Announcement: Mercantilism TW!

[DarkKnight]

I am exhilarated to announce that Mercantilism Total War has made significant progress in its developement. The mod is a full conversion bringing TW into the 16th and 17th centuries. Here is just a fraction of its many features:

• 14 NEW FACTIONS including:
  
  1. The Ottoman Empire
  2. Aragon
  3. Florence
  4. Naples
  5. Netherlands
  6. Livonia
  7. Sweden (danish vassal)
  8. Finland (danish vassal)
  9. Norway (danish vassal)
  10. Switzerland
  11. Austria (hre vassal)
  12. Prussia (hre vassal)
  13. Burgundy
  14. Ireland
• NEW UNITS including:
  
  1. Dragoons
  2. Dismounted Dragoons
  3. Rangers
  4. Scouts
  5. Elite Musketeers
  6. Hand Gunner Guard
  7. Guard Cavalry
  8. Carbiners
• Well over 30 NEW EVENTS with many directly affecting gameplay
• NEW RESOURCES including:
  
  1. Salt
  2. Art
  3. Technology
• New sources of current resources
• NEW GUILDS including trade companies
• Modified missions
• NEW BUILDINGS
• Greatly increased profitability of trade
• Re-programmed AI to play the era and mercantile game
• NEW TRAITS and ANCILLARIES

BUT WAIT! Theres more! The mod starts out in 1500. Europe's balance of power is kept stable by a thread. The Ottoman Empire overshadows eastern Europe. Less than 50 years ago the sack of Constantinople sent immediate fear through the west. The Empire now knocks on the door of central Europe. Will Hungary be able to repel the foreign invaders? Will you use Hungary as a shield while you build up your forces? Or will you cross your european brothers and side and trade with their worst enemy!

Meanwhile the balance of power teeters in the west. France looms over the west with all of its might. Trade with France, but beware not to let it grow too strong. Vying for world authority is the Habsburg Dynasty. The Holy Roman Empire still maintains a hold in the heart of Europe, while the Spanish Empire cashes in on imports from the new world!

However, Portugal seizes South America and wishes to compete for the crown in the new world. All of the attention and profits in the new world ensure that it won't be long until others seek to seize these trade opportunities.

Meanwhile the Italian city-states are florishing with great wealth and culture. The final tide of the renaissance fuels the cultural revolution. Florence and Venice continue to dominate the Mediterranean sea trade. Among them in nautical trade is the Kalmar Union based in the north. However, tensions are high as the Union appears to be disintegrating.

Turmoil runs its course until it climaxes in 1517. Martin Luthers '95 Thesis shell shocks the world. Europe is divided in two and kills each other over how they worship God. This mod incorporates the reformation and the consequent conflicts. As the game progresses, the scientific revolution starts appearing and further thrusts Europe into chaos.

While all this conflict and action is occuring, you must remember your one goal. TO MAKE MONEY! Use your full arsenal of acumen to finesse your way through the turbulance to recieve paybacks in the form of florins. Whether it be opening new trade routes, attracting trade companies, sending merchants abroad, conquering profitable territory, expanding trade infrustrature, or even colonizing the new world, do it to expand your economy.

The era is filled with new gunpowder units. Military campaigns are very expensive, so often the faction with the deepest pockets will win through attrition. Make your offensives quick and decisive. A long, drawn out invasion will damper your treasury and put you years behind your rivals.

Mix the above ingredients, simmer for three minutes, and garnish with ingenuity. This stew brews into a concoction that can only be described by the following words:
MERCANTILISM TOTAL WAR

Mercantilism Total War is brought to you by Trask and DarkKnight. The release date is still indefinite. I am submitting a request for a board in the Hosted Mod's forum immediately following this post. There we will keep you updated with the progress, release teasers, and announce a release date when it is known.

As I used all my sig space for the mod ad, I'll grab some ad space here for my guides

Guide for Guilds

Guide for Missions

[flanker]

WOW!! This is incredible...looking forward to it.

[Kushan]

Like the idea, dont like the name though. Maybe use a 4tpy script to compensate for the shorter time frame?

Good Luck

Kushan

[Atheist Peace]

Looks very cool. I've started to be much more fond of this time period (and especially even a bit later) than I used to be; should be interesting.

