Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 24

Thread: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

  1. #1

    Default The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I




    Editorial from Belisarius

    After a somewhat long delay and some internal reshuffling the Eagle Standard is ready to give you gamers the latest information on the total war and modding communities. This edition features the first Shogun II Total War synopsis as well as an exclusive look into the anticipated release of Roma Surrectum II. We will be taking a look at the various sections of the TWC forums and aiming to make sure that you guys are totally informed on any developments within your preferred community sections. The Publication will also be experimenting with a new structure, the various sections will be divided into posts and those posts will be linked in a pinned thread in the relevant section. So for example if you are an Eras fan all you need to do is check out the pinned thread in Eras once a new post appears and then be directed to the ES. That way you guys will be able to access our content much easier. The Eagle Standard is also now working with the modding services and offering modding teams exposure. This I feel is a nice way to for both them to gain exposure and for you the readers to gain an insight into new modifications. In general we are changing our outlook and focusing more on what you fans are most interested in as well as the needs of our precious Modders.




    My position as Editor is temporary, the new Editor of the Eagle Standard will be Viking Prince and this will be in effect as of the release of this edition. I would like to extend thanks to the previous Editor and wish Viking Prince the Best of luck. He and his staff are more than up for the task and they will continue to have the support of the rest of content.



    The ES Staff and Contributers Chief Editor

    Belisarius

    Assistant Editor

    Major Darling

    Chief Reporters

    TW Eras News - Killerbee
    Medieval II News - Verrückt
    Empire News - Capt. Fozdike
    The Artist's Gallery - Juvenal
    The Captain's Cabin - Major Darling
    The Lookout Post - Saint Nicholas

    Reporters

    Belisarius (Special Reports)
    Dewy (Medieval II and Kingdoms News)
    The Dutch Devil (Medieval II and Kingdoms News)
    ToonTotalWar (Empire and Napoleon News)
    Mega Tortas de Bodemloze (Artist's Gallery)
    Verrückt (Medieval II and Kingdoms News)

    Interns

    Pendragon (Total War Eras News)
    Grimbold
    Amaz

    Last edited by Belisarius; August 25, 2010 at 05:16 AM.
    Well, if I, Belisarius, the Black Prince, and you all agree on something, I really don't think there can be any further discussion.
    - Simetrical 2009 in reply to Ferrets54

  2. #2

    Default Re: Next ES Edition Due hopefully Sunday.

    Shogun II Total War Insider

    Shogun Insider by Belisarius featuring reporting by Amaz



    Shogun Two will be set in 16th century Japan and the campaign will be based on the Japanese civil war with different factions fighting for power in what was a feudal based society. The campaign will start in 1540 and feature 8 different clans lead by their respective Warlord. The game will also feature a 9th tutorial clan. The clans will each have their own unique starting position and political and military strengths which will determine the style of game play required to win battles. In terms of battles CA seem to be opting to simplify the unit rosters and focusing on a “rock/paper/scissors” system with would probably make it simpler to develop a tactical AI. CA is adamant that in this installment the AI will be a challenge. The video demonstration was telling but the AI didn’t do anything spectacular.

    In reference to the release date I would like to point out that for EU and UK fans the game is available for pre-order from our EU/UK Market and purchases from the Amazon/TWC market will generate revenue for the running of the website. The release date on the site was March 11th but that was then pushed back to March 25th and since then it may have changed by a few days. As is the nature this is a very vague estimation of when the game will be released but as is common with most releases the prime times are November/October which is a definite impossibility and February/March which is far more likely. Rome Total War was the last game released in the early period as far as I know with Medieval II Total War, Empire and Napoleon being released in mid winter. We will keep you guys updated on release dates as we go along.

    In other news the main update of the month was the play through where Kieran demonstrated the alpha Shogun engine at work in a land battle.



    Immediately you’ll notice the ever present improvement in graphics and the difference the larger portion of body segments makes on the battle animations. With Shogun the “Rome Total War” style battle system of only the front line engaging would have been inaccurate and not visually appealing. What you’ll notice watching the demo is that units genuinely crash into one another and engage in individual combat.

    Another significant improvement is the lighting. I remember in the days of Rome the fire ammunition and lighting seemed to be significantly less developed when compared to the overall visuals. In Shogun II Total War; Kieran emphasized the amount of independent light sources and how they visually improve the battlefield. In addition a mention was made to the fact that weather would affect the battlefield. Anyone who remembers Medieval 2 and Napoleon would know that weather has always had an effect on gun-powder based troops and stats but has never visually/mechanically affected the battlefield. This in itself would be a logical next step, its one I expected with Napoleon and in all honesty it’s something I’ll have to see for myself before I believe.

    With Napoleon, we didn’t expect much in terms of changes. It was known that keeping to tradition Napoleon Total War would be an evolutionary improvement of the Empire engine. The AI in Napoleon did perform better and in retrospect the game was an overall success and satisfactory in terms of expectations. As always modding tools and documentation seem to have slipped out of the minds of CA but that in itself is an altogether more complicated issue. (See The ES Article Entitled CA and “the Modding Community”). With Shogun Total War our collective expectations are higher; we expect a revolution to hit the franchise akin to that of Rome Total War. We most certainly do not want to see some of the mistakes which were apparent in Empire Gold, a game forever mired by its broken 1.0 AI.

    Kieran and the Creative Assembly have stated that they intent to go back to the basics in terms of units. The structure of units with minimal stat differences is being replaced a simple system whereby an emphasis will be made on army configuration. We know that Japan is a mountainous landscape and so one would imagine that army positioning would be crucial. With the various factions having different bonuses such as “improved cavalry” one would have to adapt ones army to be more reliant on spearmen. Similarly fighting a Clan who’s more reliant on archers would require the player to reconfigure their army to be more cavalry centered. There is also a naval landing form of battle whereby players will either defend or land on beaches. This brings a whole new dimension to game play and is thoroughly anticipated.



    The new feature garnering mixed reactions on the forums are Hero Units. We have been assured that these are not “one man armies” that destroy everything that opposes them. We would not be cynical in thinking that since that is exactly what the majority of RTW makers produce with “Hero Units”. They are highly ranked elite units, available at the top of the tech tree which exemplifies a mastery of a given martial technique. A similarity might be drawn with the elite skirmishers at the bottom of the ETW British tech tree or the Spartan Hoplites of Rome: Total War. In all honesty it is too early to tell as information in this feature is not solid. It was stated on other articles that they are able to take on other heroes, and are naturally very powerful against groups of enemies but are not invincible game-changers. I’m not totally sure what that means and will assume from experience that they’ll be like Spartan Hoplites or Urban Cohorts. The Hero Characters are based on true historical accounts of great fighters who founded schools of combat, they are not mystical killers of armies with wands and pointy hats.

    Naval battles will be present and will feature land within the actual battle. According to IGN the land feature will not be contestable, unless you are fighting a naval landing battle but will serve to orientate and provide cover for ships. Maybe ships could be sunk or beached on land but this has not been mentioned, one can only hope. Naval battles will be more Archer and hand-to-hand based with large scale gunpowder battles being a thing of the west. Gunpowder will still probably make a limited appearance in Shogun in the form of European and specifically Christian influences.



    To conclude this month’s Synopsis here is a list of other Features –



    • Like Napoleon Total War the Campaign Mode will be more storyline orientated. Characters can be given upgrades as they develop. This makes it easier to get attached to certain characters. Character traits will be customizable as opposed to given by the game.
    • Pre Battle Speeches will be returning and will affect armies’ morale and performance based on generals traits.
    • Fog of War in a battle sequence will allow for greater use of tactics. In the video demo horse troops were moved into mists and behind a hill with a forest to attack behind enemy lines and the opposing army did not even notice suggesting an added importance in terrain.
    • Unit variation made possible by the low unit count has also allowed the team to focus on customization options, with each clan, and each unit, being open to a variety of player customizations.
    • In Sieges the castles will have unique qualities based on the situation and environment of their construction such as high ground or partially surrounded by water. Ca initially hinted that the stacked pagoda structures of Japans castles will allow sieges to play out in stages, with attackers and defenders moving from wall to wall and from tower to tower. This gives both sides of a battle more options than simply waiting for a hole to appear in the outer defenses and then just cramming as many men as possible around it.
    • In Addition morale boosting buildings, capturing temples on the battlefield offers reward: battlefields will feature structures that will influence the men as they fight. Protect or capture shrines or temples, or indeed burn those of your enemy, to dictate the morale of troops on the battlefield.

    Please Check out the next edition for more updates!



    Last edited by Belisarius; August 24, 2010 at 05:55 PM.
    Well, if I, Belisarius, the Black Prince, and you all agree on something, I really don't think there can be any further discussion.
    - Simetrical 2009 in reply to Ferrets54

  3. #3

    Default Re: Bels working piece.

    Eagle Standard Exclusive – Roma Surrectum Release Feature


    Soon!


    Roma Surrectum II, a modification of Rome Total War almost three years in the making, has finally seen the light of day. What began as a vision by dvk901, a rudimentary project by Tone, a "simple" mod by countless other team members, has grown to become one of the most anticipated modifications of Rome Total War. The road to RSII was long. Patiently have you, the ever loyal fans, followed it. Aimed at re-creating the people of the ancient world while still retaining a fun element of gameplay, the journey to bring RSII to you has suffered from inactivity, disappointment, and even death. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the team forged on until from within their foundries a wholly new experience was crafted. And now:

    Ecce! Roma Surrectum!



    Download link to be added here
    COMING SOON!



    Many total war fans that play Rome: Total War will be familiar with Roma Surrectum 1 which was a modification which focused on the authenticity of the Roman army. It is one of my favorite Rome modifications alongside SPQR and Europa Barbarorum and truly managed to impress me in terms of its stability and lack of crashes common with most modifications. The only other constantly stable mod I remember was Infact SPQR and in terms of game play I find the two very similar in all the right ways. Roma Surrectum was in my opinion a Roman Centered modification and so it was possible to play by house rules and embark on realistic military campaigns. The other factions seemed to be less differentiated and thus I could never excite myself at the prospect of playing the Egyptians, which were similar to the Macedonians. It suited me as I was always a Roman at heart but with Roma Surrectum II one note that the other factions have gone through extensive changes and thus the game play variability will definitely be an improvement from the first mod. This is of course the opinion of one RS fan.



    Officially the game will exhibit the following key features –

    • A completely redesigned environment
    • Brand new and in some cases custom made faction music
    • 28 unique legions
    • Brand new models and skins for all factions as well as new factions
    • Unique campaigns tailored to each specific faction
    • An immersive yet understandable building tree
    • Several new battle-map buildings
    • New Traits and ancillaries, including Roman leadership tree envisioned by Calvin (R.I.P)
    • Two Roman Rebellions
    • A redesigned campaign map
    • New banners and UI
    • Regional resistance script that generates enemy armies after conquering a key enemy city
    • Free People Faction to simulate independent kingdoms
    • Diversified "barbarian" factions to highlight their uniqueness
    • Diverse Areas of Recruitment
    • Large mercenary pool
    • Presence of Historical characters
    • AUC (Ab Urbe Condita) system of year-keeping to prevent the 66BC CTD
    • Non-adoptable characters capable of forming new family trees
    • Greater Population control through buildings
    • Standalone Launcher
    • Faction Movie intors available in seperate download
    • Custom victory conditions for each faction for improved AI and a more difficult game



    The most defining feature of Roma Surrectum has always been the legions. There are a total of 28 unique legions, each with their own area of recruitment, appearance, and standards. The 28 legions are divided into two categories: the Hamata legions and the Segmentata legions with the Hamata being representative of the legions that existed in the latter days of the Republic and the Segmentata legions being representative of the legions that were levied after the establishment of the Principate.


