Questions about the campaign

[Smarmy]

As I have read, you already have all of your followers salivating for all of these beautiful units, as I am now..

But I was curious, as most other campaigns tend to play out, the first 50 or so turns are rather boring. (Often more turns than that, it depends)
Conquering the nearby rebel provinces with hordes of militia, though hordes are fun, militia often are not. So I was curious as to how the campaign would start out, how developed would the players core provinces be? As well, how long exactly is the campaign in turns? Else, if the campaign starts out with the players developing like in vanilla, and other mods, I'm wondering how interesting and varied the militia units are going to be?
Peasant levy with spears is expected, and it makes the most sense, but I really hope for some variation rather than the same stat\look militia from Europe.

[AlphaDelta]

We don't have militia in BC, instead we have levies. They are the same thing of course.

In BC cities allow the recruitment of levies (militia) and castles allow the recruitment of semi-professional and professional warriors. Levies have slow replenishment rates, and smaller pools. Cities also have less recruitment slots (number of units that can be recruited in one turn). Levies are recruited according to the region the city is in, and not the faction. When the player is in Iran he can recruit Iranian levies, when he is in Anatolia, he may recruit Anatolian levies and so on.

Some factions get fairly well tech'd up castles at the start of the campaign, others don't. Starting 'stacks' are normally 30 to 100% full, and usually consist of a range of units from poor to elite. The AI is coded to recruit units in accordance to how we feel that faction historically fought. AI armies will generally consist of no more than about 10 - 20% levies, the rest will be semi professional and professional units.

Some factions are surrounded by rebel settlements. For example the rajputs, kypchaks and khwarezm have a healthy ring of rebel settlements to subdue. However most factions are already bordering their enemies. For example The Kingdom of Jerusalem, turks and Armenia have very little room to manouver and very few rebel settlements around them to grab.

Rebel settlements are a fact of having a large scale mod, and I feel they are a part of the overall strategic gameplay.

Each faction in BC has a unique set of atleast 13 semi professional/professional units, the average is probably closer to 15. There is no "cloning and re-colouring" of units, however some units are recruited among 2 factions. For example both the Ayyubids and Omani's can recruit Magrehbi marines, both Khwarezm and Seljuks can recruit western turkomans etc. These are units we know were used by both therefore we allow them both to recruit them. In many cases sub-regional units were made, for example I made 3 different regions of turkic units.

In vanilla M2TW many factions were clones of each other, for example Portugal and Spain were practically the same, Milan, Venice and papal states were practically the same. In BC, we really have nothing like this, every faction feels unique and fights in a distinctive style.

I hope I have answered your questions, and thanks for your interest.

Cheers

[Kalos]

We don't have militia in BC, instead we have levies. They are the same thing of course.

In BC cities allow the recruitment of levies (militia) and castles allow the recruitment of semi-professional and professional warriors. Levies have slow replenishment rates, and smaller pools. Cities also have less recruitment slots (number of units that can be recruited in one turn). Levies are recruited according to the region the city is in, and not the faction. When the player is in Iran he can recruit Iranian levies, when he is in Anatolia, he may recruit Anatolian levies and so on.

Some factions get fairly well tech'd up castles at the start of the campaign, others don't. Starting 'stacks' are normally 30 to 100% full, and usually consist of a range of units from poor to elite. The AI is coded to recruit units in accordance to how we feel that faction historically fought. AI armies will generally consist of no more than about 10 - 20% levies, the rest will be semi professional and professional units.

Some factions are surrounded by rebel settlements. For example the rajputs, kypchaks and khwarezm have a healthy ring of rebel settlements to subdue. However most factions are already bordering their enemies. For example The Kingdom of Jerusalem, turks and Armenia have very little room to manouver and very few rebel settlements around them to grab.

Rebel settlements are a fact of having a large scale mod, and I feel they are a part of the overall strategic gameplay.

Each faction in BC has a unique set of atleast 13 semi professional/professional units, the average is probably closer to 15. There is no "cloning and re-colouring" of units, however some units are recruited among 2 factions. For example both the Ayyubids and Omani's can recruit Magrehbi marines, both Khwarezm and Seljuks can recruit western turkomans etc. These are units we know were used by both therefore we allow them both to recruit them. In many cases sub-regional units were made, for example I made 3 different regions of turkic units.

In vanilla M2TW many factions were clones of each other, for example Portugal and Spain were practically the same, Milan, Venice and papal states were practically the same. In BC, we really have nothing like this, every faction feels unique and fights in a distinctive style.

I hope I have answered your questions, and thanks for your interest.

Cheers

Whoa...

[Rex Armeniae]

Whoa...

Do you always have to write down my thoughts?

[Kalos]

Do you always have to write down my thoughts?

Yes.

[Rex Armeniae]

Yes.

ok

[AdmiringtheEnemyeh?]

We don't have militia in BC, instead we have levies. They are the same thing of course.

In BC cities allow the recruitment of levies (militia) and castles allow the recruitment of semi-professional and professional warriors. Levies have slow replenishment rates, and smaller pools. Cities also have less recruitment slots (number of units that can be recruited in one turn). Levies are recruited according to the region the city is in, and not the faction. When the player is in Iran he can recruit Iranian levies, when he is in Anatolia, he may recruit Anatolian levies and so on.

Some factions get fairly well tech'd up castles at the start of the campaign, others don't. Starting 'stacks' are normally 30 to 100% full, and usually consist of a range of units from poor to elite. The AI is coded to recruit units in accordance to how we feel that faction historically fought. AI armies will generally consist of no more than about 10 - 20% levies, the rest will be semi professional and professional units.

Some factions are surrounded by rebel settlements. For example the rajputs, kypchaks and khwarezm have a healthy ring of rebel settlements to subdue. However most factions are already bordering their enemies. For example The Kingdom of Jerusalem, turks and Armenia have very little room to manouver and very few rebel settlements around them to grab.

