This will be a living section, where I add notes on various mods I've tried or am currently using for my videos. Please note that I will only be looking at these mods from the perspective of making videos...primarily, issues relating to graphics, sounds and historical accuracy. I won't be commenting on gameplay, balance, level of difficulty etc.
This list is not yet complete, a work in progress. If you'd like to see your mod reviewed from a video perspective, let me know!
LARGE OVERHAUL MODS
La montée de l'Empire (LME)
- a versatile large mod, opening up many theatres for gameplay
- strongest feature for filming: many of the best textures available (espectially L'aigles)
- Pdguru's mini mod additions are wonderful for filming, and can be mixed and matched
- very compatible with other mini mods if you wish to add them...different smoke, sound, uniforms have all worked so far
- the music mix is the best of all mods IMHO...original recordings included, and add to atmosphere
- original languages in unit and nation titles very immersive
- good framerates
- uses Diggy-type sounds for muskets - I like these sounds because they don't overdrive the sound, and are therefore easy to tweak in Vegas
- no reduced marching rate...not my preference for gameplay, but for filming makes speed adjustment later in Vegas more uniform and easier
Beale's Napoleon Order of War
- currently, my NTW video workhorse...unless I am filming another compilation uber-type mod for a specific promotion, NOW is used in almost every vid I make
- uniform textures are superb, allowing for great details at high resolution
- great variety of factions, with many smaller non-vanilla factions opened up
- the bugle calls are a great audio touch
- easy to install
- compatible with many mini mods I like to use
- frequently updated
Toon's All-In-One
- Latest version now has many of my favourite sub-mods. This mod should now come with a divorce lawyer.
- the main benefit for using this mod is the variety of countries, units and uniforms that this brings (check out the Brit units)
- Toon uses some great sub-mods that I like, like Primergy's Grass mod
- the biggest plus, for me at least, to Toon's mod is that it is stable. I've never had a crash using it, an amazing feat really considering how many independent mods he has running in it. Also, Toon is constantly updating it with the latest and greatest and the newest mini mods on the market. It is like a Darthmod in waiting.
- a little cumbersome to install, but depending on the factions I need to film, I alternate this mod with NOW
DARTHMOD
- I just can't film ETW without it
- huge variety of units and countries to choose from
- the sounds are top notch and don't clip
- textures are unmatched
- for filming, I scale back on unit sizes so that I can max out all the rest of the graphic settings...Darthmod is geared for people who like massive battles, but for filming those numbers tend to be wasted to I prefer to free up the comp's resources for graphics...medium unit size is fine for filming
- latest version uses Primergy's grass mod
MINI MODS - Visual
Primergy's Grass mod
- total must have...if your uber mod doesn't include this, then get it
- no FPS hit!! awesome
- doesn't apply to all maps...mainly just the "green" maps
- adds various coloured grass and flowers to the landscape
- only downside is wintermaps, where tall grass is poking through with flowers (I turn it off for winter shots)
- some version of this now included in most larger mods
Rikktherek's "Whiff of Sulphur" smoke mod
- a must have for vid makers
- adds abundance of smoke, giving great atmosphere for in-close shots
- the smoke lingers, particularly the canon smoke, for a long time unless there is wind
- the water canon plumes are realistic, great for sea battles
- biggest plus of all: VERY LITTLE FPS hit! ...the holy grail for vid makers
- some version of this now included in most larger mods
Scivian's Tracer Effects Reduction mod
- get the 'partial' version...allows for the occasional tracer without looking cartoonish like the vanilla
- the 'partial' version is great for faux night shots
Willihuntz' Realistic Explosions mod
- until MechDonald complete's his smoke/explosion mod, this is my mod of choice for explosions...gets rid of the cartoonish super-fireworks explosions of vanilla, and focuses more on the smoke creates, with a cool looking dark smoke plume for explosive rounds
EmporerBatman's Proper Hats Mod
- a surprise for me...didn't think hats would make a difference, but when I loaded up this mod, I really noticed the difference. The historical precision that Batman is aiming for is less important to me than the fact that the hats simply look better and the textures are richer
JFC's Total Flags
- A great flag mod, widely used in larger mods...not only for variety but for detailed textures and flag "behaviour" in battle.
