The Stainless Steel Historical Improvement Project (formerly SSMAP) - Beta 8 soon...

[Dominick]

Hey guyses, long time no hear. Anywaaaay, I've been doing some map refinements for myself (the perfectionist I am... you know The changes were made on a 0.5d map, I don't believe something changed in the most recent version) and I thought of sharing my work with you guys (Its only map_regions though). Its mostly refinements, but quite a job was done on Africa (You can see what was done to the whole of Africa in the minimaps).

The following were changed pretty much for the eye candy.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

http://i.imgur.com/xK7ME.jpg (Barcelona-Valencia border moved to the river, Barcelona moved a pixel north for it not to be levitating over the sea )
http://i.imgur.com/6J708.jpg (Verona-Florence border moved to the river)
http://i.imgur.com/Bbyt7.jpg (Tlemcen-Algiers border changed shape)
http://i.imgur.com/ww3Bd.jpg (North-South Ifriqiya-Tripolitania border, the North-South border is so weird so that a new road doesn't spawn between Algiers and Al-Mahdiya)
http://i.imgur.com/55pVe.jpg (London-Nottingham border changed to express the London region representing Essex and East Anglia, Bristol moved a pixel to the northeast to reflect its real position)
http://i.imgur.com/bQHTp.jpg (Damietta-Cairo-Ascalon border refinements)

Now this one is speical to me

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

http://i.imgur.com/kzBGc.jpg
The border of Croatia-Bosnia is made over a simulated Vrbas river. (I'm not really sure what river is the river on the campaign map supposed to represent xD) I used the island of Brač as the guideline using this map: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europ...a_pol_2002.jpg
The border of Bosnia-Serbia was changed mostly for eyecandy, but I found reasoning for it in Bela III's Hungary around 1190 A.D. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...anean_1190.jpg) Using that map I could of have expanded Bosnia even more south, but I didn't really find the need for that.

Also, how come you guys used Vrhbosna for the capital of Bosnia? Same reason as Twangste and Konigsberg for Prussia or? (In this case Vrhbosna being the predescent of Sarajevo.) How about Visoko? Even though it was founded a bit later, it was THE Bosnian capital during the middle ages, before the Ottomans have arrived.

The map_regions is here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/nwsq88

If you guys (the SSMAP team) would use this edited version of mine, that would be awesome. If you have any remarks, just tell me so I edit the map a bit more

[Lifthrasir]

Another thing I've noticed:

I've been besieged now for 4-5 times in Palermo, now in desperate lack of manpower I still hold the city. A general with reinforcements is travelling from Norway and should reach the city in another 3-4 turns.
However, there must be something weird going on with Spear Militia. They get exhausted, and stay that way, even when standing still and resting. I have not noticed this in vanilla SS 6.4.
All the other units were either Warmed Up or Fresh. I had one Spear Militia unit that never moved during the whole battle, and it was Warmed Up. By taking 1 Spear Militia unit and going from one side of the city
to the other it went from Winded to Exhausted, and this was my Marching only! So something seems fishy about this unit.

Anyway, the battle went great!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

@ Xaurus, I've done many battles on the field against Genoa who gives me a damned hard time. I've checked carefully my spear militia units and I've never encountered the same problem as you regarding their stamina.

Also, regarding the log, it should be in the "SS6.3" folder, itself located in the "mods" folder of MIITW.

I'm currently in turn 176 and I've never got any CTD or problem at all so far. The game run smoothly.

[Xaurus]

@ Xaurus, I've done many battles on the field against Genoa who gives me a damned hard time. I've checked carefully my spear militia units and I've never encountered the same problem as you regarding their stamina.

Also, regarding the log, it should be in the "SS6.3" folder, itself located in the "mods" folder of MIITW.

I'm currently in turn 176 and I've never got any CTD or problem at all so far. The game run smoothly.

Thanks for your input, Lifthrasir. Unfortunately there are no logs in that folder. So I guess I just have to start over since I cannot get to the next turn without CTD.

I will continue to keep an eye on the Spear Militia units.

[Ichon]

Lifthrasir- What is it about Genoa that gives such a hard time?



Xaurus- If you have to exit by Task Manager there seems some other problems going on, do you know why that is required?

