In my previous article on the Byzantines, I discussed what was necessary for them to be a useful faction in the game. I believe that the inclusion of the Byzantines is one of the most important ways for game companies to spread the word about this incredible civilization. I believe that the Byzantines all too often have been ignored by the wider public in favor of Classical Rome; some of this is because of Gibbons and his bias against Christianity in his historical narratives. It is important to understand that I want to see the Byzantines recover some of their reputation that has been somewhat colored by people trying to attack Christianity as the reason for why the Roman Empire ended falling to the barbarians. The developers on this game are finally giving the Byzantines the respect that they deserve for being such a great continuation of Roman civilization. This is what I have been asking for in a game with the Byzantines included in it. The time is right for the Byzantines to come out of the shadows and take their rightful places as heirs to the Roman Empire.
The Byzantines along with the Japanese are the two new civilizations that will be introduced in Sultan’s Ascend. According to Age of Noob and the official Age of Empires webpage, this is a civilization that is very unique and has many interesting features that will make truly fun to play for many people of all skills groups.
Here I will look at each of the features and analyze them from what I know about the Byzantines from my own knowledge and what I read in academic books.
The Era of the Byzantines
The era of the Byzantines in this game takes place in the mid 9th Century to the mid 15th Century.
This makes sense considering that the era of the game is largely set around beginning of the Middle Ages to the Early Renaissance era. The Byzantines at this point had morphed away from the Christian Mediterranean Empire into something that was more Greek and Eastern in its nature. The Byzantine Empire at this point was still the Roman Empire but it had been so changed by the ideology of Christianity as to not be recognizable anymore to a Pagan roman living in the times of Augustus.
Olive Oil: The resource of the Byzantines in Age of Empires IV.
Olive oil is the fifth resource that is unique to the Byzantines. The civilization harvests olive oil by having olive oil groves that replace the standard farm in the game.
Olive oil has always been an important part of the Byzantine diet and the culture of the empire. Much like in Ancient Greece, olive oil was used for both the domestic consumption of both elites and ordinary people, it was also important tool of international trade.
This olive oil will be used for paying of mercenary troops from other countries in the game. This makes sense considering that the Byzantines were major exporter of olive oil to many regions of the globe.
What is even more interesting is that that Olive oil was a condiment that was integrated into the Byzantine cuisine of the time and allowing for poorer people to have an opportunity to put olive oil on their foods as they did not have access to high quality meats or seafood in their empire. It was also used for many uses in the home that went the gamut from public lighting to being used to treating wounds on the body.
As you can see, Olive oil was heavily intertwined with the daily workings of the Byzantine society and its status as important part of international trade So, it is logical for the developer team to use Olive oil as a resource for them in this game.
The Power of Water: The Byzantine Cisterns and the Aqeuduct System
This is one of the greatest aspects of the Byzantines in Age of Empire IV is that the developers decided to implement one of the most powerful aspects of pre-industrial automation available to the Roman Empire, the power of Water. While people may be enamored with the power of steam engines and gas engines, the water wheels of the Roman Empire and later the Byzantine Empire were some of the first forms of automation that we have seen being used by mankind.
We cannot underestimate the importance of waterpower in the Roman Empire. While the Ancient Greeks invented these ingenious machines, the Romans implemented them on a mass scale that boggles the imagination. It makes sense that developers would implement this into the game..
These cisterns help the production of your villagers and various buildings and the Aqueducts help with the water supply. The more cisterns that are connected to the water supply, the better your enhancements will be.
This is a great way to connect the Christian civilization of the Byzantines with the greatness of the Pagan Romans.
Overall, I believe that this will make the Byzantines a very interesting faction to play in the game. As Age of Noob says in the video, it will be imperative for you to defend the Cisterns and the water supply in your games.
Byzantine Greek Fire
This is probably one of the most intriguing aspects of Byzantine is that they were one of the first peoples to invent the flamethrower and use it in action in defensive maneuvers on land and the sea.
The Muslim invasions in 717 AD were a pivotal moment that allowed for the Byzantines to use this crucial tool in their arsenal. By using Greek fire, they were abler to resist the invasion fleet that was sent by the Umayyad Caliphate to conquer Constantinople and the rest of the Eastern Roman Empire. Having Greek Fire in this game is a prefect match for the Byzantines as a defensive faction that seems to be focused on turtling and then striking out when they have built up their forces. That is a faction that really appeals to me, as I have always loved being able to build one’s city or base and then building an army to crush my opponents.
Byzantine Cataphracts: Tanks of the Medieval World
The Byzantine Cataphracts make sense in Age of Empires IV because the empire had shifted away from an infantry focus towards a more cavalry focused army. That transition had already been occurring during the time of Third Century, as the Roman state sought to counter the tactics of the newly empowered Sassanid Empire, which was known for its usage of horse archers and heavily armored horse troops.
This is a great addition to the Age of Empires IV entry of the Byzantines. It represents the civilization’s reputation for using technologically advanced technology to defend itself against invaders of all stripes.
My overall thoughts on the Byzantine Civilization
I believe that the development team has made the right choice in including the Byzantines in this game. They are often an ignored part of story of the Romans. As I stated before, the Byzantines are a necessary part of the Roman histories and I believe quite greatly in expanding the public’s knowledge about this great civilization.
The Byzantines in Age of Empires IV seem like a turtling and defensive type of civilization which is historically accurate. While in the 9th and 10th Centuries the Byzantines did go on the offensive, they were more known for their defensive actions and building great walls around their capital city.
Overall, the inclusion of the Byzantines is the right move and will greatly help the increase the awareness of the civilization among members of the public.
Byzantine-Empire.com 