Ars Gratia Artis - Complete Battle Overhaul, v2.7.2 - Patch 7 ready (updated 15/11/13)

[Kymmuriel]

Ok i made some testing, and now i can say it, theres a conflict with your mod and atawulf natural colors BLACK MACEDON, if i switch to any other battle mod, my uits would go with black armor, but with yours i get either red ish colors like, too bad bro i love your mod, well mb its just some few things to even out

[Master Necromancer]

Dear users,

the new update is almost finished. There are so many changes in it that it is now a complete battle overhaul. Only the last little touches remain.

I wanted to include also a naval overhaul but sadly it will have to wait because the work has been too much and I cannot possibly make it enter in this update. Luckily CA has already put much work on naval battles in the patches so it is not more as broken as it was at beginning. However I will certainly do a naval battle overhaul in a next update.

Tomorrow the update will be ready, so stay tuned!

Can't wait.

[McCarronXLD]

Great to hear you're working on the naval combat it really sucks in vanilla. Soldiers don't even bother to use fighting animations while boarding because they die so fast.

[Hypaspist_Archon]

Question: If I'm using your mod, and then I want to add some of the unit packs by other people, will their units be unbalanced compared to the unit stats in your mod?

[Master Necromancer]

Question: If I'm using your mod, and then I want to add some of the unit packs by other people, will their units be unbalanced compared to the unit stats in your mod?

That really depends on the unit pack.

[biohazardcake]

selea I gave both the royal spartans and the foot compainions 9 chevrons and tayed defensive on a flat field they charged me going through the pikes with 0 casualties and to proceded to murder my men i killed half their unit but the foot compains routed with 15 men remaining. thanks for responding looking forward for your update.cheers!

[Selea]

@Kymurriel:

Yes, there's a conflict because I use my version of colors revisions for troops. I will look into the mod to see if I can incorporate those changes into mine.

@McCarronXLD:

Sure, I will work on the naval combat, only after this new update is up. The changes were too many to include even a naval battle overhaul in them, too much work. I will do the naval combat on the next version.

@biohazardcake:

In the new version it doesn't happen. Foot Companions wins handly, also if it is a long and struggling fight (as it should be IMO since they should be one the best spear and the other the best pike units in the game, it is just that pike should win in the end).


@To all:

I am currently testing the balance of the new version and I'm deeply impressed on how it is shaping out. It is even better than what I imagined at first. All factions have strengths and weaknesses and all units have their purposes.

Just as a single example barbarian units are devastatingly strong at first impact; they have strong attack and charge but they tire very easily with their abilities and they have poor defence. In a fight of Oathsworn vs. Praetorian Guards, for example, in the beginning Oathsworn will seem to win without problems, but as the fight goes the Praetorian Guards with their strong armour, defence and discipline arel be able to win the struggle. It is a close battle and a clash of complete opposite styles.

The new version will be available in some hours. Now I have to write all the changes down and change all the text, that it is a gargantuan task.

[biohazardcake]

selea the fight was drawn out, and the fact that this won't happen in the the new version is hearting. thanks for the good work.

[Aethyr]

Sounds very good so far, so it is a major step from what we are currently playing with your mod then??

[Selea]

Sounds very good so far, so it is a major step from what we are currently playing with your mod then??

Yes, it is.

Almost everything is reworked and enhanced. The basics of the mod are there but the new version is much more polished and every faction/unit is more unique and balanced. I enhanced the weapon damage bonuses, I created new armors so that stats are more dynamic between various types of units (light, medium, heavy etc.), I created individual speed for units (spears will be the slowest because they have the highest armor/defence), I revisited all abilities and redistributed them better, plus I resolved many balance issues that are in the vanilla game and a lot more (you will find everything written in the description of the update).

I wanted to have it ready by today but now I have to make a little of a pause before writing completely the new text for the changes because my brain is melting (I now understand why major mods have a cooperation of many people; doing everything by oneself especially of this scope is extremely tiring). I hope I will be able to finish writing everything by late today so I can post the update before tomorrow. In any case the update will be here at most early tomorrow morning.

[biohazardcake]

I am very exited to see your update, having a blast with the spartans with your mod so far.

[Iperione]

Yesterday I tried this mod and WOW! It becomes my favourite battle mod!

