The Journey to 1.6

**Walrusjones** · December 11, 2015, 12:30 PM

Hello all. Walrus here just pointing out that I just lost about an hour of work on AOC compatibility due to a... Software crash.... Of my file editing...

As such, I decided to take a quick break of some of the ideas I have been having regarding the 1.6 update, and some of the other minor changes that you may end up seeing.

Trimming the White Huns:
Flavorwise, the White Huns have incredible potential... The issue is that every reasonably unique cavalry unit from the base Huns ended up in their roster. This means that leaving them with the full CA granted roster would.... Uhh... Leave them in a unbalanceable state.

Fortunately, I have the power to trim them in a way that makes their flavor more apparent, and their balance considerably better.

Mounted Infantry:

There is some work being done on figuring out how to make mounted units that are suppose to fight on foot work well with the AI. If we can do this, expect a lot of units to be set up in this format, especially on the alans... And eventually on the nordic factions.

Ride to the fight, but fight on foot. Sounds fun?

Unit renaming:

Recently, I have gotten a surprising number of complaints about units that play well, and fit in their roster... But should clearly be a totally different flavor of unit because of their names....

I thought long and hard as to what the proper approach to handling these units... I eventually decided on a solution. Rather then tearing up hundreds of hours of unit balancing efforts to make units fit their names, I would be changing units names to fit their roles, as I have generally always focused more on functionality then appearances, but I will do my best to keep flavor high regardless. (Or just changing the unit names that are kinda booring.)

Germanic noble swordsmen became "Shield Brethren," Alani Shock Cavalry became "Young Lances," ETC ETC.

I would love to hear what you think of this, especially suggestions for replacing some of the less flavorful names in the base game.

On the Age of Charlemagne:

Expect alterations to the AOC campaign to be a feature that comes around in the later 1.6.x versions. As of right now, I feel it is solid enough for me to hold off on revamping this one campaign until everything else is in good condition...
Expect the submod support for AOC to be good, regardless. Dynamic garrisons, and the Scavenging submod will be the first parts of tuskmod to effect AOC.

On HP standardization:

It definitely is staying for the standard AOC campaign. While I have considered this as a feature for the tuskmod grand campaign, no definitive plans are in place yet. If I did start standardizing HP, it would almost certainly be in an experimental submod.

Experimental changes making it live:

Expect the rebalancing of pikes, shock infantry, heavy spears, and the like to make it into the live version at 1.6.-1.

In addition to this, the fix for units calling out as unit classes that are clearly not their own will also be making it in. (No more cohors talking about being spearmen.)

Some battle AI fixes will also be included, including the most basic modifications to how the AI constructs its formations.

**Walrusjones** · December 11, 2015, 05:53 PM

Update on 1.6.-2 progress, AKA, updating the white huns:

Infantry seems roughly OK for release, there are a few worrying units that I am testing at the moment.

The cavalry bit is going to drive me just a little mad.

Once the units feel right, I will start working on recruitment schemes... Then Tuskmod 1.6.-2 will have basic grand campaign readiness.

**Walrusjones** · December 12, 2015, 01:12 AM

Good progress was made this night, but there is a lot of WEIIIRDNESS regarding the white Huns update.

Regardless, things are getting sorted out. I am even having fun doing it...

Maybe not 100% of it is in a fully mature way...

**scrimpton** · December 14, 2015, 05:03 AM

I've cleared the AoC campaign on legendary as Mercia and the danes now (never been able to beat legendary before..) desperately waiting for 1.6.0. I feel like im missing out when im not using your mod.

**Walrusjones** · December 14, 2015, 10:03 AM

I am calculating my Approach for AoC. In many ways, it is opposite to the Grand Campaign in its balance needs:

Abilities which are balanced to be much more situational and punishable, as units see fairly linear stat increases with cost increases. (Nice and understandable, but also requires very simplistic abilities. Meanwhile, the sporadic allocation of attribute points in the core game makes powerful abilities 100% necessary.)

