NEW RELEASE: Napoleonic Total War II version 1.0

[Empress Meg]

Officers and commanders, high saddled horsemen, adroit artillery and the poor, bloody infantry alike,

At last the wait is over, and I can speak for the Lordz when I say that we are just as glad to release this as you are to finally play it. A good deal of work has gone into this momentous version of Napoleonic Total War II and we hope that it is worth the teeth grinding and hair pulling. Without further frilly words, here is a brief rundown of what you can expect from Napoleonic Total War II version 1.0:

• -Two new factions, the Kingdom of Sweden and the Ottoman Empire
  -The removal of body piercing bullets
  -Five new desert maps (so that the Ottomans feel at home)
  -Three new multiplayer scripted battles, Quatre Bras, Ligny & Wavre
  -No fire in melee in the scripted battles
  -Preset armies for each nation
  -And several other minor changes, additions and fixes that you will have to discover on your own

Further explanation of features

Body piercing bullets (BP) have been removed. This has been done in the hopes of removing the freeze bug. Tests were conducted by the Lordz and their beta testers to see what sort of effects the removal caused and we are satisfied with the results. The rank and file are still killed in the rearward ranks of the line and column even without BP enabled.

The three new scripted battles have taken Napoleonic Total War II to a new plateau in multiplayer gaming. With great efforts the Lordz overcame the restrictions imposed by the Rome Total War engine in order to give an even more realistic Napoleonic experience: there is no fire in melee in these battles. Once you lock bayonets in these battles, then no one may fire his musket. Instead, you must pull away and reorganize into ranks to attempt a volley. This is done at great risk to your men, who once let loss of their officers’ leashes will be hard pressed to return to the stiff discipline of their lines.

Napoleonic Total War II version 1.0 is a full and complete install encompassing all previous versions. In summation, whether you are installing Napoleonic Total War II for the first time or have the Pen Pack and the Portugal expansion you will use the same, singular install.
NB- Napoleonic Total War II version 1.0 only contains the official Lordz maps. If you are installing NTW2 for the first time, it is recommended that you download the Map Pack as well containing over 100 community made maps for online play. A new, updated Map Pack will follow in roughly a week’s time.

Finally, this is version 1.0. For those of you who may not understand the significance of this, Napoleonic Total War II has reached its prime. In this version the culmination of over two year’s work from dozens of people are contained; sleepless nights, strained eyes, PC disasters, countless hours of reworked textures, codes, editing, a chorus of questions and slew of answers, countless PM’s and a breakdown or two, myriad history books, comings and goings, slow downs, boredom, headaches, and creative disagreements.

What began as a struggling start has grown into a strong, robust and extraordinary modification. There are hundreds of RTW mods out there, all offering something different, but this one has in my opinion out shined them for it’s longevity, creativeness and above all it’s community. While Napoleonic Total War II represents a paradigm shift in mods it is the tightly knit community that continues to pour life into the Lordz Modding Collective. Because of this every-changing community there is always something in the works from the Lordz. So while this might be the conclusive battle for NTW2, it is certainly not time to lower the flag.

Please go to the Downloads section of the site to begin your download.

Enjoy, The Lordz Modding Collective

[Empress Meg]

Install instructions
1) NTW2 is a modification for RTW 1.5/ RTW:BI 1.6. In order to play NTW2, please ensure that you have fully updated your version of RTW and that there are no other mods present. In other words, you must have a clean install of RTW.

Install RTW.
Install RTW patch 1.3.
Install RTW patch 1.5.
Install NTW2 version 1.0.
Optional: Install the Community Map Pack for Multiplayer battles.
The Map Pack will be updated in about a week's time to include more community submitted maps.

2) Download the NTW2 version 1.0 full install from the Lordz website here. You will need Winrar to extract the files inside. WinRar Extract the contents of the rar folder.

3) Double click on the program and the install will begin. Follow the prompts to finish installing NTW2 to your PC.

NTW2 version 1.0 uses the mod switch, so no original RTW files will be edited. (You can have as many mods installed on a single RTW folder as long as the use the mod switch.) It is recommened that you install this complete version of NTW2 on a clean copy of RTW 1.5.

Installer Options: You will be given the option to select these during the install process.

Create Desktop Shortcut- Creates a shortcut on your desktop for faster game initializing. (Duh ).