    The RS Team has been experimenting with Bloom for players to try at higher settings.



    Here is a more in depth explanation of the new Rebellions feature -

    Rebellions in RS2 Roman history has had its fair share of rebellions, whether from allied cities of Rome or even her own generals. In Roma Surrectum II there are two large rebellions that faces the Roman Faction. These are NOT pre-set rebellions that will occur on a certain year but rather triggered rebellions based on the diplomatic, military, and territorial powers of the Roman Faction.

    The First Rebellion occurs at the very beginning of the game. Set during the height of the Second Punic War when Hannibal is in Italy and marching towards the gates of Rome, this rebellion is meant to simulate a political what-if situation in the precarious region of southern Italy. In this time, southern Italian cities are still a relatively new addition to the Republic. The news of Hannibal's presence in Italy and his many victories against Roman armies were a hopeful sign to the southern Italian cities of possible liberation from the oppression of the Romans. Following the Roman's defeat at Cannae, the most powerful city-state in the region: Capua, defected from Rome. Capua's defection led to the further defection of several other Italian city-states. They were more hopeful in Hannibal's military prowess than they were fearful of Rome's wrath. In Roma Surrectum II, the mod simulates this defection. Lose too many battles and southern Italy will revolt. Will Roman valor carry the day, or will you crumble to the combined armies of Hannibal and his newfound Italian allies?

    The Second Rebellion occurs towards the end of your campaign. Namely, it occurs when you reach 85 settlements. This is a simulation of a combination of the Republican Civil War of Julius Caesar, the Civil War of Octavian, as well as the tumultuous civil war of the Year of the Four Emperors. Entire provinces will be lost, large swathes of land will turn themselves to the Roman Rebels Faction, and your armies will be near decimated if the rebellion is big enough. This is the defining moment of any Roman player's mettle. Do you retreat towards a base of operation and slowly rebuild? Will you trade space and lives for time? Will you mount an all out assault against Rome and the feared Praetorian legions in the hopes of regaining your homeland? Will you ultimately regain control of your empire or die trying? Conversely, if the rebellion allows you Italy, will you crush the rebels beneath your boots? Or will a few ambitious men overthrow your hold of power and sweep away all that you have worked for? And all while fighting the rebellion, the external enemies of Rome are eyeing her weakness and are all preparing to take advantage of a rich divided empire...

    A key point to know about the rebellion is this: all settlements under your control when the rebellion occurs will automatically be set on auto-management. This is unavoidable and you'll simply have to manually change each settlement from auto-management.


    The Following are examples of the latest RS2 Teasers, The others can be found in the RS2 Main Previews Sub forums, its thoroughly recommended you check them all out!

    TEASER 4
    (Music by Marios Aristopoulos)

    TEASER 5

    TEASER 6
    Last edited by Belisarius; August 24, 2010 at 05:18 PM.
    Well, if I, Belisarius, the Black Prince, and you all agree on something, I really don't think there can be any further discussion.
    - Simetrical 2009 in reply to Ferrets54

  4. #4

    Default Re: Bels working piece.


    Written and Compiled by Capt. Fozdike & ToonTotalWar

    Hello and welcome to the next installment of the Empire and Napoleon News. The last couple of months have been a bit quiet in the ETW/NTW modding area with only a handful of new mods being released. But never fear! There is still news to be read with some new good looking mods being released and coming out soon. Things in the Tools and Tutorials area have been quite dead but I have still managed to find one to keep you potential modders happy. So please welcome ToonTotalWar to the stage as we give you the news from June and July.

    IndexOn the Shelves
    Showroom
    Cheese Shop



    On the Shelves
    The latest and greatest! The newest and bluest! The... Well, you get the idea.

    The Modders seem to be sitting back in their lawn chairs for the last couple of months. I say we go and raid their houses, take away their beer and their bikini clad women and sit them down in front of their computers and force them to mod! (And keep the bikini clad ladies for ourselves of course) . Anyway, here is the latest news for the last couple of months. Enjoy!

    (NTW Mod) 18th Century British mod V1.11






    Now I give to you a nice mod that gives all of your British units that ‘18th century’ feel. For those that don’t have ETW or those that have it and don’t like it but love NTW, this is an excellent mod to give you those accurate British units from the 18th century that we all love. It contains some of the textures from the American Revolution mod for ETW which is much loved by many ETW owners so you can guarantee that this mod is awesome.



    View & Download Here

    Capt. Fozdike



    (NTW Mod) Zulu Mod V2.1
    “Zulus……there’s thousands of them!!!” – (in Micheal Caine voice!!!)

    This mod is truly a breath of fresh air for NTW, and as a big fan of this mod Kungfuserge and team have delivered an outstanding contribution with this mod.
    At present the mod is available in custom battle only, but plans to introduce the Zulu Wars on a campaign map are in the pipeline. Historical accurate units for both the British, Natal and Zulu nations have been created for this excellent mod.

    View & Download Here

    ToonTotalWar


    (NTW Mod) Foreign Legions Mod V2.0
    Now it’s time for a mod that will please our unit crazed TW players all over the world! Well, maybe not that many but pretty close. As most of you will know, France has always been renowned for its Foreign Troops and its Foreign Legion. Well this mod by EmperorBatman999 adds many, many foreign troops into the French arsenal including Irish Fusilliers, Portugese Dragoons, Italian Guards of Honour, Hannoverian Grenadiers and many more! This mod looks really awesome and I’d highly recommend checking it out.

    View & Download Here

    Capt. Fozdike


    (NTW Mod) The Sapper Units Mod V0.9
    A nice little mod that adds some new units to your vanilla game.
    This mod is meant to add sapper units to the all the main factions, and thus add a bit of variety. Sappers were typically used to aid in defense and attack, especially on enemy fortifications, and were essential to most successful military operations.
    An ongoing project for this member, so keep checking out this mod.

    View & Download Here

    ToonTotalWar


    (NTW Mod) Universal AI Project Mod V0.06
    The Universal AI mod is an awesome little mod that tweaks and changes the gameplay and AI of Napoleon Total War. It changes many little things in the game that add up to make it a much more immersive gameplay. The AI now makes more strategic moves, recruits more sensible units when attacking you, has more diplomatic strategy to keep alliances stronger and will use its economy a whole lot better. Well worth a look!

    View & Download Here

    Capt. Fozdike


    (NTW Mod) La montée de l'Empire Mod V1.2.1
    The La montée de l'Empire mod is a historical focused mod that give you the opportunity to play as either Napleon or one of his allies, play as one of the Third Coalition members, or perhaps play as one of the “Major” Neutral countries having the option to choose side or stay out of the conflict.
    Whatever path in history you choose it will not be easy, Another great mod addition from this member.

    View & Download Here

    ToonTotalWar


    (NTW Mod) Stronger Forts and Buildings Mod V1.1
    This is just a little mod to increase the strength of your forts and buildings. The creator has made all buildings 10x stronger so you can easily keep out those pesky enemies. Now it will not only be an angry shopkeeper with a shotgun defending his corner shop but he also titanium walls!

    View & Download Here

    Capt. Fozdike


    (NTW Mod) Propaganda's General Mod
    This great sub mod allows you to start recruiting Generals and Admirals at Drill School from the beginning of the game.
    If you are bored to command captain after captain, then this mod is for you!

    View & Download Here

    ToonTotalWar



    (NTW Mod) tiyafeh's Animation Mod for NTW V1.0
    This is a great little mod for NTW that changes some of the game mechanics and some of the visuals in the game. For instance, now you can dismount your General Unit, the Lancers no longer thrust overarm and also use sabres in melee. The changes are small but it is an excellent little mod for any NTW player.

    View & Download Here

    Capt. Fozdike


    (ETW Mod) Morocco Units Mod
    This mod adds 16 additional units to the Morocco faction. 15 units have been beautifully created by the creator and now give this nation some real depth in campaign/custom battle recruitment.
    A must have mod for all on the Empire format.

    View & Download Here

    ToonTotalWar





    The Showroom
    Other announcements strut their stuff.


    Here is a very exciting WIP that every NTW player should have a look at. Enjoy!


    (NTW Preview) Revolution Order of War



    Yes, yes, it’s that time again. Once more Marshal Beale shows his face in the ES with one of his new modding ventures. I swear there must be either two of him or he has 10 slaves to help him mod. Anyway, this mod is called Revolution Order of War and it is based on the French Revolutionary Wars of 1789 to 1801 which is sadly missed out in NTW. Marshal Beale says the mod will overhaul the campaign with new units, technologies and a whole new gameplay. At the start of the campaign as the French Revolutionary Force you will start with several large militia armies outside of Paris and all of the Royalist French cities will be rioting and rebelling and your goal is to take all of France by 1799 as well as several other missions. Playing as Royalist France will be extremely hard since all of your cities will be unhappy with you and you will struggle to keep the populace under control. All of the units will be completely redone to make a more authentic revolutionary feel. Royalist France will be brought back into the Total War series so the ROW team have had to create a whole new faction from scratch. I’m feeling really excited about this mod and I’m deeply looking forward to it!


    Capt. Fozdike







    The Cheese Shop
    Don't let the name fool you...


    Things in the Tools and Tutorials area have been quite dead for several months now but I have managed to find one interesting tutorial. Enjoy!

    This is a really good tutorial that shows you how you can create your own music mod for Napoleon Total War. If you want to follow in the footsteps of good ol’ Brigadier Graham then this is the tutorial for you.
    Last edited by Belisarius; August 24, 2010 at 05:31 PM.
    Well, if I, Belisarius, the Black Prince, and you all agree on something, I really don't think there can be any further discussion.
    - Simetrical 2009 in reply to Ferrets54

  5. #5

    Default Re: Bels working piece.



    Written and compiled by - Verrückt, Viking Prince, Dewy & The Dutch Devil


    Welcome to the First installment of Medieval II and Kingdoms News. Before we get into the news and information, staff is a shuffling. Augustus Lucifer has decided that being an editor is more than a full time job. I am going to make an attempt to fill the gap however modestly I do it as the new team leader. The staff has also shuffled. Dewy and The Dutch Devil are going to slave away gathering and writing all the tidbits that you crave. I was not the good team leader giving credit this time. I did on the few bigger articles, but let's just say the smaller ones were a team effort. If there is a mistake here, I take the blame. If anything seems outstanding and worthy of compliments — rep my assistants. They deserve the rep even if (oh never mind — you get the idea). Now on to the NEWS!


    Index
    Spotlight Where one can find the sections highlighted Italian Based mod
    On The Shelves Learn all about the latest Mod Releases
    Plug N' Play Focusing on Smaller Sub-Mods
    Showroom Dealing with other announcements
    Cheese Shop Cheese, Articles and Tutorials






    Spotlight

    Hey! Over here! Look at me!


    Bellum Crucis 6 released


    A Newsflash from our Italian Friends


    Check out the thread for further updates. Click on the link if you are daring and willing to explore an Italian language based mod. TWC wishes you luck and please keep us updated.


