NEW battle improvement mini-mod (phalanx lovers)

[WCrusader]

Hi,
First i want to thank the EB team for such a great mod then ppl this is a modified by me export_descr_unit.txt file that makes a few changes to the EB battle system, these changes in my point of view were really help get a more balanced gameplay, for a list of the changes :

No more phalanx's, the units that used the phalanx formation now use a similar formation but imo much better gameplay since i think the phalanx formation is broken and it was getting on my nerves, now they are much more competent and the phalanx units became much better.

spartan hoplites were upgraded a bit but also the cost of the unit, if they were the most famous warriors of that time they should be represented by that. note : they are better but balanced not to the point of ruining gameplay.

casse chariots were also upgraded, they are better but imo still a bit useless... i dont have more ideas to make them better. nonetheless they are a bit usefull now. the change i make was pointed out by an EB team member in these forums, i just used he's fix and even up'ed them a bit more.

skirmishers were added 1 more point of attack to make them a little tiny bit better, nothing fantastic.

slingers got range reduced so that archers play a more important role, slingers are more powerful then archers but have less range. they are more balanced now since archers can take them out before they grind your heavy inf., slingers were really overpowered. think of it, if slingers were better then archers then as the ages came slings would be the ranged weapon of choice by the middle ages not the bow. plus i hate slingers...

all skirmisher units got renamed to missile units so the AI will make more balanced armies as the AI was considering skimishers as infantry.
this was pointed out by someone in the forums wich i cant remember the name sry but the credits of this go to him.

makedonian peraspidai were upgraded a little bit, they are elites but they didnt fight much like elites so i up'ed them a bit 1 or 2 points here and there nothing 2 much.


Those are the changes, but the real gameplay improvement i think i made was the change in the phalanx's, now the koinon hellenon are playable and very fun faction, before the change i thought they were boring and weak.
and i think thats it, thank you for reading a i hope u enjoy the changes, all construtive feedback is apreciated.

1 more thing i really liked if anyone from the EB team tried my file and give a feedback, even if only for the phalanx changes i think its worth it because it helps alot the gameplay even if with some historical sacrifice.

Thank you all
WCrusader

[WCrusader]

Oh sry install intructions :
-> download the file
-> make a backup of d:\...\rome - total war\EB\Data\export_descr_unit.txt
-> copy the downloaded file in the folder d:\...\rome - total war\EB\Data\
and replace the original file.

[eggthief]

I just read this and want to know this: how did u exactly changed phalanxes? cant check this out myself since im kinda pcless atm.

[WCrusader]

Hi,

i have removed the original phalanx ability from the units and instead gave them the short_pike attribute with guard mode enabled, they look almost the same as the original phalanx and perform their role much better imo, they can run, they can fight and actualy kill ppl and they are much more versatile
the down side is that they no longer have swords as secondary weapon and i had to remove the long pikes from some units but i think it's very worth it.
for a simple test replace the file and try a custom battle with a phalanx unit and then try a full battle with them to see the diference in play.

Thx for your interest,
WCrusader

[eggthief]

ah u mean the same as at the KH general? its useful in some cases especcially when u fight on walls, but they arent an unpassable spearwall (from the front) anymore, right?

[WCrusader]

Yup they now take a bit more from the front but they cant still hold the line for sooo long. I think it makes fights with them better a bit more chaos always good, and now i really enjoy my KH campaign which was a pain with the original phalanx formation.

[eggthief]

it might make it easier to control an army because usually those slowass phalanx units hold me up all the time so ill give it a try when i got my new pc.

[mcantu]

Originally Posted by WCrusader

all skirmisher units got renamed to missile units so the AI will make more balanced armies as the AI was considering skimishers as infantry.
this was pointed out by someone in the forums wich i cant remember the name sry but the credits of this go to him.

That was me...

[WCrusader]

Eh Eh, Thx mcantu that find is preciousssss

[starXdiaMoo]

I would suggest you change the overhand ability for some hoplites as well, as you get this messy unorganised mob. Also, when you fight on a hill the spearpoints always point in one direction. A simple but marvelous way to change this is to go to descr_model_battle and change fs_o_hoplitesomething into fs_spearman, fs_swordsman, then go to export_descr_unit and input next to stat_pri_attr, light_spear, short_pike. This gives hoplites an underhand ability, as well as an organised formation. It also portraits the pushing motion of the hoplites.

