The Eagle Standard Volume VIII, Issue IV

[Augustus Lucifer]

The Eagle Standard - Volume VIII, Issue IV

Contributions by these fine people:

Chief of Content

jimkatalanos

Editor

Augustus Lucifer

Chief Reporters

Xavier Dragnesi [RTW News]
Augustus Lucifer [M2TW News]
Major Darling [Captain's Cabin]
Saint Nicholas [The Lookout Post]
Juvenal [The Artist's Gallery]

Reporters

[IMP]|Sith|5|DarthWarman88
Captain C
Lysimachus
ToonTotalWar

Some Guy Who Waltzed In And Decided He Was Going To Write A Special Report

Belisarius

...and all the little people.

Letter from the Editor

Well folks, another month, another late issue of the ES, and another excuse. If my computer going kaput weren't enough, a couple of our chief writers decided to get caught up with that damsel 'life', and Junius, who hasn't been able to turn in an ETW segment the last couple months, was last spotted tied and bound somewhere in the West Sahara desert, bless his heart. But we're not AS late as you may think. Still late, but not AS late.

That's because from now on the ES will be publishing the first week of the following month. So the February issue is slated to publish the first week in March. The reason for this is we were getting wacky submission times for a given month which didn't enable us to catch everything in that calendar month, and subsequently confused our readers. Yes you, you were confused. Were you aware? Well you were, so live with it.

In other news, we're well aware that Napoleon Total War is coming on the horizon, and our Empire content is sorely lacking. This is largely due to having no writers for it, but also due to the fact that it refuses to materialize out of thin air, stubborn bastard that it be. We plan to cover the release to the best of our ability next issue, but it's likely you'll see most of our Napoleon coverage in the March issue, due to the late month release. For now though, we have a special report from Belisarius, an official teaser for Napoleon Total War. Keep in mind this teaser is not CA-derived, so it isn't official in that sense, it's official from TWC.

For those of you reading, we're currently hiring writers to help supply this coverage. As of right now we're lacking anywhere from 4 to 6 writers compared to our optimum, and a couple of our writers are double and even triple dipping. If you're interested in writing for the ES, you should send a PM to Augustus Lucifer, with any credentials you may have. Details of writing for our segments will be supplied in that correspondence, but suffice it to say we would never use a Cat o' nine tails on our writers to spur them on... it's too soft.

Oh, and thank Maяcel for the new content box background, which should look more seamless on any skin since they're semi-transparent instead of black.

Table of Awesome

Click on those little boxes and they will expand, showing you the magic and wonder they hold within.

Special Report: TWC Official NTW Teaser

Belisarius takes a look at the upcoming game, Napoleon: Total War, and muses on what we should expect to see from it.

Total War Eras News

News coverage of the TW Eras events that occurred in the month of December.

This month: Xavier gets body slammed by 'real life' and is only able to cover so much, but thankfully the RS team saves us by releasing so many freaking previews.

Medieval II and Kingdoms News

News coverage of the Medieval II and Kingdoms events that occurred in the month of December.

This month: We take a look at elves, reindeer, and crazy Germans. Don't miss the Cheese Shop if you're a modder who doesn't check the workshop much, since you'll want to go check IWTE out.

The Captain's Cabin

Interviews with modders about mods... and life... but mainly mods.

This month: Userpro, Quetzalcoatl, Zhuge_Liang, and Resurrection sit in the hot seat. Warm buttocks abound.

The Lookout Post

Reviews of completed mods for all platforms.

This month: Santa Claus takes a look at Rusichi Total War. Russia won't know what hit 'em. Hint: Rhymes with vomb.

The Artist's Gallery

Coverage of the RPG Headquarters, Total War Multiplayer, PotW, TotW, AARs, and other artsy sections.

This month: The usual offerings with a bit bigger multiplayer section. And apparently people like to roleplay as hobbitses, because Third Age has its own AAR spoiler.

Special Report

The TWC Official Total War Napoleon Teaser
by Belisarius

How far we have come since the days of Shogun Total War! It does not seem long ago that “total war” was seen as just a small title aimed at a niche of strategy gamers. Indeed, any gamer of significant age has watched and played as it has ballooned into the commercial franchise it is today; setting the standards for its competitors and solidfying its position at the forefront of the strategy genre. Many developers have tried to apply the Total War formula to their games in various ways — Imperial Glory and Knights of Honor come to mind — but none have truly meshed the turn-based and real-time strategy styles as well as Creative Assembly.

In terms of “historical accuracy”, Total War manages to establish some sort of real link with the periods it is set in, and yet allows for the fluidity of open ended game play. No campaign is alike. Let's draw a comparison with the former “king” of the strategy genre, Age of Empires. I remember the moment when the title really died — Age of Empires III — in my eyes at least. Age of Empires II was epic, truly. But as a proud Maltese gamer, I was shocked to see the “Great Siege of Malta” played out with Malta being five inches long and three wide, with a little fort on it, and two trees, not three, two. This is of course the opening of Age of Empires III. Then apparently the Knights of Malta and some mad Turk went off to discover America and had many adventures. I remember thinking to myself: did they even bother to Google or Wikipedia anything they added to the game? I’m surprised an American has never come up to me and said: “Is it true you guys discovered America?” Needless to say the expansions, and whatever they released after that, never really lived up to Empires II. Empire Earth and Age of Empires both made the same mistake in my eyes: they did not move on. They applied the same formula to all their games and never took any significant risks. Total War on the other hand did. Some were triumphant innovations in the genre, others seen as mere gimmicks, and others would be described by your typical World of Warcraft player as “Epic Fail.” But at least they try, bless them.





For reference


I am not what most people think of as a “fan boy”, and view most of the criticism thrown at the Creative Assembly as constructive. Some people need a serious reality check on the limitations of today’s technology though. I mean they could make it more “human” by getting the AI to send insults via messenger, and ragequit once you gain the upper hand, or shell you endlessly with bombards and frigates. I guarantee if they ever get multiplayer campaigns working well that all you’ll see are bombards and frigates! That’s my experience of Human Intelligence anyway: spam what works, what is unfair. Oh, or we could get the AI to kick you if you have one extra Dragoon or artillery piece!


Empire Total War for one was a slight disappointment when it came to AI for me; I played it for a few weeks and then archived it. Then came 1.5 which was the Empire everyone wanted. Empire Total War 1.5 on VH/VH can chew you up and spit you out within 50 turns, brilliant! In 1.5 if you leave any part of your Empire weak and undefended, rest assured that the AI will attack it, from as far away as India if need be. If you have not played Empire since it was patched, I strongly suggest you do. It goes without saying that the economical aspect of the game on Very Hard is a little like what Obama has to deal with. That damn communist.


Anyways, a book could be written on the advantages and disadvantages of Total War AI, and I wouldn’t want to bore everyone with just another opinion in an endless debate. I will say one thing however: knowing the limitations of the AI and playing according to its rules does make for better play. Let’s face it, the AI does not have consciousness, and will never be able to counter every formation and maneuver. If it did I’d expect to see Keanu Reeves flying outside my window battling the guy who played Elrond in Lord of the Rings for the fate of the human race. Then I’d blame those whining gamers from Total War Center for pushing the expectations of artificial intelligence to such levels of evilness. I mean, do you really want a computer to be as smart as you? I didn’t think so. Basically, play by the rules. The blitz rushing tactics favored by so many gamers ensure victory, though not through skill, but rather learning an AI exploit and repeating it. Blitz and bash has always been the worst enemy of Total War AI. That and the fact the AI has always gotten suicidal when besieging anything. The rows of men standing aimlessly getting shot to pieces for hours in Rome Total War, Barbarian Invasion, and Early stage Empire were truly unforgivable. Sieges in Medieval II were a disappointment too; the huge fortresses just took more time and could essentially be taken with two cannons and a regular army. Not that these fails didn’t save my behind on occasion. The AI is what it is, it was truly a shame that Empire was evidently released unfinished, CA can’t deny this. I mean they did so well in my eyes with 1.5 that one wonders why they didn’t take some time and release vanilla with these changes. I’ve chosen to blame the money hungry element of the business that recently gave us Left for Dead 2 when we were all waiting for an expansion of Left for Dead 1. I blame Sonic the Hedgehog, and the Bush administration. However, 1.5 is very good, and though late, I cannot complain, so I’ll be a fan-boy and say well done CA. Woot.


So, what do we expect from the AI in Napoleon Total War? There will be problems, and the AI will react stupidly to certain tactics. It’s going to be released so fast after Empire, that I seriously doubt it’s going to be finished. Then the developers will patch it up to standard within a few months, probably working faster now that they have experience with Empire. Some gamers who get particularly riled might want to wait a few weeks before buying it, but most of us will take the journey with CA, buying it on release and providing them with feedback to make a challenging game. I view it as an expansion anyway.



So, as a veteran strategy gamer and long time Total War fan, am I worried about this change in direction towards story based game play? As the Churchill dog would say, Oh Yes! What is my main worry? The dimensions of the turn based strategy map. Seeing the videos, how can we truly gain an insight of the epic task of taking Moscow when the map looks essentially the same size? PC gamer mentioned that the attrition effect is one that seems to be unfinished, or not have an appreciable effect at the moment, but I’m not worried, since it’s something they can and will tweak. However, I truly expect it to take at least 20 turns to get from Paris to Moscow. There must be choices to be made. Do I cross this river? Go west? East? Where are the Russians defending the most? Do I stop? There is no way we are going to experience the true tactical task that Napoleon faced with the map being the size it appeared to be to me. If Napoleon simply spam recruited, and right clicked on Moscow, and spammed “next turn” three times, we’d all be speaking French. *shudders* Not to mention if he had stopped in three cities on the way and rested off attrition by pressing the plus icon and waiting two turns. I truly hope CA has thought of this! In any case, it’s nothing a good Modder can’t give us, provided they are given sufficient access. Oh the modding community! That’s a whole different story I’ll save for the next article!

The Diplomacy? I had given up on diplomacy until Empire. Personally speaking, I think the diplomacy system in Total War was modeled on most women I know. You try your best to make them happy and give them everything they want, but eventually they will randomly attack you, tell their friends about it, and all of them will declare war on you too. Needless to say, diplomacy has improved in Empire Total War. I didn’t know it existed in Medieval II, and in Rome the only parts I was aware of were those set. I just don’t know what to say about Diplomacy, because I’ve learned not to play with it. However Empire forced me to use it, because you need those trade agreements! Oh and when an enemy is not giving you a challenge; give them all your military technology! Blame it on those spies. “Spies? What are spies? Oh, that Zorro on the campaign map? Never bothered with them.” They only ever get sodding shot while I try and level them up. One was killed trying to assassinate a priest; that’s a fight I’d have liked to see. My guess for Napoleon is that it will have to be fixed like the Julii, Brutii, and Scipii factions in Rome; it’ll be like Empire in other elements so I’m not too fussed about it. As for agents, what are agents? They never appealed to my playing style so I’ll arrogantly ignore them. I never saw any gamer on the forums complain about the agents system, and don’t know of anyone who uses it as a main strategy. No doubt it has its uses, but if you’d like to know them, you're reading the wrong preview. Wait, I don’t want to lose readers. You can assassinate generals, sabotage buildings, spy, steal intelligence, duel gentlemen, and view terrain. If you use it, it works as long as you level up those agents. That’s something I truly always failed at; guess it makes me a noob.


Multiplayer! Yes, I have not forgiven Creative Assembly for allowing Steam to be so thoroughly integrated into the Total War franchise. I detest Steam with every fiber in my body. I preordered the best, most expensive version of Empire, and was all giddy that I’d get to play it first, and for once rub it in people’s faces. I initiated the download early but by the time the steam servers actually gave me the game, the 1.2 patch had been released. Not to mention I thought I was buying a hard copy and never got one; the picture on the steam advertisement was very deceptive. I should read the fine print more often. Oh, and I am not a technically savvy person, so for the first few weeks I could not play Empire without internet, because of steam. A funny analogy would be that “Steam” in my country is a strip club, games today seem to be flocking to use it like middle aged men or frat buddies on a stag night. So ends my compulsory rant about steam, but after what I went through it is well deserved, and apologies to CA for calling them frat buddies. In retrospec, looking at the actual multiplayer element of the game, I see what they are aiming at. Multiplayer has improved, the campaign multiplayer is a dream come true, and I have tested it myself on Empire, it works. There will be steam achievements, which are nice too. The new features shown on the official site indirectly solve the AI problem. Friends can jump in and play battles in your single player campaign. That is truly epic. This in itself is the one feature I think you should all be most excited about. Truly, if it works, it will change the genre forever.



As for graphics, one need only look at the screenshots on IGN and the official site. I’m sure CA will give their number one fan site some exclusive screens after they read this and realize how it’s not wise to annoy me. This is obviously a shameless attempt at getting the site some attention, so I’ll stop and show you some screens.

In conclusion, Napoleon will be an enjoyable game. It is predicted that the AI in general will be released with issues and they will be addressed in patches. CA has proven to be efficient and capable in 1.5, so I expect the familiar series of events to take hold. Multiplayer is the area to watch in Napoleon, and it seems as it is their main experiment in this addition, with Campaigns and the new feature of jumping into someone’s single player campaign battles. I mean it’s perfect, instead of making a matrix like AI, emphasize on multiplayer, and let them call the players idiots instead of the AI. Graphics will be good, as always, not much to report there and the main worry is in the scope of the maps. Will Napoleon beat Empire? In terms of the Multiplayer aspect and the Micro Campaigns the answer is definitely. Will it be the leap in the genre that Rome Total War was? Doubtful.

