The Blue & The Gray 2.6 open beta + UPDATE released

[shokh]

As you know we continuous patch up our 2.5 base.
But the next patch have interventions into core files so you get not an patch, you get an new full version.
Keep in mind this is a open beta, you can help to make it better with feedback. Basics testings are down by me (crash issues) but for balancing i need more info from users.
The beta means not that you get an half finished game. You have all in there like in 2.5 and some changes.
The base version 2.6 from this beta is tested. Additional updates need some testing but are available.

The goal was to minimize possible crashes and to improve the AI.
In this new version also the BAI is improved, we use for this darthmod`s BAI with his permission.
Killing rates are lowered for testing, because the damage now fall down on max range. This effect most milita units and others with low accuracy.
If it will be too low it will be raised again to a higher level.

For testing all forts and city fortifications are back in game. Therefore the artillery damage against buildings is raised significant to effective destroy them.

CAI changes are now not that drastic, i prefer the slower way to improve it now step by step.

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Full changelist from 2.5 to 2.6 open beta:

• Possible mod based ctdīs in campaign should be now fixed
• CAI develop now bigger army sizes
• CAI research now army tech with high priority
• CAI recruitment priority now stronger in this way infantry > artillery > cavalry
• BAI complete overhaul
• Multiplayerfix included
• Some changes in startpos for balance issues
• Britain should now not that aggressive against Union States
• Dutch should now not terror the world, but still a bit *grin*
• Base income for major factions raised

• CSA & Union are now at War from beginning (update 1)
• CSA & Union starts now with bigger starting armies (update 1)
• Many regions starts now with upgraded buildings (update 1)
• Starting treasure for CSA & Union raised (update 1)
• Better units available at campaign start (update 1)
• CAI develop now more land units and lesser naval units (update 1)

• Fine tuning diplomacy and, aggressive level of CAI (upcoming)
• Fine tuning CAI development (armies, buildings) (upcoming)
• CAI raid behavior changes (upcoming)
• Unit re-balance to fit the new BAI (upcoming)

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Recommend game settings:

• Campaign difficulty - hard
• Battle difficulty - hard
• Unitsize - medium
  

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Prepare for install:
(You must uninstall ACW before you install 2.6 open beta, follow this steps)

• Delete the folders "...\data\ACW" and "...\data\campaigns\ACW" and the shortcut to ACW
• Additional delete the folder "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Empire"
• Check if your data folder now look like this: data folder vanilla ETW
• Verify now your local ETW cache with steam (instructions in 2nd post), it will load some files new
• Start ETW vanilla and ensure that all is working

Install 2.6 open beta:

• download Open beta 2.6
• extract it (use 7.zip for this download 7-zip), in there is a folder named "data"
• Place this folder into your "...\Steam\steamapps\common\empire total war" folder and click yes if you be asked to integrate it in the existing one
• Go into "...\data\ACW" and create then an shortcut on your desktop leading to the file "ACW 2.6 Launcher.exe"

If the launcher ask in the CMD field for F or D, chose D.

If your empire is not installed on C:\ or on a partition of it you must change some settings.
In this case:

• Do all like explained above
• Download then this fix: 2.6 HDD fix
  
• Replace your existing files with the fixed files in "...\data\ACW"
• Copy the user.empire_script from "...\data\ACW" into "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Empire\scripts"

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Next improvements:

• War declarations between CSA & Union still not appear every time. The chance will be now step by step raised. Therefore you will get later a new optimized startpos. But as stated above i will do this changes carefully and need some testing time for fine tuning.

• Dutch terror still a bit but the are now less powerful. Will be also step by step fixed.

• Some adjustments to relationships overall.

• Force the AI to build even more land units and less navy.

Download base version:
( 724 MB )

The Blue & The Gray 2.6 open beta (Megaupload)
or
The Blue & The Gray 2.6 open beta (Bitshare)

and
(if you want the newest changes)

Update 1 - Download update 1
( 17 MB)
Install:

• Unzip the update with 7-zip
• Place ACW_campaign.pack into "...\data\ACW"
• Place startpos.esf into "..data\campaigns\ACW"

Be sure you will get all possible help i can give. If you have any questions please post in this thread.
Please take care that you read the full post here and the mainpost in the technical help thread before you ask for help.
There you can also ask for technical support.

Feedback is everytime welcome!

Cheers, shokh

[shokh]

Reserved

[airborne guy]

EXCELLENT MOD! Just took some time away from Napoleon and downloaded this and it is freakin awesome. Its a little too easy though, + rep dude

[Primergy]

You will have to explain why it's too easy thats the sense of an open beta

But thanks for the Comment.

