Byg's Grim Reality Enhanced Difficulty, Depth & Realism Mod
Featuring
Supply System, Field Morale, Command System
Feudal to Centralised Army Progression
Nobles' Personal Wealth & Property, 3 Way Economic Management, Crime & Punishment Systems
Dynamic Religious Area of Recruitment, Recruitment by Rank, Factionwide Zeal Effects
Dynamic Difficulty Leveller
& All mod (Kingdoms) Compatability**
(BGR IV-Enhanced and BGRII are optional in SS6.3/6.4 mod.)
(BGR II is in the RRRC compilation mod where BGRIV-Enhanced is optional)
(BGR II In SS4/5 and DLV by Default*)
(BGR II & III optional In SS6.1*)
(** BGRIII only)
(BGRIV is available for Stainless Steel 6.1)
NEWS
BGR-V Now Available on the 3rd post here.
Older VersionsSpoiler Alert, click show to read:*features vary in different mods
Mods described below, in descending order, are: BGRIV, BGR2.5, BGRIII, BGR 2.1, BGRII and BGR original version.
BGRIV / BGRIV-E and BGRV also have their own posts next to this one.
Before you begin your campaign please check near the end of this post in the optional extras section and below it for any important or essential updates!
Difficulty Guide
First a note on the difficulty of this mod, which classes a standard game on vh/vh as EASY for the purposes of this description and assumes you are a regular player on vh/vh and/or looking for a new challenge, more depth, more critical decisions to make.
Know yourself. If it is your nature to get annoyed rather than excited by the challenge of any loss during your campaign then this mod is not for you.
EASY
Standard Stainless Steel without supplies on vh/vh
MEDIUM
Stainless Steel + supplies on vh/vh
HARD
Stainless Steel + BGRIII stepped back to BGR2.5 on vh/vh
VERY HARD
Stainless Steel + BGRIII on vh/vh
EXPERT
Stainless Steel + BGRIV Original Version
HARD for EXPERTS
Stainless Steel 6.4 with BGRIV-Enhanced Selected in Options (see BGRIV-E page).
EXPERT for EXPERTS
Stainless Steel 6.4 with BGRV installed (see BGRV page)
A campaign has yet to won by any player at this level
BGR IV & BGRIV E Now available.
BGRIV Enhanced version available via optional extras section below.
BGR IV for Stainless Steel 6.1: Here
BGR IV in Stainless Steel 6.2 based OLD compilation: Here
BGR IV Enhanced in Stainless Steel 6.2 NEW compilation: Here
NOTE: BGR IV updates and optional files for the above are linked in the Optional Extras Section near the end of this post.
Bug status = 0
Download BGRIV & BGRIV-Enhanced Instruction Manual here
BGRIV (original version only) Instructions
As with previous versions this mod is designed for people who like to have to consider their moves and enjoy greater depth & challenge.
Contains all previous version features +
Aggressive, unpredictable AI
Further combats the "snowball" effect
AI faction random rebellions mostly prevented to keep those factions a challenge for you
Representation of the rise of professional armies and the demise of the feudal system (or even a collapse back to Feudalism).
The leader issues orders to nobles relevant to the state of his faction.
Individual wealth system & estate ownership for each general (make them or break them)
Generals pay some recruitment costs from their own purse.
Inflation feature for generals' purchases
3 way economic balance. The leader taxes the nobles, the nobles tax the people.
Balance the desires of the Leadership vs the nobles vs the people.
Field Army leaders must be generals with supplies, not captains.
Variable supply and forage consumption with army size
Supplies cost generals' money
Resupply In Camp
Transferable Resupply Train
Crime & Punishment System
Professional Training System
War Councillors can transfer their professional training staff to other generals for them to recruit in cities only.
New Corruption feature based on the character & finances of the noble and the economic position of the faction.
Alterations to previous version features:-
Easier to obtain War Councillors.
Finer graded Zeal levels (determine factionwide characteristics & level of religious support requirements for recruitment)
BGRIV & all previous versions have been written to be compatible with hotseat mode.
BGRIV contains most features from all previous versions so please read this entire post after the spoiler or download the latest manual on the BGRIV page.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
BGR IV
Bug Status = 0
These files are only recommended for players who consider themselves experienced at BGRIII, the instructions for which are elsewhere on this page. The instructions here will only deal with new additions.
** Gameplay Instructions**
Overview
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3...ntguidemn4.png
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/b...png/1/w477.png
Playing as a virtual novice to BGRIV myself, I would describe the difficulty of my first campaign as extreme. My faction was virtually destroyed by turn 20. My second campaign attempted an all out, no mercy blitz to see if the game was hard enough to stop me. It did, so hopefully you too will find that your wars in this game require advance planning.
You are now going to be playing a new game unlike any you have played before and to some extent you will need to relearn how to play.
The mod is now immensely complex, almost everything is connected to everything else as it should be, however you will find that the logic behind all the new systems should help to make a lot of the new functionality intuitive once you are used to it.
Initially it may be a good idea to monitor the traits of your main characters to see how they alter as things happen. Anything important that happens is also announced in faction announcements. You can generally get by by only taking note of announcements and occasionally looking up a character's traits.
You can find the important traits grouped together at the end of a character's traits list. This should make it much easier for you to quickly check on your characters recruitment ability, supply status or wealth for example.
The Treasury
Generals now have their own money, but there are the usual treasury costs as well for recruiting units and hiring mercenaries. Recruitment now requires money in the treasury AND a general must be wealthy enough to cover his equipping/recruiting costs.
Note that because generals now have their own money, the treasury will have less and treasury reports will not reflect the actual treasury amount in your treasury total, but instead reflect the total coming in or going out of your faction before nobles' additions and deductions.
Example: a general gets a ransom for some captives, your treasury will at first show the money come in, but as a significant portion belongs to the general it will go out again to him. Your treasury total for the next turn will be out by that amount. It works this way for all your general's earnings so remember that if your general earns a lot, the treasury will lose a lot. So tax them to the hilt by charging scutage etc (more on that later).
To quickly see how much total treasury is coming from or going to your generals as a whole compare the faction report treasury total with the treasury total in the bottom right of your screen.
For a more detailed report click the faction button. This gives 2 information sheets: Nobles' Expenses Summary and Nobles' Contributions Summary.
If you wish to access the faction information without these summaries popping up, use your letter "o" key.
The Background Files
These include the AI and Other settings affecting the overall game in BGRIV.
AI
In BGRIV I have made a return to the more aggressive and unpredictable ai from vanilla. These qualities are what really provide the challenge in an AI. I have repeatedly played the same scenarios with different AIs and this one proved the most damaging to a human player. It provides a good consistent level of high difficulty with more factions waging war on you as you expand and are more of a threat to them.
The Rebel factions have been freed up a little so that they may on occasion come for you.
Other
AI factions have been prevented from tearing themselves apart through mass rebellions so they now remain a challenge for you.
Generals with their ability to lead and command logistics, i.e supplies, are now virtually essential if you are going to war. Captained armies are far more likely to just disperse and go home or rebel.
Try always to lead troops with a general and even use supporting generals to bring new troops to your frontline generals.
Generals can come of age earlier now and live a little longer to benefit roleplay.
The War Council
Your Leader is always in the War Council and most of the time you will also have two others.
If there is not a strong, loyal General available for your Leader to appoint, then he will appoint a weaker one within reason.
Your Heir is often, but not always favoured for selection.
War Council Membership (ancillary) may be passed on to any other general.
War Council members receive advanced logistical support allowing them to manage more supplies than ordinary generals.
Professional Training Staff
These are awarded to each War Councillor, but he may elect to pass these officers (ancillary) to whosoever he chooses (but if not a WC then these can only be used in cities, not castles).
PTS are the key to recruitment of professional units (most good units) once the faction moves towards "Professional Recruitment & Command" and beyond.
As you will see further on, nobles must now pay out of their own purse an additional charge for units they recruit.
However, if a noble has been assigned PTS then he is working with and for the Leader in a professional capacity. He will therefore be able to reclaim from the faction treasury all his military expenses (which include recruitment costs) and his supply costs (shown separately) once the units have completed their training.
The general's portion of recruitment cost is paid on completion of training.
If a general posessing PTS leaves a city or castle before recruitment is completed then whilst those units will still be trained, their training will be less efficient. More importantly they will cost much more and the treasury will bear the whole cost. If a general without PTS completes the training (or even initiates it) then the general's portion of recruitment cost will not be reclaimable.
Whilst the faction is operating in full feudalism with a universal right to knight, all generals can purchase all units. However as feudalism withers in favour of professional recruitment the WCs and their PTS will come into their own.
Order: Recruitment Authorisation
Once a general has been given "professional training staff" he must wait a turn whilst his appointment is verified. If he is out of favour with the king then this authority will not be granted and the PTS will not work for the general who has them. So pass them to a favoured general, i.e not an outlaw or criminal.
The In game description:
"This authority covers Castles and Cities for War Council Members, but only Cities for other ranks.
