-- Secrets of TATW (that are no Secrets) -- Collection of Eastereggs, special options and hints

[jản]

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'SECRETS OF TATW'
////////////// that are no secrets \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

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this is a threat where secrets of TATW should be collected.
(sure this are mainly things that exist in M2TW vanilla but still a lot of guys here ask how to
rename cites or are very surprised that retinues/ancillaries can be transfered to other generals.
so this is a thread where you link user to, that don't know such stuff)

anything (in game and in the menus) that seems to be interesting and worth
mentioning can be posted.
but please refrain from spamming this thread with unnecessary posts and always
'EDIT' your existing post with maybe new discovered secrets.


things that you can post are something like:

• eastereggs
• special options, function and opportunities
• funny stuff

things that you can NOT post:

• bugs
• specific mod stuff
• content you created on your own

and post some screenshots of the TATW secret and a short discription maybe.

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Transfer Retinues/Ancillaries

• you can transfer some of a generals retinues/ancillaries to another general by drag and drop when they are in the same stack
  Spoiler for Transfer Retinues/Ancillaries: 

  

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Rename Settlements (custom name)

• you can rename cities that you own by select it in the top of the city interface, delete it with <BACKSPACE> or <DEL> and type in a new name
  (this new name is the one you have to use in the console)
  Spoiler for Rename Settlements (custom name): 

  

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Merge Units

• you can merge units in a stack by drag and drop one unit on another unit.
  by pressing <M> all units of the same type are merged
  Spoiler for Merge Units: 

  

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Activate Battle Editor

• you can activate a editor (to create your own 'historical battle') by activating it in the TATW.cfg
  (that you can find here ..\<your main game dir>\mods\Third_Age)
  (go here for further instructions and help)
  Spoiler for Activate Battle Editor: 

  

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Save Campaign Battle Replays

• you can save a battle replay even for a battle in your campaign
  (go here for further instructions and help)
  Spoiler for Save Campaign Battle Replays: 

  
  

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Hidden Units

• the roster of Rohan contains a spear unit that is not available for recruitment in the campaign
  Click to view content: 

  
  
• the roster of Isengard contains a mine unit that is not available in the campaign too
  Click to view content: 

  

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Sieges

• you can lay siege on a settlement and remain in a siege for more turns and if you wait long enough the city will be yours without even fighting-
  or the enemy army sallies out to attack you, but then you don't have to conquer the city (piazza) and use your siege engines
• every turns decreases/decimates/depletes the number of soldiers in a unit
• the more besieging turns the more units will be removed form one unit (up to 20 units each turn)

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Keybord use & Shortcuts


you can use common keybord shortcuts in the strategy part and the fighting part of TATW

Battlefield

• <CTRL>+<A> to select all units in a stack
• <CTRL>+<Doubleclick on unit> to select all units of this type
• you also can make range units attack with melee weapons with <Alt>+<Right click on a enemy unit>
• set waypoints for units with <Shift>+<Right click>
• you can rotate one , a few or all units in their actual formation (even custom ones) with <Alt>+<Right click>+<rotate with the mouse>
• you can follow a selected unit with <Del> and return to normal view with <Home>
• you can group your units up to 10 Groups by selecting them and press <CTRL>+<any number from 0 to 9>
• if you set your army in a custom formation you can move all your soldiers with a simple click in front of them - they will remain the custom formation when they arrive at their destination
• you can view the destinated standing formation of all moving units with <Space> (yellow markers apear)
  Spoiler for Formation Destination: 

  

Start map

• <CTRL>+<A> to select all units in a stack
• <CTRL>+<Doubleclick on unit> to select all units of this type
• you can set waypoints for recruited units with <Shift>+<Click outside>
• during the turns of the other factions you can scroll the map too with the Num-block arrow buttons

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[Twist of Cain]

Not only can you change names of cities, but when you play in Hotseat mode you can change the name of your faction by clicking on it in the faction overview screen.

Edit: Also, like stated, some ancillaries can be given away to other generals - except when they've already reached the limit, which iirc is 8 items max. So if it doesn't work, don't assume it can't be given away, check and see if your target already has 8 ancillaries.

Hmm, another kinda general gameplay one... if you really need to break a line, taking a unit in shieldwall and double clicking past the enemy will usually cause them to push through the lines, though casualties will be higher on both sides.

[desean]

thx i was battling with the nciliarie transfer thingie

[el Cid]

I knew most of these, but not about the merging unit thing, thanks.

[Anfauglir]

Not really a 'secret' as such, but a few of my friends (not on the forum) had not realised that you can sally out against a siege force and then end the battle by using Esc & quit. Once all your boys are back within the walls you can end the battle as a 'successful sally' and a draw - hopefully a very disproportionate 'draw' in your favour. Very useful if you have missile troops, as a big enemy stack can be whittled down to a manageable size in 2 or 3 sallies.