    Thread for Bellum Crucis 5 (has English translation)
    Thread for Bellum crucis 6 (now released and needs English translation)


    I have never downloaded Bellum Crucis 5, but judging from some of the screen shots by Giovi in 5.0, I might be missing out on something here. These are from last year's release, but here is the post link.
    by Viking Prince




    Some info from druvatar`s from his upcoming mod Claimants, Heirs, and Conquerors


    Some cheese from druvatar

    Unit cards for Milan, Venice, Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and Moors.

    Here's Milan for those who love to play what all seem to love to hate.

    Units


    Also some selected improved southern European buildings and building description images:

    Buildings


    Thread link for unit card .rar file links and easy instructions.
    Thread link for the improved southern European buildings and building description images .rar file link and easy instructions

    And just so he gets a free plug, these are from his upcoming mod Claimants, Heirs, and Conquerors (ChC) Click and enjoy!
    by Viking Prince




    Return to Medieval II and Kingdoms News Index





    On The Shelves

    Fresh off the presses! The main attraction!


    Swagger's Sky Mod




    This time Swagger has released the final version of his graphical enhancement mod: his brand new Sky Mod changes the battlefield particles, sky and lightning to create an even more realistic battle gameplay.

    This mod is also very easy to install and fully compatible with other mods, so even if you are satisfied with your installation and mod choice, you will still be happy to use this beautiful graphic mod. But still, make sure to backup your files. Backups are always useful.

    Here is the mod thread, so you can download it here:

    Swagger's Sky Mod
    by Verrückt




    Konny's minimod for Kingdoms America campaign


    konny has created what I would label a vanity mod. Do not get me wrong, I tried it for a bit and I did like what I saw. He has made some changes to make it personally more satisfying to play. The biggest change is no Europeans and thus no cannons to blast away at nearly defenseless natives and no horses. So yeah, you will only play a native people against the others before the Europeans changed their world. This means the time frame is changed to 1300-1492 (btw with 4 turns per year). There are a host of other tweaks to make things work prior to the Europeans entry into the new world.

    Just to get the flavor
    Spanish Removed


    changed start year


    changed recruitment pools

    and


    NB: The screen texts are in German because I have the German edition of Kingdoms. This mod will not overwrite any visible texts of the game, i.e. works with any language version of Kingdoms.


    This is a minimod and also not mod foldered. Just so you all know ahead of time. Of course, you all read the directions on any mod before downloading and installing.

    Thread Link
    by Viking Prince





    New Portraits for the Muslim factions

    jermagon has a fun bit of cheese for you if you are interested. He has 27 character portraits (54 pics counting old and young) for you Muslim factions. Many of these are in Broken Cresant, but he says that there are some new ones here as well.



    Instructions, some more info and a download link are included in the thread link.
    by Viking Prince




    Return to Medieval II and Kingdoms News Index




    Plug N' Play

    Like Mini-Me, just not as adorable.


    Broken Crescent: Eras

    Eras Submod

    This time in our Plug N' Play section we have TuCoT's promising submod for the popular Broken Crescent mod. TuCoT's aim is to create several sub-campaigns separated by their time frames. There will be three campaigns, every of them will feature 200 turns of gameplay. They are:

    Early Era campaign: between 1071-1171
    High Era campaign: between 1174-1274
    Late Era campaign: between 1300-1400

    Such an approach will let players immerse in a specific period of time straight away. Another nice thing is that such campaigns are going to be more detailed and focused.

    In conclusion, it is necessary to say that this submod adds three campaigns into the Custom Campaigns menu. This will allow you to play this great submod without altering any features of the original BC, should you return to it.

    Make sure to take a look at the submod thread here:

    Broken Crescent: Eras Submod
    by Verrückt



    Broken Crescent: All Scripts Available for Players

    This little submod (also from TuCoT) makes all the ingame scripts work for players. What does that mean? Have you ever been annoyed by the fact that your enemy can suddenly have an event of spawning an extra army and you never have those? Well, now it is fixed. Now if you are playing as the Turkish Sultanate, you will have Osman, and as the Ayyubids you will have Baybars with his Mamluk army.

    You can download this mod here:

    All Scripts Available for Players - BC
    by Verrückt




    Return to Medieval II and Kingdoms News Index





    Showroom

    Other announcements strut their stuff.

    Reconquista: Total War - 2D Art Preview by Verrückt
    Reconquista: Total War




    Reconquista: Total War is an ambitious project by Hereje, a modder from Spain that will be focused on one of the most interesting periods of Iberian history: the Reconquista.

    Not so long ago a 2D art preview for this mod has been released and it is really worth a detailed review.

    Among the presented features are: new menu designs, new interfaces, new portraits and many other important things.

    We will follow the Reconquista team's work and hope for the mod to be released soon.

    You can read the whole preview here:

    RECONQUISTA: TOTAL WAR - 2D ART PREVIEW
    by Verrückt




    Wrath of the Norsemen - Building Tree Preview by Verrückt
    Wrath of the Norsemen


    Wrath of the Norsemen
    The innovative build tree preview

    The developers of the Wrath of the Norsemen mod for Medieval 2 Total War have just released their new preview, and this time we will learn about the brand new build tree system. But first, it is necessary to say that to make this system work, and of course of the challenge, the settlements will have no buildings at the start and their growth and trade will be at minimum. So how does this system work?



    On the scheme we can see that to finally build the longhouse that produces Vikings and other capable troops, the player will have to build many other buildings. This build tree system looks very alike with the Civilization’s technology trees, and researching techs was one of the most interesting and useful things to do in the Civ games.

    Apart from this, the developers promised to make sieges more interesting and prolonged, improved pathfinding on walls during sieges and of course historical reality.

    You can read the whole preview here:

    WRATH OF THE NORSEMEN: THE BUILD TREE PREVIEW:
    by Verrückt



    Tsardoms: Total War - Ottoman Preview by Verrückt
    Tsardoms: Total War


    Faction preview: Ottoman Empire

    Tsardoms: Total War is a conversion that will shift us into the border between Christianity and Islam – Balkans and Greece. This time, the T:TW team has presented us a preview of another major faction: the Ottoman Empire.



    As you can see in the picture, the Ottoman Empire has not yet reached its full glory and maximum extent, so it won’t be overpowered in terms of finances and armies – the mod leaves Asia Minor behind, which is a great thing in terms of balance.

    The Ottomans will have their unique faction-specific buildings, such as Hammams, the famous Turkish baths and Karavanserai’s, which will be a place for caravans to stop at, thus boosting up your trade. This buildings will be of great help as they are providing great bonuses. For instance, the Opium Den gives +1 to units’ morale, but nothing comes without a price: the locals will not be happy with junkies roaming back and forth in their city – you will have to deal with civil unrest.

    There will also be buildings that the Ottomans can build with no penalty, such as Hospitals and the above-mentioned baths: Hospitals boost population growth and baths increase public order, but they will not be cheap.

    But what is Total War without its warriors? The Ottomans count on their brand new units, each of them unique and throughoutly researched.

    You can read the whole preview here:

    TSARDOMS: TOTAL WAR. OTTOMANS PREVIEW
    by Verrückt




    Shadow of Ishtar: Egypt Preview by The Dutch Devil
    Shadow of Ishtar Preview 3: Egypt

    Sadly Shadow of Ishtar is a pretty unkown mod. And this is completly undeserverd, because shadow of Ishtar wil completly change the way you'll experience Medieval II Total War. At least that's what they promise, the hard working team just released their third preview on Egypt.



    Shadow of Ishtar is a mod which will take you back to the ancient times where pharaohs ruled the land and were Nubian tribes battled each other.

    In this preview fans get a look at the city models seen on the campaign map:



    These detailed models will make the immersion into the ancient times easier, and they provide useful eye-candy for when there are task to be done!

    Another thing that got previewed is the units of ancient Egypt, the team also gave us some units to drool over. The units they picked give a good view of Egypt's roster foot based with some cavalry and chariots.

    If you want to know more about this promising mod: go here for the preview. And go here for the SoI forum! And don't forget if you like it let them know.
    by The Dutch Devil



    Terra Sancta Preview by The Dutch Devil
    Terra Sancta

    This is the first preview of the mod +Terra Sancta+ a ambitious idea from =vastator= aiming to: 'make a mod set on the crusade era, but not strictly focused on it, but also on neighbour regions.' In the preview he tells us that he's not a 100% sure about the map, start date and things like that. But he already has got some of the units sorted and they are beautiful, see for yourself, there are screenshots in the Gallery.

    He also explains his aim of his mod, instead of making a 100% historical mod he says that he wants to make a mod which improves gameplay. Lets hope that he succeeds and that Terra Sancta will entertain us! For the thread go here
    by The Dutch Devil






    Tsardoms: Total War













    Shadow of Ishtar








    Terra Sancta











    Return to Medieval II and Kingdoms News Index





    Cheese Shop

    Sorry sir, we're fresh out of cheese...


    How to get Rid of Bald generals in Medieval II

    The tutorial's name pretty much explains everything: if you are tired of 16 years old generals being bald as a knee, this is for you. So, in this tutorial for good old Medieval 2, modder Ishan teaches us how to get rid of portraits of bald generals in a few easy steps, with no serious modding or editing. Fast and neat.

    Learn how to get more hair for your generals here:

    Tutorial: How to get Rid of Bald generals in Medieval II
    by Verrückt



    Unit Info Cards Tutorial After a year of being internal to the EB2 mod, alin, its creator has released this helpful tutorial in public. Following these instructions, you will be able to create awesome Info Cards for your new units. So, if you really want your mod to look neat, make sure you use this tutorial for the most vanilla-like unit cards you will ever see.

    Learn to create unit cards here:

    Unit Info Cards Tutorial
    by Verrückt



    Return to Medieval II and Kingdoms News Index

    -- The Medieval II News Team

    Return to ES Main Index
    Last edited by Belisarius; August 25, 2010 at 05:04 AM.
    Well, if I, Belisarius, the Black Prince, and you all agree on something, I really don't think there can be any further discussion.
    - Simetrical 2009 in reply to Ferrets54

  6. #6

    Default Re: Bels working piece.


    Written and Compiled by Viking Prince!


    Some Tidbits from Rome Total War

    Ages of Darkness 2

    ..
    Pompeius Magnus is still working away on preparing a preview. Who knows? Interesting stuff might be just around the corner. In any case, he has reorganised and dusted his mod forum a bit. A new thread (link) gives everyone a great index to all of the previews as well as a good look at what the mod is all about. Yes it is a new intro thread.

    I just had a short talk with him. The following is an edited selection from our conversation.

    Pompeius Magnus "Hi Viking! An interview with eagle was performed some 6 or 8 months ago - however, there were not really many new interested guys. The late antiquity is of course not the most beloved time era for most of the players, but we hope to get 1 or 2 new model makers to release that stuff somewhere next year (hopefully).

    My unit maker empio promised me (but you know what it means) that he will deliver many Sassanian (mostly mounted) units (brand new stuff of course) in the next 2 weeks. This preview is planned.

    Furthermore we finished another customized settlement of Colonia Agrippina (Cologne) of the late 5th/6th century with brand new 3 buildings and many many new tenement-textures, a new city wall texture etc.

    This previews could be posted also within the next 2 weeks (some minor cosmetic stuff is still left).

    So, we have indeed some new stuff next time - ready for a bigger preview. "

    So watch for some interesting stuff in the ES in the next issue or so. In the mean time, take a quick look at his index.

