SPQR 9.0 coming down the Road.

[lt1956]

Due to the fact the ROME2 is not worth modding so therefore holds no interest in me playing it I have decided to release an updated version SPQR 8.1.

This will include the RS map automatically and any Bug fixes or improvements added. It will also have new menu and loading screens to polish it up more.

If you have any suggestions that are "Possible within RTW limits please let me know" Mainly only fans of the game as they have more experience what can be improved for the game.

Sincerely,

LT1956

P.S. There is only going to be one download site now for any new versions patches etc for SPQR 8.1 Moddb.com, this choice was made because of the quality of the download site and its international available for downloads. Its also easy to control and isn't going anywhere anytime soon unlike Fileplanet and others.

[bobbyr]

Good to hear!

I would suggest some sort of supply system, maybe via traits and a supply train ancillary, similar to many mods in Medieval II.

Also unit reskins. At this point the SPQR 8.0 unit skins are pretty much outdated. Maybe KLA or the RTR team would give permission to use their skins.

I's also try to reduce naval warfare a bit.

Thanks for having me

[lt1956]

I'll look into it. I agree RS2 and RTW, EB have better units on most of the units, but not all of SPQR units are outdated. ;-)

Lt

[bobbyr]

I'll look into it. I agree RS2 and RTW, EB have better units on most of the units, but not all of SPQR units are outdated. ;-)

Lt

Of course, the unit textures in SPQR are still good enough. Just not as high res as RS II or RTR VII. It would be more eye candy than anything else I guess. Nice eye candy though

I think new features would be of more importance, not that SPQR lacks any features (it's one of the best thought out and mechanically working mods ever for Rome TW).

A real supply mechanic would be amazing.

Permanent forts might be worth a discussion too, especially for mid and later game stages, when Rome had actual permanent forts for the numbered Legions.
You might bypass a potential historical inaccuracy in the early stages by introducing a temporary trait saying something like 'in camp' or so, when not spending 100% of the movement points of a Consular army.
This could replicate the historical temporary camp building by Consular armies, without actually having to build an actual fort (which is now permanent and reserved for later stages - in case one likes to play historically.)

Of course, this trait would not add a physical fort on the battle map, but it could provide some bonuses that kind of simulate a good night's sleep in a temporary fort
On top of it, I think camps weren't besieged and defended either in Pre-Marian times, Consular armies used them mainly for protection at night, then marched out early in the morning and faced the enemy a couple of miles away.

During late Republic and Imperial times though, Legions or Cohorts I should say quite often had to defend their Castrae or forts against besieging or charging enemies - that's why I think permanent forts could make sense (with corresponding traits introduced that kind of simulate them during Pre-Marian times, so you don't actually have to build all those permanent forts early in the campaign - if you like to play historically).

That's my two cents, cheers

[acmarques]

Supply traits would be awesome. I always kept thinking that my soldiers were suffering when they stayed 3 turns besieging a city in the middle of a desert I think the Fourth Age team has a really good supply mechanic, with penalties for morale and movement.
And, while I agree that some new textures would be great, I'm afraid that with the big sized battles in SPQR the lower-end pcs would suffer. Maybe as an add-on?

[lt1956]

I am not sure its possible to do permanent forts, they would just disappear when no unit was in them. Right now how I use forts are for key points like the alps etc. Then I place a legion or Alae in the fort and when attacked on the 3rd turn I then attack the attacker and fight them away from the fort. I would have have liked the AI to do what they did in patch 1.2 before 1.3, which was siege the fort and then attack it with rams. I put alot of work into getting a fort that had walls, towers and gates only to have it not matter because of CA breaking the AI which worked fine before.

[ahowl11]

I don't believe it is possible to have permanent forts either

[Hanti]

Permanent forts were made by putting into them unmovable unit (princess in 1648 - Thirty Years of War MTW2 mod). I don't think it's necessary here though.

What I want in SPQR are:
1. Greek Egyptians. Why did they not spot Alexander yet?
2. Option to show happiness icons in cities.
3. Unit skins update.
4. Optionally more buildings variety (industrial, temples, farming) with penalty or bonuses (e.g. Barracks -10% tax penalty, Brewery +10% tax or trade bonus).

Point 4 is low priority anyway.

5. Keep it stable! This is main feature I like here

Edit. 6. Option to play it with 1 turn units. Yes, I know I am heretic, but I did it in my home version and I am sooo glad having less battles

[lt1956]

Hanti, why would want to even play my mod then? Sounds like you want to play Roma Surrectum 2.6, it has everything you said plus they added some of my battle mechanics to make the battles similar to SPQR mod.

Almost everything you said is exactly why RS2 was made, otherwise the design team could have played SPQR and made some new models and units. lol

[Hanti]

Your mod almost never crashes. That is the secret.
RS2 in big battles can crash a lot on my PC.
And your mod is cute: like old fashion hack and slash game. It resembles me good old times.

Ps: Forget about buildings then. Just give me those Egyptians and icons

[century x]

This is awesome news.

I can only really think of just changing the skins a little.
Everything else is perfect...

