Making Ireland usefull!

[Barser]

As we all know Ireland is awefull in this game. I only play the early campaign so I dont really know how big there city is in the late one But one of the main issues with Ireland as a boring faction is that they don't launch any attacks outside of Irealand becaurse they don't have any ports and it takes forever for them to get a settlement big enough and build one /and they can't figure out how to buy merc ships.
BUT!
In the early campaign I gave Irealand a port at the start in the only town they have and I think this will make them a little more active.

Here is the file which you just dump in \Medieval II Total War\mods\Stainless_Steel_6\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign.

Remember to do a backup (just in case). I would like to get feedback if this makes them moore interessting.

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Update. They are still rather slow at building there first ship so i gave them a longboat at start and now they seem to be able to move there a**
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Update. I gave Ireland a ship more to start with and a lot moore units. They seem quit capable now as you can see. Also I gave them a church and a cardinal (don't know if this will increase there chances of going on a crusade?).

[YD23]

This should be in the sub-mod section, but, good job, some people will download this for sure.

[Barser]

This should be in the sub-mod section, but, good job, some people will download this for sure.

Your right I just didn't thought this change was big enough for the mod section (I aint no modder ).

[ImKyleJames]

Very promising!!

[Gorrrrrn]

I'm playing a late era campaign (as France) and have seen an Irish princess land by boat at Bordeaux and conduct negotiations and a boat with a half stack army wandering around the coast of Brittany and later northern Spain. Not seen them land anywhere though.

(But in early campaigns I've seen Ireland with ports, ships and a couple of stacks sitting around doing nothing for ever.)

(I've never seen Ireland go on crusades - do they not have the option, if not giving them the option might encourage them to get into their boats.)

So for as long as we have Ireland as a playable faction, I'm all in favour of anything that makes them more active.

[Barser]

I'm playing a late era campaign (as France) and have seen an Irish princess land by boat at Bordeaux and conduct negotiations and a boat with a half stack army wandering around the coast of Brittany and later northern Spain. Not seen them land anywhere though.

(But in early campaigns I've seen Ireland with ports, ships and a couple of stacks sitting around doing nothing for ever.)

(I've never seen Ireland go on crusades - do they not have the option, if not giving them the option might encourage them to get into their boats.)

So for as long as we have Ireland as a playable faction, I'm all in favour of anything that makes them more active.

I will try and give them a few moore units (and maybe a priest) in early campaign as it seemed they had a lot of trouble with rebeling and taking dublin. But a possitive thing was that they seemed desperet to get caernarvon. To bad scotland snatched it in the end. They don't seem totally useless now but still I don't think it is enough

(I actually tryed to give them a script at the start but well.. It was just to generic. I like it the old fashion way where you don't know what they gonna do)

[Barser]

Don't know what else to add. (im no modder so my skills is limited ) But I will probably figure out something along the way.

[Fridericus Rex]

Barser -
I gave them more start-up money, increased starting population (to permit earlier town/castle upgrades). The harbor or an early ship, like the English or Scots have, will support that faction and make it more active.

They Irish came greatly unbalanced.

[Barser]

Barser -
I gave them more start-up money, increased starting population (to permit earlier town/castle upgrades). The harbor or an early ship, like the English or Scots have, will support that faction and make it more active.

They Irish came greatly unbalanced.

Sounds reasonable.

I gave them a church,harbor and upgraded the settlement in cork. Gave them 2 longboats and a lot moore units. They are doing great so far in britain. Also I gave them a cardinal (hope this helps in some matters).

I didn't want to give them moore money if that could be avoided.

But your right. They didn't give the irish a chance.

[wolfslayer]

You might try an alternate faction setting, like:

faction ireland, sailor guy

in descr_strat

They will concentrate on building up their naval infrastructure as a priority.

l

[Barser]

You might try an alternate faction setting, like:

faction ireland, sailor guy

in descr_strat

They will concentrate on building up their naval infrastructure as a priority.

l

Hmm thought about that. Maybe it is a good idea afterall. I don't know if I want Ireland to be that powerfull in the long run. But then again they gave scotland the "sailor smith" :hmmm:

[gracul]

We could always make somekind of a trait boost for the irish AI, for lets say the first 10 turns of the game.

[Barser]

We could always make somekind of a trait boost for the irish AI, for lets say the first 10 turns of the game.

But I don't think this has something to do with money? Ireland is also the only one having the "comfortable mao". is that like inactivity?

[gracul]

No, while saying trait boost i meant like maybe increase sail movement for generals on ships, and after departure for 2 turns generals would have 2 command stars more or smth, for a quick conquare and a foot on the mainland.

[Barser]

No, while saying trait boost i meant like maybe increase sail movement for generals on ships, and after departure for 2 turns generals would have 2 command stars more or smth, for a quick conquare and a foot on the mainland.

Ahh that sounds sweet. Didn't knew you could do that.

[Antagonist]

Nice idea Barser, looks like it will work. Hopefully tweaking the AI personalities helps as well, it goes without saying that a faction on an island which doesn't travel on ships contributes nothing to the game unless you play as them.

I'm vaguely thinking of doing a specialized overhaul mod for Ireland in the future (if I can get my unit art skills up to a good standard) I don't doubt they will be dropped as an "official" SS faction sooner or later, but I would release it here as an optional modification. As an optional thing I don't care about other factions being more significant or whatever, but I would need to know if there was a way to get them reliably involved with naval invasions and so on, if the AI can't handle island factions then there doesn't seem to be much point.

Antagonist

EDIT: Dublin should really have a fleet and a decent port from the get-go anyway (historically I mean) It was one of the great ports of the Viking Age, and maintained a sizeable fleet. The reason (or at least the pretext) that England became involved in Ireland is actually a result of this: Henry II was campaigning in Wales and wanted naval support, but had no ships nearby so he hired the fleet from the lord of Dublin. When the Irish king exiled him a few years later for supporting a rival, he went to his friend Henry, got Norman mercenaries, etc. etc.

[Barser]

Maybe it would be better to give Ireland, Dublin as starten settlement than cork?
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But It might be enough to just give Dublin a starting port and Ireland the sailor trait. If they don't start with no ships they will head straight out for dublin and snatch it then building a fleet right away (I hope).

Thanks for the history input Antagonist. I will see if this works right away.
But I will keep the chuch and cardinal change .

[Antagonist]

Dublin was controlled by Irish vassals of the King in 1080, and certainly not by England (which didn't enter Ireland at all until 1167) They would control it in the 1220 campaign though.

[Barser]

Dublin was controlled by Irish vassals of the King in 1080, and certainly not by England (which didn't enter Ireland at all until 1167) They would control it in the 1220 campaign though.

Okay. I dont know that much about Ireland (but nice to learn some).

I tryed giving them the "sailor smith" like scotland/denmark/norway but they just dont feel like building any ports/ships yet in my campaign. So I guess the current desc_strat I have uploade still is the best option as for now. The only thing is that cork starts with a port instead of dublin.

[gracul]

So, how is Ireland doing with the faction setting changed to sailor guy?
Anyone testing how does the Irish manage expanding on the mainland?