Here's a preview of the upcoming Stainless Steel 3.0:
Note that this is not a final list and some more features will follow...
Nevertheless, I still appreciate further suggestions and will try to implement them!
CAMPAIGN MAP
New Faction: Order of the Knights Templar
- 7-8 totally Unique Units with new cool Descriptions
- All other units have specific Templar Knight Designs
- Historical Characters and new Templar Knights Events
- New Unique Titles which represent the Templar Hirarchy
- Very different campaign from all others
see more here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=86534
Campaign Map
- 30 New Provinces, well spreaded and historically correct:
(Exeter, Bari, Oporto, Arta, Barcelona, Belgrade, Balearic Isles, Bryansk, Lyon, Athens, Munster, Ancona, Isle of Lesvos, Warsaw, Diyarbakir, Salzburg, Kirov, Melilla, Salamanca, Groningen, Clermont, Thebes, Mecca, Palmyra, Astrakhan, Tortosa, El-Oued, Sinop, Norrköping, Benghazi...)
- More Resources on campaign map, including new valuable resources in the "outbacks" of the map.
Some Small Map Tweaks: trees on isles, sligthly changed borders, new passage in Africa
AI Armies much more improved
- Proper Mix of Infantry, Missiles, Cavalry and Artillery.
- AI produces more Elite and Heavy units.
This was done without changing any unit costs
Mercenaries
- New mercenaries for the Early and High Medieval Period:
Macemen
English Huscarls
Light Swordsmen
Swabian Swordsmen
Andalusian Infantry
Mercenary Saracens
Axemen.
- Greater mercenary variety
- Mercenaries can have experience
- Less mercenary missile units
- Regions have more of mercenary special units
Titles/Traits/Ancillaries
- Titles for all Cities and Castles and for both Islamic and Catholic/Orthodox factions and with important bonuses in various settlements.
- Much new Traits, Transferable Titles and Ancillaries (Blood, Broads, & Bastards v1.9 or 2.0)
- New Patriarchats for Orthodox Factions available
- Many broken Character Traits and Ancillaries fixed
- Knights Templar Titles
Much more interesting Historical Events
- Events for Orders, Inquisitions, Cultur, Battles, ...
- Including a New Era (High Period) Event which affects unit & mercenary recruitment
- Triggered Events for Falls of Important Cities and Regions. This can also give bonuses for the victorious faction.
Agents and Characters
- Merchants income increased, movement increased
- Inquisitors less effective
- Spy's chances to open gate decreased, movement increased
- Princesses movement increased
- Diplomats movement increased
- Priests movement increased
- Captains are less likely to rebel
- Assasins slightly improved, movement increased
- Imam's required Piety to call a Jihad raised
- Slightly less Heretics and Rebels
- Little more Witches
Settlement Changes
- Unit recruitment depends on barracks
- More logical recruitment, for example cities can build more ships & artillery than castles.
- Citadels/Huge Cities have 4 recruitment slots
- Castles-Citadels have 1-2 free upkeep
- City growth slightly reduced
- Slightly lowered law bonus in cities
- Mine Income slightly increased
- Tax Income slightly decreased
- Early/Late Generals rarely recruitable in castles/citadels
- Byzantium can build Highways
ā Therefore, Title bonuses for settlements get more important
The Best Strategic and Diplomatic AI: Grand Viz’sUltimate AI
Other Changes
- Historically more accurate Faction Names
- 18 Factions Playable
- Win Conditions distended to 55 regions
- Show Date as Years
- Conquering the Aztecs is much harder
- Mongol/Timurid armies slightly weakened
- Money Script to support AI Factions
- more logical faction standings
- Worse relations Papal States - Islamic factions
- Better relations Turks - Egypt
BATTLE MAP
- "Improved Battle Config AI in almost Every Matter" (Darth Formations Vx.x)
- Unlimited men on battlefield allowed
- Longer Lasting Battles due to slightly higher morale
- Added Missing Units
- Dismounted Gothic Knights
- English Armored Sergeants
- Dismounted Broken Lances
- Added Mounted Longbowmen for custom battles
- Added Additional Units
- Dismounted Order Knights
- Dismounted Armored Clergy
- All Longbowmen ranges increased
- More realistic battle map movement
- Artillery Morale lowered
- (Great) Bombards, Serpentins can deploy Stakes
- Strenght of Gates slightly increased
- Venetian HI/Archers armour bug fix
- Ballista/Cannon Tower Fix (zxiang)
- Ballista Tower Fire Rate reduced
- Cannon Tower Range reduced
- Light/Heavy Cavalry Charge slightly reduced
- Janissary HI & D. Gothic Knights improved
- (temporary) Cavalry Charge Fix
- Some unit stats balanced
GRAPHICS
- Completely new Faction Symbols & Menu Design by Alletun
- New Splash & New Loading Screens by Alletun
- New textures & Symbols for Campiagn Map Interface by Alletun, KK
- Campaign Map Banners for Scotland and France historically accurate
- New unique Unit Textures for all European Early & High units (Burrek)
- New unique Unit Textures for all Feudal & Mailed Knights (Burreks Knights&Knaves)
- New unique Shield Textures for: Scotland, Spain, Poland, Denmark, France
- New unique and much better Unit Textures & Banners for Byzantium (Whitewolf)
- More spectacular Sky variations and little more blood (improved Horsearcher's skymod)
- Improved Captain textures (plasticfigurine)
- Improved Musket & Artillery Smoke (Headlock)
And of course: All fixes from the upcoming Medieval II Patch 1.2