Use Quick Chat- Enables "Y" for global chat and "T" for team chat while ingame.

Disable Arrow Markers- Removes the green arrows under selected units. Units will only highlight.

Install Low Resolution Textures- One half the size of normal textures. Installing these can cut down on lag slightly while reducing unit detail.

Install Lingering Smoke “Lingering Smoke” will allow musket smoke to build up and cloud the field, making for a more gritty and hazy battle. This is not recommended for people with older, slower PCs. It will cause framerate drop.

Please go to the Downloads section of the site to begin your download.

Enjoy, The Lordz Modding Collective

[Empress Meg]

During the Napoleonic Wars Sweden underwent some of the most revolutionary changes in its culture, geography, political system and military. Sweden sat on the outskirts of the conflicts igniting all over Europe but it did not remain aloof from them for long. Between 1805 and 1815 the once great army of Sweden was called to fight foes on many fronts: Germany, Pomeranian, Denmark, Norway, and Finland.

The army was in a constant state of change during the turbulent decade. Perhaps the most poverty-stricken nation in Europe, Sweden’s military suffered from a lack of much-needed funds and wanted in loyal and strong leadership in the officer corps. The great triumphs of a century before gave the battered and ancient army of Sweden something of which to be proud, but reminiscences do not win wars. Constant retreats and poor leadership did little to improve Sweden’s situation as the Napoleonic Wars increased in fervor. A mad king, Gustavus IV, coupled with a crippling lose of Finland and Swedish Pomeranian nearly broke the nation.

A military coup removed Gustavus IV from the throne and a couple years later Marshal Bernadotte was elected king. As King Charles XIV he went about ensuring the reclamation of Sweden’s past glories with a strong demand to bring Sweden out of its traditional trappings and into the modern world. Conscription was introduced allowing for a long-term army, Norway was acquired to subvert the forfeit of territory, and the former marshal’s rule ushered in a stable and peaceful Swedish nation that continues to the modern day.

Infantry
Sweden’s regular infantry are not meant for prolonged warfare. Drawn from men who have little training, they are more a grandiose militia force then a regular army. However, their light troops more then make up for the poor quality of the average line infantryman, or rather of those who might lead him!

The jägers of Sweden and Finland are crack sharpshooter troops whose skill at skirmishing will be able to thin the enemy’s lines before the untested line infantry march into battle.


Cav
The artillery and cavalry crops of the Swedish army contain small numbers of men who have formed together to make mobile and destructive force from what little funding, materials, and training supplied by the State. There are four artillery regiments (three when Finland was lost to Russia) and a small handful of a dozen or so regiments of horsemen to call upon when battle draws near. There might be little to chose from in variety, but that does not prevent these horsemen and gunners from performing their duties with skill and dedication.


Guards
The Swedish guard regiments represent the regular forces of an otherwise semi-dormant military. While most regiments are hastily scraped together upon the outbreak of each successive war and trained some 28 days a year, these men are career soldiers. (This hodgepodge arrangement continued until Bernadotte installed the conscription system in 1812.) The wise commander will be sure to save room in his budget when selecting an army for these hardened veterans. They can stand up to some of the most elite of Europe if properly supported and judiciously lead.

[Empress Meg]

The Ottoman Empire is vast, encompassing a great tract of land in the Eastern Mediterranean, southeastern Europe, and North Africa. Its army is scattered and its peoples divided. It is the perfect time to attack. France has broken the traditional peaceful relations with the Empire and cold dismissal of French emissaries in the ancient capital of Constantinople bode openly hostile behavior.

Further south in the swirling sands of Egypt a great Expedition begins under the command of a promising general. The French army marches from one dune to another to gather scientific evidence and assert military might. They bleed the harsh land’s resources dry and food prices double in the Ottoman held region. In order to push back the foreign invaders Sultan Selim III calls a jihad to retake the legendary territory. This ignites a drawn out conflict filled with wild stories of bejeweled horsemen, sword waving janissaries and mad billows of charging infantrymen who break upon the bayonets of the hugely outnumbered France forces. The troops of a myriad of cultures are about to place their full wrath on the invading French and plunge themselves and the world into a new Era.

In the years that flowed into the Napoleonic Wars, the Ottoman Empire will continue its slow decay. Military revolts, rebellions in Balkans and Russian military action all pressed the imperialist state.