[Master Necromancer]

You might want to add this to your mod: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...All-Units-v1-0

[Selea]

@Iperione:

Thanks. Just wait to see the new update; if you like it as it is now, you will love the new version.

@Master Necromancer:

I already discovered it by myself (the change to enable loose formation) but I'm not so sure if to enable loose formation for all units is a good thing (I think CA did remove loose formation because in precedent titles it made projectiles much less powerful just for this).

I thought about giving loose formation only on max medium units. It is a thing I have to ponder a bit more so it will not be on the next update. I have to test it properly before enabling it and know perfectly how to give it or you really risk of breaking balance (that is now very good with the update).

[Master Necromancer]

@Master Necromancer:

I already discovered it by myself (the change to enable loose formation) but I'm not so sure if to enable loose formation for all units is a good thing (I think CA did remove loose formation because in precedent titles it made projectiles much less powerful just for this).

I thought about giving loose formation only on max medium units. It is a thing I have to ponder a bit more.

Well I would exclude them from unit's such as pikes and hoplites that already have very intricate formations and bugs are just waiting to happen there, and of course exclude them from all units that have tetsuedo because they don't need it. But including them in all the rest is just common sense to me, and it is just common sense and reaction time of the player that makes it effective or not. Also it should have a huge malus against cavalry charges and all melee attacks so it all balances out in the end.

Btw, how is the update coming along?

[Selea]

Sorry for being late on posting the update.

Writing all the changes down is taking almost as much time as making them. I'm trying to write everything as fast as I can. I also had to tweak a little some minor things and also that took some time.

Anyway surely within today the new version will be online.

@Master Necromancer:

Hmmm, seems fine as you put it. I will look if I can insert the change in the update at this point. Luckily it is a change that doesn't take much time so I should be able to add it and still release the update for today.

[Eagle114th]

Selea,

I truly look forward to your big release of latest update... I have been very excited about it and at once when it is released, I will test all units. And I have question for you, is it advised to use all unlocked factions mod to test all different faction's units?

[Master Necromancer]

Sorry for being late on posting the update.

Writing all the changes down is taking almost as much time as making them. I'm trying to write everything as fast as I can. I also had to tweak a little some minor things and also that took some time.

Anyway surely within today the new version will be online.

@Master Necromancer:

Hmmm, seems fine as you put it. I will look if I can insert the change in the update at this point. Luckily it is a change that doesn't take much time so I should be able to add it and still release the update for today.

Take your time, perfection shouldn't be rushed.

I just wanted to say thank you, thank you for making Rome II battles to what they where always supposed to be like. Personally I will +rep you whenever I can for that great deed.

Selea,

I truly look forward to your big release of latest update... I have been very excited about it and at once when it is released, I will test all units. And I have question for you, is it advised to use all unlocked factions mod to test all different faction's units?

I've used it with the all factions mod and I must say that they don't work 100% as they should because you are not ment to play with those units some cavalry has shield wall in the "unlocked" ones but that is the biggest bug out there if you are using both this and all faction mod.

[Eagle114th]

Take your time, perfection shouldn't be rushed.
I've used it with the all factions mod and I must say that they don't work 100% as they should because you are not ment to play with those units some cavalry has shield wall in the "unlocked" ones but that is the biggest bug out there if you are using both this and all faction mod.

And that is exactly what mods are for and now that all faction's units is balanced. I have an idea about approaching locked factions and besides Selea have great passions working with units for ground battles:

Work on one major faction a time.

> Give them unique color textures

> Correct any bugs with units

-> Example: Cavalry with shieldwalls

> Give them new units with balanced stats since all faction's units is balanced now

-> Several of major factions are lacking so it is good idea to give them extra units to represents the uniqueness of faction's own strength/weakness

This methods will give each major factions high quality and it is good idea to go for quality over quantity right? So for each release, one unlocked factions with their own very detailed colors/patterns/textures, well balanced new unique units that goes along with already balanced all factions' units, and other features that makes each major factions so exciting and interesting to play with! Each faction's experiences would be very different when you select one of them! And as Selea aimed for, each of factions have their own strength/weakness with their own tactics/strategy to be used on battlefields.

Work on one minor factions a time

> Same methods as I posted for major faction above.

[Selea]

And the update is officially online!

I hope you will love it as I loved making it.

Let's just cross fingers now that there is not some pending bug that I overlooked (as it always happens with these big updates; I checked and recheked but bugs are always lurking).