[manabalu]

Hello guys,
i just want to inform you that weird things happens at my campaign (round 76).
The Papal States are very aggressive, at the moment they hold Rome, Ancona, Naples, Bologna, Verona, Ratisbon, Friesach and have the HRE as Vassal. But the weirdest thing is, that the pope now called a crusade against one of the few remaining settlements of HRE, althought they are allys (vassal). Can anyone explain that to me?
And England got destroyed before round 30

Great thing are the crusader states, they are a real factor now in the east.

[GiddeeUpp]

@Lifth, if you can pin urban spear miliitia with a decent infantry unit of your own and move your archers to the flanks and protect with heavy cav I find urban spear militia pretty easy to break, esp with fire arrows. Unless you have some other problem since your so late into the game then i generally get before i get bored/end up with no time to play.

[GiddeeUpp]

Starting a new campaign that im going to STICK with, France. Away from all the new factions and away from Athanatoi bodyguards

[Xaurus]

Xaurus- If you have to exit by Task Manager there seems some other problems going on, do you know why that is required?

All I know is that at Georgia's turn the game crashes. I suspect there's an error in the OnTurn events or something related to them, firing when I try to move to the next round.

[Lifthrasir]

Genoa gives me hard time because it is the strongest faction in my campaign at present.
Let me explain: I'm allied with France who expanded a lot first, taking on HRE and Iberian factions. But suddenly, Genoa take on France. At that point, I have conquered all Scandinavia, Finland, Irland, England and Scotland. Without any ennemy, I decided to help my ally against Genoa. I conquered Rennes first who rebelled a few turns earlier and I exchanged it for Caen to have a strong position on the main land from where I could launch my attacks. Then, I started the war against Genoa.

My main concern with Genoa is not that they're hard to defeat but as the strongest faction, they keep sending stacks after stacks. Due to the new unit costs and economy script, money is becoming a problem again. Before entering in war, I was making about 10000 fl. per turn. At present, I make about 500 fl. per turn, despite the 3 settlements I've conquered from Genoa (Orleans, Arras and Bremen). So basically, it is difficult for me to retrain or recruit new units.
Also, nobody else was attacking Genoa until a couple of turns ago, Pisa and Sicily entered in war against Genoa but they're not enough powerful to be a real treat for Genoa for now.
Looking through the Genoese military and financial rank, despite the defeats they got, they're still increasing.

Don't be mistaken, I have no problem with that. I mean that's exactly the purpose of the submod. You can't just blitzkrieg through the campaign map like in the vanilla game. There are a lot of other parameters to take in account. Also, I have regularly rebel merchants spaming around and able to take over on my most experienced merchants. That really makes me mad.

If I have one bad thing to mention, it is regarding these bloody heretics and witches who are almost invicibles and cause a lot of unrest but I don't think it is part of the SSMAP submod.

[Overlord.ru]

Hey guys I tried to install this submod http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=424641 but it didn't work, I'm sure I unpacked it in the right place, any ideas?

EDIT: sorry, my bad, it works now. You may delete the post

[manabalu]

Is it intended that these events are comment out?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

;event historic doomsday_book
;date 0

;event historic bologna_university
;date 0

;event historic assassins
;date 0

;event historic council_of_clermont
;date 0

;event historic cistercian_order
;date 0

;event historic troubadours
;date 7

;event earthquake palmyra_destroyed
;date 10
;position 381,94

;event historic burned_stake
;date 18

;event historic worms_concordat
;date 22

;event historic lateran_council1
;date 24

;event historic PANTOKRATOR
;date 24

;event historic artesian_well
;date 26

;event historic religions_sects_book
;date 27

;event historic council_of_troyes
;date 28

;event historic first_windmill
;date 30

council_of_troyes for example is important for the crusader states. ->
recruit_pool "Templar Zweihander" 1 0.13 2 0 requires factions { jerusalem, } and event_counter council_of_troyes 1 and hidden_resource crusader

[Overlord.ru]

Damn I'm having a persistent CTD Log attached.

[Lifthrasir]

I guess there's an incompatibility between these 2 submods as they involve some identical folders ("ui" one).