    Editor's note -- the prior interview was in the The Eagle Standard Volume VIII Issue II in the Captains Cabin



    Hegemonia City States (BI) Teaser

    Jarlaxe is playing 20 questions, well actually he is providing two hints. You will need to provide both the question as well as the answer. Check his signature or go to Hegemonia City States (BI) to solve the mystery. I do not hold the answer, so do not ask.

    Not a preview and definitely not a release -- call it a tease:



    The above is a cropped portion of hint number one. Now it is up to you to find hint number two and draw your own conclusions.



    Ran No Jidai - Progress or a tease?





    Excerpted with liberal editing from the Ran No Jidai - Progress or maybe it is the no progress thread? Is this a tease as well?

    ..
    Wundai: I have to tease you! This forum is as dead as... well can't find the word for it, but its dead.

    Leonidas1710: It's not dead. We're all just lurking in the shadows like ninja...because we are ninja. Seriously, it's nice to see news here and I check this forums everyday. But it's still kinda boring that all modders disappeared after the beta release and nobody really knows what's going on at the moment.
    That shouldn't be understood like I blame the team 'cause I'm sure they're working hard on this, but I wouldn't mind at least a little update for the beta with the progress you made from that point, at least with the new animations from satori.

    Wundai: ... Leonidas, you're actually right mate, however I wonder how many modders looked at this forum before the beta release. But I myself did dissapear thats true, maybe we need a PR person again, hmm I'll ask this to our modleader.

    Editors note: The ES is here to help all developers to give a public relations boast to your projects. Ask us for how we can help. Also, remember there is the A team for the big assist as well.

    leonn: Not dead,not dead at all.we are here in the darkness..watching you.
    we will always be here.

    Wundai: Some WIP Campaign Shots anyone?

    So is this dead or is this a tease? I am hoping for the tease. Oh, by the way you can find the pics that these cropped tidbits are from here.



    Released!!! - Aristeia: The Epic Cycle


    ..
    Aristeia: The Epic Cycle otherwise known as Aristeia 2.0 was released in June. You need the Alexander expansion to play this modifiction of RTW. The Mod Leaders are Zhuge_Liang and Zenith Darksea.

    Briefly this has new campaigns(Cypria 112Da, Iliad 121Da), a new faction (House of Thyestes), new units and new unique heroes. And a host of technical improvements as well. One of the interesting technical changes has to do with lighting.

    The release announcement is here

    Go for the lighting and stay to play the mod! I have not played this yet. Well, I just purchased the RTW series and I am getting my feet wet as we speak. I have downloded this to play though. Just because.....




    The Fall of Rome (FoR) (BI) --Patch 1.4

    ..


    The Fall of Rome (FoR) (BI) has a new patch out. Instructions and all of the important stuff are located here

    A big note for those who find this information important -- The modification is not mod foldered. Obviously this means the patch is also going to overwrite the vanilla as the original modification did.

    By the way -- that handsome man you see to the left has a story behind him:
    Quote Originally Posted by florin80 View Post
    In v1.4 because of the failed unit swap confusion we ended up having the scotti and the picti spearmen looking identical. Fortunately we`ve just managed to redo the pictish spearmen based on the original cavalry unit made by hæressiarch and using one of leif`s textures. Many thanks to bladerunner for making the necessary gfx adjustments and for the renders!





    Modding Resources for Eras
    Fresh ideas for tools, tips, tutorials, and resources


    This is a report on what is good, great, and notable from the Rome Workshop. This is a huge resource base that expands literally daily (OK, this is an exageration). Please make it a regular stop for the latest ideas.

    "Tool, Tip, Tutorial or Resource of the Issue"

    The first focus is from Tutorials for unit editing. This is also the highlight for this issue.
    phalanx_man who is still wet behind the ears having just registered this March and is to be congradulated for a great thread start. Since this is part one, we all can only hope the rest is a good as this thread in his study.

    RTW BATTLE MECHANICS: Part I – A Study of Combat Parameters


    Quote Originally Posted by phalanx_man View Post
    A study of the effects of combat parameters on battle resolution.

    1. INTRODUCTION:

    I am relatively new to the RTW game (having only discovered the game Feb 2009) and am even newer to both Modding and TWC community in general (having only been a member for a few months). I have recently been making my own mod (from RTR) for my own personal use using historical data for things like armor types, shield sizes (i.e. Frontal area in square meters), weapon type damage etc. My sources include both ancient and modern historians (see bibliography). As I continued to make mods and battle test, I began to note discrepancies in the conventionally interpreted EDU.txt file parameters and their effects on the battle resolution and kill rate in particular....
    I cannot say whether he is right or wrong. I can only hope that many try and replicate the information on their own and post their opinions and findings to the thread. Even Aradan (my boss, so this is the suck up reference for the issue, VP) who is the author of the tutorial ]The Complete EDU Guide thought this was worth checking out. This is exciting stuff.


    The highlight on Tutorials for unit editing is from Sqυιd. He has given us a little tool that displays the descr_geography.db Editor in human readable format. Check out his post for more info as well as the download link.

    The highlight on Tutorials on Text editing is also from Sqυιd. If you use Zeus (link ), you will need to look up his tutorial titled How to get the most out of Zeus

    Well that is a wrap on Modding Resources for Eras. Until next time, may all of your edits avoid a dreaded CTD. And if there is that rare problem, stop by this forum first to help find a solution. No need to reinvent the wheel.
    Well, if I, Belisarius, the Black Prince, and you all agree on something, I really don't think there can be any further discussion.
    - Simetrical 2009 in reply to Ferrets54

  7. #7

    Default Re: Bels working piece.




    Featuring various forms of Arts Projects and Activities

    Written and compiled by - Juvenal, Killerbee, Mega Tortas and Sun


    Welcome to Artist's Gallery, dedicated to bringing you the news about the creative arts at TWC.

    It's been a while, but now we are all back up to speed; so plump up the cushions and prepare for a Mach-2 trip through the vast dark caverns of writing and picture making at TWC. If you like, you can start with a video! The monthly TWC Video competitions share the same forum as Picture of the Week here - follow the link for a visual feast.

    This month, as usual, we cover the Monthly AAR competition, Picture of the Week and Tale of the Week; and thanks to Sun, RPG Headquarters also makes a come-back!

    Come to think of it, nothing from Mega Tortas can ever be fairly described by the word "usual". His submission is gargantuan, colourful, eclectic and filled with formatting tags (now mostly purged). Please don't skip over it, there are some amazing things happening in Tale of the Week these days!

    IndexMAARC XXI
    The World of AARs
    Picture of the Week
    Tale of the Week
    RPG Headquarters
    Last Word



    The World of AARs
    In which Juvenal gives up trying to count all the new AARs

    I thought I'd try something different this time... instead of listing all the new AARs, I'll just show you where AARs are posted.


    If I have missed any forums with active AARs then please let me know and I'll put them in next time.


    MAARC XXI
    In which Juvenal watches another triptych of winning stories sail serenely off into the sunset

    Despite the long gap since the last issue of Eagle Standard, we only have one completed MAARC to report. But, golly! What a fabulous set of winners they are!

    FIRST PLACE
    [BC AAR] Visions of an Odyssey: A Makurian Dynasty by Thokran

    A beautifully-written story chronicling the struggles and political intrigues of a tiny African faction nestling at the headwaters of the Nile. Utilizing the incredible Broken Crescent mod for M2TW, this really is a must-read, and is well deserving of its victory in the MAARC!

    Read a full review by Skantarios here.

    SECOND PLACE
    [IB AAR] The Lone Eagle of Britannia by ReD_OcToBeR

    As the triumphal completion of the multi-award-winning Ishtar Gate to Alexandria is still sinking into the minds of its stunned audience, ReD_OcToBeR has already started another major work. This time he has chosen my own favourite mod, Invasio Barbarorum. What's more, his protagonist is of the Romano-British, a faction which was squashed in short order in my own IBRR AAR. I suspect that in ReD_OcToBeR's version of history, my beloved Picts are due for a drubbing.

    This AAR has not yet reviewed, but I'm sure that act of criminal negligence will soon be rectified.

    THIRD PLACE
    [NTW AAR] Frederick VI: rise to power by Christian Goth

    A charming and sometimes touching tale of the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway during the time of Napoleon's rampage across Europe; and more particularly, the intensely personal story of its young Crown Prince, and later King, Frederick.

    Last reviewed by Skantarios (again!) here.



    Picture of the Week
    from Killerbee, Official ES Art Critic

    PotW and UesW Missed a whole bunch of submissions because we skipped previous month, sooo ... I'm just gonna wrap 'em up and start with the last ones. We also passed the 100 UesW competitions. Let's hope it lasts at least another 100. We also passed the 200 PotW competitions. Again, we hope for yet anothe..... Cheers !

    PotW 196 and UesW 99
    PotW 197 and UesW 100
    PotW 198 and UesW 101

    PotW 199 and UesW 102
    PotW 199
    UesW 102


    PotW 200 and UesW 103
    PotW 200
    UesW 103


    - Wow, double win for Luckylewis. Guess he got real lucky there ! Oh sorry for the lame joke, and congratulations Luckylewis.

    PotW 201 and UesW 104
    PotW 201
    UesW 104


    PotW 202 and UesW 105
    PotW 202
    UesW 105


    Alright, that was it for this 2 months. Most wins were correct and great, and it looks like both competitions are getting a bit of a "revival". Undoubtedly my part in this whole happening as writer for the ES has to do with it


    Killerbee


    Tale of the Week
    from Mega Tortas (de Bodemloze), the man who put the Creative into Creative Writing

    Tale of the Week: Nanny de Bodemloze vs Lucky Lewis title bout

    Come see the action, in the Challenge/Duel thread then vote.


    This edition of TotW coverage brings lots of excitement and frenetic activity your way. First off, we have a changing of the guard, Caretaker to be precise. Fresh off his smash up engagement at the CdeC, Nanny de Bodemloze boots his Parent right out the door and assumes Editorial control over TotW proper. Lets zoom in on the conference as it happens...

    There's a new Nanny in Town...


    In addition to the Bloodless coup, a format change took place and now ALL weekly story competitions are open to Free Style writing. How this works is....

    Da rules: Write about whatever you feel like.

    1. Min 200words. Max don't make it longer than"War & Peace" Paradise Lost.

    2. The Storyboard {picture} is just the placeholder, you are not obligated to write about it, However you can if you want to.

    3. You are not obligated to provide a picture or music links, or vid links. However...you may use them in your presentation if you wish.

    4. You are honor bound not to read other submissions until yours has been posted.

    6. Submission (teehee) {Nanny's Tee Hee, not mine}deadline, late Sunday evening. Goes to vote early to mid Monday morning.

    7. The folks here at TotW threw out the rulebook, , long long ago....



    LuckyLewis has come over from the ETW/NTW forums and single handedly, restarted "The Renaissance". With unequalled and tireless efforts he has archived all the Winning Tales from inception 'til now, in a single repository of Glory. That may be found here...