This general has the authority to recruit and train units for the faction's armies when accompanied by Professional Training Staff. He may now claim back his Supply Costs & other Military Expenses from the treasury at the end of each financial period.
Supplies: 200 per 1/4,
Mercenary Hire: 300 each,
Recruiting costs: 100 per Unit,
then add
+ 100/Heavy unit,
+ 100/Mounted,
+ 200/Siege unit,
+ 300/Ship"
So a heavy mounted unit for example will cost 300 (in addition to the usual game recruitment costs which are paid by the treasury)
NOTE Because settlements' units are recruited at the end of each turn you only see Military Expenses traits on the following turn. So they tell you what each general spent or claimed back on unit recruitment in the previous turn.
Who Pays for Recruitment?
Apart from the normal game costs (which are still paid for by the treasury), there are new recruiting/equipping charges for new recruits this section refers to those.
The general in command of recruitment at the time of completion of training pays.
If that general has "recruitment authority" he will initially pay and later reclaim from the treasury.
If the general has no "recruitment authority" he has to pay from his own pocket.
If there is no general present then the completion of training is considered to be less efficient and thus costs more. These charges are x2 and are paid by the treasury, so don't let your general abandon your upcoming recruits before completion of training unless you need to.
Variable Foraging & Supplies
All you really need to know here is that smaller armies consume less forage and supplies. Read on for more detail to help with testing.
In all previous versions of BGR, an army entering the field or a new region would forage for a turn whilst the vicinity was unforaged. The following turn the army would then expand their foraging range as nearby forage is consumed.
In home territory there were 3 stages of foraging:
Fresh Foraging
Wide Range Foraging
Scarce Foraging
No foraging, Consume 1/4 Supplies
In foreign territory where the peasants are more resistant to being pillaged there is only two stages to foraging:
Fresh Foraging
No foraging, Consume 1/4 Supplies
When no foraging was reached the army would then have to consume a 1/4 of its own supplies and in doing so provide the region with a period for recovery of its resources. The cycle would then begin again with supplies reducing from full to none as follows:
Fully Supplied
75% supplies
50% Supplies
25% Supplies
Emergency Supplies (War Councillors only)
Out of Supplies
In BGRIV this system is still in place but with variable periods between all the foraging ranges and also between all the supply "1/4"s.
A full size army will consume forage and supplies at the full rate as described above, however if you have half an army there will be 2 turns before either forage is consumed or supplies are reduced. A quarter size army obtains a similar benefit and is the smallest allowance for size. Example:
Army consumption Rate = 1/2. Fully supplied. In the field. In new region. In home territory.
Turn 1 - Fresh Foraging
Turn 2 - Fresh Foraging, Foraging Range Resources: 4/8ths
Turn 3 - Wide Range Foraging
Turn 4 - Wide Range Foraging, Foraging Range Resources: 4/8ths
Turn 5 - Scarce Foraging
Turn 6 - Scarce Foraging, Foraging Range Resources: 4/8ths
Turn 7 - No foraging, , Foraging Range Resources: 0/8ths, Fully Supplied, Supply Subdivision 4/8ths
Turn 8 - Fresh Foraging
Turn 9 - Fresh Foraging, Foraging Range Resources: 4/8ths
Turn 10 - Wide Range Foraging
Turn 11 - Wide Range Foraging, Foraging Range Resources: 4/8ths
Turn 12 - Scarce Foraging
Turn 13 - Scarce Foraging, Foraging Range Resources: 4/8ths
Turn 14 - No foraging, Foraging Range Resources: 0/8ths, 75% Supplies Remaining
Army Consumption Rate is a guide to how fast foraging and supplies will last. Note that when not in the field the army consumption rate only displays that of your general, not his army. Despite his rate showing, he will not be consuming these supplies in a settlement, but rather living off the settlement.
Efficiency of foraging and supply consumption is increased with more generals present in an army, though each general unit present consumes a minimum of 1/4 of his own supplies. So:
Full Army with One General = 1 Full army as far as the lead generals supplies are concerned, but the addition of another general means the main general will be responsible for only 1/2 the army's consumption so his rate will be 1/2. As the extra general takes charge of 1/4 of consumpion you can see that the new consumption rate, adding the two is actually 3/4s.
Of course, "Too many cooks spoils the broth" and you can probably see that too many generals can also add inefficiency, each with their own selfish demands.
Though from the wrong period, a good example is when Napaoleon ran away from Moscow leaving the rest of the army to starve en route. I think it is fair to say that he ensured that he had more than his own fair share of supplies and I doubt that situation has ever been different.
Effect of Supplies on Movement
A small army will have less carrying ability than a large one and will thus be slower when burdened with the same quantity of supplies. The Resupply Train will slow armies down even further depending on how much it contains.
Resupply Train
In addition to your usual army supplies there is also one supply train available to the faction. It takes the form of an ancillary and here is the ancillary description:
Resupply Train
The faction supports a single resupply train, intended to provide additional supplies for the Leader's main army. The Leader may delegate his resupply train to any other general.
A support general may follow the main army with these extra supplies and transfer them when necessary to the main army general. The main army may also carry the resupply train, though it may slow it down. Restock the resupply train in settlements or supply ships.
Resupply When Encamped in Forts or in the Open
When an army is at rest for more than 1 turn in home territory it makes camp and camp followers and traders begin to establish themselves and a makeshift market in the vicinity.
Provisions are then topped up as necessary whilst the camp is maintained with the general in unbroken occupation. If the general marches out the traders disappear and return when he again appears to be a long term resident in his camp. Supplies from traders are not cheap and will cost 50% more than regular supplies.
The Leader's Orders
You will notice that when the Leader issues orders restricting which generals may recruit certain unit classes there are some new restrictions.
As your faction expands the leader will issue progressively more restictive recruitment orders as he attempts to control his expanding empire and increasingly centralise the army system.
The simplest way to explain his orders are to show the Leader's Order descriptions from the game, so here they are:-
{Universal_Right_to_Knight} As this faction contracts and expands, the grip on the reins of power must be relaxed or tightened.
All generals have equal ability to recruit all units, including Knights and Professionals, into their armies.
{Right_to_Knight_Restricted} As this faction contracts and expands, the grip on the reins of power must be relaxed or tightened.
The right to knight is now concentrated into the hands of the War Council who may delegate their Professional Training Staff to another general to recruit in their stead. Generals without professional training staff are permitted to recruit some early professionals, untrained local special units, militias & peasants,
{Professional_Recruitment_and_Command} As this faction contracts and expands, the grip on the reins of power must be relaxed or tightened.
Attacks in foreign lands may now only be led by members of the War Council. Lesser generals may lead reinforcements, but when on foreign soil they may only fight if attacked. Recruitment of professionally trained armies (Knights, Professionals & most specialised troops beyond militias & peasants) now resides with the members of the War Council, unless they delegate their Professional Training Staff to another general.
{Centralised_Recruitment_and_Command} As this faction contracts and expands, the grip on the reins of power must be relaxed or tightened.
To retain power at the centre of the command structure, attacks in foreign lands may only be led by the Leader & the Heir (if in the war council). Lesser generals & other War Councillors may lead reinforcements, but when on foreign soil they may only fight if attacked. The right to knight and recruit anything other than militias and peasants is now the prerogative of the Leader and his War Council, unless they delegate their Professional Training Staff to another noble.
Crime & Punishment
If generals defy the orders of the Leader they can now expect to be punished.
Characters are not punished by their faction whilst on a religious crusade, making these ventures an ideal sanctuary for anyone with shabby morality who is about to embark upon a dishonorable activity.
There are a variety of punishments, which are as follows:
Order: Warning
This general has been warned and given a small fine for disobeying orders (-500).
This spark of disobedience may ignite a fire of unrest and rebellion.
Order: Fine
This general has been fined heavily for disobeying orders (-2000).
This spark of disobedience may ignite a fire of unrest and rebellion.
Order: Summons
This general has been summoned to the Capital at once for disobeying orders. He must go to and remain in the Capital at the Leader's pleasure, following if the Capital is moved, but must always remain under the watchful eye of a superior general.
This spark of disobedience may ignite a fire of unrest and rebellion.
Order: Banished
This general has been banished for disobeying orders. He must remain on foreign soil until such time as he is recalled.
This spark of disobedience may ignite a fire of unrest and rebellion.
Pardoning Offenders
Use the "?" buttons on your character information scrolls when they are in the field (not in a settlement) or right click any ordinary unit's card then click the "?" on that unit's scroll. There are pros and cons attached to issuing a general pardon.
You can only issue a pardon whilst there is current unrest due to:
Breaking orders and not having yet complied with the punishment order, i.e.
your general is banished, but is currently on home territory for more than a turn
or your general has been summoned to the capital , but is not there yet.
This is because the pardon is an issue for the Leader's grip on power, so if a general has complied with his punishment the Leader has no need for a pardon.
Pardoning generals has an effect on the strength of the leader's grip on power and he will subsequently find it hard to raise taxes from nobles.
Not issueing a pardon leaves you at the mercy of the rebellions.