[Augustus Lucifer]

Total War Eras News (Coverage by Xavier Dragnesi & Lysimachus)

Welcome back to another month’s work of activity on the Total War: Eras front of TWC. Firstly though, before your mice hit the spoilers to see what we have to offer you, I would like to introduce my new partner in this news-bringing enterprise, the one and only Lysimachus. The past month seems rather full of previews and sneak peeks rather than actual releases. As the modding volcano rumbles, it has yet to erupt some of its brilliant creations, but there is still plenty to read, and discover more about. So prepare yourself to view some magnificent creations. Eye Openers What the modding world will have to offer us in the hopefully near future Rise of The Nations: Prelude to War - Republic of Rome From one of the greatest projects at work in the forges of the Rome: Total War modding area, comes the magnificent preview of RotN’s Republic of Rome faction. The promises of the RotN team has not failed to please and amaze as their preview is slowly unfolded before our eyes in constant updates. The Republic of Rome features an in-depth history of the Roman Republic from its founding up until the start of the Punic Wars, as well as excellently researched and detailed information about the developing Roman army. The units are beautifully presented one by one, each with additional specific data about their historical involvement and their weaponry. Units range from Roman military leaders such as the consul, to the customary Roman heavy and light infantry and cavalry, to the various allied and mercenary soldiers hired by Rome. The detail is meticulous, the artwork beautiful and stunning. Though as yet not quite finished, it is already a marvel to behold. See it in all its glory Roma Surrectum II - Previews The Roma Surrectum team has also been busy lately, churning out a series of previews for their upcoming release of Roma Surrectum II. Over the last month, three new previews have been put out, testimony to the amount of time and effort that the team is putting into the mod. Gallaeci Unit Preview - published by Brusilov, this preview features a picturesque display of the Celtiberian troops - both infantry and cavalry - of the Gaellaci tribe in in-game settings, as well as background information on their history and inspirations and sources for their skins. Pre-Marian Romans Preview - This is somewhat late in being reported, as it should more fittingly have gone in the previous issue, but the Roma Surrectum Romans are certainly something to report about despite the tardiness. Along with a small history of the Second Punic War, the Roman units are spectacularly presented, coupled with a snippet of history info with each one. What particularly caught my attention was the brilliant high-detail screenshots of units in action, which truly capture the units’ likenesses in battle. Sound of War Music Preview - Last but certainly not least, there is this music preview brought to us by apple, Roma Surrectum’s composer. There aren’t many mod teams that strive to have their very own soundtracks incorporated into their mods, which makes the stirring and fitting music all the more amazing and fresh to experience. Their inclusion in the game will surely not be missed. Ages of Darkness II - Roma Victa A different kind of preview presents itself in Roma Victa. Instead of troops and units, we see the glory of the Eternal City recreated by brilliant 3D modelling of buildings. Structures range from the Vatican Hill to well known landmarks such as the Forum Romanum and the Campus Martius, all depicted and brought to life in the game with amazing detail and accuracy. There appears to be an abundance of buildings such as houses and churches outside city walls as well, a realistic feature that was rather lacking in the original games. Shown with in-game screenshots and accompanied by historical information, the preview displays the buildings’ realism and individuality, from the giant structures themselves down to the intricately created murals on pillars and walls. See it in all its glory Well I hope you have been dazzled by that display of brilliance of what’s up and coming from the modding world. Hopefully we’ll soon be seeing some of these great displays up for download. That’s all for now though, so fare well till next time! Return to ES Main Index

Medieval II and Kingdoms News (Coverage by Augustus Lucifer & Saint Nicholas)