    TotW Winners Story Archive

    TotW Winners Story Archive
    Links to all previous competitions and to winners' profiles


    Winner: TotW 83a: "Wizard of Oz" -Valandur
    Winner: TotW 82a: "Reap what you sow" - Bucket of Lithium
    Winner: TotW 81a: "Batman Forever" - Devilsdaughter77
    Winner: TotW 80c: "Freestyle Writing" - Solid Snake
    Winner: TotW78a: "They were on us in an instant" - Katsumoto
    Winner: TotW 77a: Da Goofy's "Upset special of the week" - Mega Tortas de Bodemloze
    Winner TotW 76a: A Samuri excels admist the desert sands - Katsumoto
    Winner: TotW 75b: A "True Patriot" mows down the competition - Don't Tread on Me
    Winner: TotW 75a "The Great One" spears all opposition - Julius Barca the Great
    Winner: TotW 74b: A Chaplain smites the Romans - Chaplain118
    Winner: TotW 74a: A man from Broken Crescent survives a trip back to Roman times - KippyK
    Winner: TotW 73b A Spartan declares "The Fall of Man" - Spartan262
    Winner: TotW 73a: A Nazgul is Victorious - Nazgûl Killer
    Winner: TotW72b: mrcrusty finds a horse - mrcrusty
    Winner: TotW 72a A Frenchman in Sudan - Beer Money
    Winner: TotW 71a: Tri-umphant Champions - mrcrusty, Borissomeone & Jingle_Bombs
    Winner TotW 70: The Sunbird accends to the Heavens on victorious wings.. - Sunbird Alkibijad
    Winner TotW 69: Thru Stormy Seas - Saint Nicholas
    Winner TotW 68: The Distinction of Honor & Integrity - Mega Tortas de Bodemloze
    Winner TotW 67: ...and so I Run! - RaZor HeaD
    Winner TotW 66: And he spoke of victory - Julius Barca the Great
    Winner TotW 65: Justifiable vengeance - Mega Tortas de Bodemloze
    Winner TotW 64: The Great Storm - Ariovistus Maximus
    Winner TotW 63: Duty - KippyK
    Winner TotW 62: The land of Regrets - Mega Tortas de Bodemloze
    Winner TotW 61: Final Charge - Legio
    Winner TotW 60b: Attention to Detail - Juvenal
    Winner TotW 60: When Wishes Come True - Juvenal
    Winner TotW 59: Lost in Translation - Juvenal
    Winner TotW 58: Greed - Juvenal
    Winner TotW 57: Legio's story without a title - Legio
    Winner TotW 56: Home - Legio
    Winner TotW 55: Silence - Julius Barca the Great
    Winner TotW 54: The Last of the Jacobites - Mutton Chops
    Winner TotW 53: I do not know his name - Don't Tread on Me
    Winner TotW 52: Jedi Varus's Legion - TheTrueGreek
    Winner TotW 51: A Moment of Clarity - Julius Barca the Great
    Winner TotW 50: Slaying the Beast - Benz282
    Winner TotW 49: The Charge - a Soldier's Account - Copperknickers II
    Winner TotW 48: Golden Scourge - Sunbird Alkibijad
    Winner TotW 47: Apotheosis - Sunbird Alkibijad
    Winner TotW 46: Our Time is Ending - Don't Tread on Me
    Winner TotW 45: The Blade - Nazgûl Killer
    Winner TotW 44: Learning the ways of the Warrior - Viking Prince
    Winner TotW 43: Power of the Ring - Juvenal
    Winner TotW 42: "Roma" - Sunbird Alkibijad
    Winner TotW 41: Pray for Rain - Sunbird Alkibijad
    Winner TotW 40: Battle of the Gorgoroth - Astaroth
    Winner TotW 39: Hair - Theodotos I
    Winner TotW 38: A Soldier - Theodotos I
    Winner TotW 37: Roman Might - Theodotos I
    Winner TotW 36: Deus Lo Vult - Theodotos I
    Winner TotW 35: You Old Coot... - Nazgûl Killer
    Winner TotW 34: "Betrayal" - RatBag
    Winner TOTW 33: "The Call" - Mega Tortas de Bodemloze
    Winner TOTW 32: "Driftin'" - molls
    Winner TOTW 31: "The Storyteller" - Theodotos I
    Winner TOTW 30b: "The End Of An Era" - Theodotos I
    Winner TOTW 30: "Eulogy" - Theodotos I
    Winner TOTW 29: "As the setting of the sun" - Theodotos I
    Winner TOTW 28: "The Legend of Greyheart" - Elendil of Númenor
    Winner TOTW 27: "Captain Feeney" - Pøntifex
    Winner TOTW 26: "Gods' Wrath" - Elendil of Númenor
    Winner TOTW 25: "The Confusing Gays" - Kátz
    Winner TOTW 24b: "Memories in the rain" - Elendil of Númenor
    Winner TOTW 24: "W.M.D" - Juvenal
    Winner TOTW 23: "Ambition" - Juvenal
    Winner TOTW 22: "Valley of the Shadow" - Theodotos I
    Winner TOTW 21: "Total War - Apocolypse" - Musthavename
    Winner TOTW 20: "Delusions of the Deranged" - Manoflooks
    Winner TOTW 19: "The New Prometheus" - Theodotos I
    Winner TOTW 18b: "Home Coming" - Theodotos I
    Winner TOTW 18: "A Friend Indeed" - Pøntifex
    Winner TOTW 17: "Loved By God" - Pøntifex
    Winner TOTW 16: "The Sword" - Juvenal
    Winner TOTW 15: "Tancred wasn't like the other Germans. He didn't like fighting. He liked dancing and signing!" - Naturalist
    Winner TOTW 14: "Poverty, Obediance, and Chastity " - Desperado †
    Winner TOTW 13: "Blood and Sand" - Pøntifex
    Winner TOTW 12: "Dew on the Morning Grass" - Desperado †
    Winner TOTW 11: "Self-Destruct" - Juvenal
    Winner TOTW 10: "Grave of Liquid" - Pøntifex
    Winner TOTW 9: "Like a Thief in the Night" - Juvenal
    Winner TOTW 8: "The Mist" - molls
    Winner TOTW 7: "Foreign" - Theseus1234
    Winner TOTW 6: "Revenge of the Sith" - Juvenal
    Winner TOTW 5: "Gaza Coffee-House Parting" - Juvenal
    Winner TOTW 4: "Teutoburger Wald: The True Story" - Juvenal
    Winner TOTW 3: "Dear Mary" - zznɟ ǝɥʇ
    Winner TOTW 2: "Numidia" - Pøntifex
    Winner TOTW 1: "Start of the March" - Aldgarkalaughskel


    Yes, yes another one of Mega's insane scheme's is to construct a repository where every Tale "ever" written will be contained and accessable with ease and comfort. He has no clue how to initiate the project so he would appreciate it if you'all would keep the notion under wraps for the time being....

    From the Gossipy side of TotW comes word that GrandPapa de Bodemloze has thrown down a moritorium against clutter and disorder and has decended upon the forum to maintain law and order with an iron fist. He's holding the forum to around 7 threads plus active competions as opposed to Mega's House of disorder and insanity with blown out/Maxed out upper and lower forums. Our imformants tell us that Mega seethes with rage at the mere thought of creativity being contained by order. Looks like Hesus de Bodemloze better sleep with one eye open and a "Glock" under his pillow. Nanny ever the phenominal diplomat is staying away from the fray, happily in ignorant bliss as he conquers the other side of the forums with his unbridled enthusiasm and zest for accomplishment.

    Why on earth anyone would want to join the "Freakshow" that is the House of de Bodemloze is beyoooooond me!!!!! Well enough of the claptrap, let's move on to the competitions themselves...

    TotW 80c: During the run of a belligerent VOTE OFF, Solid Snake flattened Mega Tortas de Bodemloze's unique tale of wedded bliss. At one point during the match it was rummored that Mega chucked his Monitor and PC out the window, thus explianing his two day absence from the competition.

    TotW 80c The Storyboard Picture



    TotW 80c: The Tale



    The people of the bad-herb

    I was there; I was there right beside my Uey Tlatoani on the most glorious day of all our history. I was a member of his personal guard; I was a Tlamahuichihuani Cuaútlic, a Champion of the Order of the Eagle. The night before I had ordered my house´s servants to polish the golden claws of my armor, I had told them to take out any loose strands of the shield that proclaimed my name and my rank, I told them to make sure that my helmet, made after an eagle´s skull that covered my head between it´s beak functioned properly, and then I myself flattened out the feathers that covered the cotton that composed the armor in both chest and arms. And early on the morning I had risen at the chant of the bird Papapiqui and had put my armor, my helmet, and also adorned my face with many gold jewels that were carved into representations of animals or just forged into a beautiful shape by the talented artist that made them.

    Finally I put on a mantle to endure the cold of the early hours, the mantle was made of pure cotton white as snow but the brooch that fastened it upon my shoulder was carved out of jade, our most sacred stone. My sandals were made of deer skin and it had golden sutures all over it.

    I set out of my house in the neighborhood of Iztacalco north of the city, on firm land and set out south to cross the northern Bridge-Roads that joined the great Mexica´s capital to the ground.

    The lake of Texcoco glistened like a blue emerald under the growing rays of sunlight, Tonatiu, the Sun was joyous upon seeing his beloved city, even though the hour was still early, the Bridge was already full with regular macehualtin and proud pipiltin carried in high chairs by their tlacotli, the smell of the flowers, of many Xochitl´s the smell came. Of course everyone had to make way for me at once, even the pipiltin had to order their slaves to move them away of the path of an Eagle Champion.

    When I finally entered the City in the middle of Texcoco´s lake I took a breath of fresh air, even though I was still afar of the Main Square I could smell the copali that the priest´s burned in the teocalli, temples. The houses, all painted with bright colors, some with banners made out of feathers of many colors gliding away in the wind.

    Tonatiu was rising in the sky and the population of the Great City was converging in one place, it´s center: Cem Anahuac Yolotli, the Heart of the Only World. In the fringes of the gigantic square, many vendors were making good business selling beverages and food, even some were selling snow, yes, snow brought down from either Popocatepetl or Iztaccihuatl and then flavored with the nectar of many fruits to refresh the throat of the many citizens that poured into the square. Many cacao seeds and gold powder changed hands on that day.

    And there dominating the scene, there was it, the biggest teocalli in the whole world. The Great Pyramid. Taller than 200 men set atop of one another, covered in a white mineral that we extracted from the island of Xaltocan, it glistened under Tonatiu with the force of a thousand suns, blinding anybody that looked at it directly. On the high top of the Pyramid two smaller teocallis dominated the landscape from above: two small rooms that contained images of our most revered Gods: Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli. The God of the Rain and Water, and the God of War, Tlaloc ruled over the times of peace, caring for our crops and making sure the water supply of the city was never shortened, and Huitzilopochtli gave us strength and fury in the many wars we had undertaken, making sure that we were victorious, in return they only asked for a small sacrifice: the beating hearts of prisoners of war or of voluntary xochimique that wanted to spend the after life in the Golden World of those who gave their hearts to the Gods. Our religion demanded at least one sacrifice a day for Tonatiu the God Sun, the Sun was everything it gave life to our plants and crops, it gave us hope and happiness, the Sun was life, so it was only fair to repay him with the same coin, with life.

