Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 29

Thread: Previews and Screenshots

  1. #1
    Lusted's Avatar Look to the stars
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Brighton, Sussex, England.
    Posts
    18,183

    Default Previews and Screenshots

    Lands to Conquer Previews


    4.0
    Preview 1
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    I am pleased to present the 1st preview of the upcoming 4.0 version of LTC.

    Lands to Conquer moving to Kingdoms


    Lands to Conquer will move over to the Kingdoms.exe and will add in new features such as boiling oil, controllable reinforcements, unit balancing, new rams and other features into the mod. It will also take advantage of the new modding possibilities available in Kingdoms to improve the mods gameplay. These include more scripting commands, better control over ai recruitment and individual unit speeds.

    Boiling oil ingame:



    Castle models from the Britannia campaign added in for Catholic and Orthodox factions:



    Interface from Crusades campaign added in for Muslim factions:



    It is undecided yet whether i will also produce a 1.2/1.3 compatible version of 4.0 with some of the non-Kingdoms dependant features as my time is very limited and it basically means i have to have 2 versions of the mod on the go at once.

    Era Campaigns


    I am pleased to reveal the big new feature in 4.0 - the return of Era campaigns from the original Medieval Total War.

    There are 3 Era campaigns, each with different starting dates, provinces for factios, alliances and wars at the start, and may even feature varied settlement names from campaign to campaign.

    Early Era:

    Starting in 1080, will be the least changed of the campaigns as it will basically be the old Grand Campaign with some changes to province ownership and some factions will start out allied and others at war.

    High Era Campaign:

    Will start in 1210, where territories for some factions have changed greatly. With provinces also beign more built up, players will have access to units such as Feudal Knights from the start, though in limited numbers.

    Late Era Campaign:


    Will start in 1321. Factions will start out able to get units such as Chivalric Knights, and once again Europe will have changed a lot by this date.

    All 3 of these campaigns will be previewed in more depth later.

    Help LTC with research for these campaigns here

    Now for some pics.

    The New Single Player Menu:


    The Campaign List:


    That is all for this preview, i hope you have enjoyed it!


    Preview 2

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Lands to Conquer 4.0 - Preview 2


    As mention in the last preview, Lands to Conquer 4.0 will replace the Grand Campaign with 3 campaigns set on the map that start in different eras immitating the system used in the original Medieval Total War.

    The 3 custom campaigns present in 3.0(Hundred Years War, Italian City States, Reconquista), as well as the 3 new era campaigns will all be selectable from 1 easy list that will be accessed from the Campaigns button in the single player menu that replaces the Grand Campaign, Norman Prologue and Custom Campaigns buttons.

    Art

    Now before we get into a preview of the actual campaign, i thought i would take the chance to say i've used the new campaigns that will be in 4.0 as an excuse to redo the faction selection maps, victory condition maps, radar maps and faction unit pics in faction selection screen(replaced with faction flags) so as to provide a unified art style in 4.0. This will hopefully solve the problem of the art for the Custom Campaigns and Grand Campaigns not really matching in 3.0/3.1.

    Early Era Campaign



    The Early Era camaign begins in 1080. As you can see from the above the starting positions for most factions have changed. They are now more in line with the starting positions that were in the original Medieval Total War, with some adjustments for gameplay. Some factions also start out at war, and the overall gameplay of the campaign should be much better.

    Byzantium



    Probably the faction with the most changes from Medieval II Total War. The Byzantines in the Early Era have a large empire, but not many troops so the outer provinces are vulnerable to attack. It is also already at war with Sicily and the Turks so it will have to deal with early attacks from both. It's territory in Italy are particularly vulnerable.

    Denmark



    Has the same starting position as before. Whereas in Medieval II Total War there were rebels cities to the South those are now held by the HRE, so expansion into Scandinavia is the most promising for Denmark, and also possibly into the Baltic regions.

    Egypt




    Egypt in the Early Era holds both Egypt And Acre and Jerusalem. This leaves them the obvious target for Crusades launched by the Pope, but if fighting does become focused on those areas, Egypt could take advantage of this and expand into Baghdad and the north of the Holy Land.

    England



    England begins with all of England and substantial territories in France. Whilst this makes them strong, it also means it will not be long before both Scotland and France come into conflict with them. England could also move into Wales and Ireland and secure the entire British Isles.

    France



    France is a country split in half by Englands territories on the main land. There are also the provinces of Burgundy and Champagne that all that lie between France the HRE. France is likely to come into conflict with both the HRE and England before reclaiming all French lands.

    Holy Roman Empire



    The Holy Roman Empire is huge, starting with many more provinces than it did in Medieval II Total War. Some of these however are isolated, and being so big means that other nations may decide to claim some it's lands for themselves. Surrounded by France, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Venice and Milan the HRE is bound to come into conflict with at least one of those nations. And possibly more if the Pope continues to view the HRE badly.

    Hungary



    Hungary starts out with a strong position. The rest of the Balkans are open for it to conquer, but it must be wary of the HRE and Poland to it's rear whilst it does so. Venice also has a quite open desire for parts of the Adriatic coast. and beyond the Balkans lies the Byzantine Empire.

