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Thread: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

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    Legio's Avatar EMPRESS OF ALL THINGS
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    Default The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III




    The best Publication for Total War and Modding News!


    Eagle Standard CONTENT INDEX
    (Do not scroll until specific post appears)

    Shogun 2 News
    Latest Empire and Napoleon News
    Latest MTWII & Kingdoms News

    Latest Eras News






    Letter from Legio
    This issue comes hot off the presses. The months that have passed since the last issue have not been easy ones - writers and editors alike have had final exams, university work, and computer meltdowns. Thankfully the summer vacation is in full swing, brand new desktops are set up, and the latest Eagle Standard is ready! Outside, the temperature is in the triple digits (Fahrenheit, that is) and there is no reason to go outside unless you would like a heat stroke. On another note, the Captains Cabin has been streamlined - modding interviews will now be in the respective TW sections for easier reading. So sit back in that computer chair, grab a cold drink or your alcohol of choice, and read the latest and the greatest Total War and modding related news!

    The team has spent a lot of time putting this together, so I hope you enjoy it!

    Legio
    ES Editor

    Last edited by Legio; July 24, 2011 at 08:00 AM.

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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III



    Shogun 2 News




    Letter from the Editor
    Another month has gone by - and has it been a busy one or what? Despite Shogun II being an amazing blend of graphics, sound, a gameplay, Total War Center's resident modders have done all that they could to make an already great experience even more enjoyable! Please, open the boxes below to get your goodies. But be careful - I've wrapped them very nicely and I would hate to see them ripped! Let's get right into those mods, shall we?


    Shogun II News
    Iga Ikki v1.2

    Iga Ikki v1.2

    SaengsaWang is proud to present the release of version 1.2 of his mod Iga Ikki. For those who are unsure of what Iga Ikki is, Iga Ikki is a mod that overhauls the Hattori clan into a ninja-warrior monk clan. Some of the older features of Iga Ikki are: Hattori can no longer recruit katana samuarai, however, they can now recruit very powerful and cheap monks, rank fire has been added to matchlock warrior monks and an Ikko Ikki building has been added to the Hattori Clan. In order to prevent spamming of Ikko Ikki and thus have the Hattori become too strong the Ikko Ikki dojo's now require food, each building upgrade requires more food. The latest version of Iga Ikki simply features renamed tables. Iga Ikki v1.2 is also compatible with Darthmod and has been tested with no bugs or problems arising, so if you want a more complete Darthmod experience this mod is for you!


    In these screenshot below you can see the various monk units under the Hattori mon.

    Screenshot Gallery







    If you want to learn more or download this excellent mod I suggest you visit the thread here!
    E.K




    Universal AI Modification for Shogun II

    Coming to you from The Hedge Knight, the Universal AI Mod for Shogun II is a continuation of The Hedge Knight's previous UAI mod for Napoleon Total War. The Universal AI mod provides an extreme improvement of the CAI for Shogun II, and allows you to play with your favorite mods for Shogun II as well. Being fully compatible with Darthmod, Shogun Realism, All in One, and The Rights of Man 3, the Universal AI mod is the most complete AI overhaul currently available for Shogun II.

    Numerous CAI changes have been made to improve overall gameplay, including changes that make major factions far more dominant, with as many as ten or eleven factions still present by turn thirty. Take a look at these screenshots of the minimap, where major factions begin to dominate and are still present after multiple turns.

    Here, notice the Mori, Oda, Shimazu, Hojo, Takeda, Hattori, Chosokabe, Date, and Uesegi are all still alive in 1549

    Notice in this screenshot the Hojo begin to dominate, and the Hattori are also doing well. The Uesegi rebound, and the Chosokabe have almost captured their island.


    Other changes include improving the AI base building logic, and improved AI attack logic. Take another look at these screenshots, where the AI building logic and army composition have been vastly improved.

    Here the AI displays its improved building skills. The AI builds larger castles with better buildings in better order. The AI building priorities have also been changed, bases should be more dynamic, and should help recruitment as well.


    In this screenshot, notice the AI army composition. A lack of cavalry has also been improved, with more cavalry present on the battlefield.


    Other minor changes have also been made, making this UAI mod a must for players who wish to see a proper AI and a bit of a challenge. Minor factions have been re-balanced, the AI is also more likely to take trade nodes and raid trade routes. The AI builds more ports, upgrades goldmines faster and will favor weaponsmiths over armorers.

    A major change has been implemented to AI recruiting priorities as well. With additional cavalry, AI armies will no longer have archer spam. Rarer units will also appear in your enemy's forces such as No Dachi Samurai. Armies like these have become the norm in this incredible modification.

    The Universal AI mod offers an incredible game for the player, especially due to its compatibility with other major overhauls. The challenge provided by the AI in this mod is unmatched, The Hedge Knight even claims he has been crushed in one of his campaigns. Version 2.20 has been released and it available for download HERE!

    Audacia

    Shogun II All In One Mod: Now Available with DarthMod 2.8 and Shogun Realism 1.2

    ToonTotalWar presents his second installment of his famous All In One modifications. Predecessor to his well renown All In One mod for Napoleon Total War, Shogun II All In One is a compilation of the best available modifications for Shogun II. Toon's All In One mod now has the available option to integrate DarthMod 2.8 or Shogun Realism 1.2 in this already fantastic modification.

    All In One provides all new unit textures and the elimination of camera shake. The visual mods combine to provide the player with an incredible real time battle experience. Also included is the coveted blood mod, which adds a whole new level of immersion into the game. Witness soldiers get slaughtered right in front of your eyes! Coupled with DARTH VADER's amazing CAI and BAI modifications, or the historical accuracy of Shogun Realism, the All In One mod cannot be beat. Here you can download the All In One mod and view the list of modifications included in Toon's compilation. In addition, Toon recommends to use the Clan Re-Texture Project mod and the AUM Clan Re-Texture mod with the All In One mod. Those can be downloaded here and here, respectively.

    And remember...

    Audacia

    Clan Retexture Project




    The Clan Retexture project is a mod, which has been created by Ftmch with the help of a few others to make changes to the unit appearances for all of you who hate the garishly bright and overly glossy units of vanilla Shogun 2. Ftmch has re-textured every playable faction in the game and the results he has achieved speak for themselves, the textures he has created are a lot nicer to look at when compared to vanilla's and (in my eyes) the colour pallette that he has used make the game seem a lot more realistic. The new textures aren't the only thing that has been added though, as several more additions have been made such as new banners to suit the new colours (also created by Ftmch) and ToonTotalWar's no Horo mod as well as some improvements to the unit cards. The mod also has versions that are compatible with both AUM and Radious's Units Mod, which means there are no excuses for not giving this great mod a try, so if you want to get your hands on it all you need to know can be found in this thread!

    -Brittanicus


    TROM 3 - Road to Kyoto v0.75

    TROM 3 is a mod designed for the hardcore strategists amongst you and continues in the same vein as TROM for ETW and TROM2 for NTW, which means it implements features such as slower battles, improved CAI and many other changes to gameplay to create a more enjoyable experience. The newest version of TROM3 that has been released is 0.75 and it has made various fixes, changes and additions over the previous versions and now even includes a music mod created by La♔De♔Da♔Brigadier Graham.

    One of the major changes in v0.75 concerns Warrior Monks, as they will now be seperated into two classes instead of vanilla's one; The two new classes are Sohei and Yamabushi and both will have a unit cap, so you won't be able to recruit unlimited numbers (The cap for the Mori and Ikko-Ikki is higher than it is for the rest of the factions). All monk units have had a few slight stat changes as well and they now have both higher morale and lower upkeep costs compared to other samurai units. In addition to this, the unit stats for the Ikko-Ikki have had quite a few changes made to them and several fixes have been made to compensate for the Ikko-Ikki DLC.