Well, it's that time again, time for the fourth installment of Medieval II and Kingdoms news. You know what they say, fourth time's the charm. And by they I mean me. But there's nothing charming about the content of this segment. To the contrary, all we've got is hard hitting, eyelid peeling, sock rocking news. And maybe a yoke or two. So sit back, relax, get inebriated, and enjoy! Index Spotlight On The Shelves Plug N' Play Showroom Cheese Shop Spotlight Where we tell you what's important, and you deal with it. What happens when bear riding, axe wielding orcs, meet reindeer riding, candy cane wielding elves? Awesome is what happens. And possibly the rapture. Thankfully you can't pit them against each other yet, but individually they're almost as crazy. Almost. Call of Warhammer - 1.0.31 Release Do you hear that? Wait, don't turn your head, they will notice! Be afraid, be very afraid. The Call of Warhammer has finally come! Time for humanity's greatest heroes and villains to clash once again upon the battlefields of fantasy land. The much anticipated mod for Kingdoms has descended upon the players of Total War. A good contender for mod of the year 2009, Call of Warhammer offers players the entire fantasy experience, complete with horrifying looking demons, undead skeletons and even some vampires, that's one hell of a party. Unfortunately for those English speaking peoples, CoW is designed entirely in Russian, but the hard working team have been busy working on various English translations, including the latest translation available for the 1.03.1 hotfix/patch. So get your men in line, pikes to the front and listen for the sound of that horn, will you answer the Call of Warhammer?! View & Download Here Saint Nicholas Santa Invasion II: Raider of the Toyroad You've done it now Billy. Remember those cookies you were supposed to leave on the counter for Santa last Christmas? But you ate them, didn't you. DIDN'T YOU? Well it turns out you weren't the only one. Only 1 in 10 houses left cookies out for Mr. Claus this year, and by the time he got back to the North Pole he was in baked goods withdrawal. Normally Mrs. Claus would fix that right up, but she was posing for Maxim. So you know what happens next, don't you Billy? SANTA BRINGS THE PAIN. He's launching an invasion of Europe to procure as many crunchy delectables as he can to feed his addiction, and possibly overthrow world governments in the process. Only you can stop him, or join him. Have you been naughty or nice? View & Download Here Augustus Lucifer On The Shelves Fresh off the presses! The main attraction! There's something to be said about a month which features as many high profile releases as this last one has. Something alright. I just don't know what it is. Ooga booga. Nope, that wasn't it. Carry on, my wayward sons, and see for yourselves. Thera - V3 Beta Release The team at Thera released a shiny new Xmas version on December 20th. Wait, what? Last time I checked Xmas was on the 25th. Who do they think they are, you can't just up an move a holiday. Well, you can't unless you're the team from Thera. Judging by the insanely creative realm they've devised, it's likely these folks have been under the influence of some really wonky stuff for quite some time, and probably don't know which way is up anymore. That hasn't stopped them from releasing a stellar product, but one has to wonder how they find the time in between looking at their hands. They're like, huge, man... they can touch anything but themselves... HEY WOAH! View & Download Here Augustus Lucifer Third Age - Patch 1.4 Release Delving now into the depths of Middle-Earth comes yet another patch being released for Third Age: Total War. Across the plains of Mordor and into the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord King Kong has been busily creating new challenges and units for the players, all while cackling insanely and crying "It's alive!". The fourth successive update for Third Age is jam packed with exciting new content, including the option to recruit the Balrog! TA 1.4 also makes available the recruitment of heroes such as Faramir and Aragorn for your army. Ever wanted to play as the hero from the films? Well now you can! Only in a scaled down 3d model computer version, this ain't virtual reality ya know. The map has also been significantly reworked, incorporating some geographical changes and new terrain textures making everything sparkle just that little bit more. Patch 1.4 for Third Age Total War is sure to impress, players of the mod prepare to be stunned. View & Download Here Saint Nicholas das Heilige Römische Reich - 0.8a Release You ever get tired of working at McDonald's? Figure you were meant to be royalty and the stork dropped you off at the wrong house mansion? Do you like appending titular recognition to your name, Sir Daniel of Registerthreeland? Do you like the word titular? Titular. If you answered yes to all these questions, you'll love dHRR. It has all the fun of royal plotting and intrigue, without all the snobbishness. If you didn't answer yes, play it anyways, because it's a damned inventive mod. View & Download Here Augustus Lucifer God Save the King - Beta Release Exciting news for those of you interested or currently ensconced in the many RPG games that TWC has to offer. God Save the King, arguably the most commonly known community RPG now has a beta release of the official mod available for play. Watch your characters and factions come to life as you actually play with them on the screen and move them around in a 360 degree motion! Featuring a completely detailed campaign of the British Isles and mini map that looks a bit like a patched quilt, colourful! No longer will you have to toil away at your desk, sipping stale wine, eating dark chocolate and agonising over what to write next, now you can play and live it for real! A must have mod for those of you RPG inclined, be sure to check out the game's forum and sign up, for England! View & Download Here Saint Nicholas Eras Total Conquest - v1.6 Release Eras Total Conquest is one of lesser known mods for Medieval II Kingdoms, but that doesn't mean it isn't great. Featuring a whopping 10 campaigns to choose from, a player can never argue that they aren't spoiled for choice. uanime5 continues his work with his latest offering of a patch updating your game to version 1.6. This patch adds a whole lot of nutritional goodness to your game playing meal indeed. Included are many new units from an assortment of other mods which are sure to spice up the game even more! A small list of bug fixes are also included in the 1.6 patch so you can put away your bug spray and get back to business playing. View & Download Here Saint Nicholas The Long Road - v2.4.1 Fix For those of you at home who are still playing this golden oldy for Medieval II, a new fix is available to install. Consulting his Crystal Ball, Condottiere SOG has done it again, creating the 2.4.1 fix for The Long Road. Probably the smallest fix ever invented by man, this single file makes necessary changes to your desc_strat file. You know the most important file in the entire directory, yeah don't play around with it yourself, just download this fix and everything will work our fine. Be sure to start a new game to take advantage of the changes. Like most updates this fix isn't save game compatible, so you'll need to start from scratch! View & Download Here Saint Nicholas Plug N' Play Like Mini-Me, just not as adorable. The submod boom is in full effect, as if all major mods just got back from tours of duty and made it like bunnies. In writing this segment a few months back the 'big three' appeared to be Third Age, Stainless Steel, and Deus Lo Vult. Recently the opening up of Broken Crescent and the release of Call of Warhammer have spawned even more active communities. If any more mods father a submod community, we may have to outsource our babysitting to Somalia. Independent (Coverage by Saint Nicholas) Independent mods in the plug n' play section are mods which can conceivably be applied to a large number of other mods. These mods generally change a small but almost universal section of the game, and as such are not platform specific. Some may require certain things, and if so they will be noted. Better Water Download [Version 1.0] Straight from the murky depths of davide.cool's dungeon comes this impressive little gem of a mod, Better Water. (Much Better Water coming soon in version 2.0! ). This mod is the first of it's kind in a new section here at Medieval II News.com called 'Independent' as in not part of the empire or REBEL, we all remember them don't we? Stealing the show this month are fantastic water reflections, improved textures, particles and most importantly waves! No body of water is complete without a few waves to make things interesting. If you're sick of going to the mirror in the bathroom to check how your hair looks, you're in luck. Simply download the mod and place the camera over a large river and presto! Lookin' good handsome! Seriously though, a great innovative creation, definitely worth the download. Broken Crescent (Coverage by Saint Nicholas) In order to play the following sub-mods, you will need to download and install the latest version of Broken Crescent. Download: Broken Crescent 2.0 (Or view other mirrors and mod information here) Download: Broken Crescent Patch 2.02 (Or view other mirrors and mod information here) y2day's BC Eye Candy Download [Version 2.0] Continuing his quest for a major graphical overhaul of mods, y2day is at it again with his latest eye candy offering for players of Broken Crescent. Following on from the release of the Ghorid units eye candy overhaul, Eye Candy 2.0 includes brand new unit info cards for the Kypchak chit chat Confederacy, those lucky guys. Try saying that faction name really fast and see if you get tongue tied. Anyway, players can feast their eyes on the new visuals, with a simple installation process, your eyes will be jumping out of their sockets in an attempt to get that sweet sweet candy. Hajj, Viziers, and Titles Download [Version 1] Another mod release for Broken Crescent this issue from an unknown talent in retep219. This small addition for BC adds interesting new titles and traits for your Generals. The defining feature of the mod being the changes to the way the Hajj title operates and the creation of a brand spanking new title, the Vizier; which adds some great depth to the running of your army and empire. Like Jafar out of Aladdin, the Vizier position is one that can easily corrupt an individual. Players take heed, your General may turn into an all powerful genie and be forced into exile should you promote the wrong guy. New titles can also be given for your King that manages to conquer a whole region, haven't you ever wanted to be the King of Egypt or the whole of Anatolia? New Loading Screens Download [Version 1] Yet another addition to the already formidable arsenal of Broken Crescent comes all new loading screens! Feast your eyes and your ears on close to 60 brand new and highly detailed action shots of men and beasts.. in action. These screens actually look really cool and players will want to actually freeze the game in order to keep the loading screen displayed. Players are in danger of turning catatonic, endlessly staring at their monitor and in some extreme cases, going completely blind from the screen glare. As much as the team at Broken Crescent don't want you to know this, some people actually turned instantly mad at the previewing of these loading screens. They were said to have bewildered expressions filled with wonder on their faces and constantly giggled at the slightest things. But this reporter bravely reports the news and leaves the caring of the sick really happy Broken Crescent fans up to those most qualified, nothing to see here, open and shut case. Medieval Message Windows Download [Version Dec-25] Look here! A nice sampling of 2d artistry and innovation for you and you only! Yes really, only people reading this can access this data, resistance is futile yup. Erm, anyway Alejandro Sanchez {cool name bro} has been working on a labour of love. Have you ever thought that the message popups in Medieval II were boring and uninteresting? Have you ever dreamed big but only got small? Well it's time for a change folks, yes the time has come. For you now have the privilege of all new message windows for Broken Crescent. Highly detailed and really quite beautiful, these small pictures paint a thousand words, some even painting as much as two thousand. You'll not be disappointed by this fine work, and if you are then you have no appreciation for Medieval art! A sure way to add variety and some more eye candy to your Broken Crescent experience. All Units Everywhere Download [Version 1] If the title of this sub mod confuses you then let me make it clear, this mod allows your faction to recruit ALL units EVERYWHERE on the map. There? Clear enough for ya? Still a bit shaky? Well, I'm not a doctor or a rocket scientist so I suggest you go see one of those people and they may be able to help you, probably the rocket scientist. Anyway, the last look at Broken Crescent for this issue (gee it's been a journey hasn't it) this intriguing sudmod will be sure to please. Have you ever wanted to recruit Gothic Knights from a brothel? Well you can't quite do that here but you can get damn close to it. Making all units recruitable in every which way, upside down, inside out great battles await your armies as masses of multi coloured and varied troops do war upon each other in the desert sands. WARNING: Not for those who don't like to make war on their neighbours! This is Total War baby, if you want diplomacy your playing the wrong mod! Call of Warhammer (Coverage by Saint Nicholas) In order to play the following sub-mods, you will need to download and install the latest version of Call of Warhammer, as well as the English translations. Download: Call of Warhammer 1.02 Full Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, & Part 4 Download: Call of Warhammer 1.03 Patch Download: Call of Warhammer 1.03.1 Hotfix Download: Call of Warhammer 1.03.1 English Translation (Or view other mirrors and mod information here and here(translation)) Enhanced Faction Interfaces Download [Full Launcher 1.0][Hotfix 2] A nice addition here from Cedric37 and Kahvipannu. Several brand spanking new interface screens for quite a few if not all of the factions in Call of Warhammer! Loaded with lots of colour, some nice border effects and many different kinds of shading. Using this submod will ensure you get an in depth experience when playing CoW. Each faction will feel totally unique playing with these diverse screens. Just don't get caught up in all the blue and purple! Beren's Workshop Download [for 1.03] Beren has been hard at work this month on his graphical overhaul project for Call of Warhammer. These modifications add some diversity and more colour to the chaos units of the game as well as a few other unit types. The Elves have been overhauled with new helmets and shields and other assorted bits of cool. Not to worry though, not only have the Elves been beautified, but the Slaneesh, Tzeentch, Nurgle and Khorne as well. Featuring some new skins, colours, shields and all that sort of jazz, your eyes will sure be pleased with this electrifying submod. Event Pictures Enhanced Download [for 1.03] Another visual enhancment project for you this issue, wow Call of Warhammer is getting quite an overhaul isn't it? Featuring new faction event images, borders and backgrounds for the different factions of CoW. All except the Orcs that is, for now. Different effects, backgrounds with alternating textures and shading and new event pictures that tell an even greater story of how your campaign is progressing. This submod is a must have for those wishing to make CoW look even prettier. Fantasy Battles Download [for 1.03.1] Introducing the new fantasy battles submod for everyone's favourite fantasy mod, Call of Warhammer. Appealing to the personal tastes of some, Grand Admiral Thrawn has taken it upon himself to do a little work of his own. Sharpening his knives and testing his modding hammer and anvil, did he deftly delve into the files of CoW where he turned a few screws and hammered a few nails. The end result, a brand new standalone submod that gives the players a much more arcade like experience than the original. The main changes include free upkeep for all units, so now you can recruit a million and keep them fed and watered no sweat! Firing range has been changed for all ranged units, some units can shoot further and some can only shoot as far as their foot. The submod also features other changes to unit attributes, morale and more. Download and try it out! French / Spanish / Italian Translations Download [French][Spanish][Italian] Players of the world rejoice! Call of Warhammer for Medieval II Kingdoms has now been entirely translated into three new languages! Players now have the option of playing with the French or francais version, Spanish version and finally the Italiano version of the game, as well as continuing to play with the English version. Now you can take the fight to the enemy from all corners of the globe! Deus Lo Vult (Coverage by Saint Nicholas) In order to play the following sub-mods, you will need to download and install the latest version of Deus Lo Vult. Download: Deus Lo Vult Kingdoms 6.0 Part 1 & Part 2 (Or view other mirrors and mod information here) Download: Deus Lo Vult Patch 6.2 Real Moors Project Download [Version 2.0] Looking at Deus Lo Vult now, we have the latest desert based submod for those who like the sun. The Real Moors Project attempts to accurately portray how the Moors really were in game and out. Featuring historical faction banners, flags and changes in unit colours. Also featuring completely new names for characters, faction descriptions and other textual changes. Now players will feel they are playing with the generals and kings of Moorish history as they conquer the Iberian Peninsula and Sicily. Loading Screen Multi-Packs Download [Part 1][Part 2][Part 3][Part 4] Wow, get ready to be blown away with awesomesauce. Tokus*Maximus has been busily creating 168 new loading screens for your DLV game! Broken up into different faction types/regions like North Africa and Persia, Eastern Europe and Western Asia and so on. Your eyes will be pleased with this high quality artwork, detailed paintings and excellent use of watercolour and shading techniques. A must have submod for those wishing to be entranced by loading screens time and time again. Battlefield Balance Download [Version 2.48][Update 3][/URL] Taking another look at Battlefield Balance again this month, Taiji and his team of stalwart modding entreprenuers have been constantly working around the clock on this one. Releasing a patch/update/hotfix/new blend of tea, almost every week it seems! This time around, Battlefield Balance has been taken under the microscope and prodded with assorted tools. Apparently the team found a few bugs and viruses that weren't meant to be there, so they promptly found solutions and implemented them in a string of updates. They also made a few small changes to the AI and unit lineup, so now everything is as it should be. Enjoy and look forward to the next update for this popular DLV submod. Mini-Mod Compilation Download [Version 6.2.4] Agis Tournas has been locked away in his study working hard on his repetoire of mods and mini mods and also watering his plant and feeding his fish daily. Not that any of us really care about the last two, but what we do care about is new updates and inclusions into his mimi mod compilation for DLV. Agis has added the newly created Basileía tōn Romaíōn improvement Project to his mod as well as made a few other minor alterations. Recommended download as an add on or unofficial patch for DLV. The mini mod compilation includes all the mods you ever wanted, like Battlefield Balance, Tokus Loading screens and much much more! Note: See install order in thread for details. Compilation may not always include the latest version of incorporated mods. Basileía tōn Romaíōn Improvement Project Download [Version 0.03] Another mod created by Agis this issue, he has been busy hasn't he? I suspect after this he'll want to take a long break from modding and maybe leave the desk and see the sun outside.. just once Anyway, enough distractions, introducing to you our exclusive audience, The Byzantine or Basileía tōn Romaíōn improvement Project. A submod for DLV that has managed to find its way into the previously mentioned mini mod compilation (funny that?). This submod aims to accurately represent the Eastern Romans of the time, using authentic names for generals and family members and some minor changes to some units. Somewhat similar to the CBUR for Medieval II, this mod is sure to please everyone, especially Greeks and Romans. Retrofit Mod (Coverage by Saint Nicholas) In order to play the following sub-mods, you will need to download the latest version of Retrofit Mod. Download: Retrofit Mod 1.0 (Or view other mirrors and mod information here) Ultimate Retrofit Download [Version 1.5] colesy606 continues to work on his own little improvement project for the unofficial community patch/mod Retrofit. Ultimate Retrofit 1.5 is now open for play for all the die hard fans out there. Featuring a small list of changes, most notably new units for the Welsh faction, this little gem is sure to spice up the regular version of the game. A great little modification for those who want the vanilla experience enhanced but not radically altered! This mod also comes with improved faction names. England is now identified as The Kingdom of Tea and Swordsmen and the Papacy has been renamed to God's White Italian Army. Not really, but those changes may be coming in a future patch, stay tuned! Stainless Steel (Coverage by Augustus Lucifer) In order to play the following sub-mods, you will need to download and install the latest version of Stainless Steel. Most mods are made to work with RR/RC, which acts as an extension to the general base. Please confirm in the appropriate thread or forum. Download: Stainless Steel 6.0 Part 1 & Part 2 (Or view other mirrors and mod information here) Download: Stainless Steel Patch 6.2 RC4 (includes Patch 6.1; view patch information here) (Note: Most mods, including all covered this month, require the latest version of RR/RC, which can be found here. Real Combat / Real Recruitment contains patch 6.2 RC 4, but must be installed over 6.1, which can be found here) ReallyBadAI Download [for SS 6.2rc4][for RR/RC] Germanicu5' project continues to innovate in ways that, as far as I'm aware, are brought on by divine interawesome. The basic principle remains the same: try and get the AI to a point where it can kick your ass into next week. Each subsequent version moves closer towards this goal, so the suckier you are the less inclined you should be to want this upgrade. If you're game, you really need to read through the thread, because the AI switcher has its own instructions and download I won't belabor here. Late Era 2TPY Mod Download [for RR/RC] This mod does exactly what it says on the packaging; it makes the Late Era campaign have two turns per year and adjusts some time-based gameplay elements to reflect this. In a day and age where names like State Farm -- presumably an area in the boonies where states go to die -- obscure what they're actually angling at, it's refreshing to see straightforwardness, especially because that's such an awesome word. Rozanov's Mods Download [Version 0.51] A series of mods I had originally intended to dub Confusatron, which do a variety of things, as indicated by the 'etc etc' in its tag line. Two turns per year, no castles, and addition of permanent stone forts are three of those things. Other than that you'll just have to find out; there's a surprise in every installation! Stainless Steel Ultimate Download [Version 1] This mod is an alternative to the RR/RC compilation, which jman47 purports is 'more ultimater'. I don't know about that since I haven't tried it, but I will say that it has fairly large text, and that has to count for something. Most of the changes mirror RR/RC with a few exceptions, so it's really a matter of personal preference, as to which is more ultimater. Third Age (Coverage by Augustus Lucifer) In order to play the following sub-mods, you will need to download and install the latest version of Third Age, as well as all patches. Most mods are made to work with RR/RC, which acts as an extension to the general base, but make sure to inquire if you aren't sure. Download: Third Age 1.0 Download: Third Age Patch 1.1 Download: Third Age Patch 1.2 Download: Third Age Patch 1.3 Download: Third Age Patch 1.4 Real Combat / Real Recruitment Download [Jan. 18 Version] The globular monstrosity of goodness that is RR/RC is now up to date with the latest version of Third Age. With the long list of mods incorporated into the compilation, about the only other thing RR/RC could do is wipe your arse for you, and I hear that's in the works. The Lord of the Ring Download [for 1.4] One of the more popular depth-based offerings, this mod enhances the story experience by making the One Ring a more dynamic part of gameplay. If you've been hankering to go crazy for the precious, this is your chance. Alternatively you could pursue a drug addiction, but I wouldn't recommend it. War for Gondor Download [for 1.4] Tossing wave upon wave of fodder into the meat grinder that is a TW battle is the name of the game. In this provincial campaign you play as Gondor or Mordor you have a gaggle of preset armies at your disposal and one goal: kick some ass. It's a nice change of pace, if you can survive. German / French / Spanish / Polish Translations Download [German][French][Spanish][Polish] Third Age has proven somewhat of an international sensation, and translations come in all flavors. The four listed languages have received updates for compatibility with 1.4, while the Italian translation needs to be brought up to speed. I can't wait for the Xhosa version personally. Showroom Other announcements strut their stuff. With Napoleon on the rise and GED's fantastic report from New York, there's a lot of hype to go around, both good and bad. But what about those of us still clinging on to the older games, for one reason or another? Well there's plenty here to make you lick your chops, and the promise of these mods should keep the M2 platform fresh quite a ways in the future. Paeninsula Italica - Final Preview The last stop before PIville is here, which means Roman legions in M2 are on the horizon, so get out of the car and use the bathroom because I'm not pulling over. It certainly sounds promising, the notion of a final preview, because it means that a release is coming just around the corner -- assuming they remembered to set their GPS to English. How can we be sure this is the final preview? Well, I point you to post #11. Would anyone who had things to do really take the time to model a fish? A freaking fish. Case closed. View Here Augustus Lucifer Patria Libera - Scottish Preview Feast your eyes on this my dear friends! No not what you're thinking, get your mind out of the gutter! I speak of a grand show, a parade of awesomeness, a tribute to the Scots. Surely you won't be disappointed by what the team of Patria Libera have to show you this month! A fully fledged biography of the Kingdom of Scotland, a faction preview they say but the historians and lecturers will think differently, it's almost the complete works. Comprised of lots of gorgeous pics showing some rather nice and colourful units, it just doesn't get any better than this when you want to go back in time and smother English babies with Scottish Kilts while saying "Aye!" "Haggis" "Nerr-do-well" and all that. Look! Even Scotty is impressed. View Here Saint Nicholas The Frontier - Christmas Preview Christmas is here once again folks! Yes the team at The Frontier have released their Christmas Preview, and in the teams own words: our largest preview of 2009 They are absolutely correct. The team hasn't stopped working just because it is the holiday season! Going full steam ahead, the modders have been hard at work on their impressive assortment of units, in particular the Carib tribal units. Teasing us with a collection of screens taken from campaign battles and with the previously seen units being continuously worked on, the visuals and unit design has never looked better! Sticking as close to history as possible, you'll find a range of melee troops, ranged troops and even poison equipped shooters on display. Quite an exciting time for us all surely, with this preview and many more in the pipeline for 2010, this mod continually lives up to its hype and looks to be definitely one to follow right up until that glorious day of release and play. View Here Saint Nicholas Kingdoms of the Isles - First Preview In the months after the worldwide economy went down the crapper, companies everywhere have been re-branding to change their image. Even our mod community is not exempt from this phenomenon. Kingdoms of the Scots, an old and grizzled mod about the scottish clans, now Kingdoms of the Isles, has changed their name and broadened their scope in an attempt to appeal to those blimey limeys. Well they can take our mods, but they can never take our FREEDOM! View Here Augustus Lucifer Wrath of the Norsemen - Christmas Preview Another Christmas release for your viewing pleasure this edition, we do seem to be spiralling back in time but no matter. All we have to do is eject the warp core when the wormhole reaches critical mass and we'll be able to ride the dispersion wave back to the 24th century! Ok Star Trek references aside, the team of Vikings at Wrath of the Norsemen have all come together to give us another look at their Baltic release. Featuring some lovely unit previews {oh my they look dangerous and positively savage!} and announcing the never before seen Finnish faction known as Häme, or the Tavastians. These newcomers will have their own unique unit roster we are assured, so get set for some interesting battles filled with warcries and viking carnage when this mod is released! View Here Saint Nicholas Hiridia Total War - Preview A totally new fantasy mod we have for you this issue, previewed here it will create some cheer and no you won't need a tissue. /endbadpoetry, Hiridia Total War looks set to be another major fantasy mod that is up there with the Third Age and numerous others. The preview is comprised of some really nice storyboard cross screen capture action shots combined together to great effect. Detailing some of the factions present in the game, you're sure to be intrigued by what this mod has to offer. Included in the faction list is the Vampire Kingdom! Now we all know that if a mod has vampires in it that it will be a stunning success. Fans of Twilight, Tru Blood and all those other vampire flicks will be impressed and eager to play this mod! With significant differences to real world factions and armies, this mod is sure to appeal to your imaginative side. Stay tuned for more previews of this one! View Here Saint Nicholas Tsardoms - Work Continues Take heart, my fellow players of Total War. phoenix[illusion] has assuaged our fears and assures us that work on Tsardoms will continue! Those of you who are eagerly awaiting this mod will be pleased to know that despite recent rumours of the mod being dead, the newly formed team is going back to the drawing board and starting again from the ground up. As I understand it a completely new mod-foldered version is being developed for play. The team has also made all their units available for other mods to use, isn't that nice of them? Stay tuned for more updates from the team of Tsardoms as there is sure to be more news concerning the future of this mod coming soon! View Here Saint Nicholas (In case it's not clear, you can click the thumbnails to see the larger versions of all of these images. Make sure to stop by the mod threads/forums and compliment their work if you like it. Mods are listed alphabetically for ease of navigation.) 1648 - Der dreissigjährige Krieg Basileia: Total War Battle of Xiangfan Claimants, Heirs, and Conquerors Dominion of the Sword Princes, Kings, and Heroes The Great Conflicts The Imperial Conflict 1405 The Lion Rampant Warcraft: Total War Preview: De Bello Mundi The guys over at De Bello Mundi have released a massive look at units in their mod. Due to the nature of the preview it was difficult to include it, but I recommend you go check it out. Cheese Shop Sorry sir, we're fresh out of cheese... I'd say something witty here, really I would, but I don't want to keep you from reading and viewing the first news item any longer. Integrated World Terrain Editor (IWTE) The culmination of over a year of discussion and discovery is finally here. While it's not quite time to say that the .world files and their cohorts are conquered, they've certainly been beaten handily in many a skirmish. With the help of the research and tools by KnightErrant and Argantonio, wilddog and makanyane have fashioned a more substantial tool for the editing of battle map settlements. There's really not much else to say besides Bravo! View Here Augustus Lucifer AI Expansion Tutorial While making the AI competent is like trying to push a square-wheeled cart through a 40 km patch of tar, there's still plenty that can be done to make up for it. The realm of AI research is in plenty need of a real authoritative guidebook, since there's about as many approaches as there are decent AIs. While this tutorial, if it can really be called a tutorial, is not that guidebook, it is an extremely detailed research compilation that explains many intricacies of the AI files. I recommend anyone who has to get within 10 ft. of the AI files reads this thread, because it may teach you something, or a lot of somethings, you didn't know. View Here Augustus Lucifer druvatar's Tutorials The event happy druvatar has been a busy little beaver in the tutorials section. He may not be the most prolific of modders, but his work ethic is something that all aspiring modders could learn from. He provides some startup tips, touches on problems to avoid, explains some TW modding terminology, and walks through some adding procedures with the GeoMod tool. As the common naming suggests, these are tutorials aimed at novices. See in-text links Augustus Lucifer Tutorial: Battle Model Comments Modelers or prospective modelers should give this tutorial a gander. It would have received a larger snippet if it wasn't so over my head! Tutorial: Garrison Script The tried and tested system for AI defensive competence, the garrison script, has been achieved in a multitude of ways but not explicitly documented. This tutorials presents one possibility and will be useful to those who struggle with dissecting scripts on their own. Tool Update: EDU-matic 1.3.1 The uber unit balancing tool has received a substantial update. Check it out and try it with your mod, and make sure to give Aradan feedback. See here for the 1.3 changelog. Are you a modder and disappointed that your preview, release, or important announcement wasn't covered in this months wrap up? If so, make sure to send a PM to Augustus Lucifer whenever you have significant news to bring attention to it, and it will almost surely be covered in the subsequent issue. Are you a reader and were offended by material in this article? Then you should know that a large portion of this article takes the form of satire, and as such is not to be taken with the utmost seriousness. As they say in the business: Gloop Glop Gleep Glorp! Or something like that. That's all for this installment. Until next time, stay inebriated! Disclaimer: The author(s) of this article assume no responsibility for unlawful underage drinking or any adverse actions that may happen as a result of it, such as enjoying this article. Return to ES Main Index

