37 + random + full random + mirror = 40 = 8 x 5EVEN WORSE: 37 is a prime, meaning we cant even order the civ icons in a rectangle......
Wouldn't work if they had added 3 though.
Very disappointing news. I get that they would try to sell more of the game since it was originally quite cheap and has been supported a lot since but why not simply make campaign DLCs? I think a lot of people would be interested in those already, could be a way to support the game further without dividing the player base between people investing in the new civs and the others.
Now it opens a whole new can of worms with regards to multiplayer. Will you be matched with only people who own the DLC if you own it too? If not, and you get matched with someone who does not own the DLC, will you have access to the new civs? Will you play on the expansion balance or on the "old" balance? Will balance changes only support DLC users or be pushed to regular users as well?
The game has more than enough civilizations, and even if they wanted to add more, why such boring, inimaginative choices? The vast majority of civs in the game are already European.
The bonus these civilizations have are also very alien, it sounds like most of them offer a variable advantage (i.e. the one that gets you 7 units per TC), we have nothing like that in the game aside from Lith relic bonus. They are also recycling AoM and AoE 3 concepts (infantry that can build, transforming all villagers in military units, etc.).
(And since they are conveniently making extra european civs, they don't even need to commission new art for extra architecture sets, while that had been the norm for all expansions since AoC).