    There have been several more changes to the gameplay such as a reduction in the extra upkeep of Hattori samurai, a new unit cap for the number of Ronin units you can recruit, more unhappiness for the normal tax level and a re-working of some of the ancillaries. The mod was already fantastic in it's previous versions and v0.75 just improves it even further, so i definitely reccomend that you visit this thread in order to find the latest download.

    -Brittanicus



    Special Interview With Radious!
    Exclusive Interview

    Radious Interview by DannyTh3Man

    Ok Radious, you are a well know modder for Shogun 2. When did you begin modding games?

    I started with TW games since Rome Total War and thats the same time when i start with moding. But at this time i was total beginner and i made mods only for myself. Didnt know i can share them here on TWC and i would never thought that somebody would like them anyway. It was much easier to mod in older TW games, CA was different at that time.

    So was Rome your first Total War game or no?

    Yes, Rome was my first TW i played and modded. I had chance to play later Shogun and Medieval 1, but this was after and on Rome i really spend crazy amount of time (Rome 2 hurry)


    Ah so you're in the Rome 2 boat? I'm in the China: Total War crowd. Anyway, when did you first visit/join the TWC?

    I would not say i am on Rome 2 board, but Rome era is lovely and i spend probably most of the time in Rome from all TW games. I joined TWC after ETW release, but i knew this page and was around few years earlier.

    What are your current modding plans for Shogun2?

    Constant support and improving all my mods, sofar doing it regularly and i am not planning to stop until i think its finished, its ready and there is nothing else what i would like to add or change. Then i finished my complete overhaul mod build from most of my mods and i can say right now its huge one Plus i have additional 3 projects started, but all those require much time and patience so i will reveal something when i will closer to release, but i believe all of them can be interesting for many people.

    How do you find the community's response and opinions to your mods?

    Its same as in real life, some people do like my work, some dont. I am always open to polite disscussion so if person is able to express himself more then just say "Your mods suck" i will be pleased to listen him. I understand everyone likes something else and i never liked to tell people how exactly they should play their own game. This was one of the reasons why I had chose split my mods from start and offer them in many versions so people have the freedom of choice and can choose what it fits them most.

    You mentioned you were working on projects. Details? Or are they a secret?

    Not really secret, but its pretty hard part of a modding so i do not want to reveal much info until i am sure they will work as i want them. I can say that one of the projects is Unique faction garrisons, where i am trying to create unique garrisons for all 10 main clans, so it wont be same for all clans as it is now, but i run into some small troubles & as you probably know it requires about 50 new custom units, which is time killing :-) Also some of those files are supported in our current modding tool - PFM, so it must be converted and edited manualy, etc, another time consumption

    Sounds interesting, best of luck for them. Now have you ever used another modders mod (Such as DarthMod, Total Realism, or TROM)?

    I tried them, for sure, they are huge. But I am not using them, since I think I am able to change the game how I like I dont need mods from others, but all respect to them, the mods are fantastic. But they are bit different from my work, I see there many "realistic" parts which I do not really think they belong to game if they kill gameplay and fun. At least for me, everyone has different taste, so its great those mods are here, their fan base is huge.

    Whats your opinion of the moddability of STW2?

    It's the same as it is in ETW and NTW so from one site it's not worse (thank god) But compared to RTW or M2TW its joke how modding changed, CA changed it with ETW they came on steam and started their DLC policy. This prevent to create mods like RB or SS, such a mods are simply not possible, it's bit sad that modding was nerfed so much in new TW titles, because TW games have so many skilled and great modders which improved these games so much for so many people. DLCs in my opinion cant never replace them, expecially because they are not free

    Do you see this trend continuing?

    Yes sadly its not just problem of TW games, but now we live in time where every game must have DLCs, some already done before release, cut from the full games, selling small content for few euros. I am not really fan of this. I prefered much more older ways, where we got 1-2 big expansions, like Kingdoms

    Nor is anyone, but I guess it really just comes down to economics
    Would you pay a few euro to get your hands on CA published mod tools?

    Depends on the mod tools and their price. It would be strange if they would release them at cost, I really dont know any game that would ever do that.

    Honestly I am afraid for the future of modding

    You are not alone For example, Rome 2 (if CA will do it) it must be a completely different game from ETW,NTW and S2TW. I can imagine with todays thinking - special rome legions - DLC. Germanic barbarian tribe - DLC. Carthagian faction - DLC. This scares me like hell. And with Rome 2 they would have to return siege weapons, city fight and much much more, i am not sure if CA is able to this anymore

    Yes the siege combat feels downgraded

    1-2 years as they had now on last 3 TW games is simply not enough for huge game as Rome must be. I know the publisher wants money and is pushing CA to crazy deadlines. The scale of NTW and S2TW were really small compared to older tw games

    You think SEGA is cracking the whip on CA?

    Well as every publisher their only goal is money, more money = better. Faster = better. Its not just sega, but almost every studio has these problems if they are not really huge and standalone - Blizzard for example. I remember times when older games had no patches. Today most new games after release are hardly playable, they need hotfixes, patches, etc. They are rushed.

    Like that disaster that occured right after STW2 was released? the patch that broke the game

    Yes for example that. When you are rushing things you make more mistakes, and we customers suffer from this the most.

    Anyway, whats your favorite aspects of the game? most hated?

    Hmmm what is my favourite? I think battles are really nicely done, not just graphics, but the complete pack. It's nice to watch from close those soldiers fighting, moving, animations etc.
    Most hated? Troubles in modding Well i speak as modding nerd. In game i dislike the lack variety

    Of course haha and you speak for a large part of the community.

    All clans = clones. All clans = same units. As i said i do not care about realism, tw games were never about that so I would like to see different units in clans, at least different models, bigger differences between clans. It's an issue with replay value of the game, when the only difference is super small bonus for a clan, colour and starting position. I would like to see more.

    Like truly unique units? ie Date used asigaru who wore mass produced samurai armor, and the Shimazu were really the only ones who fielded NoDachi

    Well why not, each clan should have some unique units, but i dont mean hero units, normal unit special for this clan. Differences like shimazu's special version of katana samurai which looks exactly same and has 5% better stats then regualar one is not what I like. Maybe i want too much, but in medieval or rome we had this :-)

    How do you like the Diplomacy in STW2?

    Better then in ETW and NTW, for sure. But it has some strange flaws like with RD event or this dishonoring points for nothing

    Best yet?

    Best not really, older tw games had diplomacy system richer. It played bigger role

    U prefer using diplomats?

    I liked them, it was more hardcore, players had to take care about more things. Today its bit simple. Like you send some asigaru to some clan and those peasants can manage to make treaty for your clan, marriage and aliance at the same time

    Ahahaha I see your point. Alright Radious, any last thoughts to share with the readers?

    Play my mods, they are best , no not really. Play TW games in a way you liked them and how you want it., Have fun, because thats most important. Take care.

    Alright thanks Radious for your time, you've been great.


