflicts.

To reflect the inclusion of nords into the sturgian culture that would later lead to the vaegirs, they could also hire sea raiders by pacifying hideouts? Or simply hiring sea raider parties. The most amazing would for the sea raiders to lead to an exclusive expanded troop tree for Sturgians.

Something I would love as well, would be the villages spawning small raider parties that raid villagers/villages and come back, increasing the prosperity of the home fief (basically vikings). It would also make for great casus belli.

Aserai:

I agree with all ideas above, and having nothing to add but an exclusive slave troop tree, which has already been suggested many times and for good reason. Turning prisoners into a unique unique unit that could for example cost much less in wages but more in upgrades whilst also suffering from much lower moral penalties (fearing retaliation if they fail to their duties).

Kerghits:

I doubt we will ever see horde mechanics where a horde is self-sufficient and effectively acting as a mobile settlement.
I know mongols were known for being able to siege settlements very efficiently (learning from their numerous conflicts with the chinese), but in terms of balance gameplay, it might be best to prevent them from building trebuchets so they have a harder time besieging settlements. Either that or horsemen should get big penalties for attacking settlements in autocalc, which, since most of the khuzait armies are cav-mostly would greatly hinder their expansion.

They should be very easy to unite though, which would mean big armies that require more planning to stop, to reflect the horde behaviour. In addition, they might suffer less from war attrition and loss of army cohesion.

As far as politics go, I can see them asking for tributes regularly as well.

 

[Magello]

These are an great ideas. I would love to see the factions actually playing differently. I think for the most part the all just have different skins when you get down to it.

I would like it if the ruling type was expanded as you mentioned. Where each kingdom plays their ruling differently.

 

[WNxSpectre]

Give them specialized formations and specialized attacks unique to their factions. This would help to help make clear the difference in tactics the different cultures favor in warfare.