    Milan



    Milan starts out with Ajaccio in addition to the provinces it held in Medieval II Total War. But it no longer has easy territories to expand into nearby, instead it has several factions on it's borders who view it's rich provinces with greedy eyes. It is inevitable that war will come to North Italy at some point.

    Moors



    The Moors begin with large provinces in North Africa, and Cordoba and Granade on the Iberian Paeninsula. With the Reconquista underway, the Moors will have to deal with both Spain and Portugal if it is to hold onto it's capital. They must also be wary of other factions attacking it's spread out north African settlements.

    Poland




    Poland is in a relatively secure position, with only the HRE and Hungary bordering it. It also has the Baltic regions and the Russian steppes to expand into, but may come into conflict with Russia and possibly Denmark. and Poland should never let it's guard down against the HRE or Hungary.

    Portugal



    Portugal is a small nation surrounded by the lands of the Moors and Spanish. With the Reconquista on-going, the lands of the Moors are ripe targets for them, but with Christian Spain also nearby, the Portugese may need to take to the sea to find new lands. Though a war with Spain may end up becoming inevitable.

    Russia.



    Russia starts out small, but can easily expand into the nearby regions of Moscow, Smolensk and other steppe regions. The Baltic provinces are also not far away, as well as the traditional Rus capital of Kiev. Russia should not be troubled by other nations for a while, but the Steppe settlements are spread out and not as rich as those of the rrest of Europe. The Russians may end up setting their sites for more profitable lands.

    Scotland



    Scotland is isolated on the British Isles. To the South is England, and only Ireland to the South West provides an immediate chance for expansion. War with England will be Scotlands main chance for expansion, and an alliance with France who similarly distrust the English court will help give them mainland support.

    Sicily



    Sicily is an Island Kingdom. England was not the only land to be invaded by the Normans, and the Sicilian Normans are not finished with their conquests yet. They have their eye set on Southern Italy under the weak control of the Byzantines. Across the mediterranean the Moors North African settlements are spread and could be easily taken.

    Spain



    Spain is on the path of the Reconquista to force the Muslims out of Iberia. But The Spanish King lays claim to the entire Paeninsula which means the other Kingdoms and provinces are all likely targets for it.

    Turks



    It is not long since the Byzantines were defeated at Manzikert. With the defeat of the main Byzantine Empire, the Turks have left the rest up for grabs. But the rest of the Empire should never be underestimated. To the South the Turks have their eyes on the Holy Lands, though this will bring them into the conflict with the Egyptians and any Christian nation that goes Crusading to relieve Jerusalem.

    Venice



    Venice holds a large part of Northern Italy. The Alps help provide defence against the HRE to the North, but nothing stands between Venice and Milan. But Venice's ambitions are not confined to Italy, Venice covets the Adriatic coast as well that is held by Hungary. Venice also is always in search of money, and what greater city for money is there than Constantinople?

    -----------

    Along with each Era Campaign preview will be pictures showing the updated artwork for the custom campaigns. This time i will show:

    The Hundred Years War




    That's all for this preview, i hope you have enjoyed it.


    Preview 3

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Lands to Conquer 4.0 - Preview 2


    Following on from the first 2 previews(preview 1, preview 2, where i revealed that Lands to Conquer 4.0 will replace the Grand Campaign with 3 campaigns set on the map that start in different eras imitating the system used in the original Medieval Total War, and then a preview of the Early Era Campaign, i bring you the High Era Campaign.

    The 3 custom campaigns present in 3.0(Hundred Years War, Italian City States, Reconquista), as well as the 3 new era campaigns will all be selectable from 1 easy list that will be accessed from the Campaigns button in the single player menu that replaces the Grand Campaign, Norman Prologue and Custom Campaigns buttons.

    Work In Progress and Historical Accuracy


    The High Era camapign is still being worked on, the placement of agents, beginning garrisons/units and buildings for all factions has not yet been completely finalised.

    Also as always LTC does not aim to be completely historically accurate.

    Guilds

    One thing i am doing to add more variety between factions is carefully choosing the Guilds i will place on the map from the start in both the High and Late Era Campaigns. With a few in the High and a lot more in Late. By giving for example France a Horse Breeders Guild i help emphasise the dominance of cavalry in their armies, Woodsmith Guild to reflect Englands use of longbowmen, Merchant Guild for Venice etc. Should help also make factions feel slightly more different.

    High Era Campaign.



    The High Era Campaign starts in 1210 and runs until 1530. This different start date means different starting situations for many factions compared to the Early Era. Once again the starting positions are like those of the Medieval Total War High Era Campaign.

    Some factions will start out at war and allied, for instance the Holy Roman Empire will be allied to Poland and England, France is at war with England, HRE, Turks and Egypt, Venice is at war with Byzantium etc.

    Byzantium



    Byzantium has lost a lot of the territory it held in the Early Era. The most obvious and damaging loss being Connstantinople. It along with Greece have fallen to the Crusaders of the 4th Crusade, and are now controlled by the Latin Empire(represented by rebels). The Byzantines will need to retake it if they are to regain all their former lands.

    Denmark




    Their situation has not changed. Still bordered by the powerful HRE to the south, expansion into Scandinavia and the Baltic regions are the obvious options for the Danes.