    Shogun II Tools, Tutorials, and Resources
    Tools, Tutorials and Resources

    [Tutorial] How to change a region's special resources.
    Boss has given us a useful Tutorial on how to change a region's resource. Here is the full tutorial :

    Make yourself a new mod by using the pack manager. All you will need to add is data/campaigns/jap_shogun/startpos.esf

    Once inside, navigate to CAMPAIGN_STARTPOS -> CAMPAIGN_ENV -> CAMPAIGN_MODEL -> WORLD -> REGION_MANAGER -> REGIONS_ARRAY -> [find your region]

    The regions are numbered 1-67. Use this info to help yourself remember where your region is.
    When you are in your region specific array, navigate to REGION -> REGION_SLOT_MANAGER -> REGION_SLOT_ARRAY

    The arrays inside here are the data tables for the building slots you see in game. Generally speaking, it goes:
    0-4 - Generic
    5 - Castle
    6 - Rice/farms
    7 - Port
    8 - Special resource

    Navigate down to the final BUILDING level of the bottom one, you'll see 5 lines. I have no idea what the first two lines do. The third line is the building ID. This is what you'll be changing. The 4th is the owner, and the 5th doesn't really apply to Shogun.

    The third line will be one of these, and they are self explanatory:
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_1_Artisans
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Iron_Mining_1_Iron_Mine
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Stone_1_Stonemason
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_1_Blacksmith
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Horses_1_Pastures
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_Centre_1_School
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_1_Holy_Site
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Gold_Mining_1_Surface_Mining
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_1_Merchant_Colony
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Timber_1_Lumbercamp
    SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_1_Hideout
    The Tutorial's thread can be found in the TW:S2's Tools, Tutorials and Resources section here : http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?p=9772394#post9772394

    [Resource] The Map of Japan



    Sekigahara
    has given us a basic, but needed resource to enjoy TW:S2 even more. A downloadable map of Japan!! Full with resources, city names, rivers, roads, pathways and so on. Perfect for armchair generals to plan their campaigns, without turning on their computers!

    The map can be downloaded from Gamefront here : http://www.gamefront.com/files/20390900/moj-1-2-.png and the resource's official thread is here : http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=447772


    Mutant Mod!
    Mutant Mod review
    Mutant Mod - The Tactician's Crest Edition


    Total War : Shogun II has a lot of AI mods. Mutant Mod, developed by Seikales is one of the finest out there, providing a genuine challenge to even the most hardcore of TW players.

    The mod focuses on small aspects that make every battlefield decision vital. It's not for the feint of heart, that's for sure.
    The player will need to know his unit's role on the battlefield. Spears are best at defending the line, swordsmen cut through the enemy lines, cavalry charge home to break formations, and so on. It's the usual rock-paper-scissors of TW, but much more hardcore.

    Here are some of the key changes done to improve the game experience in MM, taken directly from the mod's thread :

    • Units have special roles in the battlefield. Spears are resilient battle line holders. Swords carve their path. Cavalry are true masters of shock and awe. Archers are excellent skirmishers.
    • Flanking and rear attacking maneuvers are effective.
    • Economy feels smooth at the beginning, gets harder to manage towards the end.
    • Income is random to a degree, for both you and the AI, simulating the agriculture dependent economies rises and falls with farming output levels.
    • Seas are important and the struggle over control of the waters is constant
    • Major clans are dominant and they care for economic build-up
    • Naginata units are now heavy spear units
    The game is still in it's beta phase, and it still being worked on. However it adds some much needed spice and hard thinking to TW:S2.

    The mod's official thread is here : http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=452241
    , and can be downloaded at this link : http://www.mediafire.com/?c8wd05ksqredw56
    -SonOfOdin


    Exclusive Darth Vader Spotlight - Interview and Mod Review!
    Interview to mr. Vader

    DarthMod: Shogun II


    On April 22 of this year The Eagle Standard published a review of DarthMod: Shogun II (found here). The mod has grown a lot from that date, the introduction of a new launcher, several sub mods and the constant refinement of the main mod itself have marked this journey, and it's now a very different creature, The Eagle Standard went to talk to the mind behind the mod in order to know the insights and future of DarthMod: Shogun II.

    Q: Konnichi wa! Let me start by thanking you for taking some of your time to devote to this interview, I know that between real life, forum activities and modding your agenda must be a busy one. Also (and I think I speak in the name of all the community) I would like to give you a huge congratulations on the recent assignation of a (hosted forum for your mod).
    A: Thank you for your words. Indeed it is quite difficult for me to follow my everyday life and keep modding, especially with the current situation in Greece. But modding helps me to forget about my real problems as I like a lot this hobby. I hope also other modders who deserve it also come to the Hosted Mod Section. So let's start.

    Q: So... sushi or tofu?
    A: Never liked them and now I am afraid of their radioactive materials so none unfortunately.

    Q: What can you tell us about yourself, the mind behind this mod? I mean, there is something you think the fans know about you, or something you would share with them beyond the scope moding?
    A: I have a university degree in Mathematics, I have passed from many different jobs, from sales to banks, sales again, teaching... my passion for history and science is now quenched by working currently as an editor for a broad range of magazines.


    It will be a harsh winter!

    Q: Are you modding other games besides Total War at this moment? If that's the case, would you be so kind to provide us some info about it?
    A:
    Currently I do not mod any other games. My time is very limited and I believe more limited than from most of the players of my mods.

    Q: When have you started to mod games?
    A: My first mod was personal and it was done for the first Shogun: Total War. I have edited some stats with a text editor to bring the gameplay to my leisure. This was never published. Later I have modded Medieval Total War and started to publish with the name... DarthMod..... I remember that I have not promoted it enough and never perfected it because I was preparing to start my service for the Greek Military. Also then there was no TWCenter. I cannot find this first mod anywhere in the Internet now. That starting period I began to mod other games too. I remember I have made a gameplay Balance mod called "DarthMod" for the 1st Medal of Honor pc game. I used it in the dedicated server which hosted the multiplayer matches between me and large groups of people in an internet cafe. Because it had large success my mod spread to other internet coffee places also but I never tried to promote it globally. Other mod projects were for Playstation 2 Pro Evolution Soccer and for Star Wars Empire at War. But on these games I quickly lost my interest... Total War games quickly became my favorite and my only base to mod. My first serious mod project began with DarthMod for Rome: Total War and from then on the DarthMod Saga begun.

    Q: In your opinion, what is needed to become a modder?
    A: I will answer instead the question what is needed to become a good modder: Passion for games, dedication, intelligence, free time to kill.

    Q:
    Any advice to new modders?
    A: They need to be original and not try to start by editing other's work. They can learn quickly this way but will never succeed to produce new things. We find examples of bad editing and amateurism not only in modding but in real life. I believe that most content in the Internet is a copy/paste of someone else's original work. Also, if they eventually use others work, always they have to give good credit.

    Q: Which is Darth Vader favorite Total War game and mod (Besides of course, Darth Mod)?
    A: I never play other mods but all the mods I include in DarthMods and are mentioned in my credit lists (mainly graphics and sounds mods) can be considered my favorites. I love every Total War game because of the different historic era they represent.

    Q: Do you prefer take command on the battlefield or be the brain behind the campaign?
    A: Both balanced. One cannot be without the other. Besides... that is the Total War winning recipe: A strategy map which gets life through the 3D battle landscapes.

    Q: In a short phrase, Vader's personal opinion about Shogun 2 Total War.
    A: A fantastic game for a fascinating military era.


    A no-dachi charge in it's full glory!!!

    Q: Now, on the mod at hand, from where the inspiration for this mod (or mod series now, should I say) comes from? How this legend started?
    A: I always worshiped historic movies which included battles with thousands of soldiers. Once I used to draw sketches with epic battles. So when Total War offered the possibility to live that in front of my PC... I knew it was pointless to resist.