[Augustus Lucifer]

The Captain's Cabin (Coverage by Major Darling, Captain C, Lysimachus, & ToonTotalWar)

Hello Chaps, welcome once again to the Captain's Cabin section of the Eagle Standard. For those of you who haven't read the ES before, this is the Interview Section, where interviews with mod leaders are conducted by our most lovely staff. This issue I would like to welcome a new Intern into our midst, Lysimachus, who shall be writing his first piece of content for TWC. I would also like to thank all the members of the Cabin, and Augustus Lucifer for stepping into the breach of being Editor. This issue ToonTotalWar, Captain C, and I will all be presenting interviews. Well that's all from me till after the interviews; safe reading! Index Redeo Ad Exorium Interview with Userpro - Captain C Sparta Total War Interview with Quetzacoatl - ToonTotalWar Aristeia Interview with Zhuge Liang - Major Darling Dominion of the Sword Interview with Resurrection - Lysimachus Last Word - Major Darling Redeo Ad Exordium Interview Captain Crunch meets a real pro at Modding Hello again everyone, this is Captain C with another mod leader interview. Redeo Ad Exordium is a mod that most of you probably haven't heard of, but looks to be one the most innovative and ambitious mods in development. The mod advertises new factions, randomized garrison strengths, somewhat randomized starting regions, improved AI and pathfinding, world wonders, and much more. Userpro, the RAE mod team leader, agreed to sit down and be interviewed about the mod. Click to view content:  Personal Questions Tell us a little bit about yourself. Born as a half-Italian in Germany, at a time when the Vietnam War was raging. I lived for many years outside of Germany, but came back "home" some years ago. Grew up with one of the first computers: Commodore 16, and later 64. I wrote my first mod with the BASIC computer-language on the same PC. Also made my first assembler programming on this first, worth mentioning, silicium chipset. Why and how did you get into modding and how long have you been doing it? I've been modding now for 1-odd year with M2TW. After being a team member of KGCM and helping Dave Scarface out a bit with his great mod, I found out that modding is so easy (meant ironically). I have my own special ideas, to create a mod with all Kingdoms and original M2TW components united, plus some unique features of our own, in a combination that I've not found in other M2TW mods. What is your area of modding expertise? I am really sorry for sounding arrogant, but honestly it is much simpler for me. To change your question into "What is not your area of modding expertise?" - because my only NON-expertise modding area so far is the creation and modifications of 3D-models. What do you like/dislike most about modding? Dislike: This damn error sound after testing my modding changes. Like: Finally seeing the changes I've made in a running game. Your favorite/worst modding moment so far? My worst moment in modding so far was the moment when RAE was still a submod of KGCM and at a certain point I realized during the mapping work, that the M2TW AI was not doing well, mainly due to mapping issues. Sad moment but true, I was near resignation after this, until I decided to make all my mod work from scratch. I began with the creation of a whole new map, and so, my worst moment turned into one of my favorite moments, because RAE was reborn as an independent mod. The founding of the RAE developer team, and the following assignment of our own hosted mod forum here on TWC, was a really unforgettable favorite moment, too. What are the most important qualities in a mod for you? Perfectionist functionality, simplicity, but much more important is that certain indefinable "icing on the cake", which gives a mod its own special characteristic. Apart from this one, what other projects you've been involved with? None! Because I want to concentrate all my energies only on one project. Mod Questions How would you sum up this mod in a couple of sentences? I'll use our forum intro text to answer shortly: "31 (28 playable) original MTW2 & Kingdoms factions battle on a new ai-pathfinding-friendly epic mid-map. The unique campaign random generator makes sure that no game will ever be the same. Anyhow it offers the best mix of a pre Vanilla (1079) and Kingdoms feeling in the most complete Grand Campaign style ever, plus unique features like fully implemented World Wonders. Functionality and keeping MTW2 atmosphere is our priority." What are the mod's key features and goals? The perfect and carefully tailored integration of as many components as possible, from all the Kingdoms campaigns, and from the M2TW original campaign, in one new great mod. The fully functional and visible integration, and also the enhancement of the world wonder concept of Rome TW, in a new designed AI-friendly balanced medium-campaign-map. Also some new ideas, like an unique and hopefully well balanced random-generator for some important initial-campaign-key-values, like the initial region-religion-level, that depends also from the random-generated garrison strength,of all rebel-settlements; the kings-purse values; faction-relationships, and war and alliances of all RAE factions. How much has the mod progressed so far roughly? The internal release, of the most-advanced and fully functional beta version, is about 97% done in the final balancing and bug-finding work. I would guess that the overall progress of the final and official RAE release version, in terms of remaining work -- not the remaining time -- is about 85%. What about any unexpected/major breakthroughs/problems? There's a major breakthrough every time we are able to somehow beat the modding limits and known modding boundaries. Team Questions Who is working with you on the mod-team and what are their roles? I'm proud to present to you my team, which has always given full loyalty to RAE, and which has been nearly unchanged since this mod was born. Without each one of these great guys, I’m sure that RAE would never arrive at its current state. Team Members MasterMint: 3D modeling, Overall Consultant, Coding, Beta-testing. You should really take a look at his fantastic Stonehenge model! Evil_Dane: Beta-testing. Sadly retired because of lack of time, but always a good friend and a historic former member. Hxr030771: Unit Specialist, Overall/Historical Consultant, Beta-testing, Co-moderator TWZ(Germany). If this guy tells me that I'm wrong, then you can be sure that I'm wrong. Sashone: Text, Homepage, Art-work, Translation, Co-moderator TWC. This guy is my important counterpart for balancing purposes, because of my sometimes impulsive character. weissnicht: Skinning, Coding, Co-moderator TWZ (Germany). Maybe 3D modeling in the near future - hopefully! MiiKLL (auxiliary): XAI-specialist, Beta-testing, translations. He knows that he's much more than an auxiliary, but this title makes him feel better. Not to mention that he is also a historic former member. Dave Scarface (voluntary): special guest star & voluntary beta-tester. My Father in forum patronization terms What is your role in this mod and what are the difficulties of the job? My job as the mod-creator and mod-leader is mainly the active modding. The difficulties are somehow to bear the role of the graceless leader, which leads me to sometimes be the cruel 'bad guy' of our RAE team. Future Questions Can you give us a very rough estimation of a release date? (ie X quarter of Y year) 1st quarter of 2010 Do you have any plans at the moment for after the mod is released? Beside finally playing our Mod in many "hot" hotseat-multiplayer games with the team, only the maintenance and enhancement of RAE and our forum. Besides that, we still have some good ideas in the back of our heads, for the integration of some other special features and maybe some sub-mods for RAE ... at least until "RTW 2" comes out ;-) Closing Any Last Words? I hope some readers will have fun playing RAE when it is finished. I am sure they will. I would like to thank Userpro for agreeing to be interviewed and all of you for reading my article. Keep a lookout for the Redeo Ad Exordium mod, it's definately one to watch out for. Sparta Total War Interview Resist Cliche Phrase.... Resi- "This is Sparta!!" Hi all, this month in the Captain’s Cabin we have the superb Sparta: Total War from Quetzalcoatl and his team. Quetzalcoatl and team have certainly brought us a mod that has it all, including all the leading factions such as Sparta, Persia, and Rome; plus a large map, with as historically accurate as possible starting regions. Prepare to fight if you choose one of the Greek cities. You'll have many challenges, including the Persian expansion into Greece, the conquest of Philip and Alexander of Macedonia, and eventually the rise of the mighty Roman Empire. Or if you choose, you can lead one of these nations and conquer whichever way you desire. I had the opportunity to interview Quetzalcoatl and this is what he had to say! Click to view content:  >Personal Questions >Tell us a little bit about yourself. Married, 3 kids, small business in the construction industry, specialist restorations mainly -- or at least did have prior to the recession, though its not as bad as I thought it would be. Formerly a Mohican punk in my youth, I have grown up into something of a hairy biker type hippy; could tell some tales around the campfire. I don’t ride a bike though, I drive a 4X4 or I would be dead by now lols. >Why and how did you get into modding and how long have you been doing it? I've modded the TW series since MTW; mainly just basic coding to get units I wanted. I started skinning around three years ago, but over the last year I have got better due to learning the cloning technique. This is where one literally copies parts of photos onto the skin, producing a realistic effect. >What is your area of modding expertise? 2D art and limited coding. >What do you like/dislike most about modding? Those days when everything goes wrong -- bit like life really. >Your favourite/worst modding moment so far? I had to rebuild both my mods twice after getting errors I couldn’t resolve *gasps*. Losing 100 files after having to format my machine. One of those days when I thought ‘I better backup’ but didn’t, followed by the inevitable ‘oh dear, I am a tad upset now’ moment. >What are the most important qualities in a mod for you? Quality over quantity. Unique experience. >Apart from this one, what other projects you've been involved with? Apart from Sparta, I am currently making a new version of Mythology TW, based graphically on the new 'Clash of the Titans' movie. I am also making skins and 2D graphics for the RTR team, and will be working with them and the RS team in the future; probably other teams too. >Mod Questions >How would you sum up this mod in a couple of sentences? Graphical brilliance, of course; equal to, if not better than anything else out there, I believe. And manic AI -- we gave the AI lots of money. >What are the mod's key features and goals? To continue to improve the graphics of all units, and hopefully attract a reasonably skilled coder to improve general gameplay. >How much has the mod progressed so far roughly? Well 4 versions of Sparta and 2 of Myth TW; version 1 of Sparta was just a few units added to vanilla; 2 was a recolour of most units; 3 and 4 are full mods -- 4 is version 3.5. >What about any unexpected/major breakthroughs/problems? Major breakthroughs are mainly graphical. Recently I have scaled Sparta 3.5 units to 1.1 -- around 8% bigger -- and Myth TW to 1.2 -- around 14% bigger. Version 1.2 is the best so far, as it allows most of the detail of the 1024 -- 4X -- sized skins to show. Generally the units look a bit more like M2TW. >Team Questions >How many people are on the team? Not sure. Around 20 I think. We only ever see around 7 of them. >How does mod organisation roughly works? I do pretty much everything except modeling, which blade runner and solo1906 do, mapping which Mr.Blackadder does, and some coding that some of the rest of the team do. Basically, I make all skins and graphics and put them in game, along with the models made for me and borrowed from other teams(70%). >What is your role in this mod and what are the difficulties of the job? I put the whole thing together; which would be a breeze if it was just graphics, and if the game wasn’t buggy, and some critical stuff hardcoded. >Are there any team members you think do a great job but keep below the radar? Solo1906 makes great models but rarely posts, so the public don’t see much of him. >Are there any people you met working on the mod that you're going to keep in touch with even after it's done? Sure, all of them. Although I probably won't ever stop modding. I am hoping Rome 2 will be out within a year or so, and then I will mod that if possible. >Future Questions >Can you give us a very rough estimation of a release date? (ie X quarter of Y year) Sparta 3.5 is released; version 4 will be after we make Myth TW, which will hopefully be done for Xmas 2010. >Do you have any plans at the moment for after the mod is released? Make more mods; continue to help RTR and RS teams with future endeavours -- can't say what though. >Are you planning to mod any other TW Games, [insert game names here] Maybe M2TW -- although I hate it -- probably with an existing team. Rome 2 when it comes out. >Closing >Any last Words I would just like to thank all the teams and individuals that have helped out. I hope to see even more collaboration between teams. It just seams silly that so much duplicate work is done and mods take 5 years to get released. To CA: Make Rome 2 moddable! Not like ETW; that’s just horrible. I personally use this mod and highly recommend it to anyone as a must have for Rome Total War!!! So keep checking back on this wonderful mod here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=767 and again well done to Quetzalcoatl and his team. Aristeia Interview The Names Macedon, Alex of Macedon Alright, I would like to start by thanking Zhuge_Liang for his great interview and I wish him all the best. Aristeia, if you know Greek, is based upon Alexander. It is a ground-breaking mod, and surpasses many limitations that other mods have faced by leaps and bounds. The mod leader himself is a good sport, and allowed me to interview him. So here for your enjoyment is our interview. Click to view content:  Personal Questions Tell us a little bit about yourself. I'm a cynical manchild who is trying his best to enjoy life. Why and how did you get into modding and how long have you been doing it? I loved RTW from the moment it was released; the 3d move was epic in my opinion, and love for the game blinded me to the flaws. After playing it to death, I got bored of the units and longed for a bit of variety. When CA released that hideous half naked spartan, I discovered the TWC and the wealth of modding going on here. I soon learned how to make my own textures and models, and enjoyed the total freedom of being able to make whoever or whatever I wanted for the game. I did a little bit of work for EB in the early days but found it restrictive and slow to produce units for them, so then I joined TTW in early 2005. What is your area of modding expertise? I started out just making reskins and then models, but now I have dabbled in almost everything and learned programming. I have worked on maps, scripts, code (oodles and oodles of code), atmosphere, environmental textures, unit balancing, descr_strat. Pretty much everything at one stage or another. What do you like/dislike most about modding? I like the freedom to make the game how you like it -- this extends the life until the engine is obsolete -- but dislike how difficult this can be compared to what the CA developers would have done for the same results. Your favourite/worst modding moment so far? I love it when something you aren't sure of actually works, like immobilizing siege towers, or adding one man units. I don't like it when you later discover this has already been done. I also don't like the competitive nature that sometimes exists between mods, and would prefer everybody worked for the better of the community. What are the most important qualities in a mod for you? Nice units, new features, great balancing, lore... in that order. If units are hideous what's the point? Shallow I know but hey I'm a man. Apart from this one, what other projects you've been involved with? Troy Total War & Arthurian Total War - not that I'm purely into mythical mods but somehow ended up there. Mod Questions How would you sum up this mod in a couple of sentences? Name = Aristeia Platform = RTW-Alex Forums = HERE Aristeia is a vision of the Trojan War era and is based on the famous story from the epic cycle, from which the Iliad has secured its place among the most important works in western literature. Aristeia attempts to be an enjoyable stylised representation of the Trojan War, faithful to its depiction in archaic literature and early classical pottery. What are the mod's key features and goals? There are a lot of mods which are just re-skins, and many of these are great, but with Aristeia I wanted to realise what we failed to do with TTW. With Troy we were trying to appeal to everybody by being accurate to the bronze age, including units inspired by the movie and mythical units. Aristeia is very different and stylised, in that it has a unique feel and atmosphere focusing on the characters -- unique characters available for multiple generals thanks to Alexander expansion -- and themes of the Iliad, which are a little darker than the typical mod, and which hopefully will be apparent in the original score which is being composed for it too. This is also extended into the balancing which has one man units for the heroes of the trojan era, and armies which will be very evenly matched. There are descriptions for everything with masses of detail provided by Zenith, which is becoming his trademark. Perhaps we could even inspire people to learn more about the epics and pick up a copy of the Iliad, Odyssey, or even Aeneid. There is much to be learned from them - even an ancient take on the meaning of life itself... alas, most people will probably just gawk at the half naked Amazon unit. How much has the mod progressed so far roughly? The mod is actually very close to completion and should be released in a few weeks. I have set a date of the 12th of Feb. Really just the 2D artwork has fallen behind. Everything else is being worked on now and close to being finished. What about any unexpected/major breakthroughs/problems? No major problems other than the constant little things which always crop up in mods. One major breakthrough was the original new base model, which is more comparable to an ETW unit than a RTW unit. I have tried to really push the limits with the units while keeping the mod playable. We also have the one man units and palisades instead of siege towers or ladders, but they aren't exactly breakthroughs(I don't think). Team Questions How many people are on the team? About 6-7 people have done bits and pieces. I have done most of the inners of the project myself but a lot of people have contributed. There is a full team list on our forums. How does mod organisation roughly works? We work when we can, not too hard so that we can have fun in the process. What is your role in this mod and what are the difficulties of the job? I guess I am joint mod leader with Zenith, but really it was the two of us who came up with the concept, which we discussed at length about a year or more ago, and that is close to exactly how the mod is turning out, which is rewarding. The difficulties are a lack of people to help out, but that is the same for most mod teams. Are there any team-members you think does a great job but keep below the radar? Nero did a great map, Zenith has written some fantastic and detailed descriptions, but really because we have such a small team everybody's work will be apparent, and it is hard to slip under the radar. Are there any people you met working on the mod that you're going to keep in touch with even after it's done? I met Zenith way back when working on TTW, and hopefully we'll stay in touch after Aristeia(though he's a busy guy now after moving to Canada). Future Questions Can you give us a very rough estimation of a release date? (ie X quarter of Y year) 12/Feb/2010 - any later and ROFL Copter may commit suicide. Do you have any plans at the moment for after the mod is released? I'm going to work on some evolutionary computer programs and take a break from modding for a while. Are you planning to mod any other TW Games, [insert game names here] I would love to mod Napoleon, but that ain't gonna happen, because it ain't gonna be possible. I don't know what I'll do next on the modding scene. Closing Any Last Words? I hope that people who are tired of the regular mods and Empire will check us out in the gap leading to the release of Napoleon and after. Also with the lack of unit