[svramj]

Originally Posted by WCrusader

Hi,

i have removed the original phalanx ability from the units and instead gave them the short_pike attribute with guard mode enabled, they look almost the same as the original phalanx and perform their role much better imo, they can run, they can fight and actualy kill ppl and they are much more versatile
the down side is that they no longer have swords as secondary weapon and i had to remove the long pikes from some units but i think it's very worth it.
for a simple test replace the file and try a custom battle with a phalanx unit and then try a full battle with them to see the diference in play.

Thx for your interest,
WCrusader

Its similar to the one done by the RTR guys for Greek hoplitoi.....for thegreek sities faction....

[Grothaal]

Could not download the file

[AmbrosiusAurelianus]

I'd really like to try this, but when I use your file I get the following error message.

Script Error in eb/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 16138, column 57

Unknown unit type specified: germanic infantry hundaskapiz

Have you made an error in the export_descr_unit?

[Grothaal]

Got the file, will try it.

Any plans im making these changes incorporate into EB main release?

Like, if it really happens, that a unit named 'skirmisher' makes the AI perform poorly, seems that it would be a major enhancement to EB AI performance.

In the many battles I've fougth, against makedonian and the seleucids, the AI really invests much into skirmishers, sometimes an army comes with 80% as skirmishers, then its a really bloody battle as i kill them all with ligth hoptites and cavalary.

[Grothaal]

Tried the file today and I had the same error. Is the file compatible with the latest full release os EB?

[AmbrosiusAurelianus]

I had a look in WCrusader's modified EDU and believe I have found the source of the error that I reported. A number of germanic and one goidelic unit names have errors. A ? symbol is in the EDU in place of certain vowels. I believe these are vowels that originally bore accents or some other form of diacritic.

I have changed the incorrect entries using the original EB EDU as a guide and the minimod now seems to work in the manner that WCrusader described. I have played a battle without a CTD, but I cannot guarantee that it is crash free as I am not an experienced modder (to say the least!)

I attached the corrected version I am using to my post, so if you want to give it a go you can. Use it at your own risk. Grothaal, give it a go if you want.

[Grothaal]

God, thank you, will try this one.

You liked it? How was it to you?


Rigth now i am playing my campaign with the BI engine, wow, things gone messy for my Hellens I only wish I made an ARR of the campaign.

[Grothaal]

hum, tried it heres what i found:

- the Merc Medium Phalanxes fall pretty quick to the attack of the seleucids, didnt hold up the line and broke really fast to an attack of the enemy phalanx reinforced by royal bodyguards.
Their pikes are too short, so figth got hand to hand pretty fast, to the advantave of the enemy heavy phalanx.

- dont know why the Spartan Bodyguard of my General got exchanged by helenic heavy hoplite phalanxes, that gave that unit a pretty big downgrade in battle capability and maybe influenced in the battle outcome.

- Dont know if its related to the script or a bug, but i could not see the arrows and skirmisher animations.

The fact that the phalanx (not anymore) units run was good though. But overall my army was beaten in battle even the Hellenes having an advantage of 2 to 1

[AmbrosiusAurelianus]

Originally Posted by Grothaal

God, thank you, will try this one.

You liked it? How was it to you?


Rigth now i am playing my campaign with the BI engine, wow, things gone messy for my Hellens I only wish I made an ARR of the campaign.

Glad you liked it, Grothaal. I only play custom battles so can't comment on the campaign side of things, but I enjoyed taking on Rome with manoeuvrable Macedonian phalanxes the other day.

Thanks to WCrusader for making this minmod!

[Grothaal]

I am not sure yet if i liked it or not, lol.

Tryed the same battle without the minimod, the outcome was almost the same, my forces lost with the normal phalanx too, to the last stand of the seleucids in the town square.

Theres 2 things that got me a little frustrated, that my general unit got its spartan guard replaced by heavy phalanxes (why is that? is it a bug? It was quite a nerf), and that the spears where too short, not giving a real sense of a phalanx..., it was more like a hoplite fighting feeling.

The phalanx unit I used was the Ipikratian hoplite, against the heavy seleucids one, those guys are tough nuts to crack.