Extended Rome: Total War [WIP] (Parthia, Bactria, & Epirus Complete! Plus Campaign map screens!)

[ahowl11]

Thank you very much milner! +rep

[JayPix]

Looks like your doing okay with you mod. Post something soon like the map you're going to use.

[Signifer]

Hi all,
I'm a new researcher for the team. Here is a little research on Germanic Tribes that I've proposed to ahowl.
This is the translation (mine) of a chapter from Tacitus' "Germania":

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[6] Ne ferrum quidem superest, sicut ex genere telorum colligitur. Rari gladiis aut maioribus lanceis utuntur: hastas vel ipsorum vocabulo frameas gerunt angusto et brevi ferro, sed ita acri et ad usum habili, ut eodem telo, prout ratio poscit, vel comminus vel eminus pugnent. Et eques quidem scuto frameaque contentus est; pedites et missilia spargunt, pluraque singuli, atque in inmensum vibrant, nudi aut sagulo leves. Nulla cultus iactatio; scuta tantum lectissimis coloribus distinguunt. Paucis loricae, vix uni alterive cassis aut galea. Equi non forma, non velocitate conspicui. Sed nec variare gyros in morem nostrum docentur: in rectum aut uno flexu dextros agunt, ita coniuncto orbe, ut nemo posterior sit. In universum aestimanti plus penes peditem roboris; eoque mixti proeliantur, apta et congruente ad equestrem pugnam velocitate peditum, quos ex omni iuventute delectos ante aciem locant. Definitur et numerus; centeni ex singulis pagis sunt, idque ipsum inter suos vocantur, et quod primo numerus fuit, iam nomen et honor est. Acies per cuneos componitur. Cedere loco, dummodo rursus instes, consilii quam formidinis arbitrantur. Corpora suorum etiam in dubiis proeliis referunt. Scutum reliquisse praecipuum flagitium, nec aut sacris adesse aut concilium inire ignominioso fas; multique superstites bellorum infamiam laqueo finierunt.

[6] There is not even any great abundance of iron, as may be inferred from the character of their weapons. Only a very few use swords or lances. The spears that they carry—frameae is the native word—have short and narrow heads, but are so sharp and easy to handle, that the same weapon serves at need for close or distant fighting. The horseman asks no more than his shield and spear, but the infantry have also javelins to shower, several per man, and can hurl them to a great distance; for they are either naked or only lightly clad in their cloaks. There is nothing ostentatious in their turn-out. Only the shields are picked out with carefully selected colours. Few have breastplates; only here and there will you see a helmet of metal or hide. Their horses are not distinguished either for beauty or for speed, nor are they trained in Roman fashion to execute various turns. They ride them straight ahead or with a single swing to the right, keeping the wheeling line so perfect that no one drops behind the rest. On a general survey, their strength is seen to he rather in their infantry, and that is why they combine the two arms in battle. The men whom they select from the whole force and station in the van are fleet of foot mid fit admirably into cavalry action. The number of these select men ' is exactly fixed. A hundred are drawn from each district, and ` the hundred' is the name they bear at home. What began as a mere number ends as a title of distinction. The line is made up of wedge formations. To retreat, provided that you return to the attack, is considered crafty rather than cowardly. They bring in the bodies of the fallen even when the battle hangs in the balance. To throw away one's shield is the supreme disgrace; the guilty wretch is debarred from sacrifice or council. Men have often survived battle only to end their shame by hanging themselves.

This explains a lot of the arms, armors and ways of thinking of the Germanic Tribes:
1)They mostly used "framae" (wooden spears) and only a few nobles used armor.
2)Each tribe recruited 100 men from the different districts.
3)Most of the freemen followed nobles from their tribe and formed warbands.

To apply this to the Total War part:
Germanic Tribes shouldn't have armors (most shouldn't, and the Vanilla is correct); the troops shouldn't have too many axes and swords, mostly wooden spears (the Vanilla is incorrect); for each unit there should be some kind of officer (the noble that leads tha warband).

[Signifer]

Hi all,
I'm a new researcher for the team. Here is a little research on Germanic Tribes that I've proposed to ahowl.
This is the translation of a chapter from Tacitus' "Germania":

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[6] Ne ferrum quidem superest, sicut ex genere telorum colligitur. Rari gladiis aut maioribus lanceis utuntur: hastas vel ipsorum vocabulo frameas gerunt angusto et brevi ferro, sed ita acri et ad usum habili, ut eodem telo, prout ratio poscit, vel comminus vel eminus pugnent. Et eques quidem scuto frameaque contentus est; pedites et missilia spargunt, pluraque singuli, atque in inmensum vibrant, nudi aut sagulo leves. Nulla cultus iactatio; scuta tantum lectissimis coloribus distinguunt. Paucis loricae, vix uni alterive cassis aut galea. Equi non forma, non velocitate conspicui. Sed nec variare gyros in morem nostrum docentur: in rectum aut uno flexu dextros agunt, ita coniuncto orbe, ut nemo posterior sit. In universum aestimanti plus penes peditem roboris; eoque mixti proeliantur, apta et congruente ad equestrem pugnam velocitate peditum, quos ex omni iuventute delectos ante aciem locant. Definitur et numerus; centeni ex singulis pagis sunt, idque ipsum inter suos vocantur, et quod primo numerus fuit, iam nomen et honor est. Acies per cuneos componitur. Cedere loco, dummodo rursus instes, consilii quam formidinis arbitrantur. Corpora suorum etiam in dubiis proeliis referunt. Scutum reliquisse praecipuum flagitium, nec aut sacris adesse aut concilium inire ignominioso fas; multique superstites bellorum infamiam laqueo finierunt.