This can also really take the sting out of invasions (e.g. fill Edoras with archers and a few cav), and will stall massive enemy steamrolls at the very least (Mordor exploding into Gondor, for instance). It was also my fave anti-Mongol tactic bar the en masse cavalry charge!

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Also, for factions in bad starting positions, it can be useful to send out your generals to siege rebel settlements on their own! They cannot win the battle and will have to retreat each turn, but as the rebels go last in the turn sequence this will stop other factions from snaffling up all the settlements about you - other factions most often lose interest if a settlement is already besieged. All you have to do is gently build and the send an army to your brave, harrying general.

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Only build watchtowers at the 'inside' edges of each province as you expand. This way, you will not lose the towers if you do lose the new territory, and so can still watch your borders and plot your terrible revenge!

[HarneY]

Ive always thought it strange that you couldn't save campaign replays but as always the best ideas always have a solution already.

[Baron Samedi]

Some people don't know that they can blockade ports with their armies. So if you as an orc faction can't build fleets but want to cash in the mission rewards, manoeuvre your units directly on the landlocked section of the port.

[BlackViper]

Sauron lives in a settlement in the north of the map use toggle_fow to spot it

[jản]

Some people don't know that they can blockade ports with their armies. So if you as an orc faction can't build fleets but want to cash in the mission rewards, manoeuvre your units directly on the landlocked section of the port.

really great one - i once knew this but forgot about it. thank you and +rep
(btw i updated my post)

[Abyrvalg]

• eastereggs
  ...
• funny stuff

Random elven general.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Qui-Gon Jinn from Star Wars.

[Maverock]

Nice thread new most of this, but will follow it!

[MDT]

When you attack a settlement queue your siege engines save and reload before klicking or maintaine siege or such things you can selectivley avoid certain garrison scripts.
If there is an enemy army boardering to the city you'd like to conquer, attack them first, if the garrison helps them you can destroy the garrison on the open field which leaves the city defenseless.
In defensiv mode archers aren't as easily distracted from shooting.

[Yarrum]

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Hidden Units

• The roster of Rhun contains a chariot unit that can be activated by the player. It doesn't work though, because ModelDb references models and textures I cant seem to find...

[sebsebseb1234]

How cab i use the Mine in costum Battles??

[Baron Samedi]

How cab i use the Mine in costum Battles??

1. Open export_descr_unit.txt with notepad, located in: ...\Medieval II Total War\mods\Third_Age\data
2. Use ctrl+f to find ''NE Culverin''
3. Remove the ''no_custom'' part in this line

   attributes       sea_faring, hardy, can_withdraw, gunpowder_unit, cannon, artillery, explode, no_custom

+rep if that helped you

[Louis Lux]

Random elven general.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Qui-Gon Jinn from Star Wars.

They're not that alike...
If anyone is curious, I actually made that portrait from this photo of the LOTR movie extras:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But I actually used people from other movies such as Narnia to serve as portraits, and King Bard's portrait is based on Daniel Day Lewis.

One trick I use on TATW is to attack an army close to a city so that the garrison serve as reinforcements and completely exterminate the enemy leaving the settlement empty which doesn't set of the garrison script when I capture it.

[el Cid]

If you don't want to fight the Balrog (when you siege Moria), you can do two things:
1. Wait till there is a full stack in the settlement (the message will come but the Balrog, in fact won't)
2. Attack an army next to the settlement, and make sure you kill all the reinforcements from the city, then take the city (this can of course also be used for garrison script as Louis Lux already pointed out).

[Disastras]

Nice thread! If you want ladders off your wall, select an infantry unit. Move your cursor over the ladders and it will give the attack cursor that looks like a sword. You have to click at the base of the ladder; as close to the ground as your cursor will get before changing from the sword icon the something else. This is the only consistent way I know to get ladders knocked down. So.
To have an infantry unit pull the ladders off the wall you:
1. Select infantry
2. Move the attack sword icon to the very bottom of the ladder just before it changes back to the regular icon.
3. Click at the base of the ladder and your soldiers will take it down.
This is the only way I have had my soldiers consistently tear the ladders down. Just clicking on the ladder anywhere is hit or miss.

SCREENSHOT GUIDE:

Select your infantry:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Infantry after tearing a ladder down.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Where the sword icon will be before tearing one down:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

How your soldiers line up to tear it down. (They will start swinging at air for a few seconds before it comes down).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The ladder torn down.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Okay, now I believe I'm owed some Rep This took me 7 years to figure out.

[jản]

//

very nice thank you - and +rep btw - always wanted to so that but it never worked.
thanks for sharing this with us.

updated my post with screenshots.

//

[el Cid]

I've got more shortcuts:

- To disband units, select the unit(s) you want to disband and then press CTRL+D
- To save the game press CTRL+S
- To see units their destination indicated with a red pin hold SHIFT