    But today, today was special, today was a great victory, today we had more than 5 thousand Texcalan prisoners to sacrifice in our recently completed teocalli, Nezahualpilli, Uey-Tlatoani of Texcoco and son of the great Nezahualcoyotl had won us a great victory a couple days back. In a single day he had completely destroyed the Texcallan army, our hated rivals that lived East of our domains, if only Tenochtitlan and Tlacopan ahd sent real armies we could have conquered the hateful Texcala. But aiya, it had not been that way, and only a hundred Mexica warriors were sent, under my command to support Nezahualpilli and his thousands of Acolhua warriors. The battle had been glorious, Nezahualpilli´s tactics were perfect and in a deadly ambush he had obliterated the pride of the Tezcallan army, but his people also suffered great losses while us Mexica only stood on the sidelines watching how the Acolhua took all the glory. We had captured a few that were trying to escape, but the army from Texcoco had procured the vast majority of the prisoners including the most dreaded Texcalan warrior: Tlaui Colotl, Armed Scorpion, Champion of the Order of the Jaguar, he had killed more than ten Champions on the battle, but rest assured that in his list there were hundreds of Mexicas, Acolhuas and Tecpanecas victims. Now the powerful Tlaui Colotl, who had lost both legs in the battle, was at the head of the row of prisoners that was entering the Square at the moment I gained the side of the Great Pyramid.

    My thoughts drifted to the past while I gazed upon the heights of the Pyramid. Mexica that’s how we called ourselves and our name was feared throughout the world and was enough to put entire nations to tremble. The might of our undefeated armies had put fear in the hearts of many enemies, no one dared to challenge our power. But we didn’t named ourselves Mexica, that name was given to us by the people that lived in the valley long before we arrived from the North, reluctantly they had given our ancestors a patch of land in the middle of a lake that no one cared about and had let us to die in the wild. We didn’t have proper lands to grow corn and even though we invented the chinampas it was few food that it gave us, the main aliment in our ancestor´s diet was a rough herb that was called Mexixin, mocking us, our neighbors called us Mexica, the people of the rotten herb.

    And even so, through many generations, the Mexica rose from their humble beginnings, building their city in the middle of the lake and taken lands ashore as payment by acting as mercenaries to other nations we slowly became a nation of our own, a powerful nation. With time we begun to expand, always on the move, always defeating a more powerful enemy on each battle…

    Today, today us Mexicas take pride in our name, in the beginning it was a mock to us, well we decided to play along the joke, and now our name is feared throughout the Only World, and after our recent victory we had cemented our domain with an obsidian fist. No one can match our power. That´s what I thought as I looked upon the many feathered banners that adorned the Pyramid´s stairway. And In my heart I was sure that they would remain there forever and that nothing and none could possibly ever overthrow us of our place as Cem Anahuac´s Uey Tlatoanis.




    TotW 81a: New-comer Devil'sDaughter77 {Becky} decimated the competition with her heartfelt rendering of angst and sorrow. Unfortunately Becky has yet to re-enter the competative ring after her resounding victory. Becky when will you come back to us?

    TotW 81a: The Storyboard Picture



    TotW 81a: The Tale





    My heart is wild and free
    It's easy to capture
    And hard to set free
    You captured mine on a rainy night
    False promises and broken dreams
    You said them all to get me to trust you
    Set me free and lie no more
    Tell me the truth and make me believe
    This is the end to a summer romance
    It's time for me to take back what's mine
    I can't let you hurt me anymore
    I never should have let you hurt me to begin with
    Sometimes I wish this was all a dream
    A dream that dies away quickly
    Never to return again
    Whenever you hurt me
    It breaks my heart
    Should it hurt this much to love someone?
    I never thought it would
    We spend so much time together
    By now we should know each others habits
    Most of the time, we compromise on things
    But not lately
    You have changed into someone I don't know
    Why let me back into your life?
    Why continue to hurt someone that you have feelings for?
    I may never know the answers to these questions that I want to ask
    But I do know that as humans, we tend to hurt those that we love the most
    Or the ones that we share the pillow with
    Love is a common ground or feeling that we share
    Cherish what you have
    One day it might be around when you need it the most








    TotW 82a: The "Reap what you Sow" concert shattered and oblitterated all previous TotW records. 600+ for the storyboard alone, not to mention the 10 sterling entries. It was a very compeditive meet with Bucket of Lithium claiming victory by merely a single vote. Mega was so distraught over the failure of his piece "The three times that I fell in love with you" that he collapsed of was wisked away to a "Rest Farm" for the better part of the following week.

    TotW 82a: The Storyboard Picture



    TotW 82a: The Tale

    Westron wind, when will thou blow?
    The lyrics came unbidden, bursting forth from half-remembered fireside nights and the cajoling of taverns. Here they were out of place upon fields of grassy sheen and striking shades. In the city of longing and of love and of life they deserved to roam, free to enter the ear of the young, foolish men away from the battlefield.

    The small rain down can rain.
    The building patter of the swelling storm’s downpour had long endured. From one side it appeared a cascade of tears upon the faces of the other. That purplish beast above would not relent until a mighty upheaval capable of rending the heavens. A horn sounded faintly from behind, a dim murmur drowned by the now marching of feet.

    Christ, if my love were in my arms,
    The feet fell harder and faster and the horns boomed louder and no halt could now be made. Onwards and onwards the minds of men focused, yet each carried the selfsame thought. What would be left behind in this mad dash, this flurry of arms and clash of speed, lightening crash and tearing force. Love could not catch this pace and still ever onwards the charge! Thunder! Soldier shattered with splintering shields and swung swords and storm breaking!

    And I in my bed again.




    TotW 83a: Valadur squashed any semblance of competition with his entry "the beginning of the end". Mega thinking there was an easy victory to be had {boy was he wrong} Lollygaged with his entry and missed the cutoff. After putting his fist through the nearest wall, once he was told that his entry was invalid, he followed this up by smashing one of the TV monitors on his way out of the assembly Hall. Never fear, he wasn't charged for damages, with the expense being syphoned from TotW's quarterly budget.

    TotW 83a: The Storyboard





    TotW 83a: The Tale

    The gate rumbled as the foul demonspawn beat against the metal hinges again...

    One hundred Boletarian soldiers, the last bastion in Boletaria, all armed to the teeth and prepared to fight to the death, stood ready to beat back the invaders. The city of Boletaria had fallen prior to the Demon assault on the Palace, the Boletarian Army had been masacred on the walls and over a million citizens of the once great Kingdom were devoured by the Demon Horde.

    When one died, two more took its place, and when one of us fell, there was just an empty hole in the line. Beings all mythical appearances, blob throwing javelins, flying humanoid beasts, hordes of Zombie like creatures, skeletons of the conjured dead...and dragons, flying dragons that breathed fire.

    The whole of Boletaria had fallen to these creatures. Millions of men, women, and children lay dead across the once peaceful plains. We never expected this...never...

    "Soldiers of Boletaria!" shouted a uniformed Officer standing on an overturned wagon. "We are all that is left. We defend the honour of our Kingdom, and we will honour our dead by driving these foul creatures back into oblivion from which they came".

    The Boletarian Palace was an ideal place to defend. A pass in the mountains seperated it from the city itself and at the end of the pass was the gate which we were defending now. Behind us is a long, bridge like staircase, on which the other end lies a gate, and a labryinth of Palace rooms. Beyond the second gate lies a large chamber, and a corridor that leads to the a long bridge, guarded by battle towers of immense structure. Then lies another, narrow gate, which behind lies what used to be an Arena where all the Boletarian national games were held. Beyond that is a maze of alleys and majestic pathways that lead up to the Palace itself, and the throne of our King, Allant XII.

    The Demons beat upon the gate again with whatever dreaded force they had mustered behind it. Dozens of Boletarian soldiers poured down the stairs by the second as whatever man governed the city ordered the final strength of Boletaria to defend the gate.

    I stood in the third row of the massive shield wall that nervously held together behind the gate. Behind us stood dozens of crossbowmen, ready to fire a rain of bolts into the first enemies that breached the gate. On the barbican of the gate itself stood nearly fifty crossbowmen, already subject to the sight beneath them.

    "What do you see?" cried the Officer upon the wagon.

    "A mass of Dreglings and Skeletons gather beneath us", cried the Officer on the wall. "I'll report anything capable of breaking down the gate". Dreglings, those are what the Zombie like creatures are called. Easy to kill and usually armed with nothing, but dangerous in masses.

    "Once they take this bridge, the trebuchets on the wall will be fired to blow the bridge, okay!"

    "Do you think they'll break through?" asked a green face recruit behind me.

    "Definately", answered an older veteran, "from my experience, they'll bring something that'll cause us all to die within seconds".

    I sighed. The man was probably right. I'd seen towering monstrosities destroying the largest buildings in the city below. Entire fortifications had been overcome in minutes because of how much the Demons outmatched the Soldiers. And now they have numbers on their side.

    "Captain!" shouted a man upon the wall. "A dragon! And...Captain there is a huge..." Suddenly the krenels on the Barbican were blown from the wall as a huge blade, the size of a small tree, decaptitated them as if they were bread. Dozens of soldiers were blown off the wall, their dying screams ending as the ground rushed up to meet them. Suddenly dozens of winged beasts, humanoids but with demon faces and wings, rushed over the barbican, lifting the few remaining soldiers on the wall and dropping them into the huge moat next to the large staircase bridge.

    A stone the size of a melon bounced off my shield as I lifted it to shield myself from debris. If a Demon could just destroy the barbican as if it was thin air, then what good could I do with this sword? And this shield? Fear nearly overcame me in that moment and I felt like fleeing, I had better chances surviving then than I do here now.

    Suddenly the gate rumbled a hole, the size of a large shield, was blown open in the metal doorway. I tensed and tightened the grip of my sword and shield. It was only moments until I would meet death in some horrible fashion.

    "You three", said the officer, pointing to me and two other men. I hoped he would send me off to run messages back to the Palace and save me from this disaster. "Go check whats on the other side of the gate. Just looks through that hole...and report to me". I nearly succumbed to despair in that moment. Out of nearly the one thousand soldiers waiting in this general area, me and two others would be sent on a suicide mission.

    I stepped forward first, followed by my two companions, which happened to be that recruit and that veteran who had spoken earlier. All was silent as we approached the gate, not a sound from the outside, or a sound from our own comrades.

    I tried to edge away from the hole as I walked, but the Older Veteran noticed my movements and grabbed me by the shoulder. "I've seen enough death to know that my life isn't important", he said, "I'll look through the hole".

    "That's very kind of you sir", I stuttered.

    "It wasn't a favour", said the man.

    Me and the recruit, who's name was Teryadrin, leant back against the suddenly weak and fragile gate as the Veteran slowly approached the gate with his sword drawn. He stopped and looked through, and then suddenly drove his sword through the gap, which was followed by the groan of a dying Dregling. I looked at the Veteran and noticed him smiling, but suddenly his face turned into an avatar of shock as a long, sharp and glowing blade penetrated through the gate and lodged itself deep within the man's spine.

    Teryadrin cried out something incoherent and I quickly grabbed him and began to run back towards our own lines. Suddenly the world behind me seemed to explode as a huge, studded boot, smashed through the gate, shattering its hinges and sending shards flying in every direction. I nearly dove back into my own lines, Teryadrin in tow, who I nudged back behind the first row, where I now stood.

    I turned and face a horrifying site I would remember for the rest of my life. A lone figure stood there, standing abot seven feet tall and holding a sword nearly the same length as his height. He was clad in gold and silver armour, but his figure seemed to be covered in a blue glow.

    Suddenly the figure swung its sword and the body of the Veteran, which had been impaled on its tip, landed uselessly in front of our line.

    "It's the Penetrator!" cried one of the soldiers.