    Q: How do you feel about your creation? Are you happy with the high popularity it has achieved in such a short time? The old thread go almost 400.000 views and 4300 posts like you say, what those cyphers mean to Darth Vader?
    A: I am happy that many follow my work all these years and I think all my efforts gain strength from the fans love about my gameplay philosophy. I am dedicated to them as they are dedicated to DarthMod. But I want to say that it is not an easy task to please so many and for all these years. Example is the 1st version of DarthMod: Shogun. As a first version it had some issues and there were people nearly cursing me for these. Others found the opportunity to make quick assumptions that DarthMod is not a good mod after all. Their complains infested Google and shadowed the true image of the mod, I might say. Well, I have proved quickly the opposite. And that because I do not like to lose... but mostly because I had an obligation to my fans not to disappoint them. The bigger the mod, the bigger the responsibility.

    Q: Paraphrasing your own words: The main scope of your mods is to destroy the “weak” arcade factors and replace them with realistic features. Improving the AI and the gameplay of Total War games at the same time. But there's a specific goal, personal or not for the Shogun 2 mod?
    A: My goal is to conquer the Shogun 2 galaxy then move to the next title of Total War game. I know that the most serious factor of a game is gameplay, I try to offer the best and most realistic one, and so it ends my mod to become one of the most popular if not the most popular. Besides that, I want to incorporate the best aesthetics mods so the fans to easily use them with my mod and also to promote the hard work of their creators. For example in Shogun 2: Total War I try to honor every modder whose work I use by mentioning him in a clear credits list in my launcher and here. I think it is very important for modders to get credit for their work since they get no money. In my previous DarthMod Empire I did the same but many submods where not handled as I wanted because it got out of my hand (I was not working alone then...). Now I have complete control of which mod gets in or out and I try to thank everyone that enriches our gameplay experience as much as I can.

    Q: How do you feel about the current state of the mod?
    A: I feel it is complete but since CA will bring new patches... the battle is not over yet.

    Q: How do you accomplish the fine balance that your mod enjoys both in the units and AI?
    A: Technically is impossible to explain but generally I think I am efficient because of three basic reasons:
    -I read a lot military history so I can use the knowledge to implement realism.
    -I hate illogical errors (for example, a human cannot move that fast... as in all "vanilla" Total War settings)
    -I am good with numbers.

    Q:
    Darth Vader seems very open to suggestions and input from his fans and collaborators. Do you feel that this stance have helped to the high popularity of this mod?
    A: Certainly yes. Since I do not have much free time to play myself so I am depended from the fans' feedback. And most are very helpful always so I thank them by implementing what they ask for.


    Distilled awesomeness.

    Q: We know you are not alone in this project. Some words for your collaborators?
    A: The current team members are the below:
    Syntax is an old forum friend, he helps me with the moderation of the forum and always has helpful feedback and advices to give.
    BayonetFodder-San is also helping me with the moderation of the forum and his feedback is always on target and plentiful.
    Mr Kami is one very dedicated man to the game and to DarthMod. I cannot thank him enough for his frequent feedback, his moderation assistance and for the donation he has made to me.
    Tango12345, lastly, is ready to help if needed in DarthMod: Shogun II. Currently is the only active and most helpful team member for the DarthMod Empire project who helps me enormously to moderate the related forum and supports by answering the questions of the fans.
    Rome101 a new moderator for my mod who gives also frequent helpful feedback for me

    Also I mention and thank a lot the below who have contributed to DarthMod or their work has been used and so I grant them as part of it:
    Credits:
    Thoal
    for gifting me the game through Steam.
    PlacidDragon for too kindly gifting the game to... the wookie hip63 who abandoned the project.
    Syntax for our old and valuable forum cooperation.
    Mr Kami for his special donation, his very helpful feedback, and moderation of the forum.
    Fracchione for gifting me the Ikko Ikki DLC.
    BayonetFodder-San for his always helpful feedback and his moderation of the forum.
    taw for his valuable mod tools.
    Lord Maximus, Porphyr
    for the upgrade of the PFM Tool to work with Shogun 2.
    Swiss Halberdier
    for his all around assistance.
    Thorn for his Oda Boost mod (available only in the launcher version of DMS).
    ToonTotalWar for the usual perfect cooperation, his lite graphics mod and his special horo removal mod version.
    Voice of Treason for the beautiful artwork.
    JFC for the beautiful artwork and his excellent unit cards.
    The Hedge Knight for the Horo removal mod, the excellent Unit Variety Mod and his general support to all modders.
    Jane for the Clan Color Mod.
    Demokritos for the quality work of Alternative Clan Color Mod.
    Wind for the Japanese Speech Fix.
    Ftmch for his fantastic and massive unit retexture mod.
    La De Da Brigadier Graham for his music mod and his all around assistance (Generic all around good music which can be found here http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=389044).
    Twosocks for his traditional music + sound mod (Based on atmospheric Japanese drums which can be found here http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=445112).
    Ying, Duke of Qin for his great portrait mod named Furinkazan.
    Gallus Domesticus for his Oda-Tokugawa alliance mod.
    Elvasat for his beautiful portrait and event mods.
    ordinary for his better encyclopaedia map.
    CoconutFred for his unit icon mod adapted for clan retexture mod.
    Radius for his Sashimono removal mod and his other contributions to the TWCenter community.
    hip63 for his help at the early stages of the mod (The current DMS Launcher uses some of his ideas).

    Q: What would you like to do with the mod in the future? Any long term plans beside the current ones?
    A: Always in motion is the future. And the dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future...

    Q:
    What thing or things would you like to mod on Shogun 2 that it's currently (and maybe forever) impossible to mod?
    A: I want badly to mod the formations as I did in Rome: Total War that can radically manipulate the AI but currently are locked. Also I would like a comprehensive map editor so that we modders can alter easily parts of the map and offer different sandboxes for the game.

    Q: Any closing words?
    A: May I have the strength to continue modding. Things are tough here in Greece. Thank you for the honor and the good questions.

    Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Roboto! That would be all for now Mr. Vader. It's had been a real pleasure to us in The Eagle Standard. We wish you, the mod and everyone involved on it the best!


    Darth Mod, review by Lord Baal
    Review of the mod

    The DMS (like Mr. Darth now wants it to be know) it a total overhaul mod for Shogun 2 Total War, it's main goal is to improve gameplay, aiming to a more realistic experience, especially on the battlefield. To accomplish this DMS changes both the game AI and several things like units stats and battle entities, but I'm not going to get to much technical there...

    One of the things one that set this mod apart from many others is the auto install and it's really intuitive and useful launcher, both very appreciated features that make the mod practical and easy to implement. As a plus, thought the launcher one can easily see new options as more are added to the mod in subsequent versions, something that helps the people that don't hang around the forums to keep track of the mod.


    The main screen of the launcher, from here the player can choose from several gameplay and graphical options to further customize it experience.

    While playing the campaign, the improved survival of the great clans, the refined economics, garrisons and auto resolve features and the general improvement of the CAI are pleasantly surprising. This grants the player a excellent experience, that allows further immersion in the Feudal Japan and the struggle to become the ruler of the whole island. It's noteworthy how the clans now tend to avoid the archer spam, taking more into account their "special troops" and how they will honor more it's treats and alliances, but be aware, since they can also become even more bitter enemies than before, bringing diplomacy to a further strategic relevance on your race to the Shogunate.


    Now the auto resolve is more balanced, a plus for the people that don't have the time for all those pesky battles.

