Viking Invasion II Released

[Dansk viking]

I also think the Danes needs a boost, and I have some suggestions:

- Give them the Ragnarr Lodbrok family. (Ragnarr as king; Ivarr, Hubba, Halfdan, and Sigurd as sons.)

- Improve the core units of the Danes, especially the Leidangr, which consisted of free farmers (the poorer part), their sons, and their workers. The current ones are too weak (they carry a wood-tipped spear, and I believe you've used a modified version of the peasant model from AoVaF). The Leidangr should have much better equipment. They could carry one-handed axes or ordinary spears.

-Make the shieldwall ability available for the ordinary Danish - and Saxon - units. (currently only available to elite troops, as the Hirdmen, Huskarls, and armoured spearmen.)

- Give the danes one more settlement in Jutland. Ribe would be very fitting, as it was one of the earliet towns and trade-centers in Denmark.

Cheers
DV

[Halvar von Flake]

This mod has a great atmosphere! Especially the "ancient" music!

But...
...there should be a few more units in future versions...saxon huscarls?...maybe armor upgrades (chainmail for lesser units?)...the violett colour of mercenaries should be changed to brown or grey (violett is for royality or the tenno)...and the white cape of the Danes Hirdymen...uh!...brown, black, whatever but not white...

...just a few proposals...I'm really happy about this release!

[Dansk viking]

Originally Posted by Old Viking

...the violett colour of mercenaries should be changed to brown or grey (violett is for royality or the tenno)...and the white cape of the Danes Hirdymen...uh!...brown, black, whatever but not white...

Agree

[DaVinci]

Originally Posted by Dansk viking

I also think the Danes needs a boost, and I have some suggestions:

- Give them the Ragnarr Lodbrok family. (Ragnarr as king; Ivarr, Hubba, Halfdan, and Sigurd as sons.)

- Improve the core units of the Danes, especially the Leidangr, which consisted of free farmers (the poorer part), their sons, and their workers. The current ones are too weak (they carry a wood-tipped spear, and I believe you've used a modified version of the peasant model from AoVaF). The Leidangr should have much better equipment. They could carry one-handed axes or ordinary spears.

-Make the shieldwall ability available for the ordinary Danish - and Saxon - units. (currently only available to elite troops, as the Hirdmen, Huskarls, and armoured spearmen.)

- Give the danes one more settlement in Jutland. Ribe would be very fitting, as it was one of the earliet towns and trade-centers in Denmark.

Cheers
DV

Danes get a boost, Aradan is working on this already.

1. A bit more info about the family would certainly help (ages of these characters at the start of the mod). My advice would be to add Ragnarr (and/or a son of him) as extra branch of the family tree, and position him at the east-coast of England.

2. Yes, the spear model/animation of this unit is still bugged anyway (wrong direction of the spear).

3. Shieldwall ... MoN and Aradan know my opinion ... no comment.

4. Was already suggested by me while the development, i guess we won't have the luck, that Denmark gets one more region.

You'll certainly get more reflection soon.

[Skandinav]

Originally Posted by MasterOfNone

3. Not sure what you mean by minimal UI - that is set in preferences.txt I believe and assume it works if changed (never used it).

How embarrasing my absentmindedness is; I forgot all about the preferences.txt having played some mods lately which comes with it preset.
I highly recommend it though, to change the values within to the following : SHOW_BANNERS:FALSE, DISABLE_ARROW_MARKERS:TRUE, MINIMAL_UI:TRUE, GRASS_DISTANCE:500 ( if you have a fast PC that is ) UNLIMITED_MEN_ON_THE_BATTLEFIELD:TRUE.

Originally Posted by Halie Satanus

If you have a reference pic..

I´m sorry sir I do not, but if you have access to Ian Heath´s The Vikings from Osprey you should have illustrations of historical dress and equipment aplenty.
But I must stress that my comment on the vikingr may have come out wrong as I think they look great ( the best I´ve seen in any game although a tad "big" with those shoulders as I´ve already said, I hope my intention is not mistaken as your splendid work is much appreciated ) and it was on the fabric of the danish vikingrs clothing only I inquired, which on the norwegian vikingr, due to the darker shade, I can easily recognize as fur.

Originally Posted by Old Viking

...the violett colour of mercenaries should be changed to brown or grey (violett is for royality or the tenno)...and the white cape of the Danes Hirdymen...uh!...brown, black, whatever but not white...