    I couldn't help myself from snickering at that comment, and I knew I wasn't alone. However, the comic moment was soon replaced by fear as a horde of Dreglings charged us, with fists, knives and the broken swords of the damned. The Penetrator strode in behind the horde, but what really captivated our view was the horror upon the broken barbican. A dragon, its scales the same colour as the fire it breathed, perched and suddenly leapt into the air.

    I barely glanced away and managed to intercept the first Dregling that crashed heedlessly into our line. I shuddered as my blade pierced its corpereal flesh. I raised my shield and let a second one crash into it, while skewering a third one which dodged it. I quickly took the initiative and swung my shield across to my right, knocking away two Dreglings while stepping forward and stabbing the one that had fallen to the ground from bouncing off my shield.

    I realised the men to my left and right had been quickly slain, leaving my flanks unprotected. I tried to step away but fell over the body of one of my fallen comrades and landed on the cold, blood soaked ground. One dreglings leapt onto me but recieved a sword in its throat for its stupidity while a second Dregling was left with a slashed stomach from coming to close. I tried to edge away from the fighting, but was still a few metres from our broken line and two Dreglings leapt atop me before I could gather me defences. One held a knife and stood ready to plunge when....

    A huge blade swept across just a metre above me head, slicing the two dreglings in half and as far as I know, everyone standing up within a radius of twenty metres. I looked up and saw what had caused the gate to crash...

    A huge Knight like figure, twenty metres high and clad in silver armour, knocked aside the broken barbican as if it was a twig and lifted his blade from his timely saviour of myself. Only thing is now, he wasn't going to accidently save me again. His shield was nearly as high as himself, and to myself, he appeared to be unstoppable.

    I looked around and tried to hide myself in the masses of the dead that surrounded me. Only half of our initial force stood standing and most of those were routing back into the Palace Complex. Only about twenty soldiers stood fighting around me and those were quickly being overcome by the masses of Dreglings.

    Suddenly I remembered the Trebuchets atop the wall...they were gonna break the bridge...Without thinking I leapt to my feet and ran towards the side of the bridge. Several Dreglings noticed and moved to intercept me, but fear had taken a hold of me and my own goal was to get off this bridge.

    Suddenly I stopped, without knowing, it was as if my feet had turned to stone. I slowly turned around and looked at the shadow that had suddenly shrouded my view. It stood there, the Tower Knight, with its massive shield, ready to end my existence. And then I leapt off the bridge, facing the icy cold water dozens of metres below.

    It was my only hope...

    The water felt like knives digging into my chest...





    Nanny de Bodemloze and Lucky Lewis are currently ducking it out with lots of gut-buster laughs to be had. Folks from all over the site have showed up to be part of the goings on. Don't miss the action...

    Challenge/Duel: Nanny de Bodemloze vs Lucky Lewis


    Challenge/Duel: Nanny de Bodemloze vs LuckyLewis

    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=373913


    Well folks, that's about it for this edition of TotW coverage. Please stop by next time to catch all the latest up dates. This is Mega for the Eagle Standard saying Godspeed and safe journey...

    Mega Tortas de Bodemloze


    RPG Headquarters
    from Sun, RPG Maestro

    GSTK (God Save The King!)

    Well, since the last update, it was presented that Raglan von Dobeln had ascended the throne after having done away with the last King. The months have passed, and, as of three weeks ago, Raglan's reign came to a rather sudden end as he was assassinated on his throne. Indeed, ladies and gentlemen, this is the sort of stuff that is routine for GSTK, and where Raglan falls, Major Darling rises to take on the responsibilities of kinghood. He has already had to handle claims of usurpation from another character, an inquisitorial Archbishop and a war with Scotland.

    Once again, the weekly dose of excitement and intrigue has not failed to be administered. Discussions over a premature Reformation had become stagnant and redundant whilst I was writing this, and, as ever, a back and forth argument has started as to whether assassins should be nerfed or enhanced. At the time, it seems the "pro-assassins" will be getting the upper hand.

    However, there is some bad news. There have been cheeky spammers who have been thoroughly told off and punished with the closure of Carls Cafe, and the situation has reached the extremities where players may be banned from the game for spamming. But do not linger on this thought for long, for the future of GSTK still shines with the dazzling beauty of the sea during a gloriously warm sunset. RP's occur daily, confrontations and political intrigue are as natural as breathing, and this is surely to only increase with the four new and dedicated members, who can now count themselves among the vast rank of GSTK veterans. Leadership of the mod team for GSTK has swapped hands from Carl to Mythre via the delegation of the almighty Winter.

    YATS (You Are The Senate!)

    It seems that the legendary RPG has, again, stalled slightly, but this is not worthy of any truly devastating concern as it seems to be down to mod change. Faithful players have already flocked to support the change of the games mod, so there is very little to no doubt that the RPG will die.

    Discussions over the mod to use have concluded with the decision to use the EB (Europa Barbororum) mod, which was generally accepted amongst all the players. What hasnt been accepted, however, is the week/year period. Basically, it is common practice for a RPG to follow a one week = one year in game rule, apart from YATS which followed two weeks due to most RTW mods needing two turns to span the year. Suggestions put forward for a change in that rule were still continuing whilst I was writing this, with proposals for it to be shortened to one week or ten days.

    Sorry for the relatively short amount of news given on this RPG, but due to the restart there isn't anything in-game happening. However, I will conclude with this: the future for YATS perceives no end, and thus, players are forever faithful and enthusiastic to partake in the legends revival.

    Augustus!

    The routine of Augustus is: get the save, do your dastardly, or innocent, deeds, pass the save on and tell everybody what you've done. All this within a tight knit and friendly community of hotseat-lovers make this a rather admirable game to count yourself a part of.

    Truly, this an RPG for the critical tactician: instead of warring against the AI, you are warring against a person who is likely to have just as much strategic acumen as you, diplomacy is not conducted with an AI diplomat which calculates the probability of your offers being accepted or denied, but with a human, capable of destroying you without ever having to fight you.

    This is a game for the truly dedicated, for those who are truly looking for a challenge, but those who take upon this challenge can certainly count themselves a part of a fantastic community of RTW geniuses.

    VLE (Vive L'Empire)
    The NTW based French RPG started and raised by our very own Captain Fozdike, and his chummy Amaz, still lives: a very respectable feat for an RPG up against the giants of GSTK and YATS as most usually die within the first month.

    So, firstly, a congratulations and round of applause for Fozzie for making a RPG that caters to the tastes of both the RPG enthusiast and the Imperial nut, so it is unsurprising that in the first week of its birth it received 14 registers for new characters! Neither YATS or GSTK, in their first weeks, had that many. The game features an unprecedented array of professions for players to follow, so that each person can carve their own legend into the game without having to crawl through the muck of common-hood. Professions include scholars, generals and Clergy.

    Now to the events that have transpired: the game has already encountered exciting obstacles such as war, a difficult case of diplomacy with the Danes, and the notorious assassin, Mr Cutts, has kidnapped the Emperor (!) What is to become of him is not certain, but what is easy to foresee is the rich and vibrant amount of RP liable to stem from this.

    LOTRS (Land Of The Rising Sun)
    Land of the Rising Sun is a RPG based in Japan during the Sengoku period. The mind-child of Ozy, supported by Master Magic Mage and Raglan von Dobeln, performed a Lazarus between the last update and now: it was born on the 8th April, died in early May, and was revived in mid July. Since its revival it has seen the Shogun being killed by rascally rebels and the Palace being attacked so furiously that the heavens were blackened by the smoke from the burning building.

    Obituaries
    The Dark Age RPG, The Kingdom of England (possibly to be revived as a British NTW based navy RPG)
    The ETW based Italian RPG, The Republic of Venice


    Sun


    Last Word
    In which Juvenal looks back with satisfaction on another issue

    Well, there it is. I am most grateful to my loyal crew: Killerbee, Mega Tortas de Bodemloze and Sun without whom you would have been subjected to nothing more than my own inane ramblings and my obsession with lists. So, if you liked Artist's Gallery this month, please don't forget to direct your rep towards them.

    Feel free to post your comments. Praise, (constructive) criticism or suggestions for changing our scope are all welcome. If you have a hankering to join our merry crew of writers then please PM our esteemed editor, Saint Nicholas.

    So, goodbye until next time, from Juvenal.

    Well, if I, Belisarius, the Black Prince, and you all agree on something, I really don't think there can be any further discussion.
    - Simetrical 2009 in reply to Ferrets54

  8. #8

    Default Re: Bels working piece.

    Captains Cabin AKA Modder Spotlight and Interviews

    Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the next edition of the Eagle Standard! This month I have managed to track down an elusive Welshman. Welshmen are extremely strange creatures and hopefully by this interview you will learn a little more on their natural habitat.

    Interview 1) Hi Mitch! Tell us a little about yourself and what you do outside of TWC... if you do anything outside of TWC.

    Well I'm 19, gorgeous, and am currently a university student studying a degree in Computer Games Programming and obviously I have a love for gaming.
    I’m an extremely proud Welshman, and as a Welshman, I like drinking and women. That’s basically me, or at least all you need to know.


    2) So what first brought you to TWC? What drew you to click on that link?

    I knew this question would be asked, and I've been racking my brains trying to remember! I'm pretty sure it was shortly after playing my first campaign in NTW, I wanted to know if any mods had been created yet. So a simple Google search, and BAM, along came destiny, TWC popped up on my screen I clicked her, and haven't left since.

    3) What caused you to join up and post actively on TWC?

    Well after trying some of the small mods that began to appear for NTW, I decided to have a go at one of my own, and this was purely for myself. Then I realised "Hey others might like this small mod too!", and so I signed up, made my first ever post which was releasing a mod to the community. Also I remember the first person to reply he said something like "Welcome, its always encouraging when a new member posts, and the post is bringing something for the community.” I knew I would enjoy my stay from then on and kept posting and wandering the forums.

    4) What was the first Total War game you owned?

    Rome: Total War, good old Rome. I remember I had a row of games next to my PC, most of them covered in dust. But then there was RTW on the end of the row, case cracked and broken from all the times it had been opened, not a drop of dust anywhere to be seen on it.

    5) When did you first start modding?

    I’ve modded other games before Total War. Another major game of my childhood was Operation Flashpoint, or as its known today Armed Assualt. I did a fair bit of modding for these games, I guess I just like taking a closer look at the games I love, and creating something new out of them not only for myself but others. But the first time I started modding Total War, was when I noticed there was a few things in NTW I would like to change about the game for myself, this then extended into modding on a larger scale.

    6) What made you want to start modding on TWC and join a mod team?

    Well after wandering about TWC shortly after I joined, having tried all of the small mods that where around at the time, I then came across a guy named Thoragoros. He was just starting the idea of WW1 mod for NTW. I thought “Wow, amazing idea”, he was in need of some help as it was just him and his ideas at this point so I sent him a PM telling him what it was I could do for him, and from then on I was in a modding team, It’s a great feeling being part of the team when you get all the posts from people telling you they love your work and thank you for your time, it makes all the hours of modding worth it, and coupling that with the fact I love to mod, that’s the reason why I began modding.

    7) How hard did you find modding TW games at the start?

    Well at the very start and with my very first mod, I thought "Wow, my mod actualy worked that was pretty easy!".. then of course you delve deeper into modding, and now and then you get a crash when testing. But overall my experience with modding hasn't been that it's hard, which I'm pleased to say.