    On battle, the ability to remove the horos, shashimonos and "laser trails" not only gives a "better" look (this of course, according one tastes), but also have the side effect of improving the fps, something a lot of people with old rigs (like your servant) will be happy for. But the prize on this matter goes for the rebalanced stats of the soldiers, now they fight and move at a realistic phase and the battle last longer, you really feel like playing on a feudal country of Earth, instead of watching some of those anime cartoons where the characters move so fast that you can only see some shadows.


    Less soldiers running like Naruto on cocaine, more feudal Japan!


    Another aspect that is core to this mod is the increased amount of troops you can command, letting you have more epic battles with thousands of troops. This is a treat that would please the people with more powerful rigs, but the rest of us don't have to worry about this, since this feature it's totally optional and changeable from the launcher interface with a simple click.


    DarthMod let you control a unprecedented amount of troops!

    But the improvements over the vanilla doesn't stop there, the waters have become both more dangerous and fun now. The keys features to this are the movement of ships and the moral stats. On the movement department I will paraphrase the words of the creator, pointing that the ships now behave less like jet skies, and more like ancient heavy wooden vessels. As for the moral, it's good to see your ships resisting beyond some paint scratching before run for the hills, this not only makes the naval battles longer and more enjoyable, but also give some space to tactics and maneuvering without the fear of everyone deserting in the process.


    It's a trap!

    Overall, this mod do not changes the game in a 360ฐ way, instead it refines, improves and distill the vanilla experience, adds a cup or two of realism and covers it with a good amount of fun, significantly increasing the lifespan of this game, giving it more reputability.

    Lord Baal
    Last edited by Legio; July 25, 2011 at 04:15 PM.

  3. #3
    Legio's Avatar EMPRESS OF ALL THINGS
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III


    Letter from the Editor
    I recently reinstalled Napoleon after a long hiatus and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Please, sit back and read the latest Empire and Napoleon News.


    Empire and Napoleon News
    NTWIII





    The Lordz modding collective, makers of Napoleonic total war II and it's predecessor, Napoleonic Total War have struck again! They have created the mod Napoleonic Total War III for NTW. Features of NTW3 include:
    • New playable factions!
    • Historically accurate unit sizes!
    • Historically accurate stats and balance!
    • Historically accurate Morale!
    • Battlefield fog of war!
    • New Historical battles!
    • More then 20 new mulitplayer maps like these:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 




    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 




    The Lordz team has released version 1 of the mod recently, featuring new units, new mechanics, new maps, and a playable campaign! To read more about NTW3, or to download version one, go here.


    The 1600s


    The 1600s mod is a mod aimed to recreate the 100 years of warfare overlooked by CA: the 1600s. The mod offers completely new battle tactics, no more can you use a mass of gun units to win.

    here's some screenshots of the mod's new units:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Get the 1600s mod's latest release, featuring a campaign map here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=409802


    Empires of Destiny

    Empires of Destiny: EPIC EDITION



    Empires of Destiny (EOD) is a brand new mod recently released by Hip63.
    It includes over 100 submods (including Darthmod) and offers one of the most advanced launchers ever created for ETW! Here's some screenshots of the new launcher:

    Destiny Campaigns Main:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Options Main:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Battle Options:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Campaign Options:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Graphic Options:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Audio / Video Options:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    EOD's current release is 1.0.4, but already it's an awesome mod, rivaling some of the biggest mods for empire! To check out this awesome new mod, go here


    Napoleon: Art of War BETA 1.2

    The Napoleon: Art of War team are proud to present the Art of War beta v1.2!


    A mod that totally recreates the vanilla game by adding depth, realism and historical accuracy to the game while still remaining fun and enjoyable.

    Featuring complete unit statistics overhaul, new historical flags and accurate names for each nation. There is also going to be an Area of Recruitment system implemented. All the major nations will have been retextured and have many more units! To balance all of these new units there has been a unit cap put it to reduce certain units being spammed.

    Like the sound of that? Well, there is still more! Lots of new artwork made by xHerzoGx have been added such as new loading screens and splash screens.

    Loading Screens






    Take a look at this epic promo!





    If you want to learn more about this mod or download it then go to the thread here
    E.K


    Tutorial: Dee Jay's modding tutorials.

    Lead modder of Napoleon: Art of War, Dee Jay has written a variety of useful tutorials in the basics of modding NTW with Pack file manager. These tutorials use lots of pictures that clearly illustrate each step and his clear writing is easy to understand.
    This tutorial is perfect for beginners!

    This series of tutorials includes:


    If you are interested in learning to mod NTW then I suggest you follow these tutorials!


    E.K



    Roma Victrix Showcase Beta

    Roma Victrix
    'Rome Conquers'

    T.C. proudly presents the Roma Victrix Beta!

    Roma Victrix is the revolutionary new mod for ETW that brings the glory of the Roman Empire direct to your pc! For the first time ever in ETW you can send the mighty legions to war to defeat the barbarians, or take control of the hordes and crush Rome, the future of the Roman Empire is in your hands!

    This mod is a very early beta and only two factions are playable, so stay tuned for any further updates!

    Screenshots










    Videos!







    If you want to learn even more about Roma Victrix, visit the official thread here

    E.K


    Europe In Conflict Manpower and Supply Preview
    The innovative lads of the Europe in Conflict mod team have been hard at work creating exciting new features for Napoleon Total War. Here I will cover their preview on their new manpower and supply preview mentioned in the Empire and Napoleon Special addition of Eagle Standard.



    Supply and Manpower has always been a feature sought after by those fans of the Total War series seeking a more realistic and challenging experience from their game. Though such a feature has been included in the Proper Empire: Terra Incognita mod for Empire TW no mod has yet introduced this feature to Napoleon TW until now.

    The Europe in Conflict team have devised a simple system to determine the amount soldiers one may recruit based based on a factions population. Each region in the game has a quantity of supply points determined by a simple formula shown below.

    total population divided by 4000( number subject to change)
    A nations total supply points are determined by those of its individual regions added together plus any modifiers from technology. Supply points are used up by recruiting troops and once all available points are used you will no longer be able to recruit units. This shall create a dynamic system that fluctuates a factions ability to raise and support armies based on it's fortunes on campaign. If you fight well and secure new lands for your empire you will be able to continue to expand your armies accordingly. But if you are driven back and lose territory you shall loose the capability to reinforce your armies which may lead to further and catastrophic losses.

    To keep track of this system the EiC team have managed to insert into both the region and faction information screens figures detailing the regional supply points and your factions total supply points and how many of these it has already used as is shown in the below pictures. This makes this new system easy to understand.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    This system should provide the more realistic experience that many are seeking and will provide a new challenge in balancing the distribution of your limited resources between your various fronts as struggle across the battle scared fields of a Europe in Conflict.

    The complete preview with full details of this new feature can be found here:
    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=449001

    Jedi1


    The Jacobite Mod Preview
    From a team headed by one of the newest members of the Total War Center modding community, madrush, comes the Jacobites mod for Empire Total War.


    The Jacobites mod is a complete overhaul of the Scottish faction in ETW plus other general improvements. Though currently a work in progress when completed it shall include new flags, battle sounds, music, unit cards, portraits, a variety of unit add-ons and to top it all off new loading screen pictures and quotes.
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    However the mod is, of coarse, focused on Scotland and shall introduce an array of new units for it. These range from claymore armed clansmen to regular Scottish line infantry all clad in traditional tartan kilts as all true highlanders warriors should be.
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    The mod is custom battle compatible and also works with the campaign as long as you use Empire Total Factions mod along side it.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    The mod provides the opportunity subdue those uptight Englishmen down south, and perhaps those uppity Irish as well. Indeed one could create a Scottish empire, expanding the Scottish brand of civilization to the untamed Americas and the ancient peoples of India, all the while gleefully clad in your tartan kilt and armed with claymore and shield in the true Highland manner.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    The Jacobite mod has recently made its V1 release and more information and downloads can be found at the following link:
    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=465838

    Jedi1

  4. #4
    Legio's Avatar EMPRESS OF ALL THINGS
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III


    Letter from the Editor
    What can I say? Medieval II may not be the newest game on the block, but it's still an engaging game with a vibrant community of modders and players. Without further ado, let's get down to business!