While I agree about the violet I absolutely love the white cloaks, but perhaps, if anything, more dusted or neutral versions of colors would be appropriate in general, like the drab purple on the jomsvikingr, without the screaming of color that some such might have.
The white is the same as of the ithilien bodyguards in FATW and where in a fantasy setting such pure white may be plausible I think muted colors are more befitting to the VI2 scenario ( although northmen of the time were historically quite colorful people ), especially with the grittiness with which you have already painted much of the theme. An example could be the Welsh ( who has very beautiful units now that I´m at them ) where some wears a green almost akin to the "loud" colors we know from vanilla RTW while others have a more deep green, in my opinion adding to a worn, more realistic appearance. Speaking of colors the danish spearmen would certainly benefit from having the same red shield color as their norwegian counterparts, already the armored spearmen of the two factions look alike, and the norwegian shields are just so more viking-ish ( the same could be said about the stunningly ornamented quivers of the norwegian archers ).
But all of this is shameless nit-picking, I beg your pardon.

Originally Posted by Dansk viking

I also think the Danes needs a boost, and I have some suggestions:

- Give them the Ragnarr Lodbrok family. (Ragnarr as king; Ivarr, Hubba, Halfdan, and Sigurd as sons.)

- Improve the core units of the Danes, especially the Leidangr, which consisted of free farmers (the poorer part), their sons, and their workers. The current ones are too weak (they carry a wood-tipped spear, and I believe you've used a modified version of the peasant model from AoVaF). The Leidangr should have much better equipment. They could carry one-handed axes or ordinary spears.

-Make the shieldwall ability available for the ordinary Danish - and Saxon - units. (currently only available to elite troops, as the Hirdmen, Huskarls, and armoured spearmen.)

- Give the danes one more settlement in Jutland. Ribe would be very fitting, as it was one of the earliet towns and trade-centers in Denmark.

Cheers
DV

I agree on the Lodbrog family, the shield-walls ( which weren´t some elite tactic and really should be common rather than the inconsistency of having only part of your line of engagement making skjoldborgar, unless you find it too powerful which it admittedly often is ) but the Leidangr however, while I agree they should have axes aswell as spears ( though you are not striving to simulate history ), are quite powerful units with lethal javelins ( could easily be cheaper as they were a kind of conscripts funded and maintained locally, although their importance, admittedly even much of their being have been disputed by some historians ) and besides hirdmen´s weakness against cavalry I haven´t once had the impression that any viking troops needed to be stronger stat-wise. Only danish economy.
In regards to Ribe I couldn´t agree more, another homeland settlement would help stabilize the economy and the danish population of the time was much greater than the norwegian one.


Good day everyone, a sword-day, a spear-day !


PS. I have two questions by the way: 1. Where is the war-cry ability, did you find it too over-powered ? And 2. Where can I find some information about those faction-specific difficulty scripts, it would be very interesting to see what each difficulty setting entails now and how they work as opposed to before, for example are all the hard-coded AI bonuses still present or have you countered them with this in any manner ?
Also on a side-note I must say that perhaps you should warn the player IG that the otherwise excellent auto-resolve system can, besides working in your favour through actually granting you battle-outcomes the likes of which you would have earned yourself had you only the time ( or some other reason that has had you auto-calc ) also makes some of your units, 2 hp units especially, take on, and destroy, large hosts against which you would never have stood a chance on the tactical map. So, in my experience at least, it works fantastic if the application of it is conscientious, like you warn about during sieges.
Oh yes, and the danes keep declaring war on me in my norwegian campaign and while I do not mind a bit of occasional viking infighting the extent is steadily becoming such that the Channel is a long-boat battle-ground, which is unfortunate IMHO and better relations these two factions in between would be great.

[Halvar von Flake]

Skandinav: "But all of this is shameless nit-picking, I beg your pardon."

I'm just trying to give my honest opinion to help improving the mod...
...what do you want? Insincere commentaries...?

[Skandinav]

No, no sir you misunderstand me and I know I may very well not have expressed myself clearly enough, my apologies, but that comment was not in any way related to your post but rather to what I, myself, added to it about the shield colors of the danish spearmen and the neat coloring of norwegian archers. I was merely thinking aloud some preferences which, while of some importance to me, is in no way important to the game itself, therefore I felt it necessary to excuse myself.
Your argument on the contrary was founded in something more substantial.

[Dansk viking]

Originally Posted by DaVinci

1. A bit more info about the family would certainly help (ages of these characters at the start of the mod). My advice would be to add Ragnarr (and/or a son of him) as extra branch of the family tree, and position him at the east-coast of England.