The decision is yours.
Individual Wealth System for nobles.
Individual generals now have their own money, please try to test that what they purchase or collect is correctly calculated.
There are 2 systems to show their wealth, one is represented in descriptive levels as:
In Debt (by how much)
Broke (0 money)
Poor (100 to 2000) [Min wealth requirement for supply purchases]
Adequate (2100 to 4000) [Ordinary generals (those without recruitment authority) must have at least this level to recruit top level units]
Rich (4100 to 6000)
Very Rich (6100 and over) [Over 10,000 will automatically purchase Great Estates, once only for 4000]
The 2nd wealth system runs in parallel, detailing the exact amount of money each noble posesses using "Thousands" and "Hundreds" traits so if a general has 1,700 his traits should show:
One Thousand
Seven Hundred
NOTE: The maximum shown for Hundreds & Thousands is 9,900, but the thousands may be much higher though these figures are hidden to save code and because there is no benefit in knowing . So "Nine Thousand" is "Nine Thousand at least"
To show the total costs and receipts of the noble class to the faction treasury click the "faction" button and you will see two sheets of information with approximate totals.
Sources of Income
Tax Collection
Example Trait:-
Tax Collected 100
This is the amount that this Noble collected in the last financial period through taxation of his own manorial estates and any settlement over which he has currently established Lordship.
Governed Castles & Cities with basic Markets or Low taxes contribute 100, Established Governors of Cities with advanced markets give 100 extra per taxation Level, Manorial Estates provide 100 each, War Councillors collect another 100, The Leader collects as required from settlements.
Governing Provinces
Each turn a governor of a castle or a city will reap some personal profit. Cities can be far more lucrative than castles.
The problems and benefits of taxation are now visited upon each governor:
Tax Policy Acceptable
The people are barely content with the tax rate they paid to their local Lord. He only collects a small amount in a Castle or in Cities with basic markets or low tax rates.
Unrest 1, Local Popularity -1
The following apply only to cities:
Tax Policy Unpopular
The people are not content with the average tax rate they paid to their local Lord.
Unrest 2, Local Popularity -2
Tax Policy Harsh
The people are very unhappy with the high tax rate they paid to their local Lord.
Unrest 3, Local Popularity -3
Tax Policy Extortionate
The people are protesting against the extortionate tax rate they paid to their local Lord.
Unrest 4, Local Popularity -4
Manorial estates
All new members of the nobility will have their own estates from which they will draw wealth.
Further estates will be bought automatically once a general is beyond very rich.
Estates may also be awarded to nobles for performing great deeds.
Estates may also be lost through debt.
Ransoming Captives
After successful battles it will now be the noble commander of the army that reaps a large portion of the ransom money for any captives taken. If the captives are ordered to be killed through refusal of payment, generals are instead paid by the treasury.
Non war council generals, who operate in a feudal manner will keep their ransom.
War Council generals, who have the faction's interests at heart, will only keep ransoms if they need money or if the treasury is already buoyant.
Marriage & Dowries
Generals will gain a handsome dowry upon marrying. Marrying into royalty is particularly lucrative.
Borrowing Money
Once a noble cannot afford what he has puchased he will automatically borrow money from money lenders. Money is borrowed in chunks of 2000 to cover the current debt.
Sometimes you may find that in this way a general can speculate to accumulate, but beware:
Interest Rates on money borrowed from money lenders could be very high in medieval times and failure to pay will result in seizure of assets (estates) and banishment as the noble will no longer be considered noble and must leave his faction's territory.
Generals are immune to such banishment if they are on a crusade/jihad when their estates are siezed or if they are War Councillors. Instead they remain in debt with no further loan possible until they regain their fortune.
Taxing Nobles
Scutage Tax Ordered
This Tax can only be levied as feudalism begins to wane i.e the "Universal Right to Knight" (shown in traits and announcements) must have ended.
Scutage is a Tax which traditionally replaced the obligation of a noble to provide troops. It helped to provide a more professional, centralised army.
Scutage should be levied from Nobles when finances are required to fund supplies and training expenses for the War Council's professional armies. ( Tax: 100 Per Governor & 100 per Estate holder each financial period)
So Raising Scutage reduces Generals' personal wealth and increases the treasury as you would expect. You must be careful not to tax nobles into poverty, but at the same time you will need a large treasury. Decisions decisions.
A trait will appear saying ready for scutage in your Faction Leader's traits once you are allowed to do this.
Use the "request recruitment advice button" on your recruitment panel when a general is in a settlement to implement this.
Wealth Tax
Wealth Tax Ordered
This is another tax on nobles to boost the treasury. Your faction leader automatically calls for this tax when the treasury slips into the red. The trait description:
Due to low Treasury funds at the end of the last tax period, the Leader has imposed a tax on all estate holdings.
(Small Estates 100/tax period, Large Estates 200/tax period)
{Ending Wealth Tax} The Leader has ordered that the Wealth Tax should be lifted due to the buoyant state of the faction's finances (Treasury funds are greater than 1000).
Religious War Taxation
This is shown in traits and covers Jihads and Crusades. Here is the description:
A Religious War is in progress & the Leader is raising funds to support it.
Tax is being levied on each noble's manorial estate. Even the Leader contributes. This Tax will continue for each noble that does not join this venture, until either it ends or the Faction Leader joins (Cost 400 each Noble per tax period).
Clearly from the above description you can see that joining a crusade asap is advisable if your generals are poor. However if they are rich and the treasury is low then allow the nobles to be taxed for longer.
When Generals Join you will see:
Joins the Crusade
This noble has borne some of the enormous costs of starting a crusade.
Cost: 5000 Personal Wealth & 5000 from Treasury.
So be careful not to financially ruin your generals by joining a Crusade or Jihad.
NOTES on Finances
New family members are the biggest drain on the economy along with ransoms as each is apportioned some money from the economy (treasury).
Finance Related Traits.
Check the following traits and events. They all apparently reduce the treasury though in reality the generals are now getting the money or some of it instead of the treasury (or call it the economy if you like) :
Tax Collected: very variable, see trait and settlement tax level, estates owned etc (usually 100 to 900max)
Ransoms: 1000 or 2000 depending on amount (generals get this from the treasury regardless of whether the ransom is unpaid and prisoners executed.)
Conquests: 1000
Conquests with Sacking: 2000
Coming of age: 3000 to 7000 depending on father's wealth
Adoptions or any new general: 1000 to 3000
Marriage dowry for marrying rich princesses: 3000, up to 7000 depending on Kings Wealth and only if not already Very rich.
Non Princess Marriage dowry: 2000, only if not very rich already.
Military Expenses are costs generals pay from their own purse. A general with "recruitment authorisation" will claim back the amounts shown from the treasury.
SupplyCosts: 200/300 if encamped. Shows what a general has spent on supplies
Mercenary Costs: New BGRIV additional costs are 300/mercenary.
Military Expenses: See Instructions or Traits for detailed cost per unit type. Shows the expenses on units. New BGRIV extra unit costs are paid for on completion of training. Also includes and mercenary costs.
Inflation: when high inflation is in effect, all BGRIV recruitment and supply costs are doubled. Inflation is highest when your faction is doing well in relation to other factions in any one of a number of areas.
Most traits that show costs have two figures, the first is the low inflation figure and the second is for high.
Tips I learned from my latest campaign to keep the faction treasury buoyant:
Overall then you can expect a rough time with finances so keep your armies at a minimum.
Garrison troops where they have free upkeep.
Above all as I found out in my current campaign covet peace for as long as you can (which is very hard indeed).
Develop religious support from the population (which means you are less reliant on expensive mercenaries).
Develop your economy with merchants on safe remote spots.
Avoid expensive two front wars with good diplomacy or eat humble pie and give settlements away for any urgently needed peace.
Gain a breathing space when in debt by becoming a vassal.
Pick on a rich faction that actually pays its ransoms. Ransoms gained by WCs now all go to the treasury unless the WC needs it more, but if you are forced to execute due to non payment the treasury pays the general for the prisoners before slaughtering them.
Don't let any nobles go broke and have to sell their estates to pay interest on their subsequent loans or the treasury has to buy them back from the moneylenders (@12000 per estate!(2000 to 6000 in recent versions))..and your affected general may start a rebellion with serious consequences.
Though the King now has his personal money separate from the treasury, keep the king active in the field within reason or he will suck money from anywhere he visits. After all who is going to stop him?
Once a crusade/Jihad is called, hold out from joining for as long as possible whilst nobles are being heavily taxed for this purpose and bear in mind it will cost the faction 5000 to join per general. (With 5 generals @ 400/turn the treasury will reap a total of 2000 per turn from this tax).
Any generals about to get their last estate confiscated due to debt should join a crusade/jihad to escape banishment, though the downside is that they will be 5000 further in debt from joining the crusade.
Using all of the above I managed to claw my way back into the black from a 50,000 treasury debt and just about stay alive. (Though I'm in debt again now whilst I'm on active campaign & because I let two Nobles go broke and had to buy their estates back).