[6] There is not even any great abundance of iron, as may be inferred from the character of their weapons. Only a very few use swords or lances. The spears that they carry—frameae is the native word—have short and narrow heads, but are so sharp and easy to handle, that the same weapon serves at need for close or distant fighting. The horseman asks no more than his shield and spear, but the infantry have also javelins to shower, several per man, and can hurl them to a great distance; for they are either naked or only lightly clad in their cloaks. There is nothing ostentatious in their turn-out. Only the shields are picked out with carefully selected colours. Few have breastplates; only here and there will you see a helmet of metal or hide. Their horses are not distinguished either for beauty or for speed, nor are they trained in Roman fashion to execute various turns. They ride them straight ahead or with a single swing to the right, keeping the wheeling line so perfect that no one drops behind the rest. On a general survey, their strength is seen to he rather in their infantry, and that is why they combine the two arms in battle. The men whom they select from the whole force and station in the van are fleet of foot mid fit admirably into cavalry action. The number of these select men ' is exactly fixed. A hundred are drawn from each district, and ` the hundred' is the name they bear at home. What began as a mere number ends as a title of distinction. The line is made up of wedge formations. To retreat, provided that you return to the attack, is considered crafty rather than cowardly. They bring in the bodies of the fallen even when the battle hangs in the balance. To throw away one's shield is the supreme disgrace; the guilty wretch is debarred from sacrifice or council. Men have often survived battle only to end their shame by hanging themselves.

This explains a lot of the arms, armors and ways of thinking of the Germanic Tribes:
1)They mostly used "framae" (wooden spears) and only a few nobles used armor.
2)Each tribe recruited 100 men from the different districts.
3)Most of the freemen followed nobles from their tribe and formed warbands.

To apply this to the Total War part:
Germanic Tribes shouldn't have armors (most shouldn't, and the Vanilla is correct); the troops shouldn't have too many axes and swords, mostly wooden spears (the Vanilla is incorrect); for each unit there should be some kind of officer (the noble that leads tha warband).

[ahowl11]

Nice job Signifier, err not sure why you posted twice though. Nonetheless great work.

[Agamemnon]

I have one request: PLEASE OH GOD PLEASE AT LEAST GIVE THEM SHIRTS. It wouldn't be that bad, but I cannot stand an army of shirtless dudes (especially shirtless dudes with no chest hair, they didn't have waxing back then). I think I'm playing Twilight TW instead of Rome TW.


And I spent like 4 hours replacing every single barbarian unit with one from a mod that wore a shirt just because it bugs me so much.

[ahowl11]

Yes there will be shirts. How is progress?

[Agamemnon]

Getting there. A bit preoccupied ATM.

I'm awful with this stuff, I can do it but I always procrastinate.

I promise to start today.

[ahowl11]

Please do man. At least set up the AOR and implement the BI buildings

[debux]

@Signifier, Nice to have some hard info! Thanks!

@Agamemnon, you have my moral support!

[ahowl11]

UPDATE:

I have a good preview for you all today, containing a few screens from the new look campaign map, and battle scenes featuring the Parthians, Bactrians, and Epirus. Also, of course I will give you all the news and current progress of the mod

Map

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Credits go to The Bruce and The Border Reiver from the Ager Romanus submod for Darthmod. The Bruce is responsible for the water textures. The campaign textures and trees are from M2TW

Parthia

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bactria

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Epirus

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

So there you all go, a preview after a month of hard work. Currently an AOR system is being made for the map and I am sifting through many units trying to decide which ones will be recruited where. Also Barbarian buildings from BI will be implemented along with paved and royal roads for the eastern factions. After that is all completed (thanks to Agamemnon) I will work on getting the rest of the faction rosters completed.

Also I am going to add on Signifierone's animation pack, HorseArcher's Skymod and DTW's wooden walls. I will probably add on some other things as well.

Once all faction rosters are completed and the AOR is set up, debux will go through and balance out the units that way battles are more fun and realistic. I will probably add on other little things as well.

I have recently downloaded a trial version of 3ds max and I'm currently learning how to make Unit cards for the many units that need them.

I am still on the lookout for a modeller to make new units. PM me if you are interested!

Have a good week!

~ahowl11

[Signifer]

I've found this very nice map of Germania:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The major germanic tribes seem to be (from the map and from Tacitus and other writers):
Suebi (a great league of tribes, the most powerful in Germania)
Catti (powerful in western-central Germania)
Cimbri, Teutones and Ambrones (three tribes who threatened Rome in the II Century BC)
Frisii (not famous but they were an important tribe in the north west [Holland] and after the fall of the Roman Empire formed the Magna Frisia kingdom)

[Signifer]

I think that Bactria should have some kind of eastern troops too and most of the hellenic troops of this faction should have iranic skins.

[Xico Bruto]

The mod is looking nice! I like the style of the units.

Keep it up.

[ahowl11]

Thanks for the research Signifier, Bactria will have access to many native troops through an AOR system.
Thanks Xico Bruto!

[debux]

The screenies don't make justice to how nice the map actually looks, I must say. Sadly, I can't think of a better way to show it

[ahowl11]

I know, the map looks so beautiful in game, I wasn't even expecting it to look that great but what can I say? It's very beautiful

[Skull]

Great job!
Tho this means no Thrace...right?

[ahowl11]

I am afraid so Skull, they just didn't make the cut. I plan to resemble them well with the Rebels and the Dacians can pretty much have a Thracian roster if they expand there. Dacians, Getai, and Thracians were very similar IIRC.

[Agamemnon]

I still say replace Bosphorans and maybe Scythians with more Germanic tribes.