model modding on the Empire engine perhaps people will enjoy going back to RTW to see what the old girl can still offer... if coaxed. I'd again like to thank Zhuge and his team for the interview. If you guys are actually serious about RTW mods and wish to expand your collection, Aristeia is definitely the only option. Are you Man enough? Domion of the Sword Interview Lysimachus is saved from death by Resurrection Hello to all of you, this is Lysimachus writing on behalf of the content staff. Today, I will enlighten you about a large modification in the works called Dominion of the Sword. It is an extensive modification for Medieval 2: Total War Kingdoms that is comprised of many smaller mods, along with a lot of work done by the actual team. Said modification attempts to stretch the game engine to the limits by overhauling everything completely. It adds realism, historical accuracy, and provides a darker medieval atmosphere, to hopefully increase immersion. To enlighten you all more about the mod, one of their members, Resurrection, has been interviewed, and the interview should clear up points you are unsure of, bring up points you weren't aware of, and show you the features of Dominion of the Sword. Click to view content:  Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am from Prague, Czech Republic (EU), and I am 22 years old as of 2009. In 2009 I got married and also got an undergraduate title at Charles University in Prague, in International Area Studies, where I am now continuing the Masters Program, European Studies. My life passion is history, and beside that I enjoy PC games, P&P RPGs, playing piano, reading, and my wife :-) Why and how did you get into modding and how long have you been doing it? I love history and the Middle Ages in particular. Years ago I discovered Medieval: Total War and it was like a revelation for me, especially because of mods. When Medieval II Total War was released it was a must for me, and I consider it the game with the biggest modding potential to date. Initially I was not involved in any modding beside some well received reviews, suggestions and comments regarding the early mods. I best remember Stainless Steel where I was quite active in its beginnings at official forums and then when it got hosted at TWC. Later I was somewhat dissatisfied with the mods and the game itself, so I contemplated where to offer some help. Early 2008 I did some of my first modding, which was for a tiny submod for Stainless Steel 6, and an unfinished project called Active Rebels Project (ARP). Soon after that though I spotted Dominion of the Sword ,and it captured my soul immediately; the main reason I have offered myself to the project was that it was featuring a Bohemia faction. I became a researcher for the Bohemia faction and have been a “full time” modder since May 2008. What is your area of modding expertise? Initially I had only very basic experience with modding -- everyone was starting at one point or another -- and initially I wanted to stay as just a researcher. Then I realized that the thing I hate most about most mods is the map. I simply didn’t know the map I would like, so I have boldly decided to make one myself, the way I think it should be done. Of course what may have looked like something relatively simple turned out to be very demanding and difficult, but I haven’t given up and thus mapping became my modding expertise. I have also dabbled a bit into AI coding, and txt editing, but only very roughly; so I know how most things work but I am no expert. What do you like/dislike most about modding? I dislike not knowing how to do something. It is often hard to find the correct answer and the frustration created by the obstacle is by far the worst motivation killer for me. On the other hand I like making things the way I want them. The feeling when you finally finish what you wanted is awesome and it is worth it every time. Your favourite/worst modding moment so far? My favorite moment is when I achieve something I have been striving for for a long time. For instance, when we were trying to devise the best way of implementing PSFs on the map, or when I have successfully generated the map files, not only heights, from satellite data -- meaning they are 100% accurate in projection of my choice -- etc. The worst moments were always when something turns up as impossible. It happened quite a lot when we were starting to develop the mod, because many things we accounted for turned up to be more restrictive or problematic. For instance, faction transitions, which apparently takes up another slot when conducted as in the Kingdoms’ campaigns. And then times when people leave the mod, because it has led to several crises in the past when it seemed the mod will simply end. Fortunately it did not! What are the most important qualities in a mod for you? Historical accuracy and gameplay experience. I cannot really say which one is more important, but I tend to favour history. On the other hand what we are trying to achieve with DotS is the best gameplay experience so far. M2TW is a great game and with mods it is superb, but its gameplay is somewhat similar all the time. It often prevents the game from being finished because the basic scheme is all the same: take the rebels –> build up an empire –> conquer the world. Things like managing a large empire are very tedious and monotonous. Then the feeling of there being no challenge comes which takes away that last bit of motivation to continue. Different mods achieved different rates in which this happen, but it happens every time and in every mod. We make DotS to change that. Apart from this one, what other projects you've been involved with? As an active modder I have been involved in no other mod. As simple as that. DotS is the only “mod fatale” for me. Mod Questions How would you sum up this mod in a couple of sentences? Dominion of the Sword is the supermod featuring the highest possible degree of historical accuracy and unique gameplay, which will significantly change the way Medieval II Total War Kingdoms is played. It will bring immersion to the medieval atmosphere with authentic music, and new and exciting challenges for the player, along with the great visual experience in both 2D and 3D art. What are the mod's key features and goals? As mentioned in previous responses, the main and foremost goal is as high a degree as possible of historical accuracy. This is still a game though, and it has its very tight limitations, but we have done the best we can to analyze it and decide the best ways to spend the slots for factions, units etc. It took us more than two years, and countless heated debates over every single bit! Some things might be strange at first, but they fit the big picture the best. Nevertheless, we are always open for discussion on minor things, and sometimes the change can happen, like settlement switch or similar. Nothing major though. The second most important thing is the gameplay. Often it contradicts the history -- for instance number of PSFs in Flanders and Lower Countries will be a lot lower than number of important cities there during medieval times -- but history must in most cases step down, because we want the mod also to be playable. It does not happen often though. And the features. This will be longer: Transitions: In 31 factions limit we have been able to include dozens more through a unique system of transitions. It simply means that each faction has up to three historical options of how to evolve. For instance Bohemia starts as a Principality. When it meets certain conditions it may become a Kingdom, and then nearing the end of the timeframe the player will have to deal with the Hussite revolution, either by adopting Hussitism or by fighting the revolution. Each transition will trigger new banners, new traits and ancilliaries, new tech-tree options, new units and recruitment options, etc. Government types: This one is arguably our most important feature. It is meant as a solution to the gameplay problems -- tediousness, little challenge -- mentioned above. We will introduce three forms of government over the province: homeland, autonomy and colony. Each will provide a different set of options for building and recruitment and also for happiness. You won’t be able to turn colonies into homeland immediately. And even if you do, you may face serious consequences in terms of uprisings and rebellions. You may as well stay the same size faction for the whole game, because your quick built empire falls just as quickly. Or because your goals are different than expanding, like becoming full right kingdom, or creating trading empire etc. Creating an empire by sheer force won’t be easy and won’t be very rewarding anyway. Civil war: Another unique feature aimed at making the campaign more fun and challenging all the time. This will be particularly dangerous for empires. If you ever have a weak ruler the civil war may start. You will lose settlements to it and you will have to fight the rebels to get it back or to at least survive. This feature is tied to Active Rebels Project, which will ensure rebels won’t be passive. Claimed lands: The [revious feature is closely tied to the “claimed lands” feature, which will ensure other factions won’t take your lands completely without risk during the rebellion, but was originally meant as the way to represent even looser affiliation of the faction and the given regions than a colony; i.e. HRE and Burgundy, where Burgundy will be rebels, but only HRE will be able to take it. If another faction tries to take “claimed land”, it will get in war with the faction claiming it, and may also get excommunicated. Points of conflict and strategy map: In order to represent places beyond 199 regions limit and in order to bring conflict to otherwise empty areas, we are introducing hundreds of PSFs -- Permanent Stone Forts seen in Britannia campaign -- all over the map, mainly on important river crossings, mountain passes, etc. These PSFs can be named so you will know what place that is, and will produce income for the owner via titles and traits. It will also decrease income of the region if the owner of the PSF(s) and the owner of the region differ. One of most irritating things about the M2TW map was its emptiness for me. Europe was incredibly crowded in the past; wars happened over extremely small regions, and to move in it with an army was infinitely more complicated then moving an army over more or less empty land. That’s where the map comes in. And the most stress is put into the word “strategy”. It won’t be a simple matter anymore conquering HRE by taking 5 cities. You will need to take those 30 PSFs as well because they often will be in your way. And more than that as they as well can be subject to claims and provide/decrease income so you will either fight for uniting your land, or for some border places, rather than conquering empires in a couple of turns. I am also trying to create the map as historically accurately as possible. Including historical forests, many more rivers -- a lot less crossings over them -- historically used passes and routes, etc. My policy is to use the fewest arbitrary choices as possible. These are just few we consider core features. How much has the mod progressed so far roughly? We have several dozen new units and aim for 4-5 new units at the very least for the first release per faction. In other areas, the campaign script is more or less finished in respect of things which can be done without extensive testing. Traits/Ancilliaries and tech-tree are progressing very well. The main thing everyone is waiting for is the map, which is my duty. The map is one of the key projects now, and it has progressed very well too. The real work, compiling the mod, has started in Summer 2009 and the progress since then is very promising! What about any unexpected/major breakthroughs/problems? I cannot really speak for other departments, especially for Azim and his scripting. But by looking over above mentioned features I think we have achieved quite a lot! For me however the biggest achievement is the unique way of making the map. I have decided to simply generate it from the available data and leave the hand work for fine-tuning and finishing, instead of painting everything by hand. The main benefit should be absolute accuracy and the best possible starting point for fine-tuning the details. Now we are creating ground type external generator which will combine map_heights with satellite vegetation data and assign appropriate (chosen) ground types to the new generated file. I am keeping records of each step in this process and plan to share them with the community when the map is done. It is very exciting work and the results are simply awesome. As for the major and unexpected problems, they were numerous. Ranging from unsuccessful attempts at massive use of navigable rivers, to discovering the limits are a lot tighter than we expected -- especially regarding transitions. But the main problem always was and largely is motivation and people flow. Hross could tell you how running a mod can sometimes be a thankless job However, we have all learned invaluable lessons over the development of DotS in many areas, not only in modding. We are also compiling the wiki, and the plan is to share everything with the community once the work is done. Team Questions How many people are on the team? By now roughly 15 to 20. It is hard to judge however, because many might be inactive for a month and then pop up again. From others we may never hear again. Literally hundreds of people were involved over the years, and new people come and leave all the time. How does mod organisation roughly works? Originally the mod was led by several Admins. But all of them abandoned the project and only one of them remained – Hross. Then he assumed the leading role and became the Director. He has tried to step down from the position many times, but we have always convinced him to stay and lead us on. New Admins were raised in place of others -- me among them -- and we are leading the project, making decisions etc. During 2009 we decided that the planning phase is over and started the actual modding and compiling the mod, for which we have moved to the new forums and established the SVN repository. At the new forums there are several departments -- Scripting, Mapping, Media... -- and each of them has a Head of the department, who are the Admins. Heads of departments are responsible for that area, and they issue tasks, decide things etc. There are also many regular members, usually researchers, who gather info, fill the wiki, and provide invaluable support in making the mod. All work is then compiled into SVN and documented in the wiki. What is your role in this mod and what are the difficulties of the job? My role is three-way. I am the Senior Admin and I am one of those who decide how the mod will be. Then I am the mapper responsible for creating the new unique strategic map. And I also remain the researcher for the Bohemia faction. As for the difficulties I would say that the main difficulty is motivation. It is often hard to stay motivated and dedicated to the mod when people leave or don’t stand up to their promises. But the fun involved and the vision of the final product are more than worth the hardships. Are there any team-members you think does a great job but keep below the radar? To name the few: Azim: Incredible scripter. His coding skills are phenomenal and without him the mod would be hardly where it is now -- well on the way to first beta. Able to map, established the SVN, is making an awesome and efficient campaign_script, and more. He is one of the biggest assets to the mod so far. Currently he is making the external ground type generator among other things. Unanime5: Tech-tree magician. Another long time member who delivers some of the finest work! SpaceEd: The Researcher. He is by far the best researcher I have ever seen. Even if I ask for rather hard things to find, he is very capable of giving me what I want. I wonder where the limits of his skills in this area lie. Sumskilz, pacco and dome: The unit making trio, whose units are extraordinary. And many others who help bring DotS closer and closer to completion! Are there any people you met working on the mod that you're going to keep in touch with even after it's done? I would like to stay in touch with Hross and Subutai. I dare to say we have become friends over the time spent on DotS, and they are great people. Future Questions Can you give us a very rough estimation of a release date? (ie X quarter of Y year) It is hard to judge. We have already set up some dates for BETA and did not stand to them. But we have also progressed nicely. My personal estimation is half to one year. I very much wish it to be 2010, and we will put in the full effort in order to achieve our goal. It all depends on whether or not we encounter more difficulties, staff crises, etc, or if some of the key members are forced to leave by real life issues, which has happened before. But I am pretty confident on this one now. Definitely during 2010; it may well be in a few months should things work out exceptionally well. We’ll see, keep your eyes on DotS, as the supermod is coming! Do you have any plans at the moment for after the mod is released? Certainly supporting it for a while, and most likely working on a new version which will bring everything we have given lesser priority for the first release. I believe that if the response of the community is positive, all team members will be very motivated in further work on the mod. There is few better things boosting motivation than being acknowledged for your work. Are you planning to mod any other TW Games? We had briefly considered porting to ETW, but that turned out to be a modding fiasco. It is almost the direct opposite of the promises -- “Most moddable TW title” -- that accompanied its development. I don’t expect NTW to shuffle things up significantly, so a possible candidate will be the next generation of TW games. Plus the current generation is set -- and engine is built so -- for a much later period than is the period of our, and my, interest – Middle Ages. I personally would like to mod Medieval III if that ever comes out though. I would say Shogun and Rome sequels are more likely. In any case if the way of things CA introduced with ETW will be a TW standard from now on, I very much fear for the modding future of TW games altogether. Simply by comparing the number of projects for M2TW to ETW, is a clear enough signal for me – hopefully for CA too… Closing Any Last Words? Stay tuned, as DotS is inevitably coming your way. It has been many long years since its announcement, but now the mod is becoming real, and we all hope it will have great impact on both modding and playing M2TW! The waiting will definitely be worth it. I would also like to give thanks here to all of our long time fans for their constant support, which keeps us motivated so we can finish the mod. It is evident that a lot of effort is being put in to Dominion of the Sword, which is a colossal effort that, once finished, will truly be something to behold. Who knows, it might rival Stainless Steel as one of the main modifications for Medieval 2: Total War. All I can say is that after reading that, it should leave you in awe of what they are attempting to do and hopefully showed you some things you probably thought were impossible actually are possible. For all you history buffs, this will ease your frustrations about the game being grossly inaccurate, and at the same time it will be appetizing to the average player, for the entertainment factor will be increased along with it. Well I'll have to conclude it here, hope I haven't whetted your appetites too much! Last Word It was a very sharp Mango Slice, wasn't it sir? Now last issue was good by our standards, and I knew we could do better. That's what this issue is, with every Captain's Cabin writer submitting something except one. I really am proud of my little minions; they are growing up so fast! So let's go over this issue's interviews. We had Captain C's great interview with Userpro, a mod I would download if I had any space left on my computer; to you Userpro and your team. We then had ToonTotalWar interviewing Leonid- I mean, Quetzalcoatl, a true Aztec if there ever was one! That mod looks promising indeed and I might download it just to see if I can beat Hollywood and History and win at Thermopylae. We also had my interview with Zhuge_Liang; now Zhuge probably posted the quickest response ever when I sent him the interview script, it took a few minutes.. efficiency at it's finest. Lysimachus' interview is one of the biggest I've ever seen in the ES. I really am proud of our little Intern. The mod also sounds great, perhaps on a level to compete with mods such as RTR or SS, as Lysi mentions; I shall keep you informed. So then ES Readers, I hope you enjoyed our section this month. Now remember, stay safe out there TWC! Return to ES Main Index