Sir Digby Chicken Caesar's British Naval Crews
- absolute must for filming British naval crews...the textures are absolutely gorgeous
Josst's Flag Removal for Reinforcements
- not the normal flag bearer flags...but those annoying unit flags that are forced when reinforcements arrive, messing up your video
- many options as to which mod options you want...pick your poison
- a must have for vids
Josst's Horses Eyes Mod
- fixes dead fish eye look to horses, gives the whites like heat of battle "rolling" eyes
- pick the TopCat approved version
The Hedge Knight's Nightmod
- allows you to fight night battles
- works in single battle mode...still testing the frequency of campaign night battles (I'm told about 5%, which seems a good balance)
- saves major colour editing in Sony Vegas to produce a night battle
- just the right darkness...feels like night but not so dark as to be unplayable
- a little tricky to trigger in Single Battle mode...a few attempts sometimes needed to trigger a night battle
- looks best if you turn down your shadow detail...finely detailed shadows don't look right at night
- NOW compatible
MINI MODS - Audio
BrigGraham's Drum Roll Cadences
- which one you pick is a matter is taste...I like #4. Coupled with NOW's bugles, makes the audio much more realistic.
- this mod included in latest All In One
Diggy's Musket Sounds Mods
- opinions on this mod are divided...the muskets have a distinctive "pop", which some don't like. For making video, I like this mod because the muskets don't sound like WWI howitzers, and sound very realistic to me.
- most importantly, the sound does not overdrive the audio for recording...preventing audio clipping that occurs in both vanilla and in other sound mods when you record close to the action
- get Diggy's modified version of this...it adds more bass
Sgt Merlin's NTW Sound Mod
- I flip between this and Diggy's mod, depending on what I'm shooting. I prefer the cannon sounds associated with this mod, but I find the musket fire clips and overdrives too much in the close-ups. If I'm doing sea battles, I use this mod for sound.
Pdguru's In-Battle Marching Songs
- Some units for some countries march to sounds of singing (historically accurate)
- some fiddling required, as only one marching tune applies per load-up (you have to know which country you'll be playing or else you'll hear French tunes while marching your Brits
 - adds to atmosphere, some variety...well designed as it is not too loud or overpowering
- this is in my default script
- NOW compatible
Pdguru's Grouchymod
- adds background cannon thunder and fighting in lieu of battlefield music (not the marching music...just the background music)
- shocking addition to atmosphere and immersion...I love this!...not overpowering
- 2 versions available...I prefer the louder cannon one
- NOW compatible
Pdguru's Bullet Hit and Injury Sounds
- less wailing when a soldier get's hit...based on Lochkopt's great sound mod, with this minor tweak
- a matter of taste I suppose, but I prefer the balance struck by this mod
- this is in my default script
- NOW compatible
MINI MODS - Game Behaviour Tweaks
panzerschreck's THE ALLMAP MOD
- open's up all the maps for those of us who spend so much time filming, we suck at the game too much to defeat the AI and open the maps ourselves
- allowed a much wider range of filming option in Single Battle mode to get terrain varieties (where most filming is done)
- a filming must have
Oby's Firing Animation Tweaks
- produces a delayed firing effect, giving the impression that the soldier is taking a second to aim
- helps reduce the crazy frenetic pace that vanilla battles produce...combined with NOW's latest musket accuracy tweaks, the battles feels slower...more in line with ETW's Darthmod
- better sparks and flashes in naval battles
- mod claims to have cannons stick out of hull, but I haven't been able to reproduce this
- NOW compatible
Tiyafeh's Animation Mod
- main draw for me is the dismounted Generals, allowing to stage scenes of leaders walking the battlefield
- also adds little officer goodies...hands behind back, using telescope etc...with more frequency
- NOW compatible
djsnipy's Deployable Defenses
- add defense works in Single Battle mode
- great for staging these kind of scenes without having to orchestrate in campaign mode...a real time-saver!
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