    Egypt



    A large and powerful nation in the High Era, Egypt starts wirth rich provinces and the Holy city under their control. They are also at war with the French crusaders who are also seeking to control the Holy Land. and to the north are the Turks who whilst also at war with the Crusaders, should have a watchful eye kept on them.

    England



    England controls substantial lands in france as well have having both England and Wales under firm control. To the North the Scots are a constant threat to be watched, and the old tension between England and France is now shown by the open war between the 2 nations. England is also allied to the HRE in its war with France.

    France



    France begins in a tough situation. On mainland Europe it is hemmed in by the HRE and England who it is also at war with. In the Holy Land, the Turks and Egypt are fighting to push the French Crusaders out of Antioch and Acre. But the French have strong Papal support which will help aid them, their cities in the Holy Land could become rich and provide the money France needs to hold off it's European rivals.

    Holy Roman Empire




    The Holy Roman Empire is even bigger in the High Era than in the Early Era, and war with France provides the chance for more expansion. An alliance with Poland in the east keeps their borders there secure, though the Poles should never be trusted too much. And the HRE should never forget the Pope, who has never taken much liking to the Empire. Sicily is also a close ally, almost being a vassal to the HRE.

    Hungary




    No change in the provinces Hungary owns from the Early Era campaign. The Balkans are still open to conquest, but Venice and the Byzantines must be watched closely. Perhaps Hungary can take advantage of Byzantiums weakened state to even expand into Greece.

    Milan



    Milan starts out with North West Italy and the Italian islands under it's control . But Venice will likely vie with Milan to become the dominate Italian faction, and there is of course the might Holy Roman Empire to the North to watch out for.

    Moors



    The Moors start out with all their provinces from the Early Era plus Valenica. But the Reconquista is still on going and both Spain and Portugal have eager eyes on the Moors Iberian provinces. In North Africa their settlements are widely spread out and vulnerable to attack. But to the South comes the rumours of wealth in the desert.

    Poland



    Poland is about the same size as in the Early Era. It has an alliance with the HRE, so for now it can turn it's attention to Lithuania and the baltic regions for expansion, and then possibly Russia. And the wealthy settlements of the HRE are not to be ignored it the possibility presents itself.

    Portugal



    Starting with just Lisbon, Portugal is part of the Reconquista along with Spain so the Moorish capital of Cordoba and also Granada are open for the Portugese to take. But with Spain eager for them and Valencia, Portugal might have to turn to the seas for future expansion.

    Russia



    Russia starts out with a huge swathe of the steppes under it's control, though only a few settlements spread out in that territory. The Rus capital of Kiev is under their contorl, but they have lost Novgorod. Retaking it, and unifying the rest of the Steppes should be a priority for Russia. And from the East there are distant rumours of a deadly force making its way West.

    Scotland



    Scotland is isolated in the British Isles. There is only Ireland to expand into beofre Scotland must come into conflict with England. Scotland should think ahead and make allies in preparation for when the inevitable happens.

    Sicily




    With South Italy and Sicily under their control, Sicily starts out in a secure position, especially with the Papal States to the North. It is also very closely allied to the HRE so in the event of war it will likely receive assistance from them, though it should not be counted upon 100%. The weak Moorish North African provinces provide a perfect target for the Sicilians.

    Spain



    Spain starts out in much the same situation as the Early Era. With the Reconquista ongoing, the Moorish provinces in the South are the obvious target for them, but the other Iberian provinces to the North East also provide opportunities for the Spanish as well.

    Turks



    The Turks have central Asia Minor under their control. With the Byzantines losing Constantinple they are weaker than ever so this may the best moment to strike at them. Plus the Turks are at war with the French Crusaders in an effort to drive them out of the Holy Land.

    Venice



    Venice starts out with of course Venice under its control, as well as the central Northern Italian provinces, and with Crete providing a presence in the Mediterranean near the Byzantines. Whilst the Latin Empire may have taken control of Constantinople and Greece, there is nothing to stop the Venetians for taking them for their own. Plus the ongoing war with the Byzantines gives them the perfect excuse. And the riches of Constantinople would be the crown jewel in the Venetians Emprie.

    -----------

    Along with each Era Campaign preview will be pictures showing the updated artwork for the custom campaigns. This time i will show:

    The Italian City States




    That is all for this preview, i hope you have enjoyed it.


    Preview 4

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Lands to Conquer 4.0 - Preview 4


    Following on from the first 3 previews(preview 1, preview 2, preview 3), where i revealed that Lands to Conquer 4.0 will replace the Grand Campaign with 3 campaigns set on the map that start in different eras imitating the system used in the original Medieval Total War, and then a preview of the Early Era and High Era Campaigns, i bring you the Late Era Campaign.

    The 3 custom campaigns present in 3.0(Hundred Years War, Italian City States, Reconquista), as well as the 3 new era campaigns will all be selectable from 1 easy list that will be accessed from the Campaigns button in the single player menu that replaces the Grand Campaign, Norman Prologue and Custom Campaigns buttons.


    Work In Progress and Historical Accuracy


    The Late Era camapign is still being worked on, the placement of agents, beginning garrisons/units and buildings for all factions has not yet been completely finalised. Hence why the negative population growth in almost all cities shown in screenshots.

    Also as always LTC does not aim to be completely historically accurate.