The Lookout Post (Coverage by Saint Nicholas)

Hello to all the readers, here we are for another installment of The Lookout Post in the Eagle Standard, bringing you a new mod review each and every time. This issue I had a look at Rusichi Total War, a Medieval II mod for Kingdoms. Hope you enjoy the review. RUSICHI TOTAL WAR ~ A MEDIEVAL II KINGDOMS MODIFICATION The world of Rusichi Total War begins in the year 1157 and ends midway through the 14th century, approximately 1350. The mod is set in a time when three separate Russian factions are vying for power over the huge landmass of Russia and the Eastern Steppes. Players will have a choice of playing as one of the three Rus factions: Novgorod, Kiev, or the Suzdal. Three factions, yes you read that correctly. It is true that much effort and detail has gone into each faction to make them truly unique. Players will be pleased at the amount of diversity and difference in strategy and position that each faction has from another. But most players these days want many factions to choose from with lots of different starting positions and conditions. While Rusichi Total War does these things well with the three playable factions, the fact that no other factions are available will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of some. The Russian team that worked on the mod wanted to create a Russian only game that focused on the sordid Medieval history of the Russian factions, attempting to represent the trials and tribulations and the forging of a united Russian empire. The team has done a remarkable job of doing so; all credit must be given to them for accomplishing the task they set out to do. More factions can easily be added in so the fact only three are playable is more a minor annoyance than anything really game-breaking. But take heart my friends, all is not lost. Sure there are only three playable factions, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other factions vying for power and dominance in your little corner of the world. Included as AI factions in the campaign are the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, better known as the Turks; The Byzantines, of course; Hungary; Poland; Sweden; and finally, the Cumans. Each of these factions have their own challenges to overcome, and will usually fight with each other quite a bit before they turn their attention onto you. This is actually a good thing if you were thinking otherwise. Settlement mechanics and income gathering are quite different in the world of Rusichi. Trade is severely limited at the beginning of the game; settlements are close together but aren't connected by any sort of highway system. You'll need to construct expensive roads to even begin to benefit from slightly increased trade. Many of your villages are very sparsely populated at this point; you have your capital, and perhaps one or two other towns that are of decent size, from which to run your empire and most importantly, train troops. Players will find this as quite a shock to try and deal with, as it is extremely different to the way the vanilla game is set up, and is also quite different from many of the mods out there. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, players will find it difficult to cope under the strain of a tight budget and low value towns. There is a steep learning curve here, that punishes you for making the wrong choices. Funnel too much money into developing one settlement, and you'll be forced to leave the rest of their empire unattended and back in the dark ages. Spread your wealth and invest evenly though, and you'll find increased trade revenue and greater sustainable population growth, meaning in the end you'll have a stronger and healthier empire with which to wage war. Something that you don't see very often, if at all in a Medieval II mod, is the inclusion of three separate forms of government. The team at Rusichi have done a really good job of incorporating different governing styles and applying them to the three separate factions to add to the diversity and complexity of their game. The three faction's economies are based off these governing styles, each with pros and cons. The Suzdal faction economy is focused on agriculture and the Monarchy. This faction benefits the most from agricultural construction such as farms and roads, and usually ends up with a steadily growing population and burgeoning empire. The Novgorod faction is centered around mostly trade and diplomacy with democracy the governing style of choice. Being the only starting faction close to a body of water, players will need to take advantage of the lucrative trade deals to be had with the Swedes, and fellow Rus people the Suzdal to the east. These first two factions are probably the ones I'd recommend new players to start with. In my opinion they are the easiest to play and learn the game with, starting nice and cozy together at the top of the map; a solid alliance is a sure first step, and strong trade agreements bringing in much needed cash will soon follow. The last faction, Kiev, is a mixture of both democracy and monarchism, and follows the teachings of the Aristocracy. Sort of getting the best of both worlds in terms of construction options, but this is balanced by the fact they start much closer to the action and imminent danger. To the map now, and wow, it's very different from your average run of the mill Total War setting. You'll immediately notice that in your starting regions you have many towns and or villages that are all bunched up together. This is madness you say? Well some may think so, but there are good reasons why the team designed the mod so. In the teams own words: (the map is) built behind the idea that there are population centers close to the capitals. Most, if not all, of the larger towns are concentrated close to the capitals as are lots of villages Designing a map this way accurately resembles the lay of the land at that period in time. It also places greater emphasis on keeping your homelands safe, while making them much harder to assault and control for would be invaders. It's a new concept not previously seen in a mod; some players will enjoy the added importance placed on setting up defences and adopting new strategies. But there are also some players that will be turned away by how hard it can all be, managing all these towns that seem so insignificant and close together. It all depends on the players preference, but you can't fault the work the team has done and their design. They've managed to really create a challenging scenario here that is sure to give anyone who is sick of ezymode a hard time. Another innovation from the creative team is the concept of your capital city being protected by a connected castle. This works out pretty well; attackers will first have to defeat the town's defences in order to begin the assault on the castle. The AI has been carefully scripted to move onto taking the castle in the event the town falls. However, the most impressive thing in this mod is not the new concepts or the diverse factions, but the level of detail and art that makes up the factions units. Rusichi employs an AOR (area of recruitment) system, as well as having the regular option of training troops in cities and castles. Players will really want to make a beeline for the regions that are able to train the best units, as they can be quite powerful, though frightfully expensive. A great amount of work has also gone into designing these unique units. 2d and 3d art and models are superb, crisp, clear, and very sharp. All units have been totally re-skinned for the mod, a credit to the talented artists who are part of the project. Even the agents have been overhauled, with new colours and proper accents, all of it looking very impressive. Overall, this mod is a very creative and difficult one to play. It has a steep learning curve but the rewards of mastering the settlement mechanics, trade, diplomacy and war will bring any player great satisfaction in the long run. You'll be kicked, punched, and trod on by your neighbours and allies -- even the Mongols will join the fray and give you a very tough time -- but those skillful enough will rise above the challenges and become the supreme ruler of Russia, and the master of Rusichi: Total War! Rusichi Total War Forum Download Rusichi and patches (Post number #36 is the most comprehensive and helpful list) Return to ES Main Index