Assorted BGRIV Screenshots
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
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BGR 2.5 Released on the BGR Testers Forum (now open to guests).
Bug status = 0
A version of BGRIII without any recruitment restrictions.
BGR III released: version 18-02-08.
Bug status with update = 0
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Now compatible with most kingdoms based mods (Contact for how to adapt BGRIII to any mod)
Contains new features plus reworked previous version features.
All known quirks fixed.
The BGRIII standalone installer is available in the BGR Testing Forum here. However If you have Stainless Steel 6.1 you can install BGRIII with that instead, but remember to install the data update from here (bottom of this post) afterwards.
Important Note
If you installed BGRIII using the Stainless Steel 6.1 installer you NEED this fix. It is at the bottom of this post, called "data.zip".
Simply unzip it and place the resulting data folder here:C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Stainless_Steel_6\ , then start a new campaign.
As of 27/05/08 this update file also contains updated descriptions and improvement tweaks. Requires new campaign.
If you want to use BGRIII+RR+SSTC :
Install SS6.1 with BGRIII and RR ticked
Install BGRIII update from bottom of this this page (as mentioned above)
Install SSTC mod from their site
Install latest RR mod (SSTC compatible) update from here
If you want to use BGRIII+RR :
Install SS6.1 with BGRIII and RR ticked
Install BGRIII update from bottom of this this page (as mentioned above)
Install latest RR mod update from here
Here is the full description for the new features of BGRIII. Old version features are still included and you can read about them below this section.
BGRIII Tutorial
To be updated further.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:BGRIII Guide.
This Tutorial Campaign has now been replayed using Lusted's Battle & Campaign AI available from the submods section.
This was to ensure at least the possibility of being backstabbed by allies to encourage fear in the player.
(Update: later BGR versions use a more aggressive AI).
Using Stainless Steel 6.1/Real Recruitment/BGRIII
Example campaign Late Era/ Kwarezmian (K) / VH/VH
The first thing you will notice as K is that you are at war with Mongols and a little spying soon tells you that you are probably going to lose unless you plan every move.
Turn 1
You will see at the start of the game, via the announcements, which generals are in your faction's War Council (WC). These are your most important generals. They have or have the potential to be superior governors & commanders. Try to keep track of these and plan your campaigns around them.
There are up to 3 WCs. A general with at least 3 stars, 4 loyalty and 4 piety will become a WC if there is a vacancy in the War Council and he does not posess the Negligent trait. A general can acquire Negligent by repeatedly allowing a town he controls to become besieged. A general can become less negligent by fighting in the open. The greater the enemy the better.
The King is in the WC by default, listed as a trait. The other 2 WCs have a transferable ancillary. If a WC becomes King he can then appoint another member of the WC by transfering his ancillary to any other general of your choosing.
In a small faction (relative to other factions) the King has and needs little control of his subjects and so allows/has to allow all generals the Right to Knight. This can be viewed as a factionwide trait in your king's traits list. At this point, though the WC exists, they are no greater than any other general except in logistics.
As the faction grows the King increases his grip on the reigns of power, giving more power to his loyal WC at the expense of the rest of the nobility. He is gradually creating a professional, then centralised system of command.
The levels for this then are Universal Right to Knight (all generals have equal recruitment ability), Right to Knight Restricted (Good troops recruitable by WC only, other generals get medium troops only), Professional Recruitment (Good and medium troops from WC only) and lastly Centralised Recruitment (Only the King and Heir can recruit good and medium level troops and the heir must be in the WC). By this time your faction will be the largest in the known world or close to it.
Examples of good units are Knights and The more powerful siege equipment, Sergeant (medium) level units are typically recruitable by all generals.
Captains can only ever recruit low level units like militias & peasants.
With some exceptions you will broadly find that these 3 groups of units each contain categories of units as defined in the Real Recruitment mod which you can optionally use with this mod.
WCs Can usually recruit all available units once fully supplied, subject to other restictions. One restriction may be the region's religious support percentage.
Click on a priest and hover the mouse over a region to check that region's support level. Your regions need an increasing minimum level of support for your religion for them to provide willing, capable recruits of worthy quality. The % required starts at 75% and increases with faction size to 80% and finally 90% as your sprawling empire becomes harder to control. The % required at any time is represented as the Faction Zeal trait. Reduced Faction Zeal levels have a serious impact on the ability of all generals except your WCs.
All Traits with factionwide effects, like Faction Zeal, can be seen in your Leader's traits and changes are announced each turn in a pop-up message so it is important to read these.
There are no recruitment restrictions on turn 1 so as I am starting at war with the mighty Mongols I need to ensure availability of decent recruits as a top priority. The Kwarezmian faction (K) is very large at the begining so this will lower the faction's Zeal quickly. All factionwide effects move in levels at a rate no greater than one level per turn. We therefore have a few turns before Zeal affects recruitment at game start. You can get a similar period of high zeal when a new faction leader is announced.
I train all available decent units in each of the castles.
The best recruits at this time are from castles so I now check the support levels in those regions. I want to bring those important regions up to 90% to create a solid core for recruitment in the future. Some castle regions are too low so I send all available priests there and commision more from any cities with good religious buildings. Upgrading religious buildings in those areas is important too.
At the same time I now choose two of my WCs to send to the two best castles to oversee the recruitment drive. I must try to recruit the best available troops each turn. But, I must not overburden my faction with too many troops for it to sustain.
If I over recruit then my supply of good men will dry up and my leader will show the factionwide trait of Recruitment Limit Reached. This happens when your faction's military power exceeds your faction's size relative to the other factions. You can and should check these levels from time to time by viewing the faction score graphs. You can also get an idea from the status report at the start of each turn.
It is therefore best to have a small powerful army, as weak units will contribute to your total military power. If you over recruit, then individual generals will show Impaired Recruitment Ability (A general may show impaired recruitment ability for other reasons too). You can re-enable recruitment yourself by disbanding units. Disbanding weaker units then gives you the option to recruit better ones (effectively promoting units).
Recruitment of worthy men may also become restricted or re-enabled by the relative power shifts of other factions. E.g if the other factions lower or raise their troop levels then this creates a new standard for maximum recruitment levels.
Back to the campaign. My other WC, the King is at the front line next to the Mongol forces, he will be my fighting general for now. However, he has a small, weak army and is in a city with little recruitment potential so he takes the best units with him and runs away to help with recruitment and join with a larger armer behind the lines.
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Turn 2
The Mongols attack and besiege the abandoned city now held only by weak militias who were left to buy time.
The King's two WCs, having arrived at their respective castles begin to recruit quality units, if available.
This turn the all important 'Has Full Logistical Support' traits are issued to the WCs. This means that as the chosen elite generals they have been trained for and are given better logistical support. This has a big impact on supplies.
You wil notice that all generals begin the game with the 'Fully Supplied' trait. Time spent in the field gradually reduces these supplies. Running out of supplies has a serious effect on morale, which also simulates the effects of starvation weakness and disease.
You will be notified when supplies approach critical levels and the trait will always tell you how much you have left and how long it could last.
A general can keep from using up his supplies by foraging/pillaging the territory he is in. He may forage a region for so many turns then, before that region is exhausted, move to another region to fresh foraging ad infinitum. Of course, doing this in foreign territory is not going to please the owners. Neither will it please your own people, but you will find that foraging is easier in home territory and you can last twice as long there. If a general remains in a single territory too long his supplies are reduced a little because the army must consume these reserves when it cannot forage. This can cause problems in long sieges, making it best to finish sieges quickly!
WCs, being better at logistics can carry more supplies/make supplies last longer, which is a very good reason to use your elite WC generals for all your conquests. WCs with this ability can also resupply faster than ordinary generals.
Resupply can be facilitated by boarding your general onto a supply ship (any type) to oversee supply distribution. Remain there until fully resupplied or leave early with less.
Generals require a full store of supplies in order to begin recruitment of quality armies.
Apart from supplies, a general must keep an eye on the morale of his troops. Continual service without rest and relaxation serves to lower morale over time. Armies have the trait 'ready for action' indicating default morale levels.
Settlements with supportive populations ( greater than 50% of your own religion) provide armies with supplies.
Castles need 50% religious support before they can provide R&R to boost morale. Cities however can provide R&R regardless of the support of the population.
Armies can replenish supplies & boost morale by defeating and taking supplies from an enemy army. Conversely they may lose supplies and morale in defeat.
Foraging is prevented by initial close contact with the enemy and neutral armies. This forces the army to consume supplies faster.
Captains do not have logistical ability or support and are left to scavenge like an unruly mob from the territory, lowering their loyalty and reliability and making them sometimes rebel unpredictably. Losing a large captained army could be a fatal blow in critical times.
As my King, who was retreating into the hinterland, is a WC with Full Logistical Support and is Fully Supplied he will have no trouble reaching the nearest castle 2 turns away. Had he needed to use up supplies on the way or lost them after a defeat, then as the castle is 80% supportive he would have been fully supplied after remaining there for one or two turns.