    Victory Conditions


    The long and short victory types have been renamed to Empire and Kingdom in 4.0. The Kingdom victory types will require a faction to take 25/30 provinces, including key historical provinces for a faction in most cases, and will work best for those who enjoy playing a more historically based campaign as the victory conditions do not require an excessive number of provinces. For those who do enjoy conquering the map, the Empire victory types is for you. It requires a faction to take 50/60 provinces as well as the same provinces as the Kingdom victory type.

    Late Era Campaign



    The Late Era Campaign starts in 1320 and runs until 1530. This different start date means different starting situations for many factions compared to the High Era. Sicily is also not in the campaign, and the Mongols are a playable faction. Once again the starting positions are like those of the Medieval Total War Late Era Campaign.

    Some factions will start out at war and allied, for instance the Holy Roman Empire will be allied to Poland, Byzantium is at war with Turks etc.

    Byzantium




    Whilst the Byzantines have regained Constantinople, their great city, they are not in a great situation. With Greece still held by parts of the Latin Empire they are denied resources from there. And an ongoing war with the Turks is further draining their limited resources. Though luckily the Turks have the Mongols to watch out for. The Byzantines armies are also becoming slightly outclassed by their neighbours. The Byzantiens will have a long, tough road back to glory.

    Denmark



    Denmark still has to contend with the powerful Holy Roman Empire to the South. But with Riga under their control, the rest of the Baltic regions are open for conquest, as is the tempting target of Scandinavia. But expansion in the Baltic could bring them into conflict with the Russians, Polish or possibly even the Mongols.

    Egypt



    Egypt has now secured the Holy Land with all land from Antioch to Dongola in Nubia under it's control. These provinces include some of the richest settlements in the area. With this secure base, Egypt can quickly become a might nation, with the Turks, Byzantines and remaining Crusaders on Cyprus not real threats at the moment. The major worry for the Egyptians will be the Mongols. even though the Mongols are quiet for now, they should never be discounted.

    England



    England now controls all of the British Isles apart from Scotland, who it is now locked in a deadly war with. If England wins the war and destroys the Scots, they will have a secure, productive Island base from which to launch attacks against who they want. But on the mainland only Gascony remains of English possessions in France, and the chance to regain them will surely be tempting to any English King.

    France



    France begins in it's most secure situation. With almost all of France under it's control as well as Cyprus it has plenty of land. It also has very strong Papal support which should deter some would-be enemies. France could use this position to take back the last of it's land from the English, and possibly expand into England itself. Or it could expand into the lands of the Holy Roman Empire. Whatever it does, it is in a stronger position to do it than ever before.

    Holy Roman Empire



    The Holy Roman Empire, whilst strong as always, is actually at it's weakest in the Late Era. But that does not say much given the large amount of provinces under it's control. It's central position gives it multiple options for expansion, the most obvious being Bern which has rebeeled from the control of the Empire. But expansion in any other direction wil be at the expense of a Catholic nation, and being central means multiple possible enemies all bordering the Empire. The Holy Roman Empire can become the dominant European power, but it must tread carefully at first.

    Hungary



    Hungary begins with Zagreb, Bran, Bucharest and Ragusa under it's control. But unlike in the other eras, other factions have begun to take the Balkans, and the faction that has taken some of the provinces is not one to be dismissed lightly: the Mongols. Hungary must also keep an eye on the Holy Roman Empire and Polish to the North.

    Milan



    Milan starts with Milan, Genoa and Ajaccio under it's control. It's years of rivalry with Venice are now shown in the open war between the 2. Therefore Milans early efforts will be focused on that as well as keeping an eye on the Holy Roman Empire and French.

    Mongols



    The Mongols start off witha huge empire thanks to the early conquests they made during their invasion. But their main attack has been beaten and now they must build up a little before beginning their next wave of conquests. With the Russians as basically vassals, they can therefore turn their attention to the other nations who border them: Hungary, the Turks and Egypt.

    Moors



    The Moors have lost their great capital of Cordoba to the Reconquista led by Spain, and now have only one settlement left on the Iberian Paeninsula. It has large holdings in North Africa, but it's settlements are spread out and few. The reconquest of Cordoba should be a priority for the Moors, and Sicily and South Italy provide a route for alternative expansion.

    Poland



    Poland starts out with a good amount of territory and an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire securing their Western border. The Baltic provinces are open for them to expand into, but the Danes and Russians also have ambitions there. And there is also the new threat of the Mongols that cannot be ignored given the fact they are now on Polands doorstep.

    Portugal



    Portugal is still isolated to just Lisbon. and with Cordoba having been taken by Spain it's expansion options have been further limited. Expansion by sea is the Portugese's best choice, and offer the greatest chance to expand it's borders.

    Russia



    Russia starts out as a close ally and almost vassal of the Mongols. The vast Mongol territory to the South basically hems in the Russians when combined with the fact Riga is owned by Denmark. Russia may have to bide it's time and build up it's strength before taking the fight to the Mongols who took most of their lands.

    Scotland



    Scotland are isolated. England controls the rest of the British Isles and the current war could mean the end for Scotland if they do not destroy the English first. Securing the British Isles must be a Scottish priority before pushing on to the mainland to show what Scotland is made of.