The Artist's Gallery (Coverage by Juvenal, Major Darling, |Sith|5|DarthWarman88, & Saint Nicholas)

Welcome to this latest edition of The Artist's Gallery. We have another MAARC to report, a myriad of new AARs, news from the world of RPGs, a bevy (or is that a brace?) of Tales of the Week, and a second article from our multiplayer master - Warman88. So put on your carpet slippers, light your pipe (after first disabling the smoke alarm), sit back, relax, and enjoy this month's coverage. Index AAR Round-up RPG Headquarters Multiplayer Report Tale of the Week Last Word AAR Round-up In which Juvenal finds AARs stretching away as far as the eye can see MAARC XVI Concluded Another month, another set of winners and losers non-winners in the MAARC. So without further ado, let me present to you the winners... First Place [RTW AAR] The Proud Blood of Germania by JerichoOnlyFan I seem to recall that this isn't the first time this AAR has been among the winners. But its latest appearance secures its author the Bronze MAARC medal. For a quick synopsis, there is a (rather elderly) review from SonOfAlexander here. Second Place [BC AAR] Sons of the Steppe by Legio This AAR, from experienced AARtist Legio, has been running since last November - and now finally the public has seen fit to reward him with 2nd Place in the MAARC, and another Bronze MAARC medal. Go here for a review from Junius. Third Place [RTR AAR] The Great Pontic Wars by Junius Junius has himself entered the rankings this month with his new AAR using the venerable RTR Platinum mod (I know it well and still have fond memories of my own Bactrian campaign). It has been quiet for the last week or two, so let's hope Junius is planning to continue to grow this promising work. New AARs in January When I set out to write this section I was expecting to find a dozen or so new AARs since the last issue of the ES in December. Hours later I was still making my way through the ETW forum and the dim realisation began to form in my addled brain that people have been starting rather a lot of AARs these days. In fact I have no less than 59 of them for you to peruse, AARs of every style to suit every taste. In order to try to bring some order to the throng, I have split them by TW game and the acronyms in square brackets indicate which mod was used. So, don't delay, go read some of them and expand your mind! Spoiler for RTW AARs:  [IB AAR] Chronicles of the Byzantine-Sassanid wars by husker9.2 [RTW AAR] The might of Greece by visiar [DTW AAR] A New Age of Diadochi by messiah [EB AAR] Annas of Albion by johnhughthom [RTR FOE] Mysteries of the Past by Maurits [RTR FOE] Mysteries of the Past 2 by Maurits [RTR FOE] Gaul Arises by Spartan262 [RTW AAR] Children of Zeus by Drakedeath [ROP AAR] The Hellus Empire by Thracius [RS AAR] The Light of Alexandria by tarvu [RS AAR] The Oracle of Dodona by Basiliscus [RTR FOE] Sons of Epeiros by FriendlyFire [DTW AAR] Diadochi TW Makedonia AAR by wierdo5000 [RTW BR] The Charge of the Round Shields by Frederick II [EB AAR] Difnitas Auctoritas Libertas by Scotty Mouse [RTR AAR] Rise of Iberia by samurai89 [XGM BR] Wackiest battle ever by Boriak [XGM AAR] The Legacy of Rome by visiar [RTR-FOE] A Phalanx of What? by Alavaria [RTR-FOE] All Your Things Belong to Us by Alavaria [RTRPE-BI] The Great Pontic Wars by Junius Spoiler for M2TW AARs:  [SS AAR] I am Skantarios! by Skantarios [CC AAR] A Perfect Day to Watch the AI by penquin11 [M2TW AAR] The Rise of the Rus by Chicherin [SS AAR] Queen of the Adriatic by Holy winter [BC5 AAR] The Chronicles of a Frustrated Few by Kallum von Döbeln [SS AAR] The Celtic bagpipes are heard by Capt. Fozdike [IB2 AAR] Aëtius by husker9.2 [M2TW AAR] Who Watches the Watchers? by Decimus Milo [M2TW AAR] Story of the Scotts by Lukok [SS AAR] The Lord's Righteous Crusaders by Inferno Crusader [Retrofit AAR] The Great War by Byzanturk [Retrofit AAR] A French AAR by mocsing [M2TW AAR] Ascension of the Sultanate by Lysimachus [SS AAR] The march of the Athanatois by Amon Amarth [M2TW AAR] Brittania Rules! by MastahCheef117 [M2TW AAR] Floating on the River Styx by TheTrueGreek [DLV AAR] Harald the III by Sivilombudsmannen Spoiler for ETW AARs:  [ETW AAR] Crimean Khanate by blader1176 [DM AAR] Osman's Vision by Chirurgeon [ETW AAR] Religious Unrest (Maratha Confederacy) by Fontz [ETW AAR] The Spanish Succession by SCA Tordenskjold [ETW AAR] Vendetta Papale by Priscilla [ETW AAR] Baker's War by warluster [ACW AAR] The rebel yell by Ra's Al Ghul [IS AAR] The Batavian Lions by The Red Knight [ETW AAR] Roar of Lions by Temuzu [DMUC BR] Third from the right - One row back by Indus_Valley [ETW AAR] Britain Confronts Denmark by Jayzilla Spoiler for non-TW AARs:  [Superpower 2] Ni Mataka by Acco [King of Dragon Pass] Sword of Humakt by Maximinus Thrax [FO3:FWE] Trippin' Balls and Taking Names: A Junkie's Guide to the Wasteland by Santini [Blitzkrieg:MB] A Shot at Moscow by Santini Spoiler for Third Age TW AARs:  Borin the Long-Bearded, Dwarf of Erebor by Inarus [FF] Gorgo's adventure by Ratzor War for Gondor by alhoon [FF] The great deeds of Ar-Ziladün: by Juli [AAR] The Smell of Evil: Mordor by Evil Weasel [AAR] Fall of Gondor by cil1993 RPG Headquarters In which Major Darling slips like a will-o'-the-wisp between the worlds Hi Guys, I would like to thank SonofAlexander for covering for me in the last issue. But sadly he has moved on to better and brighter things, so I have had to drag myself down from the Captain's Cabin to tell you guys about TWC's community RPGs. Recently we even got our own forum, and the AAR Ragamuffins were kicked out. But here for your enjoyment, are the latest news reports from each RPG. GSTK (God Save The King) Since I started writing this section regularly for the ES, I don't think I have seen GSTK slip once from its place as most active Community RPG on the forum. The game continues to thrive, even with the loss of one of the patriarchs, Lord Flasheart, who has gone on to concentrate on his M2TW:Kingdoms mod based on the RPG itself. Since the last report, Kings have changed, and currently the Kingdom is ruled by the graphically minded Raglan von Dobeln, who will accede soon. Roleplay's have been going on regularly and the day I wrote this there was a sea voyage planned, a raid on a pirate ship, a chase through the streets of York, and also the odd church service. Players still drift in regularly to keep the game going. The game is still led by our dear leader, Carl von Dobeln. Recently there have been a spate of GSTK-esque CLEAN downfall videos after the introduction of a family album thread. So overall, I doubt this RPG will have any trouble surviving in the future. YATS (You Are the Senate) Well this must be YATS' month! Both great founders of the game, Winter and Pontifex have returned... The game still steams ahead after a short period of inactivity after the save lagged behind the roleplay itself. Now YATS is unique as it allows all the players as senators to decide exactly what happens within the save, and with the introduction of the game editor, the generals on the campaign map are named after the Consuls in the RPG. The game never gets stale because there are always elections; this means that a new Consul (Leader) could change the whole direction of the game. People even resort to dastardly tricks to ensure their favourite candidate is elected to the post. Recently we have been seeing the Praetor taking a very strong stance to senatorial behaviour.. I shall keep you informed. Augustus Augustus is still easily the best RTW hotseat game on the web! With the saves still piling in every day to be used in the latest multiplayer campaigns, there is no end in sight to dear old Augy.. With the recent publication of a game guide more people are joining.. Now with multi-player hotseat campaigns a real challenge is created; no cheating, no long drawn out campaigns, and very difficult diplomacy.. If you think you're good at RTW, head over to Augustus. The Republic of Venice Yes chaps! There is a new RPG!!! It hasn't been around for long so I can't give a large summary, but I can tell you one thing... it's amazing! It's a game based on ETW with the APE:TI mod, and revolves around the small state of Venice. The decisions are made in committees, which is then approved by the Doge - played by a member - and then it is enacted in the mod. I hope this RPG lasts longer than the usual ETW one.. Alright, this is it for this month's piece... I do however have one last thing to tell you. In the late hours of last night a new RPG was setup; this time around the new game of CA, Napoleon Total War.. It is of course based on France and is only in its infancy.. So to link to that, join these RPGs and keep them going! So for the Eagle Standard. This has been Major Darling. Multiplayer Report by KingWarman88, |Sith| and |IMP| clan member Spoiler for Warman's Guard:  The King's Castle I recently was playing a Castle game on VI the other day. There were only 3 people on including myself. I played in my legendary castle, Castle 2_5_2 with the same exact Swiss army I used for the past 6 years since I started MP. Perhaps this is why I call myself the "Swiss Player". Spoiler for Battle Result:  But then I got thinking...... I started TW Multiplayer 6 years ago this March, right before my 12th birthday on March 11. I was a young, rash, immature 11 year old at the time. I am now 17, going on 18, and heading off to college in a few months. Total War MP been a part of my life since the last 3 months of 6th grade to..... my senior year in high school and maybe even beyond! Back then, we had many clans playing. We had the Grey Wolves, led by Magyar Khan - who I had the pleasure to play in September of 2006 when he briefly return out of retirement for M2TW's release - Aggony clan, 7Bears, Hunters, SA, Mizus, Kenchikuka, and so forth. In 2006, during the peak of RTW, you had the clans like Sith, Arcani, SA, Vandal Horde, IPL, SC, SB, and so on. Now though, how many of those clans, or the players in those clans, are still around? Some of those clans and a lot of those players are gone, or still around, but as lame ducks in an oldie clan. Now we have a younger generation of players in newer clans like GOTW, HOS, COH, and BH, and we got new players at TWC and .Org. But I have a problem with it today as it relates to the state of Mutilplayer on Total War. The State of Multiplayer on TW in general, especially on TWC, is not good. We have infighting with the remains of the TW MP heyday. The remaining players have left, or still play, but have no interest in doing tournaments, clan wars, and so on. They expect CA to fix Multiplayer, yet they do not want to help out, thinking they have helped out enough. Here at TWC and .Org it is not any better. We have too many "casual" players here, who do not join clans and actively play TW MP enough to help it. We have people flocking to users like Prince_Of_Macedon, who has good intentions, but caused a great stir in the regular TW MP as his ways of making his videos are highly controversial. Back when we all started Total War Multiplayer, we might have been in our teens, or 20's, in high school, or college, having fun. When people retire from Total War Mutilplayer, I notice they are changed, mostly for the better. Some only stay for 2 years, some for 3-5 years, some for 6+ years. There are a few players who have been here 7 years.... or even 10 years! Magyar Khan once said something along the lines of: When I started, I was in my late 20's. When I retired in 2005, I was in my mid 30's, and had 3 kids and a good wife and a great job..... I had a great time along and learned a lot This is why I am writing about this. Total War Multiplayer might just be a game, but it's not a "bad" type of game. It is where people from all around the world come together, learn from each other, debate, and have fun. This is why I think we all need to step up! Step up and help TW Mutliplayer! Put our differences aside! Whether it is clan differences, personal differences, TWC .vs. Regular MP players, or whatever.... Put it aside and write to CA respectfully. We don't want to be their lackeys, of course, but let's complain to them about MP, and try to work with them so both of us, MP players and CA, can make a better TW MP, or I will see a game that I love die off. Tournament News CWB is about to be brought back at Rome Clan Central (RCC)! I brought this idea to the attention of everyone there, and with the help of Mirariel, Plant, Ahille, Eth, Count Max, and everyone on the forum, we are all working together to bring this great tournament back. CWB was started in 2003 by the mighty Grey Wolves, who won CWB 5 times, while the Devotio clan won it 4 times, led by one of my close MP friends. PM me if you wish to learn more about it. In CWC, the finals are approaching! My clan IMPERIAL, Aggony, USSR and others are pushing forward to victory! On Terrain I was told by a TWC ETW MP player to bring up terrain in my article, and I will mention it briefly. I notice from personal experience that forests do not protect against cannons and musket fire as well as they do on RTW with arrows. It does help, because shooting a rifle/musket ball though a tree and expecting it to hit your enemy is still hard, but it will go though the tree sometimes, whereas an arrow won't. And a tree will not stop a cannon ball unless it is very thick. On hills it is a little bit of a different story though. Melee-wise, forests help because it gives the defenders a better chance of holding the ground. Bulidings are good to defend in against gun fire, but it is stupid to stay in when you've got cannon balls hitting it, since the building will fall sooner or later. Just to show you that I'm not serious all the time, let me leave you with this picture to remember me by: Spoiler Alert, click show to read:  Tale of the Week from the receiver of the baton... Saint Nicholas Hello readers! Welcome to the January round-up of everyone's favourite weekly writing contest, Tale of the Week! Saint Nicholas reporting here on the first series of competitions for 2010! Much to the despair of the masses, Theodotus I has sadly fallen by the wayside, and is currently much too involved with his new book to report on the goings on in Totwville. Pray to whatever gods you worship that he may once again enlighten us craven scavengers with his godly presence and wit in the future. Anyway, on to business now, since last month there has been a successful competition taking place each week, starting with the massive event which was ToTW 63! No less than 37 people participated in the voting; we were all so shocked to see such a large number of interested parties descend into the halls of writing, molls even fainted a time or two! The likes of Nazgul and Ariovistus tried their hardest to win the ultimate honour, but it was the newcomer, KippyK, who emerged victorious on the battlefield with this stunning submission. The Winners Spoiler for ToTW 63:  Duty My purse is heavy. I force myself to imagine the clinking silver, the jostling copper. My stallion heaves beneath me, tossing his head wildly. His mane flows fluidly in the frigid air, like quicksilver in an alchemist’s vial. I see them ahead; several dusty shapes, swarming uncontrollably. I glance to the right and to the left; my companions glare forward. They are wordless, unshaken. Their faces are stone. Their horses are boisterous. Their gazes are steadfast. Unbroken. I grip my sword tightly. Squeezing the hilt, I will the blood to flow back into the desiccated veins of my hand. My knuckles are red. Raw. Bitten by winter’s growing chill. My horse breathes heavily, the drum of his heart matching the drum of his hooves. Each hoof-beat casts a swirling plume of dust into the air. My horse’s sinewy muscles are mechanical, like the motions of the miller’s wheel. His eyes are bloodshot. My eyes are watery. The cold of the air seeps into my nostrils, chapping the fleshy lungs hidden deep beneath my tunic. The scent of Christ’s Mass is on the wind. The trees are skeletons, standing tall like crucified victims. Their flesh is crusted. Dry. Christ’s Mass is on the wind. It smells of decay. My purse bounces at my hip. I catch my drifting thoughts; I force them back to the metal in my bag. It is heavy, hanging from my belt. The forms ahead of me begin to take shape. First arms. Then legs. They almost blur in their haste. Duty defines us. Duty makes us. What are we without our duty? We are nothing. My duty is to the sword. Vow-breakers die by it. The shapes are fully-formed now. Peasants hurtling over one another, their piercing yelps betraying their mortal fear. These runaways had been easy to track down. They were slowed down by the sick. By the women. My purse is heavy. Silver. Copper. Some of the peasants whirl around in terror, frozen in fear. They are like the skeletal trees, unmoving, their hands thrown over their faces. They are the trees. We are the woodcutters. It is my duty. My companions press harder. I keep pace. I see a sword raised high in the corner of my eye. I hear a squeal, and then a wet sound. The same sound the cook makes when he carves the pork for Christ’s Mass feast. How heavy it feels on my hip. I see a woman break free from the convulsing mob. A comrade veers off after her, his horse snarling violently. Copper. A man with a leather cap trips, and tumbles into a bedraggled mess. My stallion bears down on him, instinctively. Silver. His eyes are white with terror. My sword is made of lead. I wrench it high above the iron cap that rests atop my skull. It too, is made of lead. I let the sword fall. My hand still clenches it. My purse is heavy. A ravaged landscape and countless dead was the inspiration for the next set of stories. Vying for domination in ToTW 64, only one could win, Ariovistus Maximus being the chosen one with his submission, The Great Storm. Spoiler for ToTW 64:  The Great Storm Suffering… it has been the way of my people for many generations. Always have outsiders plagued us, out of jealousy, or greed. Before my grandfather’s grandfather was born, my people had learned not to trust the outsider. My ancestors had fought to keep rival tribes out of our hunting ground. I had to fight an unending storm of white men, a blizzard of colonists that came into our lands like the frosty white flakes of snow in winter. But retreat into the sweat lodge would not protect us from this blizzard. This blizzard was not content merely to drive us into hiding; it would hunt us down and kill us. This was a new kind of storm. Not one from which to hide and take shelter, but one that we must meet aggressively. They must be destroyed. Such was the determination of my dwindling village; such a fight must end in death. The rich soil would run with blood. I was determined that it not be my blood, nor that of my braves. Too long had the gods watched our pain without pity; the stars foretold that they would not stand idly by as they had in the past. Braves assembled, ceremonial rites were observed, and our band moved out into the dark of the night. We were merely shadows, spirits, as we glided through the forest. My men knew every tree, every thorn bush like an old friend; we were invisible to the outsider. Finally, we saw the smoke of a white settlement. Soon we could make out the forms of men milling past campfires. We could hear their loud, oppressive laughter and raucous song. I never understood these creatures; they took no pleasure in sitting still. They did not commune with the Great Mother; always they were rushing here and there. I wondered how one could live in such a world; I am sure that I never could. Soon, they would not live either, but not by choice. In the early twilight hours, my braves slowly crept toward the target. They had become the very trees and bushes; they would be invisible even from feet away. I gave the call for my men to prepare. It was the call of a thrush. My men would know immediately that it was me. The foreigners, however, never spent enough time in quiet to realize that this call belonged to a bird that had not made its nest in our lands for many moons. In moments, however, they would have the opportunity to spend the rest of eternity in peaceful silence. ToTW 65 was up next, a tough week for the competition, with many writers away celebrating the holiday season and most likely drinking more alcohol than was good for them. But, the show must go on, and it did, with long time writer and skilled poet Mega Tortas taking a clean victory with his dark piece, Justifiable Vengeance. Spoiler for ToTW 65:  Justifiable vengeance He seethed with anger as he gripped the parchment in his right hand, squeezing it with such force that bones crackled and nails bit thru the glove, then heavily calloused palms into the succulent flesh beneath. Freshly drawn blood now flowed freely, blotting out the finely etched calligraphy that described his disgrace. Not worthy!!!!! He screamed, smashing the already mangled hand into a tree that he stood by insuring it would never again be able write poetry or even print his name. The blood soaked document told this Guardian of the White Tower that he was not chosen to be in Gondor’s new elite unit…. “The Dunedain Rangers“. Although highly prized for his skills, the Guardian unfortunately would not be among the chosen few. “Many thanks for your years of faithful service“….Farimir, Captain of Gondor. Nooo!!!!! Came the screams as the hand once again smashed with enraged defiance against solid oak . Overwhelmed by the excruciating white hot pain, the disgraced guardsman collapsed in a heap. Upon awaking, depression struck with fearsome might regarding the complete failure of his life. Then a sudden flash of redemption struck him….Saruman’s standing price for Farimir’s demise was 4,000 silver talons and dominion over his elite Black Guard. Now he need only wait in place for the rebirth of his honor. Without fail, Farimir led the daily patrol that passed not 100 meters from his hiding spot. With one last act, the remnants of a once powerful hand pulled back on the bowstring and through clenched jaws, enduring unspeakable agony.... Justifiable vengeance was but a bow shot away….. A beautiful jungle landscape is the scene for the next battle. Quills at the ready, our writers dug in their heels in an attempt to craft the masterpiece! These siege towers looked ominous though, only a great writer could withstand their assault, and so it was Julius Barca the Great who stood up and heeded the call with And he spoke of Victory. Spoiler for ToTW 66:  For months, he had awaited this event. For weeks, this day. For days, this time. He had marched through, sailed across, and climbed over Hell itself, it seemed. He had struggled through mutinies, disease-ridden men, and blood-thirsty foes. Each had taken its toll, leaving fewer and fewer of his followers alive to pursue their final goal. Now, on this day, in the coming hours, his dreams would be realized, his plans fulfilled. He knew how everything must be carried out. A grin began to creep across his face, as he imagined the carnage his followers would create. A tall man entered his tent, head bowed lowed out of both respect and necessity, cutting off the man’s private joy. The intruder looked rather bored with his duties, as were most runners and messengers. “The men are eager, m’lord. They await your signal.” “Thank you, Duughaa. I will be ready soon. I need a moment to collect my thoughts,” replied the Sala’ Ali, the man sitting in the tent. The Duughaa dipped his head a bit farther, and took his leave. The leader of the Muslim armies sighed and began to strap on his armor. Several of his contemporaries scoffed at his seeming lack of self-respect. They would mock his humility, his lack of interest in slaves. He exited his tent, fully armed. He knew he looked the part of a conquering man of Islam, covered in gold, steel, and silk. It would inspire his men. He walked to where he knew the towers would be located. Their majesty, their beauty, their awe-inspiring height took his breath away. He knew they were built exactly proportional to the walls of the so-called “EternalCity.” Excitement coursed through his veins, as he realized his entire campaign would be decided in one day of fighting. He had reached Rome, in a fierce drive to remove the head of the Christian snake. Men looked to him from orders, and the bustle of the camp subsided slowly. He raised a hand, acknowledging his followers. He ordered the men to form ranks, and he began to speak. He spoke of trials, of difficulties, of brothers lost. Men bowed their heads as their mood was sobered. Then, he spoke of rewards in the next life, of man’s duty to Allah, and of triumphs. He spoke of victory. He then shouted, “To the towers, men!” The men roared, their level of enthusiasm matching his own, as they rushed to the engines of war. The followers of the Pope could be seen quivering on the walls. Sala’ Ah grinned, and ordered the towers to move. It was time. Time to achieve victory. He uttered one last prayer to Allah, thanking Him for triumph. Do you feel the heat? No, it's not even hot outside is it? Well the heat clearly radiates off this sizzling picture in ToTW 67. Wipe away your sweat and clear you eyes, another newcomer storms in astride a camel to give everyone a bit of shade. RaZor HeaD brings us some much needed refreshment with And so I Run! Spoiler for ToTW 67:  ...and so I Run! Heat. Pain. Disbelief! The lion of the West. The horned devil himself. Alexandre! The unstoppable man. No offers of hope, only death. "Where is my Captain? My most noble Lord and master?" His orders are issued and the units displayed. Our assault rushes forward to the desperate call of his horn. A ragged arrow has split his eye, the pain driving him mad. Red blood gushes upon a golden sand. A sickly sound as the breath rattles in his throat. "Where is my Company? My valiant companions in arms?" A mighty wind has laid them spoiled and in ruin. Fractured bodies, arrayed like bloody stones on a road of death. A thousand splintered spears piercing the ground. A thousand shattered shields marking the mile stones of their passing. "Where is my God? My unwavering faith in victory?" Vengeful and cold, he turns a darkened eye toward us. Our empty prayers are answered only in ashes, and a foul curse now sits upon our heads. His only true concern, punishment of our sins. "Where is my courage, my honor and strength?" Wasted and consumed in the noon tide sun. A fanatic fear grips my fingers to their arms. And now, in the end, only terror lends its' dreadful strength to my legs...and so I Run! I'm afraid that's all we have for you in this edition of the Eagle Standard. If you want more you'll need our banking details. From the TotW writing desk, this has been the Tale of the Week January round up. I look forward to doing it all again next month! Saint Nicholas, signing off. Last Word In which Juvenal gazes proudly at the work that has been done It is incredible really, that despite the substantial bulk of this month's Artists Gallery, we have still only touched on a tiny part of the creative activity in this commnunity of ours. Please follow some of the links and find out for yourself what people are contributing to the unique phenomenon that is TWC! If you liked Artist's Gallery, don't forget to direct your rep towards my fearless reporters: Major Darling, |Sith|5|DarthWarman88, and Saint Nicholas. Feel free to post your commments. Praise, (constructive) criticism, or suggestions for changing our scope are all welcome. Goodbye until next time, from Juvenal. Return to ES Main Index