Having now arrived at the nearest castle to raise recruits the King faces a new threat.
Two more mighty Mongols armies have appeared from the south east in the middle of his Kwarezmian territory.
The king unites his army with his only full army, which has just reached him.
All other troops which were heading for the king now about turn and head back before they are caught alone by the Mongol's southern army.
The King now sheds the weaker units to hold the castle and again begins a humiliating retreat south before the two pincers of the mongolian horde draw together.
The Recruitment Limit has been reached so all garrisoned, spare militia are disbanded to make way for better troops next turn.
NOTE: Whenever BGRIII suspends production of any unit type you will see the unit card in the recruitment greyed out. The number of turns remaining before recruitment will not now improve until the conditions for recruitment are again suitable.
Turn 3
Troops are available for recruitment again!
Khiva falls and the Northern Mongol army immediately advances on Konjikala, the castle the King just left.
The king is now caught equidistantly between the Mongol Northern and Southern armies and vital war machines have yet to arrive and in any case is now cut off. These were essential if he was to take on the mongol rocket launchers.
Turn 4
Faction Zeal is low and the family members are getting corrupt and fat and so the King has implemented a system of professional recruitment so only his trusted war council generals can recruit worthy units.
A diplomat reports a successful meeting with the Seljuks who have become allies with trade rights and a tribute to boot.
A jihad is called by the senior priest to lure away some of the mongol forces to Vienna.
South of the king, his army abandons a fort blocking the Southern mongol advance in the vain hope that it will pass through uneventfully, which would leave only 1 mongol army in the south for the War councillors to deal with.
The king, still trapped in the north, retreats into the mountains to make a stand.
Turn 5
A very loyal, military minded candidate comes up for adoption and is the first to be accepted, based on this attribute alone.
The King's army is now weary, but still with full supplies is still trapped between 4 armies. His position overlooks the castle of Konjikala and if weak mongol forces attack it he can rush to their aid.
A fleet is commisioned at a nearby port to aid an escape by sea if needed in the future.
Turn 6
Konjikala Castle besieged by a strong Mongol army. All governors of trapped provinces now escape by sea.
The king decides he can take no more humiliation and launches his attack on the single besieging army directly from behind. When they turn to face him in battle, the garrison will be attacking the mongols from behind. his priority is to take out the rocket launchers.
The garrison attacks first in poor order with the mongols maintaining the high ground. The King entered battle furthest away. Commiting first his horse archers, then his cavalry the kings army forces its way up the hill losing many to arrows. He seems to have the upper hand for a moment before his army splinters and routs with few survivors.
The garrison is eliminated and the remains of the kings army now stand impotent outside the walls of the castle. Half of the supplies were stolen. All prisoners were executed.
The Southern mongol army now besieges a fort protecting Gorgon. The commander evacuates Gorgon and slips past the Mongols into the south with only his bodyguard. He then takes all the siege hardware and troops which had failed to reach the king and puts together an army. Though he is not in the war council he still shows promise and must take command as the WCs are busy recruiting. He awaits the mongols in the hills. He is the only force now protecting the capital and the rest of the faction.
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From distant Alamut fortress possibly the faction's only hope is the formation of new cavalry forces on completion of their training ground. Infantry have proved entirely useless against the Mongol horde.
Overview
BGRIII introduces a number of new effects primarily affecting how, where and by whom your units can be recruited. It also contains a dynamic religion based AOR (area of recruitment)
This version attempts to represent the effects of the faction's status on the individual and the individual's (your Leader's) effects on the faction.
The general effect you percieve will be an increased depth of decision making, whilst making formerly easy, large factions as difficult to play as small factions.
The idea of my mods in general is that you know about causes of effects and then use your skill either to avoid those causes or seek them out depending on their benefits or penalties. My idea is not to dump some terrible or great effect upon a player for no good reason or at random.
The factors I have introduced are based on factors that were present in medieval times (and throughout most of history) and had to be dealt with by Leaders of that period.
You will see the extremes of the new effects when playing as a small or a large faction. There are graded levels in between.
Playing a small faction
A small faction is a tight, unified, cohesive population and fighting force.
There is great religious & military zeal affecting piety, command and loyalty amongst the nobles and the population.
The nobles are great men themselves and may rival the faction leader in generalship and prestige.
The population is easy to control in religious and military matters.
Playing a large faction
A large faction requires greater skill and determination to hold it together.
Zeal, both military and religious are more desirable, yet less attainable. This lowers loyalty, command and piety for ordinary, non War Council generals.
In a large empire the leader's grip on the reins of power must be firm. He increasingly dictates from the centre, drawing power away from the provinces & lesser nobles. He increasingly relies upon fewer, trustworthy, selected professionals in both matters of governance and war.
Specific Gameplay (causes and effects)
On starting your campaign, after a turn you will get a report on screen informing you of your faction's zeal level and how your king intends to rule, regarding his distribution of command within the armies.
(This information is always viewable, after his first turn in power, in your faction leader's traits.)
Don't be put off by the apparent complexity. Much here is intuitive or will soon become so because everything is based on a logical system. Informative traits, ancillaries and messages keep you up to date as you progress.
Recruitment Ability
This is an indicator of a generals ability to recruit certain levels of units. This does not tell you specifically why though and any of the following causes may be responsible, directly or indirectly. This feature has been improved with the May update, revealing Full, Average & Minimal Recruiting ability: Full means all units, Average means no top tier units and Minimal represents militia level units only. If you do not see these traits after a couple of turns then you must install the update: data.zip (for BGRIII).
FACTION ZEAL
As your faction grows geographically, your people are exposed to new ideas, beliefs, financial rewards and associated corruption. They become less insular, more cosmopolitan, more self-serving and less united.
Zeal levels decrease as your faction grows at a maximum rate of one level per turn.
This has a factionwide effect on loyalty and religious & military zeal: faction zeal. Usually your War Council Members are immune to the effects of Zeal because they are the system.
The religious support % requirement for each region in order to recruit decent units will increase as zeal diminishes. You can determine this % by clicking on a priest then hovering the mouse over the region you wish to check.
High Zeal
Your default level at game start or when a new leader comes to power, the people being boosted by the inaugural pomp and ceremony. Expectations are high.
Good loyalty, command and piety are widespread.
Moderate Zeal
You would be wise to favour your most loyal generals and your War Council generals.
Low Zeal
As with moderate zeal, but with more pronounced effects
Very Low Zeal
As with low zeal,but with more pronounced effects
Abysmal Zeal
You are now either the greatest existing faction or in close contest for that position.
Your leader would be extremely unwise to entrust a large army to any general outside of his own, elite war council.
CENTRALISATION OF RECRUITMENT & COMMAND
A representation of the Leader's grip on power and the effects of his policy on recruitment and command.
These levels often, but not always run in tandem with faction zeal and size, reflecting the movement of power from the provinces and the nobles to the Leader, his senior generals and the capital.
The greater the faction's size and the lower the faction's zeal, the greater the grip on power required by the Leader and the centre. This is due to:
Fear of loss of control to the enemy within.
Desire and need for a more efficient, centralised command structure.
All generals and ungoverned settlements can recruit most militias,(rural & urban units) at all times, subject to standard game recruitment restrictions.
The War Council consists of the Leader, and up to 2 other Generals.
Minimum requirements to be automatically awarded war council member ship are:
1) Usually Command 3, Loyaly 4, Piety 4
Requirements are lower for the Heir and during "Very Low Zeal": 2 command, 3 Loyalty, 3 Piety).
2) A general must not have the Negligent trait. Negligent shows in the traits list as either: Neglected_Border_Defences,
Negligent or Completely_Negligent ( it is acquired by generals who repeatedly allow their settlements to become besieged).
War council members always have greater logistical ability.
Additionally you may transfer your war council ancillary to whoever you like.
If a general becomes king, he can nominate another, i.e. you may transfer his ancillary to another general because the king always retains War Council membership regardless of the ancillary.
The Heir has an increased chance of getting into the war council, but it is an uncertain world. When your faction leader adopts "Centralised command" only your King and Heir can recruit the best units, but the Heir must also posess one of the war council ancillaries, so give him one.
If other generals posess both of the ancillaries they will have improved recruitment, but it will not match that of the Heir or king.
Categories of units are closely based upon those defined by Point Blank's Real Recruitment mod, see instructions about installing both mods together at the BGRIII testers forum. Neither mod is essential to the other. It is your choice. I would personally install both (RR 1st).
Categories & Examples
A
Late Professionals (Byzantine Spearmen)
Feudal. (Knights)
Religious Order (Knights Hospitaller)
Urban Professionals (Hand Gunners)
B
Early Professionals (Armored Sergeants)
Local (Highlanders)
C
Rural (Peasant Archers)
Urban (Militias)
Unit category details here
Universal Right to Knight
Rank effects:
1} The Leader - can recruit all unit categories (A,B & C)
2} War Council - all
2} all other generals - all
The leader and his nobles are close in power. They have equal recruitment ability and command potential. Members of the war council have greater logistical ability. Generals are bound to him by their high zeal.