    Spain



    Spain has captured the Moorish capital of Cordoba in the name of the Reconquista. With it secured the Moors are reduced to just a foothold. Once the Moors are driven from the Iberian Paeninsula, Spain can focus on extending their control to the entire Paeninsula before possibly pursuing the Moors into North Africa.

    Turks



    The Turks begin at war with the Byzantines, and have lost land to the Mongols. This means they must be wary of further Mongol expansion, and careful in their war with Byzantium. but the war presents the opportunity of expansion, and perhaps once Byzantium is defeated, the chance to reclaim lost lands.

    Venice



    Venice is at war with Milan, and with Venice, Bologna and Florence under it's control the war will play out in North Italy as both sides vie for dominance. Venice also has it's long held desire for the Dalmatia coast, and even beyond to the great city of Constantinople.

    -----------

    Along with each Era Campaign preview will be pictures showing the updated artwork for the custom campaigns. This time i will show:

    Reconquista




    That is all for this preview, i hope you have enjoyed it. There will be 1 final preview before 4.0 is out.


    Preview 5


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Lands to Conquer 4.0 - Preview 5: AI, Balancing and Shiny Things


    With the Era Campaign previews finished(check out this thread for all 4.0 previews so far), in this final preview for 4.0 i will cover the improvements to AI, Balancing and of course new shiny things that will be in 4.0.

    Sorry folks, not many pics today, didn't have much time for this on.

    Release Date

    LTC 4.0 will be out within a week.

    Campaign AI


    This is the AI area that has been improved the most since 3.1. I have been working on it almost constantly for a while now, and i am very happy with the end results. Whilst it isn't perfect(it never will be given the limitations of the AI modding and simply there will never be enough time to make a perfect campaign AI), this is what my campaign AI and related changes to other files does better than the vanilla AI:

    -Stronger alliances, and allies which help each other more. This results in alliance blocs forming which also change over the course of the game.
    -More logical changes to faction standings. So you and the AI will no longer always end up terrible and untrustworthy.
    -More logical diplomacy, so it is now a more useful tool in the campaign.
    -Rarer Catholic - Islamic alliances.
    -Better AI sense of survivability. AI factions are more likely to want peace/vassal if being beaten/beaten badly.
    -Better AI garrisoning settlements, and use of forces to guard it's borders.
    -More aggressive AI v Independent Factions(eg the rebels from vanilla), so the AI expands much better early on and so the AI can create powerful nations.
    -Better AI invasions. It will now build up more before attacking, and attack with more stacks, and stacks which have more units in them.
    -Catholic factions less likely to attack each other, but still plenty of wars going on to give that Total War and Medieval experience.

    All of this combines to really change the campaign experience, and really enhances the camapign as the AI is smarter, tougher and diplomacy is more useful. It also makes the campaign a much more enjoyable experience.

    Battle AI

    The Battle AI has also been improved since 3.1, the main improvements being in the siege AI and pathfinding. The AI now performs better in sieges, and the improvements to pathfinding help with unit cohesion and AI performance overall.

    Though once again it is not perfect, it is better than the vanilla AI.

    Unit Balancing

    4.0 will be using a slightly modified version of the balancing found in the Medieval II: Kingdoms Crusades Campaign. The main difference being some changes to unit speeds so that cavalry are slightly faster than they were(i felt they were just slightly too slow in 3.1), and Halberds and Pikemen will march at the correct speed now.

    I am also making use of the new recruitment_priority_offset value made available in Kingdoms to fine tune the AI campaign recruitment so it recruits better armies.

    New Menu background, Loading Screens and Splash Screen

    As i felt the black top and bottom on the loading screens/splash screen and menu background in 3.1 was a bit bland, I have used the parchement texture i used to make the faction selection maps for all the campaigns to make a new style for the loading screens. There are also more loading screens than in 3.1. See pics below:



    Battlemap Graphic changes

    I am adding in the new grass textures from Kingdoms into 4.0, and i have also changed it so that unit banners no longer bounce.

    ---------

    I hope you have enjoyed the last preview for 4.0, and i hope you will all be anticipating it's release.

    3.0(contain out of date screenshots and information but have most info about the regional campaigns)
    Preview 1 - Hundred Years War Campaign
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Hundred Years War Campaign Preview

    First off i'd like to say a huge, immense, MASSIVE thanks to wilddog for making the map. I'd also like to thank Unspoken Knight for letting me use the parts of his mod that allowed the custom campaign setup.

    Overview

    Featuring a scaled up map with new provinces and more focused gameplay, the Hundred Years Campaign should offer great gameplay.



    (notice the edited text colour in the above pic so it now is brighter and stands out more, as well as the new menu background).

    The Hundred Years Campaign will start in 1337 when France had taken all of Englands possesions in France apart from Gascony, and when Scotland had recently lost Berwick to the English. Only those 3 factions: England, France and Scotland will be in the campaign. Strong rebel provinces will represent Flanders, Burgundy and Navarre.

    England



    As you can see Englands victory conditions include holding many specific provinces in both Britan and France. They start out with Edward III as King who is looknig to back his claim to the French throne with arms, and with both Berwick and Bordeaux threatened by strong hostile armies.

    Pics of England on the campaign map:






    France



    The French have thanks to various wars taken most of the English territory in France, and so are in a strong position to begin with. King Philip VI is determined to show Edward how 'rightful' Edwards claim to the throne is.