    8) How large is the team working on The Great War? And who are some of the smaller helpers that drop by now and again?

    There is around 4 full time modders, Myself, Josst, Aanker and King Sama, I often don’t tell these guys how good their work is, a great team to work with. Not to forget our modeller BDIZZLE, his work is truly mind blowingly good, easily the best on TWC. Then we also have LuckyLewis, it would be a bit unfair to understate what he does for the mod his pictures and screenshots I’m sure have convinced many people try out the mod.
    Then of course we have the endless number of contributors and researchers, these are the guys who allow us to mod and carry on with what we do best, they get us the pictures we need for references and things like that. Really without them our jobs would be a whole lot harder.


    9) What do you do as a developer of The Great War?

    Everything! No, I'm joking. Basically my role is just like the rest of the guys, I do what I'm best at with modding, albeit I do the extra stuff like putting the mod together and fine tuning it before release. Also as the team leader I decide what we will be doing per update and any of our big decisions will always end up falling to my feet to finally decide.

    10) What does The Great War attempt to achieve and what are some of the key elements of the mod?

    Oh man this is tricky question; I'll try and answer it without taking up half of the server space.
    With the limits NTW places on modding, I feel it’s important to be realistic with what we as a total conversion mod want to, and can achieve.
    For me I think the main aim of our mod is to make the user think when they're playing, this is no longer NTW, it’s now a WW1 game. As you make have seen, we have an amazing amount of new models to change pretty much every unit in the game, not to mention adding brand new things like tanks.
    We hope to get in all of these models, and change the game play of the game a great deal.
    We like to add features that people haven’t seen before, such as flamethrowers for example, this mod wouldn’t be a success if we just did the bare minimum to change it.
    So after we have in our models, and sorted out game play down to a tee. Then we plan to just work on the extra things that make a mod truly something, the small details people may not noticed but add to the experience, I won’t say what these are, it’s best just to wait and see.
    Right now, as the mod is as of this moment, I think the main features people will notice is the artillery change and simply the sheer amount of death that any battle will inevitably produce. Artillery is king, it accounted for something like 65% of deaths in WW1, and we wanted this to feature in our mod. It’s more deadly than in any other Total War game or mod to date and watching as two sets of artillery barrages send shells flying at the soldiers running across no mans land is something really special.
    WW1 is remembered in many respects for the new ways that came about for men to kill each other. This is represented in this mod, if your not sending in a battalion to cover your flamethrowers advance, your laying mines and sitting back to defend your trenches while your special artillery units fire Green chlorine gas at the charging enemy. Every battle can be something new, and can be something special. Not to mention with features such as machine guns and SMG units, new tactics are required to achieve success.
    The key elements now are nothing compared to the plans and inevitable future of what the mod will become, and we don’t just aim to change the land battle game play, Naval battles and the whole campaign map, are on there way to becoming truly WW1.


    11) Do you plan on creating more mods in the future?

    Well you see many people go off and create other mods before their first mod is truly complete. I feel I have a commitment to the people who play The Great War to make sure it is complete before I move on. But when it is eventually at a point where I can call it complete I will surely begin my next big project.
    This doesn't mean of course I won't help out on other mods in-between, in fact I've already pledged my help to the Duffer mod.


    12) What is your favourite TW Game and why?

    I’m tempted to just go ahead and say Napoleon, simply because its the game I’ve been most evolved in within a community and modding etc, not to mention its the first TW I've played online. But then I think back to the days of Rome when I was just a nipper, of how I couldn't wait to get back on my PC in a new day to continue my campaign.
    Rome is and I think always will be my favourite, it was a major game of my childhood, and will remain a big bit of my gaming history.


    13) What is your favourite Total War Mod (Other than yours of course) and why?

    Amazingly, NTW is the first Total War in which I’ve actually modded my game; even in ETW I never touched a mod. So I'm going to have to say the Khartum mod by Kungfuserge, and his recent Zulu expansion, that guy is a true modding goliath and very understated. What he's managed to do with the game has my utmost respect, it’s a very good mod.

    14) And lastly, are you looking forward to Shogun 2?

    Oh boy yes, if there is any warrior on the planet that leaves me in awe when watching him fight, it's a Samurai. I don't care if it's not moddable, I don't care if the AI sucks. This game will take a place on my shelf, just like in the days of Rome.



    Finally, I'd like to say thanks for the chance to get to do this interview for this great publication.[/CONTENTBOX]

    Well there you are folks! Hope you learned something about the strange creatures called Welshmen. And I'd like to thank .Mitch... wait, where is he? Ahhh, he's left to be with his... sheep. Anyway, thanks Mitch for giving me such lengthy answers in such a short period of time.



    Modder Interview by Grimbold


    Advance to Contact is a mod for Sega's great game "Empire: Total War". Led by the ambitious Darkhorse, the team has so far made great strides in making new skins and models for the project. The premise of the mod is that it hopes to accurately portray the war in Afghanistan. Featuring an aggressive AI and battle formations for factions like the Taliban, this mod will surely be one of the best for ETW once it's released!


    Follow Grimbold as he interviews Darkhorse about the mod.

    Interview Hi Darkhorse
    I'm glad to meet you, and i'm here for the interview you've requested
    Let's just start out slowly:

    I hear you've made a mod for Empire Total War; Advance to contact if 'm not wrong?

    Making

    Was it hard when you developed the mod? or was it just a dance on roses? (easy )

    Oh, its been full of challenges and problems. We've had to severely change our overall aims to make it feasible.

    And do you like the modding team you are working with?

    Yes, I feel I have a good selection of modders, AtC has a mix of new, fresh modders (such as myself!) with some of experienced and successful modders could be larger, as we still have roles to fill. But the quality of work from the few is excellent, especially in the past month. It's also nice when people from other mods provide something that's helpful. It's a great community.

    But what came you into modding? a special reason?

    I joined AtC (Nations at War back then) as a researcher, and worked my socks off. At the time I was leaving school, completing my A levels and needed something to do. By the time I found work I had done some 400 pages of written from scratch research! When the old mod leader randomly disappeared it made sense to take over the project. The mod idea was relevant to my interests, seemed popular and I thought it'd be nice to get something done. My role in the team changed from humble research to the decision maker, was a big step!

    So; I've heard that the mod's about War in Aughanistan? A very interesting subject (when it comes to a Total War game ofcourse )
    -Can you please give a short description of what the mod is about?

    Afghanistan, yes, that's correct.

    Basically Advance to Contact (AtC) is the main name for the mod. Project Millennium is the début mod, the Afghanistan release. The mod is a custom battlemod, with factions involved in the conflict, both ISAF and OPFOR, new units, with realistic unit sizes and weaponry portrayed as accurately we as can. We'd like to depict the various support options some factions have, and we will include new battle maps, we have Kajaki dam in the making right now. After the initial project, we'd like to bulk up the mod with faction and unit patches, and I personally, would like to make a series of battlemods covering various modern conflicts.

    And how high would you set this mod? From a acale from 1 to 10?

    10 of course , unless you mean 10 is bad...

    Any special reasons for picking the Empire Total War game instead of Napoleon?

    NAW was always intended as an ETW mod. By the time I was on the team, lots of work had been done for ETW, NTW wasn't out then, and had only just came out when I took over and really looked into modding. Made sense to stick with ETW

    Thankyou for borrowing your time

    No problem, any more questions, my send them my way!
    Well, if I, Belisarius, the Black Prince, and you all agree on something, I really don't think there can be any further discussion.
    - Simetrical 2009 in reply to Ferrets54

  9. #9
    The Hedge Knight's Avatar Fierce When Cornered
    Artifex

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    England
    Posts
    5,875

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    Thanks for another great issue Belisarius and the rest of the team. I have been missing this over the last month!

    You have missed the first content box tab on Mitches interveiw is my only critisim (oh and that i wish i had a lawn and chair to sit on, id probably take my laptop and keep modding while i was out there though)!

  10. #10
    karamazovmm's Avatar スマトラ警備隊
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Brazil, São Paulo
    Posts
    9,639

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    I really liked this issue, good job ishan

    The very ugly forgive, but beauty is essential - Vinicius de Moraes

  11. #11

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    The Eagle has landed. Nice edition guys!

    The NTW based French RPG started and raised by our very own Captain Fozdike, and his chummy Amaz, still lives: a very respectable feat for an RPG up against the giants of GSTK and YATS as most usually die within the first month.

    So, firstly, a congratulations and round of applause for Fozzie for making a RPG that caters to the tastes of both the RPG enthusiast and the Imperial nut, so it is unsurprising that in the first week of its birth it received 14 registers for new characters! Neither YATS or GSTK, in their first weeks, had that many. The game features an unprecedented array of professions for players to follow, so that each person can carve their own legend into the game without having to crawl through the muck of common-hood. Professions include scholars, generals and Clergy.

    Now to the events that have transpired: the game has already encountered exciting obstacles such as war, a difficult case of diplomacy with the Danes, and the notorious assassin, Mr Cutts, has kidnapped the Emperor (!) What is to become of him is not certain, but what is easy to foresee is the rich and vibrant amount of RP liable to stem from this.
    I almost missed this. Thank you for the comments, Sun.
    Son of Major Darling | House of Caesars | Content Writer | My Workshop | Moderator

  12. #12
    Praepositus
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    California
    Posts
    5,616

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    Quote Originally Posted by Capt. Fozdike View Post
    The Eagle has landed. Nice edition guys!



    I almost missed this. Thank you for the comments, Sun.
    Yep, that's a thanks from me too, though I could've done without the title "chummy"
    Last edited by Amaz; August 24, 2010 at 09:31 PM.

  13. #13

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    YAY!

  14. #14

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    Well done lads, excellent read! Thanks for mentioning Revolution Order of War in there. Cheers, and very well done guys!

    MB
    Formally known as 'Marshal Beale' - The Creator the Napoleon TW mods - 'Napoleon Order of War' and 'Revolution Order of War'

  15. #15

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    Yay! First timer and not a worry Fozzie and Amaz, I only hope you liked reading it


  16. #16

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    Fantastic read (although I already knew that having supplied you the inside information on RS )

    **RS Dev Team***Reciprocal Repper!* RIP Calvin- you will be missed

  17. #17

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    So much wonderful material in one place! I can't tell you how helpful this was ( and will) for a newcomer like me... Please accept my gratitude.

    My Best Regards and Great Respect to everyone involved.

  18. #18
    Inevitability won
    Patrician Citizen

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    9,594

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    Execellent stuff guys! The first interview was just pure brilliance, get that guy again!

  19. #19
    Finlander's Avatar ★Absolutely Fin-bulous★
    Content Emeritus

    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    In the North
    Posts
    4,920

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    Fantastic edition I have to say!
    So much new information. And I loved the mod reviews.

    And of course, I loved the interviews, especially Mitch's.

    oh, just one thing. Is it possiable to know the names of the POTW winners?


    • Son of MasterBigAb; • Father of St. PolycarpeKahvipannuRadboudMhaedrosGeMiNi][SaNDy
    FlinnUndyingNephalimKAM 2150
    Charerg








  20. #20
    Sassori's Avatar Tiro
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Inside a mountain cavern, surrounded by old monitors and old PCs. And a black dog.
    Posts
    206

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard Total War Resouce Publication Volume IX Issue I

    This is good! now with RS2 will have to reinstall RTW.

    Nice work!

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

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