Map Blog 3 - PSFs (8th Entry - PSF Script)
Hey guys!
Some of you may still remember me doing some map blogs long time ago about how we were developing the map etc. I eventually stop to focus more on actual mapping and other stuff but recently I engaged in a rather monotonous task of placing of the PSFs and I figured that taking a break every once in a while and give you guys some sneak peak into it would be nice refreshment for you and me.
NOTE: It's important to point out that every single one of these PSFs (permanent stone forts) are exact geographical locations of actual historical places. Currently these are all shown as default castles, but as you will see in the coming weeks- they are all fully researched and will vary between huge cities, massive fortresses to minor towns and simple villages. -Hross
CURRENT:
Entry 8 (PSF Script) - 1st January 2012
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
It has been a long time since the last update but now as the New Year present I would like to unfold a bit about the PSF Script. It is a system which handles all the PSFs and will make the DotS experience unlike any other mod. First something you have already tasted in the TWN video:
Each PSF has its own name and garrison as seen in the screenshot. PSFs have also varied appearances according to what they represent. Each PSF is also assigned an income. The income is accounted for in the king's purse at the start of the game. When the PSF is lost the king's purse is decremented by its value and when it is captured it is incremented. You can thus track your financial situation in the financial screen. The value of each PSF is noted on the Ancillary that each garrison guy caries. The garrison is also respawned when it dies so each PSF stays occupied at all times. When the PSF is conquered the new garrison spawns (with units from the new owner) right after the battle and moves inside the PSF.
The testing also shows that the script has minimal impact on the turn time or the game performance!
Ownership of the PSF also enables the PSF specific title for your faction which will be previewed sometime in the future.
So I hope you enjoyed this update and as always, stay tuned! Next update will be a regular PSF update but with all these new features included on the screenshots.
Credits:
Resurrection: Idea, Scripting, Implementation, Testing
Meneth: Scripting, Script Optimization
Praneeth: Scripting, Necessary Tools
OLD ONES:
Entry 1 (Introduction & Scotland) - 23rd July 2011
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:So PSFs, one of our most important features. And probably the biggest one too. The original idea was to represent places that could not be given a region slot due to 199 limit but it evolved into something more than just that. But all that was repeated many times so I will rather focus on how it will be done.
First we had to gather the research just like with all things we do and that took very long time. Eventually we landed at some 1400 PSF suggestions and some will yet be added while some will be deprecated due to space issues on the map.
Second comes the task I am doing now which is picking the in-game locations based on the gathered data and real world coordinates and record the valid in-game coordinates.
Third comes the fun part because with the coordinates we can create the PSFs automatically using the code/text Replicator by Azim which allows us to easily update the PSF attributes (appearance and abttlemap), update its garrison etc.
But first I have to go through all those suggestions manually and test all of them in-game to be sure they do not cause KTM as PSFs in M2TW have quite restricted options where to be placed. Anyway that's about it for today and I am attaching the screenshot of Scotland with all PSFs on. Notice that the looks of them are uniform for now but I might be able to give them faction specific (up to 7 types per faction) already for the BETA. If not then this is pretty much the final look for the BETA!
Enjoy!
Entry 2 (Finished British Isles) - 24th July 2011
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
So here we go with finished British Isles PSFs wise with correct faction ownership. Nevermind that rebel Warwick though. :-) Enjoy! And oh with the movement fields as well.
Southern England and Wales
Northern England and Wales
England Movement
Scotland (new!)
Scotland Movement
Ireland
Entry 3 (France) - 26th July 2011
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
France is the shinning example of... oh wait, that's vanilla France. Nevermind. :-) Below is the DotS France. In Middle Ages it was most populous country in Europe and each of its provinces could be a small faction in itself. Two hundred years war were fought over it with England and during Middle Ages France was never conquered. Due to its sheer size and potential however it was constantly engaged in inner political problems. King had rarely full control over most of his supposed domain and many areas were more or less independent in their actions very much like the situation in the Empire to the east.