    Scotland



    Scotland is a Kingdom in trouble at the start of the game. It has recently lost Berwick to the English and has had to endure puppet Kings. But the true King of Scotland has other ideas, and sees the chance to reclaim lost lands, and perhaps to even see how the English like puppet Kings.



    That's all for this preview, i hope you've enjoyed it!


    Preview 2 - Reconquista Campaign
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Here is the preview of the 2nd custom campaign that will be featured in the upcoming Lands to Conquer 3.0. the Reconquista Campaign. No spoiler tags this week as i don't think they worked well in the last preview.

    First off though several things i want to say. The map itself is not finished yet and once again has been done by the amazingly skilled wilddog. There are also no new factions in the campaign as i just don't have time to add them in. Also i hope you've notcied the banners im including on the faction selection maps. In the HYW campapign it was the royal banner i used, in this campaign it's many of the experience banners, and in the Italian City States campaign it will likely be the heavy infantry banner.

    Also instead of the historical descriptions for factions in this preview, im going to give a gameplay overview of them, and an overview of the 3 camapigns and the kind of gameplay im aiming for.

    Overview of the 3 campaigns


    I am aiming for different gameplay in each of the campaigns.

    Hundred Years War - In this campaign it's all about war, and the gameplay of the campaign will be quite fast paced and a challenge to complete on Very Hard. There is little use for diplomacy in this campaign as all the factions hate each other. Finances are also quite tight. So you should have only a few stacks going around fighting battles and assaulting castles because of your low finances, and they will be assaulting probably because you'll be a bit pushed to meet the victory conditions near the end. The campaign is just 75 turns long to take 20 provinces. But it works well, and you can as always play beyond the end date. This campaign will be especially tough as the English, and easiest as the French.

    Reconquista - This campaign will last longer than the HYW campaign, and you'll have to take fewer provinces so will be slower paced. But there will be more emphasis on religion. With the increased effect of religious unrest in LTC, and this campaign focusing on the wars between the Christians and Moors in Iberia, use of priests/imans to convert the populations in provinces could be key to victory, otherwise the religious unrest could seriously hamper you. The 3 factions in it also have very similar fighting styles with good skirmishing light infantry and cavalry and a core of heavy cavalry and infantry. Once again with the factions not getting on very well with one another diplomacy will not be much use.

    Italian City States - The campaign with the most factions and least provinces, it is also the longest. There will be a clear cut superpower at the start, the HRE, but they will be disliked by the Pope so won't have things all their way. The smaller nations(Venice, Milan, Hungary) will be too weak at first to take on the HRE so getting in the Popes good books and using diplomacy well will help them towards victory. In the south Sicily will be large but weak, and will have to pass through Papal lands if it marches up mainland Italy. There will be more emphasis on city troops as those are the Italian factions specialities, and on diplomacy at first and conquest later.

    Now onto the Reconquista preview.

    Reconquista Campaign Preview



    A campaign that focuses on the reconquista of the Iberian paeninsula by the Christian factions, and the religious wars of that time period. It starts in 1146.

    Spain




    The more powerful of the 2 Christian kingdoms in the campaign, Spain will have to drive the Moors out of Iberia to achieve their victory conditions. They start out with the most priests so can immediately begin to convert their target provinces. They also have the rebel provinces representing Aragon and Navarre to their east which if taken would give them all the money and troop producing centres they would need to beat the Moors, but the provinces are strongly guarded. Spain must also watch out for Portugal who have to take several Spanish provinces to complete their victory conditions.



    Moors



    The Moors are the largest faction in the campaign, and have the most developed settlement - Cordoba. But they are not strong militarily, and their historical reliance on mercs is represented by the larger, faster replenishing merc pools in the south of Iberia. Valencia is also a well developed settlement that could soon be upgraded and producing Christian Guard. Holding Cordoba and Valenica is therefore going to be key to the Moors, as it utilising the large amount of mercs available to them. But they will also have tot ry and win the religious wars, and expand to the North in order to win.



    Portugal




    Portugal is the smaller of the 2 Christian Kingdoms, and is not very strong at the beginning. But it does have an army relatively close to Lisbon which could be taken quickly. As Portugal will at some point have to fight Spain as well, taking out the Moors first would likely help make them strong enough to be able to do so.



    ----------------

    That's it for this preview, i hope you've enjoyed it and are looknig forward to the next preview and 3.0


    Preview 3 - Italian City States Campaign
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    This is the preview of the 3rd custom campaign that will be featured in Lands to Conquer 3.0. The Italian City states.

    This time the preview uses the finished map, and once again there are no new factions or units as i just do not have time, plus it helps retain the vanilla feel of the mod. Also do not expect strict historical accuracy in this camapign, it's loose accuracy at best.

    Once again huge thanks to Wilddog for making the maps.

    Italian City States Campaign




    This campaign covers the period 1280 - 1450. Now despite having the fewest provinces it has the longest campaign length. This is because of the slower, more diplomacy and Pope orientated gameplay i've tried to achieve in it, and the fact that the Black Death will come along and hit every settlement in the campaign.

    Holy Roman Empire




    The Holy Roman Empire is the ruling power in Italy, with msot of the North under it's direct control. But it has hostile members of the League of Lombardy around it, and poor relations with the Pope. It must beat Venice and Milan, and take Rome to show that it is the ruling power in Italy.