Well, I've changed the descr_strat in my own install, adding the Lodbroks:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

character Ragnar Lodbrok, named character, leader, age 45, , x 223, y 107
traits Factionleader 1, Pagan 1, BodyguardXP 1, GoodCommander 2, Brave 2, InspiringSpeaker 1
army
unit viking bodyguard exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit norse archer exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking vikingr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking huskarl exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking huskarl exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking armoured spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Ivarr, named character, heir, age 25, , x 198, y 32 ; Kent
traits Factionheir 1, Pagan 1, BodyguardXP 1, GoodCommander 2, GoodSiegeAttacker 1, Brave 1, Authoritarian 2, HarshJustice 1, BattleScarred 1
army
unit viking bodyguard exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking huskarl exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking armoured spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking armoured spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking armoured spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking armoured spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit norse archer exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking huskarl exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit merc jomsviking exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking vikingr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Hubba, named character, age 23, , x 195, y 32 ; Kent
traits Pagan 1, BodyguardXP 1, GoodCommander 1, Brave 1, Sailor 2
army
unit viking bodyguard exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking armoured spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking armoured spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking vikingr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit danish leidangr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Halfdan, named character, age 20, , x 201, y 31 ; Kent; Cantwaraburh
traits Pagan 1, BodyguardXP 1, GoodCommander 1, BattleScarred 1
army
unit viking bodyguard exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking vikingr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit norse archer exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking spearman exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking vikingr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Njal, general, age 38, , x 186, y 55 ;x 192, y 39 ; Middel Engle
army
unit viking vikingr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking vikingr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit danish leidangr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit viking vikingr exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit norse archer exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Eirik, admiral, age 52, , x 198, y 35
army
unit naval drakkar exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Gunnar, admiral, age 52, , x 193, y 35
army
unit naval drakkar exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Thorkel, admiral, age 52, , x 216, y 82
army
unit naval drakkar exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Floki, admiral, age 52, , x 200, y 33
army
unit naval drakkar exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Fridgeir, admiral, age 52, , x 203, y 37
army
unit naval drakkar exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Gorm, admiral, age 52, , x 201, y 35
army
unit naval drakkar exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Gardar, admiral, age 52, , x 188, y 59
army
unit naval drakkar exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit naval snekkja exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Runolf, spy, age 41, , x 197, y 32
traits GoodSpy 2

character_record Gunnhild, female, command 0, influence 0, management 0, subterfuge 0, age 37, alive, never_a_leader
character_record Sigurd, male, command 0, influence 0, management 0, subterfuge 0, age 14, alive, never_a_leader


relative Ragnar Lodbrok, Gunnhild, Ivarr, Hubba, Halfdan, Sigurd end

Where I added these names to descr_names and names.txt:

{Ivarr} Ivarr
{Hubba} Hubba


Hope it's useful
DV

[Skandinav]

Hurra, thank you, copied and pasted

[Jingle_Bombs]

LOL, this mod hasn't been out long, and it's already got a submod .

I'm currently working on a little something myself...though it's not a submod.

[Dom9127]

I'm loving this mod it really captures the spirit of the original, you have also produced great results in terms of difficulty, balancing and AI. At the moment I am enjoying a challenging Saxon campaign though I'm a little disappointed in Alfred, he really has some poor stats. The historical battles are good fun, the defence of Lindisfare was rather easy I thought, however this mod is a minor masterpiece.

However have found some bugs, the mercenary head looks a bit weird as seen in the pic, but maybe it's just my graphic card.

[Dansk viking]

Originally Posted by Skandinav

Hurra, thank you, copied and pasted

'

Heh

I don't know if you got it to work, but here's the files you need

replace the following files with the ones attached:

descr_names in "...\Rome - Total War\bi\VI2\data"
names in "...\Rome - Total War\bi\VI2\data\text"
descr_strat in "...\Rome - Total War\bi\VI2\data\world\maps\campaign\barbarian_invasion"


Cheers
DV

[Skandinav]

While not exactly strong in RTW scripts I know my way around so I got it to work initially, but thanks for taking the time to make it noob-proof anyway.

[Dansk viking]

[MasterOfNone]

Remember to backup your original mod file if replacing with a custom-made one of your own or another poster's making. Please also ONLY give any bug feedback with the original (1.1) unless urelated to changed files.


Thanks for all the points above. Many are noted. All are appreciated. I think some of them may well find their way into an update this week...

Keep them coming.

I'm not going to comment on matters of balance, and leave that to Aradan.

I'm putting a summary here - let me know if I missed anything:

• Alfred, he really has some poor stats
  
• defence of Lindisfare was rather easy I thought
  
• Merc Rabble head
  
• fur texture of Danish Vikingr
  
• tone down white cloaks a little
  
• make mercs a different colour - black?
  
• add Lodbrok family
  
• add region to Jutland (Ribe?)
  
• hand axes for Leidangr?
  
• Leidangr spear bugged?
  
• extend shieldwall ability down to lower-tier units (spearmen expecially) among Vikings and Saxons
  
• modify to allow Danes to avoid perpetual debt
  
• reduce merc replenishment rate
  
• shrink saxon horsemen shield to stop it clipping

[Turumba]

So, i want to give some feedback too.