[SigniferOne]

Question: how'd you make factions start out as vassals?

Promising mod, btw.

[Tumbleweed]

A Map would be cool if u got it done

[RageTool]

I'm proud of you, Rob. Keep up the good work, I'm always here to help.

[DarkKnight]

Question: how'd you make factions start out as vassals?

Promising mod, btw.

I haven't found the parameter in descr_strat to set the starting stance to vassal yet (if it even exists). But the AI can be scripted to capitulate on the first turn in descr_campaign_ai

A Map would be cool if u got it done

If you mean a new strat map, the answer is that we have no plans to make a new strat map for the first release. It has been mentioned casually between Trask and I, and we are thinking about revamping the map for future versions.

If you mean a map of the factions starting locations, I made this yesterday:

[Angmar_nite]

No new world? And also i recommend using a bigmap with more cities.

[Eastern Red]

Nice to know that there's life after the game era. Will eagerly wait for the release. Another new mod to increase replay value. A big thank you.

[DarkKnight]

No new world?

The map is a bit misleading. I editted the original map_FT.tga and on that one the new world is cut off. It is the vanilla map that we are currently working with.

And also i recommend using a bigmap with more cities.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll look into it.

[BruceAlmighty]

i think you should make a rifle unit, that would be great, i'm not sure if the time the rifles came out was near the 16th or 17th century but i would really love to see rifle units in this mod

[CtrlAltDe1337]

Using one of the big maps would definately help, especially with so many factions in the west.

[Jush]

PRUUUUUSSSIAAAAAAA!!

Yes, awesome idea, and best of luck to you. However, how are you going to make new units with new weapon combos (mounted carabiners?). I thought all that stuff was hard-coded...

-Do you plan to have different variations of Hussars? Polish, Hungarian, etc.?

-Will we start with advanced cities?

-Will you include or exclude the New World?

[selenius4tsd]

The name is a bit of a mouthful. Good luck.

[Ludicus]

Very interesting.Good luck!

[Erioluk]

in 1500 the Spanish Catholic Kings had already unified the peninsula. Only the Kingdoms of Portugal and Navarre remained. No point in having Aragon if you're looking for accuracy.

[DarkKnight]

i think you should make a rifle unit, that would be great, i'm not sure if the time the rifles came out was near the 16th or 17th century but i would really love to see rifle units in this mod

The rifle wasn't around until the late 18th century so I do not think it will be included in this mod. Possibly much further into the future (much) if we expand the mod into the next century you may see rifles. But I can tell you one thing, there will be muskets.

Yes, awesome idea, and best of luck to you. However, how are you going to make new units with new weapon combos (mounted carabiners?). I thought all that stuff was hard-coded...

-Do you plan to have different variations of Hussars? Polish, Hungarian, etc.?

Those questions are in Trask's department, but I will attempt to field them to the best of my ability. Trask already made mounted gun cavalry. I am not 100% sure how he did it, you would have to ask him.

-Will we start with advanced cities?

Many of the buildings included in vanilla will be thrown out. New buildings will be created and the cities will start how they should in the 16th century. Yesterday I completed the tedious task of converting the populations from 1080 figures to 1500 figures. So populations will be much higher, thus also making it necessary to greatly raise the requirements to upgrade cities and castles.

-Will you include or exclude the New World?

The new world will be included, as colonies were vital to mercantilism. We are currently using the vanilla new world, but plan on making a new map with more of the new world after we have a stable beta.

in 1500 the Spanish Catholic Kings had already unified the peninsula. Only the Kingdoms of Portugal and Navarre remained. No point in having Aragon if you're looking for accuracy.

My mistake. Aragon could still exist exist as a vassal of Spain though. Also 1500 while being the "date" which the game starts, the game is more about the timeframe and its theme. For example, although it wasn't until the 20's that Spain conquered the Aztecs, Spain starts off with their territories. The point is for Spain to start as the colonial power and for the other factions to have to compete to claim that title.

[Tom Servo]

How are you planning to do all the new units without making new models?

[BruceAlmighty]

i still this that you should have rifles, i mean muskets can only get so good, mabye make muskets be recruitable by retraining a gold chevroned musketeer or somthing