[Ichon]

Is it intended that these events are comment out?

council_of_troyes for example is important for the crusader states. ->
recruit_pool "Templar Zweihander" 1 0.13 2 0 requires factions { jerusalem, } and event_counter council_of_troyes 1 and hidden_resource crusader

It should be that only events occurring before 1132 are assumed to have already occurred so comment out but I'll have to double check some of those and make sure CS can still get unit if event is commented out.

Damn I'm having a persistent CTD Log attached.

I haven't looked at the portraits submod but seeing as there are new faction and roster in SSMAP and that submod was for earlier version of SS I'm not sure how compatible it would be.

Hey guyses, long time no hear. Anywaaaay, I've been doing some map refinements for myself (the perfectionist I am... you know The changes were made on a 0.5d map, I don't believe something changed in the most recent version) and I thought of sharing my work with you guys (Its only map_regions though). Its mostly refinements, but quite a job was done on Africa (You can see what was done to the whole of Africa in the minimaps).

Thanks for working on this- I like the part in Africa alot as I did notice this in a Pisa campaign but forgot to mention it. I wouldn't be surprised if we use some of this in an update since its pretty easy as you've already done the work. Guess we'll see what Ravenant and FP think about it.

[manabalu]

It should be that only events occurring before 1132 are assumed to have already occurred so comment out but I'll have to double check some of those and make sure CS can still get unit if event is commented out.

Set the date of them to 0, otherwise the event won't trigger.
event historic council_of_troyes
date 0

[Ichon]

Yes, I knew something looked wrong but I haven't messed with events for months now, thanks for pointing that out. I really hate to have units in EDU that aren't seen as they just take up space though zweihanders are still available to other factions for CS there are not alot of roster improvements through time as they start out with very strong roster. Maybe introduce more mercenaries for them in later eras if they follow trajectory of Knights of Saint John.

[Dominick]

Thanks for working on this- I like the part in Africa alot as I did notice this in a Pisa campaign but forgot to mention it. I wouldn't be surprised if we use some of this in an update since its pretty easy as you've already done the work. Guess we'll see what Ravenant and FP think about it.

I'm glad you like it I'm still bugged by Tunisia though. As I said before, I didn't want to connect Maghreb and Southern Ifriqiya so a new road wouldn't spawn, but because of that Tunisia looks kinda silly
The fact that Tunisia is mostly conquered by Pisa or Sicily makes me wanna draw the borders in a way that reflects colonization, but then again, the Zirids were in power in there xD I didn't really find any good maps for Tunisia in that time so I'm having a hard time changing region borders there. Other factors are the Sahara and Tripolitania region and the "naturality" of their border. I think I got that nicely done, but I'll pull Sahara a bit to the edge of the Tunisia regions so there would be a nice big straight border of the Almoravid monarchy if they conquer Algiers. Should I split Tunis and Al-Mahdiya the same way like Carthage and Thapsus were split in Rome: Total War? I don't know, I'll give it a try.

[Overlord.ru]

I haven't looked at the portraits submod but seeing as there are new faction and roster in SSMAP and that submod was for earlier version of SS I'm not sure how compatible it would be.

I suppose it's not the portraits causing the CTD. It's just a graphical submod, it shouldn't break the game by any chance. Besides, I made about 30 turns successfully after I had installed the portraits. Have you seen the log?

[Lifthrasir]

Also- anyone with suggestions where to place starting merchants for Genoa, Pisa, Venice, ERE, and Sicily? To help them afford their starting fleets and to reflect somewhat the reality of already engaged in trade?

I would see Genoa as trading probably on the silver mine in Sardinia while Pisa trade somewhere in N Africa. Venice would have a trader perhaps on an ERE silk, while ERE and Sicily would have merchants on good spots in the Levant.

Sorry to react a bit late on that topic, but what about having Genoa merchant around the Black Sea? For Venice, I've read something about their merchants in Antioch but I can't find the stuff anymore.
For Pisa, I have absolutly no idea. May be give them Sardaigna spot if Genoa is somewhere around the Black Sea and share North Africa between them and Sicily.

[Xaurus]

Hi guys, any ETA on version 1.0 ? I am still contemplating starting over since I can't get past the CTD at turn end, but I won't do that if 1.0 is only a couple of days away.