Blast From The Past & The Future of RTR

[ahowl11]

Okay, I have decided to start working on a fresh copy of RTW that is not mod foldered. I will list every file that I edit, and test after every file implemented. I need to somehow find a way to get the files from my mod folder to this new installation cleanly.. RS2 environments, DTW walls, and other things are making me a little nervous!

[Kirila the Kitten]

ahowl, great to see you with another great project! I would be glad to help you skinning some units for the Macedonian campaign! But... ok ... I MUST MAKE MYSELF A SCHEDULE! Good Luck!

[ahowl11]

Thank you Kirila.

Some updates:

I successfully managed to import RS2 environments and DTW's walls as well as AEE campaign map textures, M2TW tree models for the campaign map, RS2 water textures for the campaign map, and RTRVII settlement models for the campaign map. Along with that I have imported webbird textures and models to use as a base for the units. I just finished changing each faction color to the RTRPE colors, and now I am implementing RTRPE's banners and symbols into the mod.

I have requested the following in the Graphics Workshop forum. If someone here is interested or know someone who might be interested, please let me know!
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...action-Symbols

Finally, I have requested that Rarity merge Pinarius' horse models with RTRPE's horse textures (saddles etc.)

Anarchon is still working on the map. Progress was slowed due to offsets in the files, but everything is moving forward and I want to say that the first version of the map will be here in a few days!

[ahowl11]

Comments, questions, ideas, thoughts, anything is welcome! Successfully have banners and symbols implemented and three more are being made for the new factions. The map is also steadily progressing.
As for units, I am waiting until the map is finished that way it is easier to set up recruitment.

If anyone has access to old RTR mods or files please feel free to contact me.
Also, if anyone wants to help in anyway, let me know.

It would be nice to get some of the old RTR alumni active again to see this project!

[hollowfaith]

Comments, questions, ideas, thoughts, anything is welcome! Successfully have banners and symbols implemented and three more are being made for the new factions. The map is also steadily progressing.
As for units, I am waiting until the map is finished that way it is easier to set up recruitment.

If anyone has access to old RTR mods or files please feel free to contact me.
Also, if anyone wants to help in anyway, let me know.

It would be nice to get some of the old RTR alumni active again to see this project!

Sounds pretty sweet. I'll definitely be checking this out when you have something playable.

[ahowl11]

Thanks, I am hoping to get something out within these next few weeks!

[Kirila the Kitten]

Sorry, I couldn't help you yet ahowl11 , I worked on my Evropa Svrrectum EDU and for PRIMO VICTORIA. I will certainly have time for you this weekend.

[ahowl11]

No worries, someone helped me out. Will have a small preview out shortly.

[ahowl11]

Okay, progress!

We have a working map, and now we are editing it to make it better balanced for gameplay. It really sucks having only 200 regions to work with, but it makes every decision count. Even if it is between Kasgar and Soita at the furthest settlement east! The map is huge, which is good because cities will not be right on top of each other. Every region will be historical except for terra incognita. So there will be 198 regions to play with across the map.

Also thanks to Joar three new faction symbols have been made!



Okay so because Pat89 had a great idea, I have given it a lot of thought. There are so many options at our disposal just for a 280 BC Imperial Campaign. Please, please, please give me feedback on this!

Here is the original faction list that we are working with currently.

1. Rome
2. Carthage
3. Macedon
4. Seleucids
5. Ptolemies
6. Parthia
7. Armenia
8. Pontus
9. Bactria
10. Gaul
11. Germania
12. Getai
13. Illyria
14. Iberia
15. Sarmatia
16. Numidia
17. Greek Cities
18. Hellenic Kingdoms
19. Eastern Kingdoms
20. Celtic Tribes
21. Rebels

Now here is a brainstormed idea of possibilities. It would require a launcher to be able to play the campaign you want.

There are the concrete factions, that will be in the game no matter what. These were the major players in the world at this time.

1. Rome
2. Carthage
3. Macedon
4. Seleucids
5. Ptolemies
6. Parthia
7. Pontus
8. Armenia

Then you have your Barbarian factions which can be broken up into several different campaigns, complete with unique units, faction symbols and colors, characters, banners etc. Similar to RS2's swap factions. These factions would be playable through mod folders.

10. Gaul

• Insubres
• Cenomani
• Helvetii
• Arverni
• Aedui
• Veneti

11. Germania

• Cimbri
• Chatti
• Cherusci
• Suebi
• Marcomanni

12. Sarmatia

• Royal Scyths
• Roxolani
• Dahae
• Saka
• Sarmatae
• Alani

13. Celts

• Noricum
• Galatians
• Tylis
• Scordisci
• Boii
• Belgae
• Casse

14. Balkan Peoples

• Getai
• Dacia
• Odryssian Kingdom
• Bithynia
• Triballi
• Ardiaei
• Breuci
• Pannonians

15. Iberia

• Celt-Iberians
• Luistani
• Cantabri
• Turdetani

Then you have your more civilized factions that can also be broken up into separate campaigns