I should probably remind you of the other feature we are implementing and that are the "Claims". At the beginning numerous settlements and PSFs will be rebels however they will not be free to conquer by anyone. On most there will be claims in place like Provence which will be claimed by Aragon (actually Barcelona should we had it), France and HRE IIRC. If any of these factions try to seize Aix they will be drawn to war with the other two. If any outsider faction tries to conquer Aix it will not only be at war with the three claimants but can be also excommunicated on top of it! All depending on different factors like relations etc. The system will be dynamic too: for instance if France or HRE loses control over one of its settlements in civil war it won't become open to conquer because the claim will be automatically in place. The Claims however won't be an absolute rule but rather a taste of Medieval complexity and historicity we try to recreate.
But enough talk for now and here are some screenshots. And as a bonus there's a sneak peak on the Alpes! [NOTE: The ownership of all PSFs and settlements is not yet final.]
North-western France (Normandy, Brittany, Anjou, Poitou, Orleanais)
North-eastern France (Ile-de-France, Normandy, Orleanais, Chamapgne, Flanders)
South-western France (Aquitaine, Poitou, Auvergne, Toulouse)
South-Eastern France (Provence, Burgundy, Lanquedoc)
North France - Movement
South France - Movement
Entry 4 (Iberia) - 30th July 2011
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Hispania, the ancient name of Romans for the Iberian peninsula. In medieval times it was a battlefield between Muslim taifas and Moors of northern Africa and Christian kingdoms. In 734 Muslim armies were defeated near Poitiers. Just 12 years earlier the Reconquista was started by the first Asturian king with the prospect of 'liberation' of Iberia of its Muslim overlords. In 1080 most of the peninsula is in the hands of independent Muslim taifas (small states) while the north is held by Aragonese uniting Aragon and Navarre and claiming Catalonia and Provence and Castille-Leonese who rule over Galicia, Leon and Castille. There is also a crusade called against the infidels in future Portugal which is for now semi-independent vassal of king Alfonso I. (Leon-Castille).
Taifas are not worried yet though as they stand strong and independent and the Christian kingdoms have so far problems of their own. Sultan of Almohads however is watching cautiously and has tried to convince some of the taifas to come under his rule - so far without success. Should the Christians mount and attack however many of the weaker taifas might seek help in the great Maghrib Empire. The long and difficult struggle is ahead and it is far from certain who could prevail since neither side is particularly united and petty rivalries could easily undo previous gains.
I hereby present to you battlefield of the true total war of Middle Ages - the Iberia:
Aragon and Catalonia
Valencia and Baleares
Portugal
Muslim (today's) Portugal
Leon & Castille
Muslim (today's) Spain
Movement maps
Entry 5 (Italy) - 3rd August 2011
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Italia is by far the richest and most advanced place in medieval Europe and also the centre of Christian world. The riches and power however are the cause of extreme fragmentation and complicated political situation. The dominant power in Italy remains the Holy Roman Empire in the north and Normans to the south who just recently wrestled Sicilia and much of southern Italy from the hands of Muslims and Romans. In the north rages the war between Henry IV., Holy Roman Emperor, and Pope Gregor VII. The conflict better known as Investiture controversy.
In 1077 the truce was declared when Henry expiated in Canossa in front of the Pope. That lasted until 1080 when Pope unilaterally declared that the Bishops will be voted upon by clergy under his supervision. Emperor, who too claimed the right to appoint bishops, now has to deal with the Pope and anti-king Rudolph of Swabia supported by the Pope.
Beside these major powers the Italian city states start to rise in power. The cities of Lombardia and Liguria also known as Comuni Liberi sided with the Emperor in the conflict against Pope. Comuni Toscani, mainly Pisa and Florence, sided with the Pope. The city of channels, Venice, so far does not engage in the matters of Italy proper but focuses on establishing the trade routes along the coast of their former overlords - the Romans.