[Tony83]

Excellent edition guys, well done.

[cedric37]

Yup, nice edition and thanks to mention our submod Enhanced Faction Inteface for Call of Warhammer (M2TW).

Just one remark, [Hotfix2] link is dead and should be replaced by this one:
EFI_update_136.rar

Also, about "Cedric37 and co", the "and co" is my collaborator, Kahvipannu; could you be so kind to put his name too ?

Cheers and, again, great work!
Cédric.

[Saint Nicholas]

The Eagle has landed.

[cedric37]

Ooops sorry. Feel free to delete my posts then

[Augustus Lucifer]

Excellent edition guys, well done.

Yup, nice edition and thanks to mention our submod Enhanced Faction Inteface for Call of Warhammer (M2TW).

Just one remark, [Hotfix2] link is dead and should be replaced by this one:
EFI_update_136.rar

Also, about "Cedric37 and co", the "and co" is my collaborator, Kahvipannu; could you be so kind to put his name too ?

Cheers and, again, great work!
Cédric.

I've made the changes you requested.

[cedric37]

Thank you so much

[Capt. Fozdike]

Very nice guys. I like the NTW report, good work on that

[Killerbee]

It was a very sharp Mango Slice, wasn't it sir?

Do I recognise a Blackadder-quote there ?

Anyway, nice work man ! I think I'll apply to be a reporter, I've got no experience yet, but I think practise maes perfect

[Parzival2211]

Great job, guys!

[Lord Willy]

Great Work as Always

[Theodotos I]

Congratulations to Saint Nicholas for picking up the torch of TOTW. Great job, man!

[Saint Nicholas]

Thanks Theo, we miss you in TotW! When are you coming back to Content? It is your ancestral home.

[Salvo]

Nice work guys

I like the NTW report

Me too

[karamazovmm]

Good job there, I really hoped that you guys could have "forcefully" got some info on EB 2 from morus

[weissnicht]

Great job
and nice to see my garrisonscript-tutorial here in Eagle Standards

[Zhuge_Liang]

Aristeia is now released.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=335081

[KaRoU23]

Indeed!!! Great work!!!! However i would like to note that Imperial Glory wasn't that bad.....