Right to Knight: Restricted
Rank effects:
1} The leader - all
2} War Council Members - all
3} all other generals - B, C
Professional Recruitment & command
1} The Leader - all
2} War council - all
3} other generals - C
Centralised Recruitment & Command
1} The Leader - all
2a} War Council (and is the Heir) - all
2b} War Council (if not the Heir) - B, C
3} other generals - C
Other Effects on Command & Recruitment
Supplies Only once fully supplied can a general begin to recruit an army, subject to his rank and other factors.
Religion All generals/governors must maintain a minimum level of religious support in their province in order to sustain recruitment to their cause.
Required Minumum Religious Level in Province.
1) 75% if faction Zeal is moderate or high.
2) 80% if faction Zeal is low
3) 90% if faction Zeal is very low or abysmal
Distance to Centre of Power
This feature only affects non War Councillors.
Whilst the Leader's recruitment restriction orders are in place, but non WC generals can still recruit category B & C units (i.e.Right to Knight: Restricted), when too far from the Capital these generals will find they are only empowered to recruit militias (category C) under their governorship, not category B.
Of these non WC generals, those with a command ability of 4 stars or greater are unaffected.
Recruitment Limit Reached
Your empire cannot sustain a size of military force which is too great compared to the size of your empire.
All recruitment for all generals, with the usual exception of militias (category C) is restricted.
If you have only just been notified of this restriction and have only just exceeded your maximum recruitment level, yet you need a better army, disband as many weak units as you can spare. Next turn, if you disbanded enough and your recruiting generals are in position to recruit, then with all other factors being ok, recruit as many powerful units as you can muster before you again reach your limit.
You have effectively promoted the old units.
Mercenary units are your other option as they are always recruitable, subject to standard game conditions.
Tips
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:Your Leader and his Heir are often now your main generals and are usually both members of the War Council. To get a third member he will need to have* high command (3), loyalty (4) and piety (4) (*different system in BGRIV_E). Such generals are rare in a large empire. Try to nurture at least 1 general besides your FL and Heir. The King does not require a badge of office for his War council so if he rises to the position of king from the war council he may nominate another general (transfer the ancillary).
As part of the update, the Heir too must earn War Council membership. War Council membership requirements are lower for the Heir always and for other generals when Zeal is "Very Low": (2 Command, 3 Piety & 3 Loyalty).
You can also transfer the war Council ancillary from any general to any other. Upon receipt of this honor the new War Councillor has higher traits and the old one, lower traits.
Getting an ageing general to pass on his WC ancillary, nominating his own replacement, is a good idea. If a general dies holding a WC ancillary the King will only appoint a new one to very worthy candidates.
Apart from faction announcements you can view your factions current zeal level in your faction leader's traits. Here you will also find where he stands on professional, feudal and centralised recruitment and command.
Don't forget that when The King gives the Order: 'Centralised Recruitment' your king and your heir are the only fully operable war councillors and the heir must be given a war council ancillary from another general or built up by you to get awarded one automatically by the king/leader.
If you are adopting or bribing, go for high loyalty before anything else. This was historically the most important trait in a time when brother fought brother and father fought son.
An easy faction to play would have heavily religious settlements. If they are not then make them so.
Starting with a small faction will be easier than a large faction in some respects.
A new Leader will briefly boost your faction's zeal and citizens may wish to fight for him even if they would not do so for the previous leader.
Always keep an eye on each regions religious level. If your people start to stray too much they may not wish to fight for you. An army of priests of another religion and even local heretics may do more than a regular army to topple a settlement or even an empire.
If you reach your population's maximum recruitment quota you may be able to get more knights next turn by disbanding some weaker militia (C) units, for example.
Repeatedly fighting weaker enemy armies is ultimately bad for morale. The greater the army you fight the better this will reflect upon your generals.
Settlements and troops will not thank any general who allows them to become besieged. Field battles are the true path to glory.
NOTE
If you are happy with modding you will see 5 triggers at the end of the character traits file. Enable them at any point in the campaign. They give you the ability to recover from internal rebellion by great deeds performed by your faction Leader or potentialy rebellious generals. These are disabled by default because they only work if BB&B mod is installed (it is in SS5.1 & SS6.1). I have enabled them by default in the update at the bottom of this post.
BGRIII Troubleshooter
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Q: I have installed the update data.zip correctly & started a new campaign. Are there any known issues with BGRIII?
A: No, every issue reported so far has been due to incorrect installation. Other than that I often update the game playing instructions whenever I hear of multiple users confusing errors with features, which is understandable in such a complex game. Even I need to check the instructions once in a while.;)
Q: I have read all the game instructions, but my Faction Leader still cannot recruit any good units in BGRIII, why?
A:
1) You did not install the data.zip (at the bottom of this post).
and/or start a new campaign after installing the data.zip into the correct stainless_steel_6 folder
Q: Why are some of my recruitment unit cards greyed out?
Q: Why don't the number of turns until unit available numbers count down?
A: Whenever BGRIII (or later versions) suspends production of any unit type you will see the unit card in the recruitment greyed out. The number of turns remaining before recruitment will not now improve until the conditions for recruitment are again suitable.
Within a turn of starting your campaign you will see:
Effects on recruitment are announced in the faction announcements scroll,
King's Orders affecting recruitment are announced and in his traits list,
General's received orders and other effects on his recruitment are listed in his own traits list,
Generals have a summary trait for quick viewing of recruitment ability, e.g. "Minimal Recruitment Ability" tells you that he will only be able to recruit basic and militia units. There is also an "Average Recruitment" indicator and a "Full Recruitment" indicator. If your generals do not have one of these trait levels within a couple of turns of starting your campaign then you do not have the update data.zip installed (BGRIII only).
NEW NOTES: Sometimes war council generals/Kings do not display this trait. As long as non WC generals have it then all is ok.
I have noticed that M2 Total War sometimes makes invisible the last trait in a general's list. As BGR mostly has recruitment ability as the last trait it is easy to see this happen.
(See instructions here for the various recruitment effects, which are dependent on religion and faction zeal, population/army size ratio, the orders and rank of the general governing, factionwide orders issued by the king, lack of supplies etc)
Q: The AI turns can take almost twice as long as I'm used to. Is this normal?
A: Yes, BGRIII has 45,000 extra lines of code for the recruitment effects. If you don't want to use the spare time to plan your next moves then you can try BGR2.5 instead. BGR2.5 is the same as BGRIII, but with no slow ai turns and no recruitment effects.
BGR2.1.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:This version is no longer available for download.
Contains new features plus reworked previous version features.
BGR2.1 Introduced these Features:
War Council
- Up to 3 of your generals will now be your main generals. Your Faction Leader, his Heir and the Leader of the Council of Nobles (once nominated).
- Each receives a new "Good Logistician" trait.
- They receive full state support and training, improving army health and morale.
- They can resupply faster, carry emergency reserve stores and even organise supplies in unfavourable settlements.
- Encourages realism and roleplay.
Total Reworking of some previous Trait Systems
- No permanent Traits.
- Traits continually monitor your actions.
- Traits take more instances to aquire and are reversible through opposite actions, usually through playing honorably and aggressively.
Encourages Great Battles
- Benefits for fighting large, glorious field battles rather than continually defending sieges or only fighting small AI armies.
- Account taken of feedback, some traits reworked. e.g: No loss of stars without cause and causes are just and realistic.
Further AI benefits
- You will meet more dangerous, more enduring and more suprising enemy armies. (I lost my first test battle in Kingdoms and My Capital City in Stainless Steel).
Testers
This version is intended to work in ANY mod, including Kingdoms. It can work with your modded files because it adds the code rather than the files. (due to the genius of Nerazzurri who also created the testers forum)
This version is recommended for meticulous experts:smile: who play on vh/vh, but anyone is welcome. A less harsh version will follow.
* Byg's Grim Reality 2 contains all that was in the original plus a complete supply system and many more additions listed below. (Originally created for SS3.2 onwards)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:This version is no longer available for download.
Byg's Grim Reality 2 Setup.zip is an automatic installer/uninstaller (for SS3.2) and it makes a backup of the files it replaces. It requires you to first uninstall any previous version. it is at the bottom of this post.
If you encounter a problem with the auto installer then just use Byg's Grim Reality 2 - Supply and Command instead.
(Byg's Grim Reality original version for ss3.2 (my first version) is available as before and has had no reported errors or problems.)
*Byg's Supply System
(In later versions the supply system may vary. See relevant version section above)
*Supplies are carried with armies, which are consumed only when a region has been fully foraged.
Supplies decrease in 1/4 chunks.
*Resupply via settlements and Supply Ships. Marching along the coast being supplied from ships is now a reality.
Resupply is at a rate of 1/2 per turn.
* Conquered settlements will only provide supplies once their population is at least 50% supportive of your religion.
A newly conquered settlement only supplies an initial resupply of 25 to 50% which you steal from the population.
Send in your priests, ideally in advance and build churches fast.
