Fanatic’s First Cohort/Phalanx/Elephant/Chariot minimod

[TWFanatic]

The Phalanx/Aquilifer Mod Patch 1.2 Compatible

My Christmas gift to the EB Community.

I apologize to TWCers for previously neglecting this forum in favor of the org.

In case you are wondering why elephants and chariots are mentioned in the title, this is because they used to be bugged. They were fixed in 1.1 though and so I have minimized the area of modification to the phalanx units. There is also an Aquilifer mod if you want Aquilifers for your first cohorts.

I will give the download links immediately for those of you who don’t want to bother trudging through all that text. Both are savegame compatible.

Download the Phalanx Mod here:
http://files.filefront.com/Phalanx+M.../fileinfo.html

Download the Aquilifer Mod here:
http://files.filefront.com/Eagle+bea.../fileinfo.html

To install the Phalanx Mod, simply extract into the folder you have installed EB into (it is probably called Rome: Total War unless you have changed it). DO NOT extract into your EB mod folder (which is contained inside your Rome: Total War folder). Directions on how to install the Aquilifer Mod are included at the bottom of this post. You may want to back up your export_descr_unit files in case you decide you want to revert back to vanilla. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here to help.

To avoid confusion, here is a brief overview of terms I use:

Macedonian phalanx - Any unit with the “phalanx” special ability uses what I term the Macedonian phalanx.

Classical or Hoplite phalanx - Any unit that fights in the hoplite-style phalanx. These units are easily recognizable by name or description. The hoplite phalanx is a tightly packed formation with overlapping shields and spears protruding from above, an impenetrable wall of bronze, iron and oak, an implacable force made seemingly not of individuals but a single inexorable contraption, an…OK you get the idea, I’ll stop.

NOTE: Despite that last comment, I am not a phalanx fan boy. Phalanx units—particularly Macedonian phalanxes—are not necessarily improved with this mod. And I like the Celtic factions best if that means anything…

NOTE # 2: Guard mode is no longer necessary! You do not need it. You fight better without it and can still keep a cohesive formation. Also, you no longer need to stand still and receive a charge. Hoplites now deliver a crushing charge and will maintain formation while (and after) doing so. Thanks to Barrabas for pointing this out.

Here is a brief overview of the changes made in the Phalanx Mod (Scroll down to see the Aquilifer and how to install it.):

-to Macedonian phalanxes: -.03 spear lethality, -1 sword attack, -2 armor, + 2 defense skill; given spear attribute (light_spear attribute removed).
What this means: Although Macedonian phalanxes maintain their attack ratings, decreased lethality causes their hits to knock opponents down more frequently (rather than kill). The decrease in armor is made up for in head on contests (when unit is in phalanx) by the increase in skill, which effects melee defense from the front and left (shield) sides; armor effects missile and melee defense from all sides. Thus, Macedonian phalanxes are now more vulnerable to missiles fired from any direction, but particularly at their exposed rear and flanks. They are also more vulnerable to flanking attacks. The spear attribute makes them push more and harder (something phalanxes were very good at). The downside to this attribute is that it can make units push so hard that their formation loses cohesion.

-to Classical (Hoplite) phalanxes: -.02 spear lethality, -2 armor, + 2 shield defense, +3 charge bonus; given short_pike attribute; given spear attribute (light_spear attribute removed).
What this means: See Macedonian phalanxes. The changes are similar except that hoplites receive an increase in shield defense rather than defense skill. This is because hoplite phalanxes in EB do not use phalanx, and thus are not nearly as resistant to missiles from the front and left side as are the Macedonian variety, whose shield defense is doubled when in phalanx.
Hoplites too get a reduction in lethality so as to better reflect hoplite warfare. Casualties were generally few until one formation or another broke from the extreme force of the pressing phalanx--that was when the real killing began. The spear attribute makes them push more and harder (something hoplites were very good at). The downside to this attribute is that it can make units push so hard that they break formation. In combination with a cohesive formation trait such as the short_pike attribute, however, they maintain formation and the ability to push hard.
The biggest change here is indeed the short_pike attribute. This does a number of things. First, it shrinks their spears from approximately twelve feet in length to nine. Twelve feet is simply inaccurately long for classical hoplites or Spartiates.

The other effects I will show below with screen shots.

BEFORE:

They march with the tops of their spears magically dragging beneath the ground and their butt spikes in the air.

AFTER:

They march with spears held level and pointed forward.

BEFORE:

They break formation and charge like unorganized rabble.

AFTER:

They stay in a tight, orderly formation and slam into the enemy as one - an invincible, unstoppable phalanx.