[airborne guy]

You will have to explain why it's too easy thats the sense of an open beta

But thanks for the Comment.

Sorry. I posted this in the wrong thread lol. I downloaded 2.5 and its too easy. The union army never raised a big enough Army and I steam rolled them with a full stack, lol. I love the skins, especially the mounted soldiers. Very nice!

[Atcman123]

Downloading now!

[airborne guy]

Nice, just downloaded the Beta . I will keep you posted

[Ardir]

First of all thanks for the great mod! i just stumbled upon this mod a few days ago and had problems with CTDs in the campaign with 2.5, so i tried out 2.6 beta. most important: it seems the crashes are fixed now! thanks for that

i am playing a campaign as CSA right now. after like 12 rounds i declared war and attacked the union at washington. that was a great battle against a fully stacked army from the union. but now it seems they gave up defending. every of their settlements is undefended except for st. louis. so, if i wanted it, i could just walk in there with a few units and destroy the whole union in like 5 rounds. they are stacking a lot of naval units though.. mostly brigs and sloops. im playing in hard/hard with unitsize ultra.. if that matters. should i try campaing difficulty very hard?

just wanted to give you some feedback on the 2.6 version.

[shokh]

First of all thanks for the great mod! i just stumbled upon this mod a few days ago and had problems with CTDs in the campaign with 2.5, so i tried out 2.6 beta. most important: it seems the crashes are fixed now! thanks for that

i am playing a campaign as CSA right now. after like 12 rounds i declared war and attacked the union at washington. that was a great battle against a fully stacked army from the union. but now it seems they gave up defending. every of their settlements is undefended except for st. louis. so, if i wanted it, i could just walk in there with a few units and destroy the whole union in like 5 rounds. they are stacking a lot of naval units though.. mostly brigs and sloops. im playing in hard/hard with unitsize ultra.. if that matters. should i try campaing difficulty very hard?

just wanted to give you some feedback on the 2.6 version.

Yes i did a small rollback on the CAI changes. It makes no sense to change in each step 10 things. In this beta i will reduce again naval recruitment step by step while keeping in eye that the version should stay stable.
When this beta is finished you should not see this anymore, all of the points i stated in the first post as "next improvements" will be done.

[Dynamo11]

Can someone upload this somewhere else? For some reason NONE of my 3 browsers (Firefox, Chrome and IE) are letting me download the flippin' thing

[Flavious]

Anybody tried this in multiplayer battles yet? I'm afraid to install if everyone else in Steam is still on 2.5 or 2.51 (version incompatibilities).

[Primergy]

If you want MP, i would stick with the old ones, because those definitly are working.

[Baineblade]

Oh god...a download cap of 200kbs?! This is gonna be painful...I mean at least megaupload let me download at 1mbs...

[shokh]

Oh god...a download cap of 200kbs?! This is gonna be painful...I mean at least megaupload let me download at 1mbs...

Hm i got 650 yesterday, but i will upload it too on megaupload. I did it not till now because some one said in 2.5 the canīt download there.

[captcruch]

Nice im on 2.6 now easy install with good explanation thx Shokh .

Turn 36 : the game run really fine + the general Lee are dead + i have sound in intro movie now . But the Gatling gun bug persists (yeah i play the yankee i know it bad )
only in campaingn the MP run fine .

I tried every possible way with regiments/alone the same battle without GG .
The only thing i can do it autoresolve the battle .

I was finally time to try Empire
after 2 battle i realized that i needed the 2.6 right now for recover my fire power and my fun .

[ToonTotalWar]

Good to see 2.6 is out lads!! will try out and report back

[airborne guy]

2.6... The other factions still rely too much on their Navy. The BAI is still weak sauce, guess I need to play VH/VH. Im paying as the Confederates so the Union still hasnt raised an Army and I just took Philly. I could steam roll the union right now and end them but... The Mexicans just declared war on me cuz I wouldnt give themn Texas. Now it is starting to get a little challenging. A two front war wasnt what I was looking for considering my economy is still weak at turn 30. Overall, it doesnt seem like the old issues have been fixed. I havent had any problems with any crash issues, so thats a +.

[shokh]

You will notice a much more aggressive CAI in the next update and more armies build from the it.
The problem for the BAI is our 2-3 rank system, i will try around with it. We use DM 6.2-6.8 BAI now and maybe 6.9 soon with our settings too and some adjustment to see if i can help the AI work probably with our 2-3 ranks.

[airborne guy]

sounds good

[shokh]

Here is the second Mirror (megaupload) for the 2.6 base version: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YG008GE6
I will add it into the first post also.