I took the Westsaxons and saw in the first round that London is besieged by 1 1/2 stack of Danes. So i put all my army together and walk to London. Before i arrive London was burning... and this is highly historical accurate! The feeling, that one can do nothing. Very good.
I thought London is mine and manage to block the bridge in the south of London and tried a attack. Luck was with me, in London itself standing just 5-6 troops of danes and i got with mercenaries a 3/4 Stack. So i pushed them out block the brigde again. the full stack of danes walk away. I go after them catching 2 lonley troops of danes and waiting for the dane full stack to attack me... they go away! It was a lucky day for westsaxon...
next turn i got loyalist revolt in the northeast of London and guess where the danes attack next^^ Yes. So i took my 3/4 Stack and marching on. I was too late... but 2 turns later i arrived there and decided to besiege the full dane stack. Just want to shoot my arrow empty and run away.
BUT: when they sally out, they dont come outside the city on battlemap. that was strange, so i reloaded the battle and still the same, they dont come out plus i got strange pathfinding problem. the unit were send to a point and they walk over this point, same unit spread arround...

I was playing further as i planned, shoot my arrow empty and in they looses 10%. then i run away^^ That make them angry They came after me and attack... oh, oh... a nearly full stack danes vs. my 3/4 stack. In the end- i tried it 4-5 times to reload the battle- but the danes crushed me! i tried it on a brigde, in wood, make them tiered... nothing helps- the danes crushed me... the best result was my looses 68% and the danes 50%... again this is highly historical accurate! fantastic!

But it cost the danes a lot! Ha! They just sit in the village northeast of London. So i got time to raise a army again and marching again to this dane village. meanwhile the welsh attack me... but this year Alfred appears and he manage to defeat them... Alfred is a looser^^ But, still my hope... Its is possible to raise a general like alfred to an good general, there no need to fit him.

My money went well and i decided to attack Mercia, in fact they planned the same, but as alway, its beter to act, than react. With my new army i besieged the danes again. 5 rounds, then lift siege and besieged again... after 10 years the sally out, but it was the same on the battlemap, the danes dont come out of the city. so i shoot my arrow empty and sit it out, but this time no pathfinding probs. draw and i got the city back and the danes stack isnt anymore in westsaxon. Alfred take two citys from mercia. Now all is fine and i´m on the way to become King of England. But i restart this campaign, course of the "sally, but dont come out on battlefield thingy" Is it a feature!?:hmmm: Someone got the same?

This is a realy fine mod! the hadrian wall, the anglo-saxon chronicles are very nice features. (edit: i studying archaeology and its quite interesting what a translation can do!)
For sure i will play this mod for next weeks! Even i think, the danes dont need a boost. I think realy, if i take the danes i will conquer all of england with this full stack... and the only problem would be the paganism. :hmmm: They is at the moment no chance win a battle against a full stack danes. Im a good player, playing TW since Medieval and won 70% player vs. player battles and i could count my looses against the ai on two hands. The danes needs no boost.

Im from Hamburg, (Germany) Homeland of the saxons/angels. May they need a boost^^

In the end i think personally this mod is the best TW mod/game i ever played!

What about the "sally out, but dont come out the city on battlemap" thing?

(edit: If find mistakes, hold them^^ Hope one can read it)

[Skandinav]

I agree completely that danish economy only requires a boost when player-controlled as the AI danes seems to do well without.

[MasterOfNone]

Thx Turumba. Great feedback. I've not seen the not-sally bug your report personally..has anyone else?


IMPORTANT: TESTIMONIALS

I'm looking for some more testimonials for the download page (with some on announcement pages). Here are a few i have harvested from this thread:

"Congratulations on another amazing release" - Salvor Hardin

"yet another masterful product" - Halie Satanus

"Excellent in every form of the word!Finally this wonderous age of darkness and turmoil comes to life on an updated engine...Thanks for an excellent piece of work!" - Ikusa IX

"What a noble undertaking this is, and what sparkling talent you have" - Skandinav (AGREED)

"instant classic" - Skandinav (AGREED)

"RTW mod of the year" - Skandinav (AGREED)

"best TW mod/game i ever played!" - Turumba (AGREED)

IF you are listed above and would like to give permission for me to use it, then please PM me and let me know which mod or site name you'd like to appear after your name. Thx.

[Turumba]

@ Skandinav: Maybe u are right, i just had a look on the danish faction, they start with 28.000. didnt thought, that theres a problem. maybe u go plunder, thats what i did in medieval^^ Destroy every building and kill everyone. But, yes, i didnt play danish faction in this mod (but for sure, i will^^), so maybe u are right.

@ MoN: Feel free to use my words where ever u want, i´d be very glad to give a little back!

[Jingle_Bombs]

Finally, after much blood, sweat and almost a few tears, I've finished this vid for VI2.

It's my first ever total war vid, so be kind (you need to click on the picture below.)