Conversions and Changes: What have you done to mod your own PDER games?

[Studpuffin]

With XAI, Gigantus' version, and many modders getting into the swing of things themselves today that it might be fun to talk about what you've done to your own PDER campaigns.

So far, the biggest mod that I've done is the total conversion of Portugal into a Serbian Faction. With limited experience in modding, this took quite a bit of work to finally do. So far its been worth it to watch them duke it out with Sicily, Venice, Hungary and Byzantium no matter what campaign I play. I've also "created" some new units by using the skins of existing units... I seem to have a lot of trouble incorporating new skins or skins from other mods in the past and cannot seem to figure out what I am doing wrong .

What changes have you made to the game yourself?

[billydilly]

I have added the Cumans, using Gigantus' New Faction Tutorial and the Geomod Tool, works great. I haven't added any new units to the Cumans except the ME Bodyguards. At the moment they only have the standard AOR units. And they are muslims not pagans.

I'm currently adding a new russian faction - The Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal. Future plans are an islamic faction in Syria and Lithuania.

Have you added to unique units Serbia? I find it hard, I can copy-paste in the modeldb file, but adding a completely new unit is a bit too har at the moment

[billydilly]

(Deleted)

[Studpuffin]

I have tried several times to add units to the modelsdb, but have been unsuccessful even following the more detailed tutorials sadly. I have managed to give some of the "mercenary" serbian units to Serbia (Serbian Hussars and Serbian Knights) but I decided to not allow Hussars until after Heavy Mail event and Serbian Knights after Half-Plate event. Otherwise, they are a lot like the other western factions with mailed knights at first. I noticed last night, however, that I need to give them Bosnian Archers and neglected to do so thus far.

I also haven't figured out how to change the shield icons for a faction to ones that I've created or have adapted. Seems the descr_sm_factions doesn't like me very much... probably because I haven't unpacked the base vanilla files yet.

Most of my "unique" units are just copies of existing ones, such as if I were to make Gasmuli for Byzantium I would probably just copy Crossbowmen or Pavise Crossbowmen.

What Islamic faction are you going to put in Syria? Atabeq of Dimashq? Aleppo?

[billydilly]

I've done the same, the Cumans get all the AOR cuman/Kypchak units from the eastern regions. I will try to add more unique units later.

I have just finished adding the Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal between the Cumans, Kiev and Novgorod - should be a difficult challenge, at least when the mongols arrive
At the moment Vladimir-Suzdal can only recruit AOR units.

Absolutly right, I'm adding the Emirate of Dimashq (or Syria). They will start with Damascus and Aleppo. The Seljuks will keep Jerusalem. It will be quite a mess.

[Studpuffin]

Cool, Dimashq is a good idea... I shall feel free to steal it!

The Levant always seemed a little sparse to me. Perhaps I will create an Abassid Caliphate faction as well. Kalifal Guard are the perfect general unit.

[billydilly]

True, when playing as Egypt I want to meet other factions than the Seljuks and Armenia. It will also be interesting to see what happens when a crusader army captures Jerusalem - will the crusaders have to fight the Seljuks, the Egyptians and the Syrians? Or will the islamic factions fight among themselves?

I just added the syrians. They only have Damascus to start with and are practically surrounded by the Seljuks

[Studpuffin]

Haha, consider your idea official stolen billydilly! I have now implemented a Sultanate of Damascus (with Tutush in charge) with Dimashq and Tripoli as their settlements. I might add Halab to their list of regions as well, since they don't seemed very inclined to expand their borders.

Next up: Zirids and Kypchaks!

[billydilly]

What!? How dare you sir??

The Zirids in northern africa? I have been considering that aswell but I think I'll add either Serbia, Lithuania, Burgundy or Bohemia next. I have successfully added the Kypchaks, Syria and the russian Vladimir-Suzdal. At the moment the Kypchaks and Syria can only hire AOR units, only Vladimir-Suzdal can hire proper russian units. I'll add units th the Kypchaks and Syria before adding a new faction.