BEFORE:

They fight like barbarians, individuals fighting for personal glory with no resemblance of a formation.

AFTER:

They fight like, well, a phalanx! A single, implacable body pushing the enemy backwards with great force until they finally break and run.

Here is the Aquilifer. Screenshot taken by hooahguy.


Here is a “How To” guide on installation:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is for those of you who want to have eagle bearers in your first cohorts.

First things first, remember to work in your RTW/EB/Data folder, not your RTW/Data folder. RTW/Data has vanilla RTW's files in it, RTW/EB/Data has EB's files in it.

For those of you who play on ALEX.exe, you may not have to remove a unit in order to add this Aquilifer (but I don't know for sure, I don't have it myself). The rest of you probably have to. So the first step is to entirely remove the unit of your choice from your game. I chose praetorian cavalry since they are heavily bugged in my game and make black lines flash all over my screen (some people have this problem, you may not). To do this, you must remove all text entries related to that unit from all of the following files:

export_descr_unit, export_descr_buildings, export_text, descr_model_battle, and descr_strat. There will only be text for this unit in the descr_strat file if the unit is there at the start of the campaign, because (as you modders know) the descr_strat file deals only with the campaign. So, for example, there are entries for hastati in descr_strat, but there are not entries for praetorian cavalry (the latter doesn't appear until the Augustan reforms).

How do you remove text? It's quite simple. You will find a block of text for that particular unit with a blank line before it and a blank line after it. Simply delete this block of text. The exceptions are the descr_model_battle and descr_strat files, which have single lines for a unit (often repeated over and over again). You will need to use cntrl+f in order to search for the particular unit you want to remove.

Once that's finished, it's time to add the Aquilifer. Here's how:

First, place the CAS file provided into your models_unit folder. Then, place the TGA and DDS files your textures folder, which is located inside of your models_unit folder.

Now, open your descr_model_battle file. Copy and paste this follow block of text anywhere in the file, but be sure to leave a line before and after it so it is clearly separated from the other entries.

type roman_eagle
skeleton fs_standard_bearer
indiv_range 40
texture seleucid, eb/data/models_unit/textures/SPQR_OFFICER_JULII_STANDARD_AQUILIFIER_LATE.TGA
model_flexi_m eb/data/models_unit/unit_trigger_aquilifier.cas, 8
model_flexi_m eb/data/models_unit/unit_trigger_aquilifier.cas, 15
model_flexi_m eb/data/models_unit/unit_trigger_aquilifier.cas, 30
model_flexi_m eb/data/models_unit/unit_trigger_aquilifier.cas, 40
model_flexi eb/data/models_unit/unit_trigger_aquilifier.cas, max
model_sprite seleucid, 60.0, eb/data/sprites/officers/ebsprite_officer_all.spr
model_tri 400, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5

I highly recommended installing my phalanx mod (if you want it) prior to doing this next step. If you wait till after doing this next step to install it, then your files will be overwritten and your work made obsolete.

Lastly, open your export_descr_unit file. Press cntrl-f and search for your first cohort units. The dictionary entries are "roman infantry first legionary cohort i" and "roman infantry first legionary cohort ii". The former is for the post-marian first cohort, the latter for the imperial first cohort.
You will see that each unit has two officers, a centurion and a standard bearer. Below all the other officers, copy and paste the below line of text on its own line:

officer roman_eagle

It should look like this (you can just copy and paste these over your own entries if you want):

;524
type roman infantry first legionary cohort i
dictionary roman_infantry_legionary_first_cohort_i ; First Cohort
category infantry
class heavy
voice_type General_1
soldier roman_infantry_cohorsreformata, 50, 0, 1.2
officer ebofficer_roman_centurion
officer ebofficer_roman_early_standard
officer roman_eagle
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, can_sap, very_hardy, command, legionary_name
formation 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, square, testudo
stat_health 1, 1
stat_pri 5, 4, pilum, 36.8, 2, thrown, blade, piercing, spear, 15 ,1
stat_pri_attr prec, thrown, ap
stat_sec 11, 4, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, sword, 0 ,0.13
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 10, 10, 4, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 4
stat_ground 0, 0, -2, -2
stat_mental 15, disciplined, highly_trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 1, 1914, 479, 100, 160, 1914
ownership seleucid