    Venice



    Venice is one of the key cities in Italy, and with other territories along the Adriatic coast of the Balkans, it is a nation with major ambitions. With the grip of the Holy Roman Empire weakening in Northern Italy, Venice could make a grab for their lands, as well as expanding into the Balkans and South Italy.

    Milan



    Milan is a nation isolated. With it's territory surrounded by the Holy Roman Empire and with no access to the sea it is effectively cut off from the rest of Italy. But with the Holy Roman Empire's position in Italy weakening Milan has the chance to expand, and if it strikes south it could divide the Holy Roman Empire territroy in Italy in 2. This could give it the chance to secure the key port of Genoa.

    Sicily



    Sicily is the dominant power in Southern Italy, but it has problems with disloyal generals on the mainland that threaten to split the Kingdom in 2. If these problems can be dealt with, Sicily with it's close ties to the Papacy could lead the fight against the Holy Roman Empire and expand into a true power.

    Hungary




    Hungary at the moment does not play a major role in the politics of Italy, but it could. Within easy reach of the Venetian territories in the Balkans, Hungary could soon demonstrate the fact it is a powerful nation and go onto heavily influence the future of Italy.

    ---------------------

    I hope you have enjoyed this preview of 3.0, 3.0 will be out by the end of June.
    Last edited by Lusted; November 10, 2007 at 11:07 AM.
    Creator of:
    Lands to Conquer Gold for Medieval II: Kingdoms
    Terrae Expugnandae Gold Open Beta for RTW 1.5
    Proud ex-Moderator and ex-Administrator of TWC from Jan 06 to June 07
    Awarded the Rank of Opifex for outstanding contributions to the TW mod community.
    Awarded the Rank of Divus for oustanding work during my times as Administrator.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    I have not noticed any skin changes on the units.Will you be adding this later in a future mod update?New skins like in the Burrek skin mods add alot of realisum to the game ,not to mention eye candy.

  3. #3
    Lusted's Avatar Look to the stars
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Brighton, Sussex, England.
    Posts
    18,183

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    No i will not be adding new skins to the mod.
    Creator of:
    Lands to Conquer Gold for Medieval II: Kingdoms
    Terrae Expugnandae Gold Open Beta for RTW 1.5
    Proud ex-Moderator and ex-Administrator of TWC from Jan 06 to June 07
    Awarded the Rank of Opifex for outstanding contributions to the TW mod community.
    Awarded the Rank of Divus for oustanding work during my times as Administrator.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Sorry to here that guess i'll skip this one.It looks good but it looks to much like vanilla.

  5. #5
    Atman's Avatar Libertus
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Poland
    Posts
    79

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Yah, I would really like to see burrek's skins in some of the major mods, like yours or darths. I don't get why you guys won't implement them. Better skins add so much fun to the game.

    So will it work if I copy these skins myself into your mod installment?

  6. #6
    Lusted's Avatar Look to the stars
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Brighton, Sussex, England.
    Posts
    18,183

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Sorry to here that guess i'll skip this one.It looks good but it looks to much like vanilla.
    That's the point of the mod - an enhanced version of vanilla.
    Creator of:
    Lands to Conquer Gold for Medieval II: Kingdoms
    Terrae Expugnandae Gold Open Beta for RTW 1.5
    Proud ex-Moderator and ex-Administrator of TWC from Jan 06 to June 07
    Awarded the Rank of Opifex for outstanding contributions to the TW mod community.
    Awarded the Rank of Divus for oustanding work during my times as Administrator.

  7. #7
    Ketchup's Avatar Senator
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    London (well around there anyway...)
    Posts
    1,420

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Comon guys this is just better vanilla so don't go expecting loads of new stuff!
    Anyways, Lusted, looks awesome as always mate!

    Hurrys off to download...

    Roma Surrectum 2.0 Team Member
    R.I.P Calvin

  8. #8

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Quote Originally Posted by Atman View Post
    Yah, I would really like to see burrek's skins in some of the major mods, like yours or darths. I don't get why you guys won't implement them. Better skins add so much fun to the game.

    So will it work if I copy these skins myself into your mod installment?
    I agree,just seems to be a waste to have the talent to make a game run better and not add the fantastic eye candy to it and make it look and feel so real.The vanilla look is so cartoonish and bland.Glorify your mod.I wish i had the talent to do so.I definately would not only make it a smart game but the best looking game as much as possible.I don't even play vanilla anymore since i saw how good the mods like SS and CAE look and play.But who am i,it's your mod.And it runs well.

  9. #9
    Lusted's Avatar Look to the stars
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Brighton, Sussex, England.
    Posts
    18,183

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    But who am i,it's your mod.
    Exactly the point, i (shock horror) prefer the vanilla skins, ans as my mod aims to be vanilla enhanced, i'm not going to add in skin packs to it. End of story.
    Creator of:
    Lands to Conquer Gold for Medieval II: Kingdoms
    Terrae Expugnandae Gold Open Beta for RTW 1.5
    Proud ex-Moderator and ex-Administrator of TWC from Jan 06 to June 07
    Awarded the Rank of Opifex for outstanding contributions to the TW mod community.
    Awarded the Rank of Divus for oustanding work during my times as Administrator.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Quote Originally Posted by Lusted View Post
    Exactly the point, i (shock horror) prefer the vanilla skins, ans as my mod aims to be vanilla enhanced, i'm not going to add in skin packs to it. End of story.
    It's cool.It was just a suggestion.There are plenty of different mods availible out there and everyone has different tastes.Sorry if you took it wrong.Your AI works great in the SS mod also.End of story.
    Last edited by OSDEA7; November 11, 2007 at 10:01 AM.