Much stronger garrison building buildings. (Rather then the full dynamic garrisons approach. There are enough buildings that are intended to boost garrisons that I feel safe saying that doubled garrisons may work better for AOC.)

**scrimpton** · December 14, 2015, 03:52 PM

would you say that the current version of tuskmod, with the grand campaign post AoC release is in a good state to play?

**Walrusjones** · December 14, 2015, 04:04 PM

The Grand Campaign should be fairly solid still. The only thing that isn't at the old level of quality is Alani Garrisons.

**scrimpton** · December 14, 2015, 04:25 PM

would you say that the current version of tuskmod, with the grand campaign post AoC release is in a good state to play?

**scrimpton** · December 14, 2015, 04:25 PM

er no idea how i double posted that, sorry!

**Walrusjones** · December 14, 2015, 04:27 PM

You posted the second copy of it after my post, so this means you have managed to read my post?

**scrimpton** · December 14, 2015, 06:20 PM

yes, thanks!

Going to give it a try in a minute, and probably lose another 10 hour stretch of time.

**GrootOpperhoofd** · December 17, 2015, 02:46 PM

Regarding the Realism submod, why is shield value in Unit Defence rather than armor? Also some shields are physically smaller than other ones yet still have the same shield value.
Ie Gothic Warband and any small shield unit like Shield Brethren. And that shield isn't smaller than the one Germanic Spear masters have. Is it because it looks like it's made of (entirely) wood?
And I think some units needs some cost adjustment. I haven't find anything major yet but the closest thing is how Thracian Oathsworn now r*** any other melee unit. Huskarls, Herculiani Seniores all disappear in an alarming rate.
Considering their precursor+epic charge+ same armor piercing as elite axes+ (now) very high armour+ (now) the fact that health is now uniform across all units (disfavors previously high hp units obviously), I find them slight over the top if not blatantly OP.
Thracians weren't terribly useful before but I think this is a bit too much

Finally, I personally want (doesn't mean it's a good idea

) want missile units nerfed across the board, including precursor, now that realism is the focus. Crossbows consistently cause many hundreds of casualties and even bowmen can destroy sword units too easily I feel.

Anyways I really like the realism submod and the armor/health changes. Much more sensible a heavy mail unit has more armor than one with leather pads xD.

**GrootOpperhoofd** · December 17, 2015, 02:50 PM

Umm, I forgot to say that thracians should cost more if balance is 100% intended.

**Walrusjones** · December 17, 2015, 03:33 PM

There is more then one thracian unit. The normal Thracian warriors usually die to... One good Javelin Volley?

I mean, they went down to 6 men after three volleys in the battle I just played, from the basic Celtic skirmisher unit at that.

**GrootOpperhoofd** · December 17, 2015, 04:09 PM

I meant Thracian Oathsworns only.

**Walrusjones** · December 18, 2015, 12:14 AM

I will look into things. Regardless, their counters tend to be very accessible.

**Swarbs** · December 24, 2015, 04:50 AM

Found a couple of things on my current version:

1. There seems to be two versions of Scout Equites available for the ERE, one of which is more expensive to maintain and has worse stats. There's also two versions of the Contarii. Seems that ones recruited from settlements have different costs and stats from those recruited from cavalry corrals
2. One of my generals has the "pankration gloves" item which is supposed to give +3 experience to melee infantry recruits but isn't doing so

Also, I noticed that some of the ERE religious techs disable legacy techs such as concrete and moulded architecture. Does this mean that as you research higher level church buildings you lose access to higher level sanitation, entertainment and libraries? If so, is there any way to regain access to the sanitation and library buildings afterwards? I can understand the growth of Christianity meaning an end to pagan circuses and even libraries, but it seems a bit much to take away sanitation as well. After all, the Byzantines maintained the Valens Aqueduct right up to the 12th century and even expanded it in the reign of Justinian.