Minor Factions (I found one!)

they were there back in 1.09. They just tend to get wiped out fast so unless you start close to them you usually don't get a chance to meet them

Ive seen mention of these guys in one of my games. The karxis stomped them in like, turn 30.

Has anyone seen any faction other than the Ilyan Orekeepers?  I found mention of other minors when digging through the game files. But in game, I have only seen the Orekeepers.

I run into Ramis Blackstone a lot...

I've seen them in almost every game*.  Something I just learned recently:  Minor factions have unique items in their stores.  So if you're in their territory (which is hard to tell since they don't have borders now) try visiting the shop.

Edit:  * I should mention that I use Elementerra to produce larger maps with lots of land.  Not sure if that is having an effect.

That pic is clearly photoshopped. Minor Factions continue to be an urban legend.

There use to be a lot of minor factions, I loved them, but now there is only these guys.  I've bitched and bitched, but no one listens to me. 

I like the Orekeepers' guardian unit: it is beastly. So far only Orekeepers for me though, but I have yet a large map to explore.

I love going on shopping trips to minor factions. They seem to have some awesome stuff. If i get the chance i try to enclose them in my ZOC just to stop my opponents from ganking them.

I'm telling you, awhile back, they cut out all the other minor factions and you will now only find the Orekeepers.  They are it for minor factions.  Why they kept those I dont know, they are the least interesting ones.  And they use to all have a ogre camp for some reason.

Examples?

They got killed early in my current game. I'll have to find that city and see if the shop items are there.

You are able to buy Longswords, or were, haven't tried the full 1.1, from them.  Pretty nice for your champions in the early game.

Edit:  Where there were other factions, they each had differetn things you could buy, like magic rings, or horses, differetn things that you may not have researched yet.

It is mostly awesome stuff for the early game, good armour, longswords etc. This was on 1.09o-w (i think) not played 1.1 yet. I am think I saw a different one in there, but can't remember for sure. Lord Xia might be right though, could be that the Orekeepers are the only one.

Alright, time to continue that game, abuse that shop and send my Sov after other nations

Coincidentally this was also an Elementerra large map I created. I'll post a screenshot of the shop for anyone interested.

Some more info to tide you over before picture time. Faction seems to spawn with leader and spouse like AI (spouse text: "I desire a family, my lord!" lol). As mentioned earlier they have a real beefy guardian unit: Sandcrawler Shaman 46/10/5, it can apparently spit fireballs too.

OK its Picture Time!

So basically Minor Faction(s) is a win button with bugs attached. You can buy a Longsword as mentioned above for your Sov and hero units. You can also buy a Helmet that gives 3 armor and a chestplate that gives 4, for a whopping total of 7 armor for 135 gildar. Interestingly though only heros can buy and equip the armor, and trading it to the Sov won't allow them to wear it, kinda like how cloaks are bugged for most heros. Possibly if allowed to level up like an normal town (assuming they even build anything) more stuff may be unlocked.

(Elemental seems to clash a bit with my screenshotter tool so missing a pic and one is screwed up)

*missing pic*

This is screenshot of Ramis Blackstone and the Illyan City. Really not missing much here.

http://img444.imageshack.us/i/screenhunter05dec151422.gif/

Shot of shop when used by Sov.

http://img72.imageshack.us/i/screenhunter06dec151424.gif/

Shot of shop when used by Hero. Missing text is Iron something for armors (+4 and +3!) and the shield is the same.

http://img816.imageshack.us/i/screenhunter07dec151425.gif/

Shot of Arvix showing off his new duds before he single handily wipes out nearby Umbar and Tarth...

I am more interested in the Orcs that you USED to able to create when defeating the Ore keepers. Idk if it's a glitch at his point but for me ---that was the only reason for their existence. I just killed them and like Charlie Brown on Halloween---I got a rock.

I'm actually still playing that game and they are in my borders (told ya it was epic!). For some reason they stopped giving me iron armor/helmets and idk why but I'm at the point where it really doesn't matter so I might kill them off to see if i get those orcs you are talking about

Why the hell would you remove the minor factions? That is not a fix for boring factions, that is a removal of a problem. Take the time and make them interesting...let them grow, spread if the conquer.

Make it so that minor factions are the pawns who would be Kings when they reach the other side of the board. In other words, they should have a chance to become a major faction. They might also come into their own as a permanent ally to the player(s) who were allied with them whilst they were still minor. Which brings me to my next question: Is it political paedophilia for a major faction to have relations with a minor?

That is a fantastic idea. What would be required for a minor to become a major? I feel like this should come at some cost to their major "sponsor," but have no idea what it should be. What about multiple majors allied to one minor?

One way to add interest to the Minor Factions is to give them specializations.  Some could be farmers, miners, smithers, farriers, traders, diplomats, mercenaries,...  Negogiate per turn trade routes with the farmers and miners.  Contract the smithers to make superior armor and weapons (a resource like horse and crystal, allowing you to train N units with their gear).  Buy battle trained mounts and specialized gear from the farriers.  Barter Materials for Gildar etc with the traders.  Pay the diplomats to politic in your favor.  Hire wicked cool units from the mercenaries. + more specializations: Healers, Priests, Mages, Engineers, Alchemists, Thieves...

We could also have minor factions offer the occasional quest.  Bounties for monster heads and bandit ears.  A plea for help to rescue their kindnapped princess from a powerful bandit lord.  Payment to erradicate some factions outpost which has been settled to close to their borders.  etc.  The better your relations, the better quests, and maybe even gifts, that they offer.  If you turn down, or fail to complete their quests, your relations suffer.  Tweak it such that there is challenge, risk and reward to gaining and maintaining good relations with them.