    Medieval II News
    Broken Crescent 2.3 Release by SonOfOdin
    Broken Crescent 2.3 Release by SonOfOdin

    The Broken Crescent Team have done it again! After almost a year of hard work, the BC team has yet again given us an update for the highly esteemed mod for Medieval 2 : Total War. The mod has gave us several to think about, but most certainly the most feature that the mod-users can be grateful for is the port to Kingdoms. Yes, the mod is no longer a Medieval 2 mod, but is now a Kingdoms mod.

    NEW LOADING SCREENS!!

    The mod gives us several new features. Here's a basic list of the changelog :

    • The game has been ported to Kingdoms.
    • The mod is now fully mod-foldered.
    • A more Islamic-focused approach to the mod with new family trees, better starting positions, new traits etc
    • New aesthetics which include : A new layout and new cinematics.
    • A new soundtrack


    , and plenty of more changes to freshen up the experience.

    The mod comes in a massive 2.15 GB installer, which can be downloaded from the mod's official thread here :
    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=448564

    And as a bonus to get you pumped up, here is the BC 2.3 release video trailer :
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    by SonOfOdin

    INVASIO BARBARORVM 2: CONQVESTVS BRITANNIAE by SonOfOdin
    INVASIO BARBARORVM 2: CONQVESTVS BRITANNIAE by SonOfOdin


    The INVASIO BARBARORVM series of mods is extremely popular within the Total War community. After the success of the first Invasio Barbarorvm mods for Barbarian Invasion, the team shifted to Medieval 2 : Total War, and eventually Kingdoms. Until now, two mods have been released :
    INVASIO BARBARORVM 2:AFRICA VANDALORVM, which focuses mostly on the Vandals' expedition to N.Africa, and of course INVASIO BARBARORVM 2: CONQVESTVS BRITANNIAE.

    But enough about the series, and more about this specific mod. The mod focuses on the large number of kingdoms and tribes that infested Britain in the 5th Century A.D. Apart from Britain, a big part of North/North West Europe is also present, spanning from Ireland to central Europe in width, and from the River Loire in modern-day France to Southen Norway in height.



    The mod's completely new factions are :

    • Regnum Provincial Noviodunum
    • Romano British
    • Regnum Britannia
    • Scotti
    • Picts
    • Goddodin
    • Ebrauc
    • Saxones
    • Ui Neill
    • Rheged
    • Mumainha
    • Catuvellaun
    • Strathclyde
    • Kingdom of Gwynedd
    • Anglii
    • Franks


    You can pick any of these factions to try and gain dominance over North-Western Europe. Will you choose a barbarian tribe and smash your way through rival tribes and the last few Roman-influenced kingdoms? Or will you take your stand as one of the few last Romans, and honour Rome's glory by reinstating a Roman superpower in much of North Europe? The choice is yours to take.

    The mod puts you straight from your pc chair to post-Roman Britain. The team did a stupendous job in getting you in the mood to conquer Britain. The music is excellent, the unit detail is superb, and gameplay is balanced to perfection.

    People who know the area's history well will enjoy playing it to death, but even if an individual knows practically nothing about the tribes and the Romano British and the rest of the factions, will still enjoy a good mod in a fresh area of gaming. I personally felt the urge to go and study about the area's history myself after playing a bit, and it felt just right knowing who you're fighting and who you're befriending.

    Enough talk for now, whoever wants to play this excellent mod should visit the mod's official hub here :
    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1453

    And here's a gallery of some visual eye-candy from the mod :

    Gallery

    Signatures




















    Screenshots, thanks to MorganH.


















    by SonOfOdin

    The Great Conflicts "Emir of Crete Preview" by MasterBigAb
    The Great Conflicts (872-1071) Emirate of Iqritiya (Chandax/Crete) Preview


    The Great Conflicts





    The Great Conflicts (TGC) Team presented their fans another preview of one of the factions from their upcoming mod:
    The Emirate of Crete



    After the team already released a few very informative faction previews, containing the Bulgarian Empire, the Roman Empire and the Normans,
    the developers provided another great insight into their work.
    This time, the team showed you
    The Emirate of Chandax/Crete ("Iqritish or Iqritiya")
    from their mod, that settles in the Medditeranean area around Greece from 872 till 1071.
    The borders of the GC's map reach from southern Germany and Italy, to Tunis, Jerusalem and Belgrade.



    "The main scenario is the huge – in numbers and in timeline - conflict that took place between the Medieval Roman Empire (Byzantium) and the Bulgarian Empire.
    That conflict changed a lot in the middle ages Europe and those changes are more or less unknown to the public.

    In order the player to have a spherical view of the changes that happened in Europe there are some more conflicts that influenced the world back then
    and lead to the first crusade, the Norman establishment in Italy, the Magyar establishment in the central/east Europe and the birth of the Hungarian kingdom.
    Also [...] the appearance of Turkish tribes in the eastern Anatolia and in the Middle East [will be shown].
    Players will know the dynastic changes the Islamic kingdoms suffered that lead to the Islamic civil wars.
    Players will learn about the last attempts of the Lombards to have a kingdom of their own and the birth of the HRE from the ashes of the East Frankia."





    To see a full list of factions visit the FAQs in the TGC section. A first cinematic trailer of the mod can be viewed in this thread as well.
    For further info and small previews, please go to the Colection of minor previews.





    "Crete Island lies in a very strategic position in the east Mediterranean Sea. What made the island valuable was the fact that seals the Aegean Sea from its south entrance , guards the naval trade routes from east to west and can be an invasion base to anyone that would like to invade everywhere in the central or east Mediterranean coastal areas. Romans found out how dangerous a hostile occupation of the island could be, when they had to deal with pirates in the time of Caesar. Later when Pax Romana reached to its highest level , Mediterranean Sea was a rather “clean” area with minimum or no piracy for centuries. The early Arabic expansion came to change the peaceful life in the sea and its islands and forced the Roman Empire to create a huge fleet to guard it. Crete- by a paradox way- was left almost unguarded because the Emperors believed that the great distance, Crete had from Egypt and north Africa ,was the best defense for the island despite the fact that the island had several other raids from Arabs even since 654? AD . Saint Andrew of Crete, primate of the Church of Crete from 712 to 740 related: "The most impious and well-versed in naval warfare of all the Muslims swept across the sea, setting themselves against the island of Crete with many ships, and fear and trepidation possessed the indigenous population and those in the outlying isles..." (Theocharis Detorakis, History of Crete, trans. J.C. Davis, Heraklion 1994, pp. 133). "




    The preview also explains the main background and conflicts based on and due to this island.
    From "the Arabs in Crete" and the "Emirs of Chandax",
    to the "Romano-Arabic Conflict for Crete" as well as the "Roman Empire's attempts to take back Crete"
    and the "Aftermath".









    Of course the very informative preview also contains, beside a very detailed banner collection,
    ingame screenshots of some of the faction's units, such as the
    Haras al-Qasr (حرس القصر)







    Each of these beautiful looking and detailed made models is obviosuly armed with a nice little describtion as well,
    fitting to the rest of the developer's preview, who are indeed sticklers for details
    - what is of course an advantage for the look and the general outcome of this promising mod.