;242
type roman infantry legionary cohort ii
dictionary roman_infantry_legionary_cohort_ii ; Cohortes Imperatoria
category infantry
class heavy
voice_type General_1
soldier roman_infantry_cohorsimperatoria_evocata, 50, 0, 1.18
officer ebofficer_roman_centurion
officer ebofficer_roman_standard
officer roman_eagle
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, can_sap, hardy
formation 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, square, testudo
stat_health 1, 1
stat_pri 4, 4, pilum, 35, 2, thrown, blade, piercing, spear, 15 ,1
stat_pri_attr prec, thrown, ap
stat_sec 11, 4, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, sword, 0 ,0.13
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 10, 8, 4, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 4
stat_ground 0, 0, -2, -2
stat_mental 14, disciplined, highly_trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 1, 1790, 448, 100, 160, 1790
ownership seleucid, slave

;525
type roman infantry first legionary cohort ii
dictionary roman_infantry_legionary_first_cohort_ii ; Cohortes Imperatoria
category infantry
class heavy
voice_type General_1
soldier roman_infantry_cohorsimperatoria_evocata, 50, 0, 1.2
officer ebofficer_roman_centurion
officer ebofficer_roman_standard
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, can_sap, very_hardy, command, legionary_name
formation 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, square, testudo
stat_health 1, 1
stat_pri 5, 4, pilum, 36.8, 2, thrown, blade, piercing, spear, 15 ,1
stat_pri_attr prec, thrown, ap
stat_sec 11, 4, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, sword, 0 ,0.13
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 10, 10, 4, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 4
stat_ground 0, 0, -2, -2
stat_mental 15, disciplined, highly_trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 1, 1914, 479, 100, 160, 1914
ownership Seleucid

Remember to make these changes to both your multiplayer and singleplayer export_descr_unit files!

Credit for this beautiful Aquilifer goes to lt1956, creator of the SPQR mod!

[simplemind07]

Any chance this go in V.0.81V2?

[Leviathan DarklyCute]

Any chance this go in V.0.81V2?

[simplemind07]

I am sad.....

[Juggernaut]

Is there anyway to make the Thureophoroi and Celto-Hellenic spearmen to hold the spear like other spear units so they won't "march with the tops of their spears magically dragging beneath the ground and their butt spikes in the air"?

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

They dragging of their spears underground shoud have been fixed with v1.1... :hmmm:

But you cannot change them to underhand without reworking the model/skin...

[Juggernaut]

They dragging of their spears underground shoud have been fixed with v1.1... :hmmm:

But you cannot change them to underhand without reworking the model/skin...

Well, as far as I see it's still there.
I can post a screenshot if you want.

[dutch81]

Will this work with 1.1? Any plans for a update? Thanks!

[Rodrico Stak]

Will this work with 1.1?

I don't think it does - I just tried, and I got a CTD every time I tried to start EB.

[Phalanx300]

I don't think it does - I just tried, and I got a CTD every time I tried to start EB.

Maybe the latest version can only be found at the org?:hmmm:

The way I made this to work is to extract to desktop and then place it manually and this way trivial script don't erase it.

[Goffredo]

good work!i'm very interested in applying your changes to classical hoplites and phalanxes by myself but i'm not certain what to do with some units like german pikes and units like iphikratous hoplitai(sp?) or mori gaesum or ptolemaic royal guard since in 1.1 they cannot use phalanx ability anymore.what kind of changes do you suggest?should i treat them as classical hoplites and thus give them the short_pike attribute or should i leave them as thay are?

[Phalanx300]

I usually gave them the phalanx ability back.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

The EB team should have implemented this long ago. This mod is brilliant.

[Phalanx300]

The EB team should have implemented this long ago. This mod is brilliant.

Yes it is, I asked before why it wasn't implemented but they said it unhistorical or something. But if you'd ask me its way more Historical then having them as ordinary spearmen:hmmm:.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

@Stak

Did you backup your files? Download it from the .org since the mod was updated to 1.1 but I do not know if the creator updated the links here.

@Phalanx

"Unhistorical"? I think the team needs to realize the value of gameplay balance and engine limitations. It might not be OK to give them short pike and whatever they found it but so it is to have Hoplites that fight like rabble. Hoplites are now much stronger without disturbing the game balance, and fight as group, which is naturally far more historical than before.

[Phalanx300]

@Phalanx

"Unhistorical"? I think the team needs to realize the value of gameplay balance and engine limitations. It might not be OK to give them short pike and whatever they found it but so it is to have Hoplites that fight like rabble. Hoplites are now much stronger without disturbing the game balance, and fight as group, which is naturally far more historical than before.

I totally agree, but the team sadly thinks otherwise. And the even worse thing is that they actually "did" used it before, looking at old previews:hmmm:.

[Foot]

"Unhistorical"? I think the team needs to realize the value of gameplay balance and engine limitations. It might not be OK to give them short pike and whatever they found it but so it is to have Hoplites that fight like rabble. Hoplites are now much stronger without disturbing the game balance, and fight as group, which is naturally far more historical than before.