16. Hellenic Kingdoms

• Epirus
• Pergamum
• Cyrene
• Bosporan Kingdom
• Bactria
• Achaean League
• Aetolian League

17. Greek Cities

• Sparta
• Athens
• Rhodes
• Syracuse
• Massilia
• Byzantium

18. Eastern Kingdoms

• Mauryans
• Cappadocia
• Atropatene
• Iberia (Caucasus)
• Nabataea
• Saba

19. Numidia

• Numidia
• Mauretania
• Garama
• Ethiopia

After all of that you will have the Free People faction and Rebel faction. RS2 did a great job simulating these two factions and it is essential for gameplay especially with this Proposed faction set up. For example, if you choose to play as Sparta, there will not be a Greek Cities faction because you are playing with it. Instead cities such as Athens and Syracuse will be simulated by the Free People so that they can make war on you, trade with you and negotiate in diplomacy. It is as if you really didn't subtract anything from the map!

With the Rebels I am looking to simulate historical Revolts etc as well as the occasional Brigands

20. Independent Kingdoms (Free People)
21. Rebels


Thoughts, questions?

[Mausolos of Caria]

You really got a bunch of good ideas, mate. Let me repeat to see if I got this right: The sub-factions you mentioned in the 2nd half of the post are swap factions? So if I want to play Germani, I can pick the Cimbri and the rest of Germania will then become free peoples? And can I also play ''all'' Germans? If yes, this sounds like a great idea

I can feel you there with ''only'' 200 regions

[ahowl11]

Yes. You can play the imperial campaign as the Germans as a united confederation just like RTRPE. Or if you want to play as a single tribe and have a challenge, you can play as the Cimbri, Chatti, etc. They would have their own faction color, symbol, banners, family tree, unit roster etc.
The other tribes would then be simulated by the Free People and Rebel factions, so you could see the Chatti attacking the Cherusci!

Also, do not forget that there will be separate historical campaigns.. Alexander, Wars of the Diadochi, Roman conquest of Italy, etc.

I just need someone willing to make a launcher for this, because it will get complicated.

[Stath's]

Isn't something like that going to take aeons to be completed?

[ahowl11]

It seems like it huh? But I'm not going to wait until everything is finished to release. There will be multiple releases. So it will not seem that bad.

[Maurits]

Just some food for though, to keep you sharp. What will your mod really add if you do something the RS team has done already? Wouldn't it be much more interesting to do something like this with a start date that differs from the now standard 280 BC?

[ahowl11]

You make an excellent point. So I have changed my plan a little bit.

The first release will be the 280 BC base mod. Everything is almost put together anyways, it's too late to change that now. It will basically be RTRPE with three new factions and new units.

I will then start on the main project beginning with Phillip and Alexander, and the project will move forward chronologically.

[Maurits]

Interesting! Will the switching factions already be part of the RTRPE-like release or will you save that (rather complex, I'd think) mechanism for later releases?

[ahowl11]

Saving it for later releases. I believe there needs to be an initial release to gain some attention from modders and players alike before I go into swap factions.

[Maurits]

Good idea. Like Pat pointed out, many teams take on a way too heavy burden for their initial release and then collapse under it. It is best to have a release of sorts to show people while you're working on improvements.

[Tordenskjold]

A very interesting discussion to follow indeed! I see it solely from a gamers point of view and hence wonders;
1. Will this mod add anything to the gaming experience? The few shortcommngs in RTR is not mentioned:
- cities and towns within related cultures are mostly copies of eachother and thus represent no major variation
- I would like a kind of celebration when conquering a city (I am not referring to my own small zipp of beer)
- The games repetitive nature is still very marked. Which means too many battles and too much repeating since the building of structures can not be left to the AI. (I have tried extensively but the AI is not good enough)

2. Will there be interesting and logical vitory conditions? I miss that in RTR

3. Many CTD's (historically) demands constant manual saving

4. Will an army demand a general to be able to attack? I think so

5. Will it still be possible to just click on a city or stack to tetermin the number of units? I think it should not

I guess the game is the same in the basic structures independantly of the mod on top but the best of luck anyway

[ahowl11]

I will try to answer these, the best I can.

1. This is tough, because for this to be possible I would need someone who was interested enough in this mod to be able to customize each city on the battlemap. I know of one person who does this but I have yet to contact him, and I have no idea if he would be interested in doing this. Also, if this were to happen it would not be until later depending on the size of the task.

2. Yes, there will be some historically accurate victory conditions, not just take Rome and hold 50 provinces.

3. RTRPE is infamous for random CTD's. I had one the other day playing as Numidia. However, this mod started with a vanilla base, so everything is from scratch. Hopefully through testing most CTD's will be avoided.

4. Now if you are saying an Army cannot attack in the game unless it has a general? I do not know if that is possible. Now, recruitable generals/governors can be an option and house rules can be set up, but actually making the game like that might be hardcoded.

5. I do not really know what you mean by this. If you are inquiring about showing the army strengths on city and army banners, I will probably make it like RTRVII, where you will need to use spies and reconnaissance to know the enemy's army.

I hope that answered your questions!

Thanks