    To see the whole preview and all the units' glory, visit the TGC's thread: [Preview] Emirate of Iqritiya (Emirate of Chandax]



    And on a side note:
    Rumor has it, one will very soon be able to see these beautiful units in action,
    as soon as some mysterious movie maker releases the second cinematic trailer for
    the Great Conflicts.





    Europa Barbarorum II: The coverage of two excellent previews by: The Dutch Devil
    Europa Barbarorum II: The coverage of two excellent previews

    Rome: Total War, first released in 2004, in time proved to be a large modding platform that arguably made the site big. As time passed more and more modifcations were released until at one point Medieval II: Total War got released. But that did not stop the steady stream at which Rome: TW modifications got released, the release of the Kingdoms expansion pack again did not stop the stop the developing of Rome: Total War mods. But it did offer a new platform for modders, and sure enough new Kingdom mods started popping up. With one strange phenomena there were almost no modifications in the era of the Roman Empire. Luckily Europa Barbarorum II does focus on this area, and they just released 2 shiny new previews.

    the first one is the last preview in a line of three about the Boii, in this preview the EB II developers give us some historical background on the Boii. They tell us something about their geography, social and political organization, proto-history and strategy. And as if that isn't all they also provide information about three new untis, the Gargokladioi, Mogeto Epathias and Gaisatoi. The units are accompanied by a large and thorough description of their skill and armor. And if that isn't enough the units are also supported by excellent visual references, just check the following screenshots:



    From left to right; Gargokladioi, Mogeto Epathias and Gaisatoi.

    The second preview we're going to look at give us a look at the Sweboz and according to the developers care should be taken with the Sweboz; "The Sweboz are a not very advanced faction compared with other EB2 factions but it would be a grave mistake to underestimate the tough Sweboz warriors." In the second preview we are given a lot of background informartion on the Sweboz, the team also unveils a beautiful faction symbol and in the second post after yet another interesting article we're submerged in eye-candy. The team unveils 9 new units, they're presented with beautiful renders and a description, but the units are not the only thing that gets exposed. We're also presented with the strategic map models of the agents employed by the Sweboz and we're offered with a small special that shows us the making of the unit card which represents the Hjortspring boat. Last but not the least we're presented the strategic map models for the Sweboz cities.



    Just two of the nine unit renders. From left to right; Late Dugunthiz (Veteran spearmen) and Jugunthiz (javelin skirmish infantry)

    To all good things must come an end and this means that we covered all the content presented to us by the Europa Barbarorum II team, but before we're ready there are still is some beautiful art work. In the form of signatures that you can use to show your support to the Europa Barbarorum II Dev team.






    By The Dutch Devil



  5. #5
    Legio's Avatar EMPRESS OF ALL THINGS
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III


    Letter from the Editor
    Ah, Rome: Total War. What a beautiful game. How many of us spent hours playing that back in the day? Well, guess what? We still can, and MorganH is going to give us several reasons to - so please, even if you are new to the Total War series, try this gem!


    Total War: Eras News
    For RTW
    For Rome Total War : The RotN Faction Preview - ANTIGONID KINGDOM OF MACEDON






    The highly anticipated Rise of the Nations: Prelude to War Mod (270 BC-156 AD), is leaving no stone unturned to provide the player with one of the best researched Mods ever to be released.

    The mod aims to be a realistic reconstruction of ancient armies and civilizations: combined with new vegetation, buildings, events, realistic military reforms, on-going wars at the start of campaigns, historical battles, mini-campaigns, hundreds of new accurate units and much more, this mod will undoubtedly make up for the long period of development that it is undergoing.

    For the moment, fans have to be content with the mind-blowing Antigonid preview - and she's a doozy!

    The ancient Macedonian Army is one of the best known and greatest military forces of the ancient world.
    Under King Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian army was reshaped into one of the finest military machines the ancient world had ever seen - an army that would eventually conquer an intercontinental empire and engrave it's commanders name in the memory of history.


    From the famous Macedonian phalanxes,the fearless cavalry,persistent skirmishers and accurate archers,to the colorful musician units like the auletes and salpinx players,the ROTN Mod has covered them all.



    For serious indepth historical research on Macedon combined with many more screenshots of units,plus feedback and an overview of the other released previews and the main ROTN forums,please view it all for yourselves right Here!


    MorganH.





    For MTW

    For Medieval Total War - Redux (Beta)




    For the absolute Classic Medieval Total War game, there is a new revised Redux Beta Mod for all of us who played the original MTW (or those who did not but wish to).


    The Redux Beta will offer the player a more realistic and fun MTW game with better and improved gameplay, units,and many extra added regions to wage Total War in.
    The primary campaign is spanning from 700 AD to 1260 AD,with 10 out of 18 factions playable,along with rebels and pirates.
    Fight your classic Medieval Total Wars for supremacy over Europe,North Africa and the Middle East, but make sure that your economy is very functional or you will not stand a chance.


    This latest Beta 1002 edition will give the player new GFX improvements, building AI that is redone from scratch, new units and weapons animations and much much more.

    For downloads,feedback and main forum view here

    MorganH.




    For Medieval Total War : "The Caravel Mod"



    The Caravel Mod is another recent released Mod for the awesome and groundbreaking classic game 'Medieval Total War'

    This Mod is designed to fully bring out the potential of the vanilla game and make it more fun.

    Do not expect retextured units, more playable factions or regions, but an optimized and polished core vanilla game.
    The results are more diverse meaningful factions choices in regard to buildings and dependencies,and an array of improved stack compositions that will help the AI to create more decent armies in the field.


    Also over or underpowered AI weapons and units have been tweaked to ensure better Battles, and the descriptions of units and buildings have been altered so that what you read is what you get.

    Combined with the modification of the treasury amounts for all factions,the Caravel Mod will guarantee a more fun and diverse Medieval Total War experience.

    If this all sounds interesting and fun, and you are in the possession of the MTW game, do not hesitate any longer and click for the main Caravel Mod forum for downloads and feedback Here.


    MorganH.




    Tools and Tutorials:


    RTW Tutorial : How to add a new unit ingame


    A small but fine tutorial on how to add units into the players RTW game was published by drking.

    From making the new unit available for recruitment to actual usage on the battlefield without crashes or errors, this tutorial covers all basics.

    For feedback and the precise tutorial on how to perform such an act go Here.


    MorganH.



    RTW Tool : Money Script Generator


    PatricianS has developed and released a very handy Money Script Generator.


    This generator,the MSG, will allow the player to trigger the turn for when a faction will be generated a certain sum of money.

    The money generator will be triggered as soon as the amount of money for a player specified faction drops below a certain point - a point that is also to be determined by the user.

    Of course it is also possible with this tool to preset the amount of money you want the faction(s) to receive.

    Learn everything you need to know on this intriguing tool and download it right Here

    MorganH.


    For RTW:

    Extended Realism

    Rome Total War > Barbarian Invasion > Alexander > Extended Realism for RTR





    Extended Realism is a mod that is built upon the base of Rome Total Realism Platinum Edition v1.9 and it makes a lot of extensive changes to this already, but will add even more in the upcoming, highly anticipated 4.0 patch.



    A number of improvements have been made to the aesthetics of the mod with the primary change being the addition of the glorious RS2 environments made by Tone. There are also hundreds of re-done units included in the mod, such as Prometheus's Romans, RTR VII units and a few made by the Extended realism team itself. These changes and additions will help to create some fantastic battles and will help to create a more immersive overall experience.