You don't perhaps think that that might be incredibly insulting to the people who have worked their arses off to bring you arguably one of the best modifications for RTW. You don't think that perhaps a disagreement on formation for a particular unit might not be a particularly good reason to conclude that the team working on EB might actually have no idea about gameplay balance or engine limitations. In fact, it might seemingly be more astute to conclude that the many gameplay enhancing inclusions that push the engine limitations too its limit and who have been working on the same mod for nigh on three years might actually know what they are talking about.

Perhaps you should be willing to consider that the difficulties inherent in translating the historical facts of a matter into a artificially limited game engine is one that is thoroughly complex and can lead to many differing views that all suffer from some flaw or another but that equally all offer different benefits that accurately simulate the matter at hand. Disagreeing with a certain decision that has been made does not entitle you or indeed give you any position to argue that the team behind that decision is intellectually vapid and hollow.

We don't mind if you disagree with us, indeed we actively encourage it with this very forum, but to step beyond that and insult us is unacceptable behaviour. I would rephrase future condemnations to something better representing the platform that you stand on, which certainly isn't on of objective truth.

Foot

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Thanks! More than I needed to hear. Next time you should wake up for a decent interpretation of my wording and don't stand in some pedestal where EB is inherently above criticism. It is a fact that Hoplitai fight like they shouldn't do, even with that Guard Mode nonsense. But perhaps I stepped so highly as to offend your delicate personality, well, Mr. Foot, let it be known that it is not the first instance where EB members get a holier-than-thou attitude for their supposedly "unlimited" historical knowledge and their "infallible" decisions. If you cared to mention the reasons why Hoplites are so instead of whining about "insults" and going as far as insulting me and telling that objective truth is not my pursuit, then I would be probably be less annoyed at your post than I am now. But I, contrary to the fanboys out there, don't give lavish praise to EB and treat it like a perfect work made by perfect members, if that's what you really think it is, given your paranoia to detect the slightest disagreement and blowing it out of proportion such as now.

But I leave it to the EB team. If the EB team wants to make whatever decision, be it pure crap or not, then it is their business. Just don't try to cover it with that "it is objective truth and difficult historical matter" nonsense and expect praise from more than your mere syncophants.

The proof I have is that Hoplites fight like any basic historical depiction would make them fight, as many acting as a single unit, contrary to the original stance where they couldn't charge or fight without breaking formation. But God forbid, criticizing it with a fairly innocent remark is worse than going against the Holy Mother Church, oh the dogma! Thanks for making me waste my time posting this reply, BTW, for my day was pretty joyous.

[Foot]

Wow! Thats really quite impressive. I asked that you might not be so rude about people, friends of mine, who have made a decision based on hours upon hours of hard work. I never said that you couldn't criticise this work, but rather requested that you weren't so insulting about it.

I'm sorry that you think the work we've put into our mod is "complete crap". I never said that what we have added is the objective truth, indeed I made clear that it is a difficult decision with many options all with benefits and problems. It was you who stood upon a pedestal of objectivity not I or the EB team. There are arguments on both sides, neither on the clear winner, but if you consider yours the best fair enough, but it is the height of rudeness to insist that all who do not agree with you have made crap decisions.

But nevermind, it is hardly a matter I need worry about.

Foot

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Wow! Thats really quite impressive. I asked that you might not be so rude about people, friends of mine, who have made a decision based on hours upon hours of hard work. I never said that you couldn't criticise this work, but rather requested that you weren't so insulting about it.

I'm sorry that you think the work we've put into our mod is "complete crap". I never said that what we have added is the objective truth, indeed I made clear that it is a difficult decision with many options all with benefits and problems. It was you who stood upon a pedestal of objectivity not I or the EB team. There are arguments on both sides, neither on the clear winner, but if you consider yours the best fair enough, but it is the height of rudeness to insist that all who do not agree with you have made crap decisions.

There you pull straws over me. I used a hyperbole to denote the EB team does whatever they want no matter the consequences. I am only annoyed at your perceived attempt to detect "insults" in fairly innocent remarks; where did I say that EB team was a bunch of braindead working ahistorically? I was merely stating my personal and subjective opinion that the use of short_pike attributes is better and more historical than the current ones in EB, and it would have been fine wasn't for your post criticizing and even going so far as to question my "pursuit of truth" merely due to my preference. I've already stated my reason for using the words "fighting like rabble" which you might found rude, among other things.

But as this does not add any meaningful content over it, I rest my case.