I have started skinning aswell (being rather good at Photoshop and Illustrator)

[Studpuffin]

Sweet, I wish I were better at skinning. I gave Syria a few Egyptian troops for now, but I plan to give them some Seljuk troops as well (Askari Horse Archers especially). I'm not sure what troops to give to Zirids other than AOR troops, possibly a moorish-egyptian medley... perhaps with a better kind of ship since they were famed pirate-raiders. Kypchaks I think will end up with a mix of Turkish and Russian troops. Turkish Javelinmen are a must.

I consider the Zirids almost necessary to curb Sicilian expansion early. They become a nightmare to fight in most of my campaigns, controlling the sea and all of Italy short of Venice and Genoa before they invade Spain and Greece. Can't play as France, Spain, Aragon, or Byzantines without having to deal with them by 1120.

[Studpuffin]

Okay, made Cumans instead of Kypchaks, but sort of regretting it. They have nowhere to expand! Perhaps I'll give them more regions and make them into big Kypchak Khanate.

[billydilly]

Nowhere to expand? I gave the Kypcaks Sarkel and Itil, they can expand south towards Georgia, northe into rebel areas or west to the russians.

[Studpuffin]

I meant Cumans are boxed in. I gave them Iasi, Bucharest, Asprokastron, and Olesche... basically they could only head toward Halych before they were completely boxed in. I switched them to Kypchaks now (i added Sarkel and made it their capital) and they seem to be doing much better. They've already expanded to take Xacitarxan and Bulgar! Those sneaksy Georgians beat them to Magas though.

I'm thinking of getting rid of Serbia too. They have the same problem, except they're even smaller with only Ragusa and Ras. Plus the area was historically ruled by Byzantines, so I'm thinking about changing their slot as well. Syria is doing great though, they're a good balance to the incessant Seljuk-Egypt conflicts and are a good rival for Armenia early on.

[Pnutmaster]

Where to begin? From the very moment I downloaded PDER I began modifying it (not to criticize the mod or its maker in any way. I am ever-modding and experimenting).

Aesthetically
- Many skins have been imported from Bellum Crucis, Broken Crescent, and Sicilian Vespers.
- The majority of my UI folder is DLV in nature.
- Faction-specific units now possess standard bearers (officers).
- Forts are miniature stone castles. Some are pre-placed in the descr_strat.
- Xenophonia has been installed indirectly (installing directly removed all sound but voices :/). As a result, all of the new PDER factions speak with random accents (e.g., the Aragonese speak Engrish ).

Gameplay
- Actually, too many to list (WILL EDIT LATER)

[Studpuffin]

Aesthetically
- Many skins have been imported from Bellum Crucis, Broken Crescent, and Sicilian Vespers.

I suck at importing skins so much, its not even funny. I can't even figure out what I am doing wrong.

I love many of the units in BC and C2:SV, tried to import many but failed in my endeavor.

[VINC.XXIII]

Me too,broken crescent for all oriental factions,Bellum Crucis for occidentals Units,and Rusichi for Mongols and Russia.Some units have different animations of PDER, for that bug.I have scripted very strong rebels garrisons,like Serbia,Zirids/Hasfid dominium,Wallachia,Bulgaria,Sweden,Lithuania,Ireland,Milan,Swiss,Flanders and some others,now this nations less "faction" are ever rebels.I have modify for that the descr_rebels_factions.

[Studpuffin]

I have succeeded on porting a skin! Yahoo! Wahoo! Yipee!

I now have Sicilian Grifones from C2:SV's as recruitable in aor_s_italy. A new world has opened for me now... and do I have some ideas!

[VINC.XXIII]

Studpuffin,tryelstatoi of Broken crescent^

[billydilly]

Alright, turkish units (not Janissary) added to the Emirate of Syria. Time to start the skinning

[Pnutmaster]

I have succeeded on porting a skin! Yahoo! Wahoo! Yipee!

I now have Sicilian Grifones from C2:SV's as recruitable in aor_s_italy. A new world has opened for me now... and do I have some ideas!

That was the first unit I imported from Sicilian Vespers