Meanwhile your army can sustain itself by remaining in the city, it just can't get enough supplies to replenish its stores.
*Foraging. Before you need to consume a portion of your armies supplies you may live off the land by foraging. On the 2nd turn of foraging in a foreign region or the 4th turn in one of your own regions, foraging runs out and your army must consume some of its own supplies instead whilst the region recovers from foraging.
As each region has a limit to how much continuous pillaging (foraging being the polite word) it can sustain. You may for example forage for 1 turn in a foreign region then move to another indefinitely and thereby avoid consuming your own supplies.
A region will replenish its foraging capability either by the general leaving it for 1 turn or by consuming his own supplies for 1 turn (automatic)
Sieging and long marches in the same region will cost you the most in supply terms.
*Capture enemy armies' supplies to sustain yourself longer in the field.
Simply win a battle against an army of at least half your army's size and steal their supplies to top your own up.
*Realistic penalties for running out of supplies
No one likes to go hungry. Your generals will get the blame if they run out of supplies. Your troops will become weaker, less loyal and undisciplined as they desperately forage for scraps to survive on.
*The enemy can prevent you foraging, causing you to use up your supplies.
The enemy can do this on first contact with you. i.e. when he holds up your movement for a turn.
If the enemy or any army prevents your movement, foraging will be prevented for a turn.
*Lose supplies to the enemy when you lose a battle- this is designed so that if you quit the battle in time then you may retreat with supplies intact. Some random factor is used here for how much you lose.
*Plan your supplies in advance. An enemy region with a vast hinterland could become your toughest target as was so often the case in history. Will you or can you use supply ships? Will your supply train last the distance?
*Byg's Command System
New additions:
*Poor Logistician. A general will gain this trait if he does not take care of his supplies.
Read on for the details of the rest of the traits.
Byg's Grim Reality original version (Originally for Stainless Steel 3.2)
This version is no longer available for download.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
THE AIM OF THIS MOD
The aim of this mod is ultimately to make the AI win a campaign. Then we can start discussing how we can beat it rather than the other way round.
Changes are intended to add realistic effects to the human player, which make him weaker and to the AI , which make him stronger.
I hope I have introduced a much stronger advance planning element.
Old Version Installation:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:I will be very pleased to receive feedback on this Stainless Steel compatible minimodSpoiler Alert, click show to read:
All in one Automatic Installation and Uninstallation and Original file backup File
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6HENYJOJ
*Many thanks to nerazzurri for the installer work.*
Manual Installation:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0BGQCWGG
The above link also contains a save game file to view the later game.
The files on the link at the bottom of this post are for manual installation and do not have the save game due to size limits, but otherwise the files are the same.
1) Unzip the files to desktop and place the files as follows:
Open the Stainless Steel folder
a) The optional save game. Scenario: after the arrival of the Timurids and though your empire is huge you will get a good idea of late campaign playstyle. You will need to use all the provided files to use the saved game.
b) The units, buildings, export descr character traits and export descr vnvs enums files go directly into:
C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\Stainless_Steel\data
c) The regions file goes here:
C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\Stainless_Steel\data\world\maps\base
d) The Strat file goes here:
C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\Stainless_Steel\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign
e) Export vnvs file here:
C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\Stainless_Steel\data\text
Notes
1) Delete the map.rwm file to enable the resource changes for the Templars. It is here:
C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\Stainless_Steel\data\world\maps\base
2) If you don't want the Templars to have a limited area of recruitment, use manual installation but omit the Buildings file and the Strat file. You can then use 1 year per turn or two as in the standard SS installation.
3) For automatic installation, the Campaign is set for 1 turn per year. It can currently only be used like this, but could be adapted. This is because I have only altered the buildings txt and strat file for this time period and not due to any limitation.
Gameplay
This central part if this minimod was based around my observations of Hannibal, Caesar and Napoleon. How do armies survive a long time in the field and remain an effective fighting force and when they don't, why don't they?
Hannibal kept his army in hostile territory for 20 years. I believe he achieved this by continually winning battles thus keeping morale high. He also brought some cities round to his side to recuperate in or support his army.
Napoleon had to retreat from Moscow because his enemy denied him battle and destroyed Moscow before him. Morale collapsed because there were no major victories and no
place to rest in such a harsh environment. Also Napoleon suffered greatly from overconfidence and thus ignored all advice against the invasion.
Caesar, rather like Hannibal inspired great morale in his troops via many victories, but he reached such heights as to become a danger to his own people.
The changes do the following:
Templars made especially difficult to play. (For old SS3.2 version only, though most other features are in all later versions)
All strong units above militia now only recruitable in 5 towns on the map (nearest to Tortosa).
Further from home you will need a Chapter house to create decent units (e.g.hospitallers) or use mercenaries or send your armies and reinforcements from your home towns. This gets rid of the unrealism of raising troops from newly conquered cities and adds a tough advance planning element to wars. Your costs are effectively increased by this.
(These changes require a new campaign)
Battles Harder
Battle (actual fighting) times increased and routing made more difficult via simple morale increases for foot, missile and horse
(units file altered so save game compatible)
Army Field Morale System Added aka Battle Readiness Traits.
I don't like awarding bonuses to human players because we don't need them (we learn), but we do like a reward to make things interesting.
This set of traits indicates an army's condition. It runs through a series of levels increasing every 4 turns that an army is in action (i.e away from any town or a castle with at least 50% compatible religious population) In essence, your troops become more weary the longer they are away from home. The levels are:
Ready for Action (default when born, adopted, recuperated etc)
Troops Weary (4 turns away)
Troops Despondent (8 turns)
Troops Undisciplined (12)
Troops Desperate (16)
Troops Mutinous (20)
Each level attained initially brings penalties to Command, Troop Morale, then later unrest, Loyalty and Influence too. The traits lists warnings to you to get the troops home to recuperate.
And there's more. From Ready for Action or any other level, the battle readiness levels can move in the other direction. So:
Ready for Action (lasts for up to 3 turns in the field)
Eager to Fight (adds a little morale & enables the army to remain 4 turns longer in the field)
Bent On Glory (adds morale, reduces loyalty & enables the army to remain another 4 turns longer in the field)
Movement of levels in this direction is attained by fighting and winning battles.
Any victory has the effect of reducing the effect of time away from a settlement i.e if your troops have just become Weary (4 turns away), but you fight and win a battle, you go back to Ready for Action (2 turns away) so in 2 more turns you will be weary again. So battles won temporarily regain morale before it starts to slip again.
Heroic victories or Major victories and taking an enemy settlement will have 4 times the above effect so fighting and winning against large AI armies will do your men more good (morale wise) than fighting minor easy battles. Keep fighting and winning and you can stay in the field longer without having to recuperate in a settlement.
Recuperation recovers morale at 4 times the rate at which you lose it.
Major victories Battle and Kills Counter Trait.
50% kills are required in a battle against greater odds to get a major victory.
This trait counts and updates for every Major battle you fight up to about 150. It also takes an educated guess at your cumulitive kills for each of your generals based on full stacks fighting each other. Obviously using 150 trait levels would be too much effort so I use a few traits a bit like an abacus.
Major Victories are recorded on monuments erected in your generals honor. One two, three and four victories are announced and recorded as they come. The fifth victory entitles you to a Great Monument, then whilst keeping this monument it counts one to four again, then you get Two Great monuments. Five of these gives a Spectacular Monument and so on. In this way you can easily reckon the total battles and by adding up the kill totals on the three types of monument you get your generals total kills during his lifetime (rough estimate).
Major victories are counted for AI generals too. I liked the idea of spying a hugely successful general heading for your territory, fearing him and knowing his history. Now you will.
Sadly, because AI generals' armies do not retrain (as far as I've ever seen) they don't last too long. Therefore I rewarded successful AI genarals with the following trait.
Battle Hardened Trait (may rename as Cohesive Fighting Unit)
Healing Increase for AI Armies.
The idea being that they work well together and take good care of their injured.
For this trait I assumed there was not a limit on healing values after battles. All being well, this massively heals AI armies if they win. The idea was to keep good ai armies going. They don't have the advantage of retraining as we humans do. This levels the playing field slightly.
Over Confidence Trait.
If you like reading historical accounts of ancient battles it becomes clear that overconfidence is probably the greatest cause of major lost battles.
Repeatedly fighting armies less powerful than your own will falsely boost your confidence making your army overconfident. Your general and his troops may not be up to an equally matched enemy when eventually they meet one.
Fighting mighty armies reverses any overconfidence gained.
Tweaks
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:A few mods, including Deus Lo Volt and SS, incorporate BB&B mod, which gives the Offensive to Nobles Trait to Faction Leaders, causing rebellions and civil wars.Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I wanted there to be a way out of this for our faction leaders that was not random, but rather had to be fought for.
This tweak enables an offensive FL to personally lead an army and conquer a city to rid himself of this trait and redeem himself to his people.
Your leader can also achieve the same by fighting and winning a major victory.
Your generals who are negatively affected by their faction leader's offensiveness can recover their loyalty too by being sent successfully against a settlement.