  11. #11

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    I like simpler mods like this - that way I can start with some minor\cool enhancements and add on top Burek, skins, BBB, Mentor etc.

    Plus, it actually helps me better understand how to mod looking at their work - well except Art - I'm all thumbs there

  12. #12
    The Border Reiver's Avatar Artifex
    Patrician

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,703

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    This once again shows you do not need to redevelop the wheel to produce a fine mod. There are enough mods to cater for all tastes as mentioned above and I too am fond of minimal/essential changes to achieve a greater affect!

    Good effort Lusted.

    Osea7...very well corrected

  13. #13

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Great work! Lusted

    I'm follow ur work, I like it.

    I hope siege AI will be more better since 3.1 was shocked me that I order them charge into the gate but they act very strange, they running backward forward backward forward backward forward..... :hmmm: that annoying me

    It look like pathfinder problem in 3.1, in vanilla it not happen like this, it work fine.

    btw, I'm still like to play ur mod hope u fix it! I can't wait to play 4.0 at home now.
    Its easy to make war with others, its never been easy when we need a peace.



    My holy damn simple tactic; Strike First, Strike HARD and SHOW NO MERCY.

  14. #14
    Matz's Avatar Civis
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Low Lands
    Posts
    120

    Icon14 Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Wooowww,

    I've started playing the italian city states mod as Venice, and I ran into some really tough gameplay! Playing in hard campaign and battle mode.

    As Venice, I wanted to destroy Hungary, by conquering Zagreb (only castle). This was reaaaally hard to do, as they intellegently spawned units and twarthed al my attempts, and the Pope was getting increasingly annoyed! So he threatened to excommunicate me, which I ignored, as I really needed to destroy the Hungarians, so I finally took Zagreb (which also greatly stabilised my depressing diplomacy figures)! The Pope excommunicated me, causing annoying unrest in all my cities, which finally ís a problem. Plus the Germans wanted to kick my ass (which they could've)

    So, I devise a plan: I realise I need to make the Pope love me again, this fails, as I'm poor right now . So, I needed a new Pope. Problem is, I held only two of the 9 cardinal seats (not enough priests to fill all posts yet apparently), so I was basically destined to lose on a vote, and the current pope was only 51, so waiting would be a drag.

    I despatched my assassins (named de Vito & de Niro lol) to scout for stray cardinals, and killed 2, then one of my priests got a promotion, then went after the pope!!! Try after try after try, until SHABAM I get him. We vote, I win, AND THE NEW POPE LOVES ME PERFECT SCORE! And the HRE, once favorites, are now despised by my Venetian Pope.

    It ruled.

    Matz

  15. #15

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    lusted this is perfect. I also prefer vanilla skins.... downloading

    Sail your ship as part of a fleet. Devs previously worked on: Darthmod, World of Warplanes, World of Tanks, RaceRoom, IL2-Sturmovik, Metro, STALKER and many other great games..

  16. #16

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    I prefer vanilla skins, too. In fact, I prefer mods that actually work. What's funny is everyone around here is so ga-ga for pretty mods with all sorts of shiny things on them, but so many of those shiny, pretty mods barely seem function. I'll take a nice "vanilla mod" any day over a mod that crashes left and right. Good work Lusted, as always.

  17. #17
    dom385's Avatar Senator
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Bristol, United Kingdom
    Posts
    1,158

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    YEY its not just me that doesnt like the stainless steel type skins. its the wierd surcoats and the replacment of chainmail on armoured sergeants and sergeant swordsmen and the frilly things they all have round their necks i dont like.

  18. #18

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    I was asleep at the wheel to miss this great mod until now.

    Thanks Lusted.
    "oooh a gypsy wind is blowing warm tonight, sky is starlit and the time is right. Now you're telling me you have to go...before you do there's something you should know." - Bob Seger

    Freedom is the distance between church and state.

  19. #19
    alhoon's Avatar Comes Rei Militaris
    Moderator Emeritus

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Chania, Greece
    Posts
    24,758

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Mikelus you're not the only one. I discovered LTC less than 6 months ago.

    Lusted, I have 3-4 friends that play Med II, check the site from time to time and haven't heard of LTConquer although they have BCrescent and SS.

    I believe you (and us too) should do some better advertisement. Your AI is the best AI I have seen so far it's a pity to leave those poor souls wandering around, cursing the Vanilla AI.

  20. #20

    Default Re: Previews and Screenshots

    Quote Originally Posted by OSDEA7 View Post
    It's cool.It was just a suggestion.There are plenty of different mods availible out there and everyone has different tastes.Sorry if you took it wrong.Your AI works great in the SS mod also.End of story.
    It's cool, sorry YOU took it the wrong way. If you want your own mod go make it other then complaining and telling other people how to make theirs. And while your at it learn some decency.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •