Heirs of Atlantis II (is back!!!) Downloads Available Here

[Arbaces]

Hi,

I don't know how many of you are aware since it was only published on the RTR boards. But a very long while ago I created a concept which had it's first purpose to improve the Dacian faction from RTR but also extending to other tweaks to the gameplay. This concept started right after RTR 6.0 Vanilla (not Gold) came out, initially named Dacia Total History, then renamed to Heirs of Atlantis from my very own pride and from Platon's statements and Mircea Eliade's analysis. The improvements to the Dacian faction are an attempt to increase the player's interest on the Dacian culture which was neither greek, nor celtic, nor germanic though these influences existed as well as many others. Above all the northern Thracians had their own unique culture. I haven't prepared to much for this first release since RTR PE is still expecting a release. Just an unit meant to give you an idea on how ALL the GETAIC units will show as when this is finished (IF it is). I also included some older ideas and a formerly created backdrop image. I didn't wanted to change too many files in this first release so I haven't added the Getaic logo which is WIP right now anyway.

If you support Heirs of Atlantis and/or want a cooler signature you are free to use my new official Heirs of Atlantis signature .

[url=http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=62140][img]http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6292/bannerheirsofatlantisfb5.jpg[/img][/url] 

--=== Dacian Demotikoi StandAlone Version (NEW!!! (30/09/2006) ===--

Download
http://rapidshare.de/files/35020354/Demotikoi.zip.html
http://files.filefront.com/Demotikoi.../fileinfo.html

Description

Lucian of Samosata uses the word “demotikos” to describe an individual outside the aristocracy, from among the common people, namely from among the rural owners of a decent household more or less rich. He also calls them or some of them “oktapodes” (with eight legs) namely the owners of a cart and two oxen.
In the defensive, the Dacians preferred a guerilla type of warfare that got the enemy tired. Other then the missile type of light infantry there was that of these common people who used the spear. The spear was smaller then the lance and was the base weapon of peasantry because it was easy to forge and replace. The axe and the club were also used by peasantry both as tools and weapons.

Screenshot

--=== Dacian Peltastai StandAlone Version (NEW!!! (30/09/2006) ===--

Download
http://rapidshare.de/files/35020424/Peltastai.zip.html
http://files.filefront.com/Peltastai.../fileinfo.html

Description

The style of warfare using a “pelte” as a main protection and several javelins originated in Thrace. The Thracian peoples were known for their hit and run tactics consisting of random attacks followed by quick retreats. On vases and other images they are generally depicted wearing a Thracian suit with beautifully decorated cloaks and a distinctive Phrygian cap. This was made of fox-skin and had ear flaps. The peltastai were unarmored except for their curved shields. They carried some form of short sword as a melee weapon and an assortment of javelins.
Because in the north the Dacian culture was quite different from the one of the southern Thracians, these peltastai started to differentiate in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Their shields were now round, made of wood and both the shield and the cloak were lesser decorated unless not decorated at all.

Screenshot

--=== Dacian Hippotoxotai StandAlone Version (NEW!!! (30/09/2006) ===--

Download
http://rapidshare.de/files/35020386/...xotai.zip.html
http://files.filefront.com/Hippotoxo.../fileinfo.html

Description

Through their cavalry, the Dacians won their fame as an unconquerable people. Ovid writes that “most of these peoples have no fear for the arms of roman soldiers. They have full confidence in their bows and quivers full of arrows, and in their horses hardened to make long rides and endure thirst and hunger for long time”.
The light cavalry of the Getae (or Dacians) was as much as possible free of any weights, armed only with bows and arrows, using swords or axes in melee, without any shields or spears. These horsemen didn’t even had a saddle on their horse. The Dacians often used light and durable bows made of animal horns tied in the middle with a straight piece, while the string was made of horse veins. Ovid also mentions that the arrows were long and dipped in viper venom.
When threatened by war they didn’t required a lot of preparation thus always being ready for battle. With their high ranged bows they could cover their enemies with a rain of arrows.

Screenshot

--=== Dacian Kometai StandAlone Version ===--

I made a separate release and I will continuously do this for those who want the units standalone either because they want it in other mods either because they don't care the other features, you have all the instructions on how to install in the Readme.txt, don't need to be a modder if you follow them.

Download

http://files.filefront.com/Kometaizi.../fileinfo.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/33260504/Kometai.zip.html

Description

The “Kometai” represented the middle-class of Dacian society, they fight with spears or lances and use oval shields. Their fast horses, their skill in warfare and their belief in the immortality of soul are not to be underestimated.

The “Kometai” represented the middle-class of Dacian society, they were free-men and landowners. They were also called “Capillati” by Dio Cassius because they did not wore the “pileus” (trans. - hat) which was specific to the noble class. In Dacian warfare, certain cavalry units fought with spears or lances and used oval shields. When running the lancers were throwing their shield on shoulders. On their shields they had decorated floral arguments or symbols of sun with half-moon and stars on the margins.

The Dacian horses were also renowned in the antiquity. Ovid uses for the Getaic horses the epithets of “rapidus” and “celer”. The Latin historian Vopiscus, who lived in the period Constantine the Great reminds of a horse took by Roman soldiers from the region in front of Istros, that wasn’t neither beautiful nor big, but he was able to travel 100 miles per day and keep it this way up to 8-10 days. The horses were usually castrated so that they would not agitate when seeing mares or betray themselves by neighing when the troops were hidden.

Screenshots




Here is a 3ds Max render where i used my background :

--=== Heirs of Atlantis II version 0.0.2 ===--

Download

http://rapidshare.de/files/33478743/...Iv002.zip.html
http://files.filefront.com/HeirsOfAt.../fileinfo.html

Readme (w. Features)

You might have an error message after extracting but there is no real problem actually. It's the installer not finding the campaign_map_reset.bat because I packed the whole folder instead of only the contents

To install 0.0.2 properly, assuming you have pointed to the folder where you have RTW.exe, you have to take the files from RTW\HeirsOfAtlantisIIv002\ and paste them in RTW\ (the main RTW folder with RTR PE 1.7Beta installed). And then if you feel your install is not clean you can run campaign_map_reset. bat. You don't need any previous version for this, MIGHT BE save game compatibile but I do NOT give any guarantee here.

Heirs of Atlantis 2 v0.0.2 (18/09/2006)
Readme

To be able to use this mod you must have installed RTR PE patched to 1.7 Beta. Check the following topic in case you don't have them
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...t=61638&page=1
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...t=55808&page=1
If you have altered yourself the files below the mod might cause you troubles (not work).

Any bugs please report in the topic from where you dl this mod or to me via pm
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=5528

--Features--

0.0.2
*****
15)Proper advisors for each culture
14)Bi Interfaces
13)New Getai flags and logos
12)Potaissa renamed to Sangidava
11)Included Riczu's strat_flag.tga.dds
10)New Export_Descr_Buildings.txt tweaks: All cultures except barbarians can build Highways (Also Barbarians can now build Paved Roads)
9)New Export_Descr_Buildings.txt tweaks: Barbarians can now build huge cities and have new buildings available (From BI)
8)Kometai unit properly balanced in export_descr_unit.txt

0.0.1
*****
7) The Kometai unit is recruitable
6) The Dacian faction can no longer recruit Hoplitai
5) Each faction can now recruit generals from their barracks' highest two levels.
4) New background. You have to enable it from preferences.txt or by shortcut (see the other two readme files)
3) Dacian faction renamed from "Thracians" to "Getai"
2) Map settlement names edited for improving accuracy (Thrace area)
1) New unit added to the Dacian roster: Kometai

--Credits--
Riczu
RTR and RTR Platinum Teams

Mod developed by: Arbaces (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=5528)

--About--

Kometai the first unit of a project started in effort to
create accurate Dacian units , and an accurate faction overall.

If you want to use this unit inside other projects you need my written permission.
Contact me via TWC boards: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=5528

Screenshots

Outdated Versions:

--=== Heirs of Atlantis II version 0.0.1 ===--

Download

http://files.filefront.com/HeirsOfAt.../fileinfo.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/33277494/..._v001.zip.html

Read Me (w. Features)

Heirs of Atlantis 2 v0.0.1 (16/09/2006)
Readme

To be able to use this mod you must have installed RTR PE patched to 1.7 Beta. Check the following topic in case you don't have them
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...t=61638&page=1
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...t=55808&page=1
If you have altered yourself the files below the mod might cause you troubles (not work).

Any bugs please report in the topic from where you dl this mod or to me via pm
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=5528

--Files & Features--

export_descr_unit.txt
export_descr_unit_enums.txt
descr_model_battle.txt
text\export_units.txt
rtr\models_unit\dacia_kometai.cas
rtr\models_unit\textures\dacia_kometai.tga.dds
rtr\models_unit\textures\dacia_kometai_gloss.tga
rtr\models_unit\textures\dacia_kometai_gloss.tga.dds
rtr\sprites\dacia_kometai_sprite.spr
rtr\sprites\dacia_kometai_sprite_000.tga.dds
UI\UNIT_INFO\DACIA\RTR_KOMETAI_INFO.tga
UI\UNITS\DACIA\#RTR_KOMETAI.tga
1) New unit added to the Dacian roster: Kometai

text\imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt
2) Map settlement names edited for improving accuracy (Thrace area)

text\expanded_bi.txt
text\export_buildings.txt
3) Dacian faction renamed from "Thracians" to "Getai"


menu\textures\backdrop.tga
4) New background. You have to enable it from preferences.txt or by shortcut (see the other two readme files)

export_descr_buildings.txt
5) Each faction can now recruit generals from their barracks' highest two levels.
6) The Dacian faction can no longer recruit Hoplitai
7) The Kometai unit is recruitable


--About--

Kometai the first unit of a project started in effort to
create accurate Dacian units , and an accurate faction overall. [by Arbaces]

If you want to use this unit inside other projects you need my written permission.
Contact me via TWC boards: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=5528

Screenshots




Hope you will enjoy it even though it's not much yet . Now that I opened this topic I will update here . Oh.. about to forget... from that background I also made a banner which the RTR PE fans might like.

[url=http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=197][img]http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1813/bannergs9.jpg[/img][/url] 

Since I have given up AOD I'll leave it up to you to decide how useful I used my last days of free 24 hrs. In case you don't know I also released these:
-How to make an useful shortcut tutorial
-new interface from IBFD for those who like that timeline too.

Arbaces.

[florin80]

Hey, finally! Splendid work and thank you! Just wanted to be the first to post here and congratulate you.

EDIT: and that tutorial is great.

[The Walrus]

Nice. I might use them in my mod with your permission

[florin80]

Nice. I might use them in my mod with your permission

Well, I really think that the thracians in RTR 6 Gold are the weak point of the mod regarding the factions. It was too much of an abstact idea. In reality such a faction did not existed, but there were some powerful tribes. And there were some clear differences betwen the thracians on the nord and south of the Danube. Both EB and RTR 7 will have the getae as a faction and that tells you something. See this post by anunnak which is a dev for RTR 7 (as Arbaces is) and a historian for the getae:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showp...&postcount=233

[Salvor Hardin]

Excellent, Arbaces. This faction definetively needed a "realism touch". Awaiting for more.

[Demokritos]

I applaude anyone who makes an effort to put more life into the "barbarian" factions (Thracians, Dacians, Getai, Illyrians or whatever) on the Balkans. So far, in RTW and the mods I've seen, these factions often come across as being without distinctive soul, without something that clearly sets them apart from others. Take the Peltasts among the Thracians in RTW or RTR, for instance. You cannot tell by the looks of them, if you take away their banners and colours, that they're Thracians (is it true that almost all heavy Peltasts in the area of the world and time which RTW tries to portray used the same kind of helmets?). I don't believe they were without character. Now, if they looked like Titus Andronicus has portrayed them (as seen on link at the TW Center home page, latest files added, right now), these Thracians come very much alive and fun to play with (what a difference!). What's wrong with the Illyrians? Did they seldom decorate anything?
Not taking away anything from the hard and superb work which has been done by the creators of RTW and so many modders to further the joy for so many players in the world, it sounds like the game would be even more fun with your contribution, Arbaces.

[florin80]

The peltast made by Titus Andronicus is inspired from Warfare in the Classical world AFAIK and that illustration depicts a thracian peltast (probable a merc. in one of the greeks armies) from about 400+ BC. But I think it would still be relevant for this period and it would make a great addition to RTRPE. Need to get permission to use it.

[Arbaces]

Tomorrow hopefully I will release a 002 build. Except for new Dacian banners, I can't tell what's this going to include since it's work for tonight. I'm focusing on new features like: Huge cities for barbarians and loyalty for all factions (which I can't tell for sure). Also some other minor tweaks. Hope you'll like it.

Arbaces.

[Arbaces]

Version 0.0.2 was added just above 0.0.1 in the main thread. Main features would be tech tree improvements, the Bi interface for barbarians, and the new logo and flag for dacians. Hope everything is ok though it wasn't seriously tested, if not please let me know. For the next version (if this will ever exist) I am thinking on working on a new description for Getai (you noticed how serious I'm taking the descriptions from the one made for Kometai), I will also add a few new units and I also plan to add loyalty for all factions, which I already have figured out how thanks to a tutorial from Stuie, a sugestion from luigidg and my very own knowledge about working with batch files. Most probably the next version will have an advanced number and will be called as 0.1 . Don't expect it too soon since HELL (a.k.a school) begins tomorrow and with it all the worries and stress which sometimes make me wanna do suicide

Arbaces.

[Demokritos]

The peltast made by Titus Andronicus is inspired from Warfare in the Classical world AFAIK and that illustration depicts a thracian peltast (probable a merc. in one of the greeks armies) from about 400+ BC. But I think it would still be relevant for this period and it would make a great addition to RTRPE. Need to get permission to use it.

I agree fully, Florin: it would be a great addition to RTRPE!

Hey, Arbaces, maybe you should take a look at my signature below, and ponder the ancient words of the Oracle at Delphi. Take your cozy time with your HoA project, there's no obligation whatsoever there, just some fun now and then, and all will be fine.

[Arbaces]

To install 0.0.2 properly, assuming you have pointed to the folder where you have RTW.exe, you have to take the files from RTW\HeirsOfAtlantisIIv002\ and paste them in RTW\ (the main RTW folder with RTR PE 1.7Beta installed). And then if you feel your install is not clean you can run campaign_map_reset. bat. You don't need any previous version for this, MIGHT BE save game compatibile but I do NOT give any guarantee here.

@Demokritus: Lol, words of wisdom, good advice indeed. Thx.

Arbaces.

[Salvor Hardin]

Hey, Arbaces. I just wanted to tell you that this modification is great. I have just installed it and I love the new faction icon and the new unit. I am encountering some problems, as I am integrating HoA II into 77 BC and I cannot, logically, overwrite some files as I had already modded them, like the mod_1.pack. But it is time well employed as the game looks much better with your superb add-on.

Eagerly awaiting for more, pal.

Edit: it would be great if you could add a "faction_leader portrait" to appear in the "faction selection campaign menu". If it is already done and I have been unable to install it due to the problems mentioned above, please forget about this commentary.

[Demokritos]

I have also tried your mod now, Arbaces, and I like what I see. Those Kometai, for instance, looked great and refreshed the Thracian/Getai faction a whole lot!

PS to Salvor Hardin:you wouldn't know, by any chance, who Hari Seldon is?

[Salvor Hardin]

Hey, Demokritus. Are you talking of an old man that always appears at the end of a crisis? My alter ego surely had his opinion about his not appearing at the beginning of crisis instead :tooth: .

On topic: how does the interface where the units and the buildings are displayed look like in your game? Is it just of plain colour in your install? As I have got used to having Snake's interface with all those pictures and shields now I do not remember how a "normal" interface looks like

[Arbaces]

Salvor, yes if you are using the interface made by Snake and want to insert my Getaic logo there is a bit of work to paste it into the interface TGAs for each culture. Also you can merge the paks as the size is not that big for mod_1.pak and I don't plan to enlarge it. I am using the vanilla BI interfaces so far. And yes I forgot to add the leader_pic_dacia file into the install. Of course it will be in the next version along with a new description :wink:.

Arbaces

[Salvor Hardin]

If only I was able to unpack and repack the mod_1 file...Apparently the xpax only works with the vanilla pack files. At least for dumb people like me . I have been looking for tutorial but with no luck so far.

On the other hand, I thought you might like to see the Dacian domains in 77 BC. And the information you provided to me, properly applied:


Awaiting for the faction description .

[Demokritos]

. On topic: how does the interface where the units and the buildings are displayed look like in your game? Is it just of plain colour in your install? As I have got used to having Snake's interface with all those pictures and shields now I do not remember how a "normal" interface looks like

No need for me to answer you here really, SH, since Arbaces did that for me. If you want some visual proof you have a screenshot example posted by him at the beginning of this thread.

Looking forward to the development of your mod, Arbaces!

PS to SH. About the old man, I figured you knew about him. Great stuff in your source of inspiration, one of the best!

[Maced0n]

If only I was able to unpack and repack the mod_1 file...Apparently the xpax only works with the vanilla pack files. At least for dumb people like me . I have been looking for tutorial but with no luck so far.

Yust rename mod_1 to some pak file from vanila RTW like ui_1.pak ,and run xpax.

[Salvor Hardin]

I should have thought of that . Thanks a lot!

[Arbaces]

WIP(or Final?) screenshots for the Dacian levy unit Demotikoi which represents the lowest class. Feedback expected :wink:.



Stand-alone releases might come this weekend :wink:.
@Salvor Hardin: You made a quite good work in the screenshot there. Just make sure you move the borders for the region with Argedava at Danube. Same thing for the region in the west to Argedava .

Arbaces.