[lt1956]

I might be able to make an addon which will have historical Egyptians. I think after all the requests I can make something for you guys. But keep in mind the official version will still have my Egyptians, But an addon Patch can be made to change the units into Historical units.

I have already updated some of the models and skins for certain units, it wouldn't be possible to do them with all the units.

On your request for happiness icons you do know I removed them so the Loyalty civil war would work better? Basically I cannot FORCE the cities to revolt like in BI so I have to have the Traits trigger disloyalty and then when the Governor goes bad he takes the city with him. This is why I removed that feature to make it less notable, but even then most can spot it before they revolt, a house rule is to let the city revolt as it was meant to. Now I could use BI.exe but in doing so I lose the Testudo which I am found of.

Stability will NOT be a problem, in fact the newer version will be even MORE stable than before. I found a couple traits that were not doing what they should have been doing, so they have been removed. This could have caused the random once in while CTD. One of the reasons SPQR is Stable is Simplicity, keep it simple and less can go wrong, that and being methodical in adding things then testing.

Keep in mind also, even though I am releasing a 8.1 version of my mod, I am not redoing the whole mod over again. I am just fixing and adding some things to improve the gameplay and eye appeal. But I am toying with doing some submods for the Main mod like Each faction being tailored to be hard like the roman campaign. This would require flipping the stats for Every faction but the one you wish to play like Egypt etc. I would need a submod for each faction but in turn this would give a challenging play for whatever faction was picked.

Also making a submod to add realistic Egyptian units is something that can be done, it will take time and I would personally never use it, but I think its something I can add also.

So keep the REASONABLE suggestions coming and I will see what can or cannot be done. :-)

Lt

[Akra Leuka]

A new SPQR update? Great news.
I have to requests:

1. Soldier running animations.
They run too fast, like Usaian Bolt (the walking speed its so slow in comparation). They advance five meters for each footstep. Its an ugly and weird stuff. If someone wants a fast speed gameplay, just use the x2 or x4 time button, or play vanilla game... or simply go to play Counter strike. Walking speed is ok, and editing the movement modifiers doesnt resolve the problem. I think, a skeleton animation rework for infantry running animations would give us a realistic and smooth visual running effect.

2. Volume and mass efect of the soldier bodies.
A "push" effect betwen heavy units against ligth ones would be ok. But, actually, soldiers penetrate across the enemy ranks too fast. Thus, when two units fight, they become merged so fast and the soldier ranks are easily compressed. Historical battles were fought in a line vs line clash. Only when an army was disrupted, a melee fight would start. Maybe a soldier body volume editing can solve it, along with a carefull mass effect adjust for a tunned and realistic effect.

An optional "Happiness icon" toggle would be nice

[lt1956]

The happiness Icon will be back don't worry. Mass should be doable but the animation speed would require new animations and that isn't going to happen.

[Algaman]

Hello there, guys
S.P.Q.R. 8.1!
Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the mod I played the most, since version 6.4!
It´s challenging and wonderful, for my own personal taste, I added some of my units to the 8.0 version. Still, if u like more units in game you know very well the trick for doing that.
About animations I found very well ones thanks to Rarity, I think you can consider to add that animations, lt1956
But about gameplay, SPQR mod is just great, a marvel.
I have a campaign of two years and I feel the cost and the progress of my empire.
I can suggest Force Diplomacy too, but I think you don´t like that script, do you?
Have you consider to add a new faction or factions, like Epirus, or divide Greek cities in example: Achaean League and Independent Greeks?
Anyway, this is a great new!
Congratulations, Lt!!!!!!!

[lt1956]

You make models similar to Ferres models right? You know I use a lot of his older models I liked his style. I am using a couple of your improved Roman models also. A Centurion but he has Armor on the arm I would prefer he did have. lol

I seen the Winter units, I was just wishing for non winter units available. As the newer models have better shields and details.

[Algaman]

Yes, Lt., you know me.-
I hope not to bore you if I repeat this, but I enjoy like a kid with your mod! A big fan, really.
I played and played for years S.P.Q.R and I just can´t wait for 8.1 version.
So, if u like some help about units, just tell me, I´m glad to help!!!!
Regards!

[b257]

New SPQR? Hooray !!!! Will the seleucids see any changes?

[lt1956]

What changes to Seleucid do you think need improvement on? Just curious.

[b257]

What changes to Seleucid do you think need improvement on? Just curious.

Nothing, just wondering. Overall they are a great faction

Though I will admit, I thought their wasn't going to be anymore work done on this mod So I decided to learn to mod and make a submod for it. I attempted to put a non-phalanx spear hypaspist unit in the mod for Macedon and the Seleucids, make a Seleucid hippotoxotai using the militia cav model, make the imitation legionnaire into a spear thorakitai and add a thureophoroi as well. Granted it Ended disastrously, I couldn't do any of it because I was and still am a noob modder. Plus I only attempted to do it because I thought the mod wasn't going to be updated anymore and I thought it would be neat to learn to mod and make a unit add on pack for the community, which I failed at.