Rebel settlements are a fact of having a large scale mod, and I feel they are a part of the overall strategic gameplay.

Each faction in BC has a unique set of atleast 13 semi professional/professional units, the average is probably closer to 15. There is no "cloning and re-colouring" of units, however some units are recruited among 2 factions. For example both the Ayyubids and Omani's can recruit Magrehbi marines, both Khwarezm and Seljuks can recruit western turkomans etc. These are units we know were used by both therefore we allow them both to recruit them. In many cases sub-regional units were made, for example I made 3 different regions of turkic units.

In vanilla M2TW many factions were clones of each other, for example Portugal and Spain were practically the same, Milan, Venice and papal states were practically the same. In BC, we really have nothing like this, every faction feels unique and fights in a distinctive style.

I hope I have answered your questions, and thanks for your interest.

Cheers

If that wasn't 300+ words long, it would be the Broken Crescent Motto

[Smarmy]

Very nice.. very nice, yes.. excuse me while I rub my palms together menacingly, and not so obviously contemplate nefarious deeds.

[Ahiga]

If that wasn't 300+ words long, it would be the Broken Crescent Motto

A motto we've had to repeat a lot is: "Historically Inspired, Historically influenced, not a historical imitation". Or various versions of it.

[Kalos]

A motto we've had to repeat a lot is: "Historically Inspired, Historically influenced, not a historical imitation". Or various versions of it.

I started hanging around the BC forums maybe 2 months ago, and in that time I've seen that phrase at least 30 times.

[Miraj]

Couldn't be said more thoroughly, yet succinctly, as AD put it. Well said.

And yeah we've had to fend a lot of people off with the phrase Ahiga mentioned thats for sures.

[nnnm]

I see it much more than that and mostly by who .....?.
by the way Ahiga where is lovely avatar

[Ahiga]

The last one I recall was my Spartaaaa one. I'll update with my new one.

[GrandViZ]

Rebel settlements are a fact of having a large scale mod, and I feel they are a part of the overall strategic gameplay.

The key issue here is, that vanilla AI doesn't perform well in expanding fast against rebels. In BC however the AI will utilize its starting position far better, which means that it won't split its forces to fight rebels and other factions at the same time.

[Rex Armeniae]

The key issue here is, that vanilla AI doesn't perform well in expanding fast against rebels. In BC however the AI will utilize its starting position far better, which means that it won't split its forces to fight rebels and other factions at the same time.

That sounds awesome, that will make it more exciting in the fights over land

[Mythos]

The AI is coded to recruit units in accordance to how we feel that faction historically fought. AI armies will generally consist of no more than about 10 - 20% levies, the rest will be semi professional and professional units.

Is this historical? Just asking not accusing. I am under the impression that most ME armies were heavily based on levies with a small professional core. If you can, please give us a few examples of historical armies and game armies comparisons. It will help convince me.

Also, I have some more questions. What kind of economic "system" are you using? I mean things like limitations, economic traiting etc. Will you be using any form of the EB-like MIC system? If not, what will you be using? What about the traiting and scripting? I know it sounds like an interrogation but I am curious. I 've seen all the excellent work on the units but not much on (what I find more important in a mod) details of the mechanisms you will be using (even in later versions).

[Miraj]

What kind of economic "system" are you using? I mean things like limitations, economic traiting etc. Will you be using any form of the EB-like MIC system? If not, what will you be using?

Remember that the first version of BC has not even been released yet so a more detailed and historically immersive traits and ancillaries system will be a continious work in progress.

Having been an RTR player for the most part I have not implemented any sort of complex economic traiting system like EB. Perhaps more avid players of EB can enlighten us on how it works - I'm sure M2TW is a lot more flexible with this and can open new ideas and opurtunities to explore.

What about the traiting and scripting? I know it sounds like an interrogation but I am curious. I 've seen all the excellent work on the units but not much on (what I find more important in a mod) details of the mechanisms you will be using (even in later versions).

Well what do you mean specifically? We have plenty of scripting related to historical aspects - conditional crusader invasions, mongol invasions, a new "Regional Rebellion" system which introduces domestic challenges much more better than the old 2-5 unit "brigand" stacks. Also I've implemented new loyalty traits which makes a governors Movement points and tax-effiecieny a function of his loyalty. I've also been working on a re-emergent faction script (thanks to Alpaca!) for BC, I will not introduce it to BC 1.0 because it still needs some thorough testing.

That being said, we are a young mod with fresh modders thus it can't be expected for us to have as complex traits and scripting systems as EB (2+ years) or RTR. However, the future cycles of this mod will heavily focus on a more immersive and gameplay-relevant overhaul of the traits/ancs and more interesting and fun scripted challenges.

[Son of Mao]

Is this historical? Just asking not accusing. I am under the impression that most ME armies were heavily based on levies with a small professional core. If you can, please give us a few examples of historical armies and game armies comparisons.

OMFG!! do you think it is fun to have armies of peasents? Did you completly miss what the siad 10 posts up. I will repeat it for you

"Historically Inspired, Historically influenced, not a historical imitation"

So stay quiet about your opinion if it is historical or not because no one cares

[The Mongol]

"Historically Inspired, Historically influenced, not a historical imitation"

So stay quiet about your opinion if it is historical or not because no one cares

I'll be the first to say, that you act like a jackass quite a bit.

Cool it down bro. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

[Osskssa]

OMFG!! do you think it is fun to have armies of peasents? Did you completly miss what the siad 10 posts up. I will repeat it for you

"Historically Inspired, Historically influenced, not a historical imitation"

So stay quiet about your opinion if it is historical or not because no one cares

Why do you have to be such a dick all the time??