    New and Re-done units have been added!






    The biggest changes that have been made though are for the campaign and they are almost uncountable due to the sheer amount of changes that the team have included. The first of these is that the economy system has been given an overhaul and has been re-balanced; This has been implemented through several large changes such as the value of naval trade no longer dwarfing the value of land based trade, more profitable farming in comparison to trade and an increase in the importance of farming upgrades. Population growth has also been carefully optimised, which means that your population is now a more precious resource than it previously was and this in combination with the economy overhaul means that your provinces will be a lot more valuable and you will certianly regret it if you lose one of your more powerful regions. The map itself will also feature changes in the new patch such as the inclusion of 3 superfactions, which will allow the player to play as any number of factions simply by choosing to play as a superfaction and then stripping it of most of its regions excluding the ones in the area you want to play your campaign.


    - Changes have been made to the map



    Another aspect that has been carefully refined affects the armies that you will face and the way that troops will be recruited. Every faction will have historically accurate armies and so each faction should provide you with a different campaign experience and even the separate Diadochi kingdoms should have some differences in the way that they play. One of the most interesting concepts that the Extended Realism team have been working on is "Dynamic Areas of Recruitment" (AsoR), this has been created in order to represent the value that was placed upon Greek settlements during this period. A number of nations fought each other for control of these Greek colonies to take advantage of their heavier infantry and so to show this in the game certain factions will be able to build different recruitment buildings if a Greek colony is present and some will be able to build their own Greek colony, which can then be used by another invading power to recruit the different units.





    Explanation of Dynamic Areas of Recruitment by Quinn Inuit


    • This is, I believe, unique to our mod among all RTW mods.


    • Greeks were an incredibly valuable human resource in our time period. The Diadochi fought over Greek settlements, and factions like Pontus took advantage of their much heavier infantry to improve their own armies.


    • A number of factions will be able to build different recruitment buildings based on the presence of a Greek colony in a region, even if it's not their own and even if they can't build one themselves.


    • Many factions can also build their own Greek colonies. These then can form the basis for other factions' buildings.


    • This means the game will change as you play, so no two games will ever be quite the same.


    • Added bonus: this is done entirely without triggering the dreaded building browser CTD.






    In addition, a huge amount of work has also been put into balancing and several sripts have been included such as Vlad's Spoils of War script. If you want to try out the current version of the mod or find out more about the impending release of version 4.0 you can find a lot more help and information in the Extended Realism forum.


    -Brittanicus




    RTW 1.5 Vanilla Night Battles


    This is a small mod for the RTW 1.5, which adds night battles and also incorporates Archers sky mod.







    The sky mod adds new weather effects, improved lighting, new lens flare and also adds torches to the units for sunset/sunrise/night settings, so if you want to try out all of these new additions in combination with night battles on RTW 1.5 you can find the release in this thread!

    -Brittanicus




    310 B.C Mod


    Rome Total War > 310 B.C

    The primary focus of the 310 B.C mod is to cover the conflicts and major events, which were occurring around the Mediterranean starting from 310 B.C. In 310 B.C the Diadochi kingdoms are still fighting each other totry and unite Alexander's fragmented empire under their own rule; The Antigonid Empire, the Seleucid Empire, the Ptolemaic Empire and Macedonia all vie for control and will not stop until they rule all the Hellenic lands. In the west however a new power is rising in the form of Rome and if they can beat their Italian rivals then they may become a serious threat to the Successor states in the east.


    - New Units have been added



    The main addition that the mod makes is that it incorporates 5 brand new factions in the form of the mighty Antigonid Empire, the fierce peoples of the Samnites and Etruscans, the dangerous Epirus and the wealthy city state of Massilia. These new factions recieve completely new unit rosters, which have been filled with a lot of new and re-skinned units such as Umbrian Spearmen and Neapolian Hoplites; The older factions such as the Celts, Germans, Iberians, Pontus and Parthia have not been neglected either as they also recieve several new units to add to their armies.


    New Unit Rosters






    There are a few minor things that still need changing, but overall this mod looks like it will be great fun to play, so whether you want to lead one of the Diadochi to re-unite Alexanders Empire or you want to unite the Mediterranean under the rule of one of the many Italian peoples then you can find the download in this thread!

    -Brittanicus




    Rome Vice Total War 0.88 Released


    Rome Total War > Rome Vice Total War 0.88 Released


    Roma Vice Total War is a total overhaul mod for the vanilla version of RTW, which has the aim of making the vanilla game more historically accurate by replacing a lot of the stranger aspects of the vanilla game, such as the chariots for the Egypt faction, whilst still keeping it fun to play.



    Currently the mod adds completely new unit rosters and new strat map models for Egypt, Rome, Carthage, Greece, Macedon, The Seleucid Empire and Pontus with the rest of the factions being a work in progress. The units that have been added so far though are of excellent quality and help to create glorious battles especially in combination with the new animations that have been added in patch 0.88; These new animations ensure that hoplites now fight in the classical stance and that legionaries fight in a more believeable manner instead of wildly slashing about in front of them in an attempt to hit something.



    -New Units





    It isn't just the visuals that have been improved either, as a number of significant changes have been made to the campaign, which help to eliminate some of the most annoying aspects of the vanilla game. The first of these is that the Roman factions will attack each other from the start of the game, which means that they will be significantly weakened and that you will no longer have to make pre-emptive strikes on them in order to stop them covering the whole map in a few turns. Changes have also been made in the hellenic world as well with the Seleucid Empire being strengthened and the Ptolemaic Empire being weakened, this gives the Seleucids a chance of survival now instead of them being overrun within a very short space of time.



    The mod is still under development, but it has been a very good start and is well worth downloading , so if you want to try it out for yourself you can find the latest version here!

    -Brittanicus




    Tools and Tutorials:

    [Tutorial] Bull3pr00f's Completely Known Tutorials


    Bull3pr00f de Bodemloze has very generously decided to make public a couple of tutorials that he initially made to help the ChivTW FCRC team.






    Two tutorials are provided with the first explaining how to add a new region to the campaign map and the second going into detail on how to add buildings and units to your new region. These tutorials are very clear and precise and are an excellent resource for anybody wanting to learn more about modding and they can be found here!

    -Brittanicus





    Gallery:


    Gallery




















  6. #6
    Legio's Avatar EMPRESS OF ALL THINGS
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III




    The best Publication for Total War and Modding News!



    List of Contributors

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  7. #7
    MorganH.'s Avatar Finis adest rerum
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Awesome ! Happy reading everybody !

  8. #8
    Finlander's Avatar ★Absolutely Fin-bulous★
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Great edition!

  9. #9

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Awesome work everybody!


  10. #10
    Over the hills...
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Another excellent edition! Keep up the good work guys

  11. #11
    jmilan77's Avatar Decanus
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Thanks for including our work
    Mod Leader for Roma Vici Total War
    Current release: 0.88

  12. #12
    MorganH.'s Avatar Finis adest rerum
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    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Quote Originally Posted by jmilan77 View Post
    Thanks for including our work
    You are welcome

  13. #13

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Thank you very, very much for including my 310 B.C. Mod! Sonny Costanzo

    Proudly under patronage of Ishan

  14. #14

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Quote Originally Posted by Sonny Costanzo View Post
    Thank you very, very much for including my 310 B.C. Mod! Sonny Costanzo
    You are very welcome .


  15. #15

    Default Re: The Eagle Standard, Volume X Issue III

    Nice work

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