Finally, I reduced the probability of random rebel armies appearing on land.
SCREENSHOTS
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/2...iplinedls0.jpg
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2...nttraitcq3.jpg
A general making the most of his brief possession of 6 stars
http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/3...onglorypm3.jpg
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/2...plyshipzr9.jpg
EDIT: Below now requires you to resupply in a settlement, not unravaged land.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/3...uppliesxp4.jpg
Thanks
to the ever resourceful Nerazzurri for the installer, the forum and general brainstorming.
Optional Extras
BGR II for SS6.3
To add BGRII to a non-BGR setup in 6.3 1st release.
If new traits don't show try deleting export_VnVs.txt.strings.bin in your 6.3's data/text folder.
BGR III special
Use with march 2010 RRRC compilation only. Readme enclosed.
BGR III/IV/IV_E No Mercy AI
If you are using BGR AI with your BGR mod then substitute this file and the AI will not offer protectorate status when it should be killing you. (ss6.1 only, already included in later mods).
BGRIV Enhanced Version
(Note: Already included in New Compilation.)
For use ONLY with Old Real Recruitment1.3/Real Combat1.8/CBUR/BFTB/BGR IV Compilation, Version APRIL 8 with UPDATE April 23 2009 (which includes SS6.2)
It is available here:
http://www.nerazzurri.net/bgr-forum/....php?p=445#445
Important update. BGRIV_RRRCCompilationMoneyFix_250709.zip
Use to correct any BGRIV version released before 25/07/09.
Previously the game was not seeing some of the wealth points assigned to new generals starting money. Only for BGRIV in old APRIL 2009 Release RRRC compilation mod.
File attached below. Instructions enclosed.
BGRIV 4 War Councillor code If you want an easier game this gives a 4th War Council member (i.e. king + 3 others) and a 4th professional trainers ancillary. Requires new campaign. Download http://www.twcenter.net/forums/attac...3&d=1245021566
Do not use these files to replace the ones in your game as these files only contain the new BGRIV code.
The method outlined in the instructions in the spoiler below works with BGRIV regardless of what mod you are using BGRIV in.
If you have BGRIV_E then no download is needed. Just follow the next 3 lines of instructions. Skip the next 3 lines for BGRIV standard:
Simply open export_descr_ancillaries in your active data folder with notepad and do a "replace" function.
Search ";4WC*" (without the quotes) and don't type anything in the replace field.
From that point on you will have 4 WCs in your campaign if there are able men for the positions.
Instructions:Spoiler Alert, click show to read:Find the matching files in your current game and back them up. Using only notepad, copy the appropriate section from each new BGRIV 4WC file and paste it over the BGRIV section in each matching file in your game.
example: in the provided export_descr_ancillary_enums file you will see the text as follows:
warcouncil1
warcouncil2
warcouncil3
war_council_desc
war_council_effects_desc
warchest1
warchest2
warchest3
warchest4
war_chest_desc
war_chest_effects_desc
supplywagon1
resupply_train_desc
resupply_train_effects_desc
in the same named file in your mod's data folder e.g. mods/stainless steel 6/data folder you can find a similar section. Just paste the new over the old making sure you do not overwrite any unrelated code.(In this example you will only find 1 line is being added).
Optional BGRIV Feudal Only Code Change
To prevent your faction becoming centralised you can do the following code edit in your mod's export descr character traits file. This makes the game considerably easier for anyone who wants that by reverting the faction back to or keeping it at early feudalism where all generals are able to recruit and fight the same as War Council generals. The game will no longer increase in difficulty as your campaign progresses, except with zeal. Other factors are unchanged.
Should also work in BGRIV E
Instructions:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Back up then Open your export_descr_character.traits file in the data folder in your mod's data folder with notepad
Search "Centralisation and Professionalism Section" without the quotes.
Copy & Paste the code below over the Centralisation and Professionalism Section so it looks like below, making sure you don't obliterate the following section (Centralisation Effects Section).
Just use notepad to do this or you may mess things up.
Code:
;------------------------------------------
;
; Centralisation and Professionalism Section
;
;------------------------------------------Trait CentralisedPower Must not reset at start due to gainmessages
Trigger CentralisationFL1a
WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd
Condition IsFactionLeader
and CharacterIsLocal
and Trait CentralisedPower = 0
Affects CentralisedPower 1 Chance 100
; WC always retains ability to attack-----------universal recruitment
;------------------------------------------
Trigger CentralisationFL1b
WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd
Condition IsFactionLeader
and CharacterIsLocal
and Trait CentralisedPower >= 2
Affects CentralisedPower -1 Chance 100
; WC always retains ability to attack-----------universal recruitment
;------------------------------------------
;
; Centralisation Effects Section (can use a reset and needs to)
;
;------------------------------------------
BGRIII Traits Sorter includes data.zip update & is optional (in downloads below) & simply arranges important BGRIII traits neatly at the end of generals' traits lists for ease of viewing.
BGR2.5+SS6.1.zip
BGR2.5+SS6.1.zip Installation (16-01-09) links to an optional version of BGR2.5 using the stainless steel 6.1 traits & ancillaries system. It has a traits sorter to easily find bgr traits at the end of a generals traits list and also uses the BGRIV system of gaining WCs, making them easier to get. The minimum requirement to automatically get a WC will become 1 command, 2 Piety & 2 Loyalty, though better generals will be picked first.
Note for BGRIII users: If you take out and use ONLY the export_descr_ancillaries.txt from the above bgr2.5 download (put it in your SS6 data folder), you can also use it in your BGRIII game (put it in your SS6data folder) for gaining WCs in the same way as BGR2.5.
Aggressive AI This is a link to another file for BGRIII+SS6.1 users, which adds an aggressive AI and requires a new campaign to be started.
BGRIII_3WC_Anc_Code REUPLOADED 25/06/2009 to correct error, which is downloadable below gives 4 WCs instead of the usual 3, i.e you will have your leader as permanent WC and 3 WC ancillaries for other generals. Recommended for any player having too tough a time with 3.
To install, unzip to desktop copy the "data" folder inside the BGRIII_3WC_Anc_Code folder and paste it into your ss mod folder, which is usually here: C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Stainless_Steel_6
BGR2 Turned Off 25/06/10. Attached @ end of this post. Turns off/freezes BGR2 traits in RRRC Compilation Mod. Unzip & Add enclosed .txt file to your data folder. Only works in the default/non-BGRIV version. Current generals' BGR traits will freeze then go to their default level. New generals will have none.
Data.zip: Important Update for BGRIII users with SS6.1 installer
If you installed BGRIII using the Stainless Steel 6.1 installer you NEED this fix. It is at the bottom of this post, called "data.zip".
Simply unzip it and place the resulting data folder here:C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Stainless_Steel_6\ , then start a new campaign.
This update is essential because it puts back important code that was somehow removed from the ss6.1 installer version.
As of 27/05/08 this file also contains updated descriptions and improvement tweaks:
Traits explaining each generals recruitment ability and many more helpful descriptions.
Requirements for the Heir being awarded War Council ancillary by the King are lowered to 2 command, 3 piety & 3 Loyalty.
Requirements for ordinary generals are lowered to the same amounts as the Heir, but only during the Order: Centralised Recruitment (when your faction is the largest or close to it).
If you are already deeply into a good campaign, as a temporary alternative solution to the above update, there is a save compatible fix in the spoiler.Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Install the data.zip update first as per the instructions at the bottom of the first post of this entire thread.
Now, normally you would have to start a new campaign to make the update work fully.
But you can just open the "data" folder you just added and in there you will find export_descr_character_traits.txt.
;this can be located in here... C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Stainless_Steel_6\data <----check this location carefully!
export_descr_character_traits.txt. is a file you should open with notepad. Don't use other text editors unless you know what you are doing.
Open it, go to the end of the text and on a new line (i.e. press return at the end of the last word) you can paste the code lshown below.
Save it. Close it. Continue with your campaign. Within a couple of turns your king and war Councillors should have full recruitment, subject to any restrictions outlined in the instructions of course.
Now when you finish your current campaign, you no longer need that extra piece of code so delete it before you start another campaign OR reapply the proper data folder fix from the first post, here.
; Copy & paste these triggers on a new line at the end of your export_desc_character_traits.txt file.
;this can be loacted here C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Stainless_Steel_6\data <----check this location carefully!
;------------------------------------------
Trigger GivesCentralPowerEffectFixLeader
WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd
Condition IsFactionLeader
and CharacterIsLocal
and Trait CentralisedPowerEffect = 0
Affects CentralisedPowerEffect 1 Chance 100
;------------------------------------------
Trigger GivesCentralPowerEffectFixWC
WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd
Condition IsGeneral
and CharacterIsLocal
and HasAncType warcouncil
and Trait CentralisedPowerEffect = 0
Affects CentralisedPowerEffect 1 Chance 100
;------------------------------------------
Uninstallation (for SS6.1)
Reinstall SS6.1 (not the whole of Stainless Steel) and don't select this mod.