Arty
The Ottomans have a long heritage of gunpowder weapons, especially those of the great guns. The smaller firearms were neglected and often far from usable, but the cannon and its crew were highly respected and a feared component of the Ottoman military. Gunners were considered an elite among other segments of the armed forces. During the Napoleonic Wars, European gunners were employed to help train local forces to better use the more modern field pieces.


Infantry
A force mostly cobbled together only when needed, the infantry of the Ottoman Empire have basically no training save for the elite forces. Firearms are often out-dated and many men prefer taking the blade to the enemy rather then shot at them from a distance. Those men wielding swords are a danger when in close combat, something no commander should ignore.

The Janissary force is the regular army. Created in the medieval period, the Janassaries were once a very elite and strict body of military men who rose to prominence in the political affairs of the Ottoman Empire. (They were finally disbanded after the Napoleonic Wars due to their long held mutinous habits.) They are both a force to be feared but also one that can be easily overcome with disciplined troops.


Cav
The light horsemen drawn together to defend the Sultan’s lands are famed for their speed, ferocity, and their riches. These endearing aspects are often tempered by their sometimes undisciplined manner of warfare. Most of the horsemen preferred cold steel as their main armament including scimitars, maces, daggers and fails. Only a small percentage had firearms and these might be out of date and used very little. Mamelukes some of the more famous cavalry discovered in the deserts of Egypt were descendants of Christian slaves. Their extensive melee skills were noted well by Napoleon and he recruited a number of these men to be part of his guard formations. (His own personal bodyguard named Roustan was a Mameluke.)

The charge en muraille was the favoured form of tactic for the Ottoman horsemen. Most of the horsemen are light, however there are rumors that heavier, almost medieval armed bands of horsemen were encountered.

[warluster]

Excellent work Lordz! When you say 3 new scripted battles; is that including the one in the first version?

[Empress Meg]

Excellent work Lordz! When you say 3 new scripted battles; is that including the one in the first version?

No. There are three new battles apart from the orginal.

Devoirs The Empress

[Ataegina]

excelent work

[Elzabar]

Nice, downloading now. Though a patch would be nice so that us with slower internets didnt have to wait for 2 hours for it to install!!

Edit: btw congratulations on the final release for NTW2.

[Erwin Rommel]

please please, did you guys fixed the marching-handle-the-musket thingy??


BTW AWESOME MOD>..............DOWNLOADING IT NOW!

[Elzabar]

BTW AWESOME MOD>..............DOWNLOADING IT NOW!

So now me and you can have our armies face off against each other? And my Austrian Cavalry pwning your army...?

[Erwin Rommel]

dont kid yourslef with those pathethic austrians!

my Imperial Cuirassier will just bypass yours.......

BTW about the marching thingy

i know shouldering it is IMPOSSIBLE but there are other alternatives like

when walking can it be possible for them to just hold it like the way when they are running COZ i have seen several instances the Infantry SURPRISINGLY do it then, after that.....they hold it one armed

[Elzabar]

dont kid yourslef with those pathethic austrians!

my Imperial Cuirassier will just bypass yours.......

Yeah, maybe. But when I get the Ottomans on the field, ohh I cant wait!

[Erwin Rommel]

Ottomans ARE SO MEDIEEEEEEEEEEEEEVAL



i have my men ready with their tight breeches and really high bearskins to defeat your sock wearing janisarries

[Elzabar]

Who the hell wears bearskins on their head in the desert?

[Erwin Rommel]

THE GARDE IMPERIALE!!!!

although we carry them if we are on the march

[Elzabar]

Ahh. But what if you're in battle? Gonna get real hot wearing a bearskin hat on your head....

[Erwin Rommel]

i dont care......its discipline my boy...discipline

we have trained them in tight breeches to march in front of fire, wearing that funny hat while in the desert is good enough

[Elzabar]

Meh, I suppose its all to my Ottomans advantage. But yah know what? I just played a SP Custom battle as the Ottomans against the French, and the absolutely carved me up. Although I suppose I was expecting an easy fight, but it was shocking. The AI is trained by Master Sun Tzu....

[Erwin Rommel]

like....DONT UNDERESTIMATE THE SOCK WEARING GUYS??

[Elzabar]

But I was the sock wearing guys, fighting the dudes that wear tight breeches and drink wine, and shout out "Vive la France!!".