The war over dominance in Italy will be long, hard and complicated and it is likely that other players will eventually step in too such as Aragon and France to the west. Moors hoping to regain their former hold on Italian islands to the south and should the Romans recover from the heavy blows they suffered they might lay claim on Italy once more as well!
Northern Italy - West
Northern Italy - East
Central Italy
Southern Italy
Sicily
Corsica and Sardinia
NOTE: There is no movement area map this time because the control points are extremely mixed and it's literally almost impossible to move around in Italy!
NOTE2: Northern Italy is probably most crowded area on the map rivalled maybe by Lower Countries (in next update). In this particular case it is absolutely intentional and we hope that never during our timeframe nor player nor AI would be capable of "tidying up" this mess.
NOTE3: The COAs of all factions are historically correct. Unfortunately it also means that in northern Italy several factions use red as their primary colour. That adds a bit to confusion I am afraid (CT, HRE and Papacy are all red) but we simply cannot compromise on it so consider it intentional as the situation was very complicated and confusing.
Enjoy!
Entry 6 (Holy Roman Empire) - 11th October 2011
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:After two months I bring you probably the most populated area in terms of PSFs on the map. There will be certainly bigger areas in terms of space but in terms of "content" HRE is simply the top. The Empire was the most turbulent part of Christendom being more a collection of small (or bigger) states with different interests. The King of the Romans / Holy Roman Emperor is the theoretical head of this state but he had to face many problems from Investiture controversy to constant anti-king problem or Imperial fiefs being taken by foreign lords. In fact many of our systems were designed specifically for HRE and others are on the way like the Imperial elections system. In 1080 when the mod starts the HRE is in the civil war between the Henry IV. and Rudolph of Swabia and things are not looking very well for Henry the "legitimate" king even though he has secured the help of the most powerful of his vassals - Bohemian Prince Vratislav. The HRE is a vast land of opportunity but also of challenges only the most competent rulers can hope to overcome and establish the Empire and the Emperor as the true head of all of Christendom!
Lower Countries
Saxony and Ostmark
Swabia and Bavaria
Switzerland and Burgundy
Austria
Movement Maps
Enjoy!
Entry 7 (Scandinavia) - 16th October 2011
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Dear DotS followers,
this time I am showing you the three Scandinavian realms. In past blog chapters you have already seen parts of Norwegian domain in Iceland and islands around British islands. This time you'll see their homeland from where Vikings sailed on their longboats and where their tradition is by no means extinct even though their old gods were already replaced (more or less) by Christianity.
Both Norwegian and Danish kingdoms were heavily naval based. Norwegians because of their barren homeland unsuitable for sensible land travel while Danish due to their realm being based on many islands. On the other hand Swedes were so far rather in-land nation and least developed of the three. What was to become Sweden was still not under the rule of Swedish king and the glory days of this realm were yet to come by the end of 11th century. The Scandinavia was sparsely populated but before the black death many settlements were founded in the northern lands around the coast. Almost none survived the catastrophic epidemic of the 14th century...
Norway will have to re-establish firmly its royal power at home if it hopes to restore the Viking Empire over the North sea and beyond. Sweden will have to wrestle its rightful lands from unruly chieftains and nobles to expand into Baltics. On its way will be Denmark which while well established will have to deal with the Empire to the south and number of other rivals in its ambition to gain control of North sea and Baltic coasts such as England and France or Poland and possibly also Russians to the east.
(due to big number of rebels this time with only one movement map)
THX TO HROSS FOR SUPERB RESEARCH SUPPORT ON THIS!
Northern Norway
Trondheim Area
Southern Norway
Northern Sweden
Future Sweden?
Swedish Domain
Danish Domain
Movement Map
Enjoy!
Reply With Quote
Re: Map Blog 3 - PSFs (Scotland)
Originally Posted by JorisofHolland
+rep 
MORE PICS! 
