Talk:Italians/@comment-89.68.156.75-20150520110154/@comment-24444169-20160411160337

as a matter of fact they were named like that by the developers out of clarity, but they represent northern italian states for the most, which shared a macro-culture of a sort (having been ruled by the same peoples, the Franks, the Lombards and so on).

Of course the choices of the developers regarding units and their design is not always accurate but I think it is no coincidence the condottiero displays an obvious St. George's cross on his round shield (used by Milan and other Lombard (northern) League cities), and the Genoese Crossbowman? That type of militia xbow was especially deployed in the Ligury and Piedmont area, and the pavise was the most common in northern italy and continental Europe.