Feedback For Taiji!

[Taiji]

Please tell me everything that's right and wrong with battles in DLV.

Be sure to download the latest (01/02/09) Battle Ballance for DLV 6.0 files from here to avoid raising issues I've fixed.

I don't mind if what you want to say is completely negative.

Feel free to make comparisons with other mods.

I want DLV to have the absolute best battle experience, I need your feedback to help make that happen

[PrivateJoh]

Hi Taiji,

In your post, there are only a few files that have been modified, but I had modified some other ones following your previous instructions (battle_config.xml, desc_mount, etc). Should I revert to the original ones or keeping them is fine?

Ok, it was not very clear, I hope you understand.

Joh

[Taiji]

You ask good questions mate, I really messed that up didn't I?

OK so I need to include all the old files.... now where did I put them....

[PrivateJoh]

Thanks Taiji,

You are fast. Already done, next time I start a campaign I will use them.

I think I have them somewhere in case you have problems finding them.

Joh

[Taiji]

Why wait to start a new campaign? There are many fixes and such that might help now

[PrivateJoh]

Why wait to start a new campaign? There are many fixes and such that might help now

Because I just re-installed M2TW to have a clean DLV 6.0, and I am facing a problem with the only campaign I have started with the Crusader States (actually it is almost a work around for the difficulty as using diplomacy I can get my treasury to 35k in the first turn).

In fact, I have been using your files for that campaign (both battle balance, weapon upgrade removal and whatever I find dispersed on the forum). If you want to know, I find the Muslim ghazis killer machines against my mercenary crusader foot knights (swords) or templar spearmen (spears). It could also be due to the very high difficulty of the battle though. I have not seen any change in the cavalry spread though, still horrible, or effects on cavalry versus cavalry (still horrendous x 4 cavalry spread).

Joh

[PrivateJoh]

Hi again Taiji,

Sorry for double post, but this one is important.

Your new files do not work. When loading, you get to a black screen and CTDs after pressing Esc.

So, no feedback for you just yet .

[Taiji]

Ouch, let me check that

EDIT: Solved and uploaded, thanks very much for pointing this out to me Joh and sorry to everyone that tried the last version. Stupid mistakes with drag and drop cause big problems sometimes

Ah well, I'm keen to hear what people think of the monstrous new stats

If you find that battles are too slow try 1.1 or 1.2 speed and you might enjoy the increased pace of fighting. But please tell me if you think they're too slow now.

If you're wondering why defence levels are so high well it's for 2 main reasons,

1 - High defence means greater relative vulnerability vs flanking. Defence only works in front of the soldier so when you use flanking tactics they will count for more, and so they should.

2 - The 'spear' and 'light_spear' are great attributes with unholy flaws. Both spear and light_spear deliver a -6 penalty vs all infantry, as if that wasn't enough to mess things up spear units get a further -6 vs slashing(axe,sword,halberd,etc.). I've tested this and so far it seems sound. We could drop spear but personally I prefer the idea of using it to create more detailed battlefield. Because of this defence has to be high enough to cope with a potential -12 defence penalty. Some high level spear units are made more 'defensive' having not only enough extra defence to counter the -6 but also to mitigate some of the -6 from slashing too. Units with blunt weapons should stay away from the top spearmen but engage them with axe or sword and they will drop a lot faster.

There other things that can be done to speed things up, so if battles are a drag now let me know.

And yes I've fixed it so please go and try it out

[hotcobbler]

I'm enjoying it so far, seems pretty balanced.

I'm playing as Ireland and the battles are hard, but winnable. I haven't fought them yet, but I noticed that English knights across the sea already have silver armor upgrades and bronze weapon upgrades. I thought weapon upgrades were being taken out, so I was confused.

Thanks for the great job though.

[Taiji]

Thanks Hotcobbler, that's good to hear

You can grab the weapon upgrade removal here it really does help the game make more sense. It's save compatible but all units that had weapon upgrades will still have them so I'd recommend starting a new campaign.

[mattgonzo]

hey taiji your two mini mods are very nice....the battles are well balanced and i have to say i'm thinking like you about the weapon upgrades
but i have to ask, isn't it possible to create some more experience ranks for the units and let some units for example peasants rank up if they have reached a high enough experience rank and become knights(just an example)....anyway keep on with what you are doing, doing good and i'd like to see more people that make some submods or improvements for this fantastic mod. mostly i'd like to see some one who could make a submod to make the eastern roman- and the holy roman empire more realistic just like the basileus ton romain mod for SS6.1.........
thx again and keep on Matt

[mattgonzo]

and maybe you can help me with my problem you can find at my thread ''some changes''....

[Taiji]

Mattgonzo, glad to be of service

I don't think upgrading a unit the way you are suggesting is possible which is a shame, nice idea.

Perhaps we can introduce the CBUR units at some point, with all the changes I'm making to units and battlefield mechanics my plate is kinda full for the moment. Again, nice idea.

Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming

[mattgonzo]

Thx it's a privilege to be thanked by you
sry I'm a newbie....CBUR units?!
i'm not good at modding so i can give at least some suggestions for improvements
one other thing can you tell me how to get reputation points? or give someone reputation points? as i said i'm a newbie at that point

[Taiji]

You are too kind

CBUR is Complete Byzantine Unit Rosta, it's the mod you mentioned for SS6.1. I agree it's great but I don't have time to do anything in this direction just yet.

Ok, now to give rep points all you have to do is click the feather on parchment icon beneath my name, write a little note about how awesome I am and then sign it with your name so I know who has seen the light this time

Seriously though, negative feedback is just as important as positive. I need to know what to change as well as what to keep the same.

At the moment there is not much (if any) difference between different versions of the same troops. Dismounted noble knights, portuguese knights and english knights are pretty much the same for example. We need some new modifiers for units, specialisations or tendencies to make for more interesting detail. Like we could have english knights excel vs cavalry, french could excel in the charge and portuguese could be defensively inclined.

Ideas about how units can be specialised would be interesting for me.

[ivanhoex]

are you giving spears +12 armor or have i read wrong? i cant believe it XD

[Taiji]

lol no mate, I've given them some extra defence depending on training level to mitigate the penalties of using 'spear'. For some it equates to a bonus of more than +6 so that sword and axe units can't take them down too fast.

To balance that I've revised the defence values of everyone. We now have some very high defence values and the effects are awesome sometimes but sometimes silly.

Charges need looking at again since they're lost a lot of punch but flanking maneuvres are now incredibly effective. Turning your back on the enemy gets you killed very fast.

Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think about it Ivanhoex. I've finally got around to changing cavalry lance and charge values and I've introduced 2 new levels of training below level 1 to implement some of the nerfing of missile units you were suggesting. Basically, a lot has changed and I'm keen to hear what you think

EDIT: Spam post 1000

[mattgonzo]

you just got a reputation point for your nice minimods thx much
ok i've got some ideas, but they are my personal feeling and i can't give you a proof that they are historical correct (but most of them will be)
as you said france should have soldiers with a very strong charge and a strong attack... also they should look majestic...
the hre should have allround troops with a good experience and a strong deffense but their german knights should be very very powerfull all troops also should have a nice moral
good deffenders also should be venice,milan,the papal states,portugal,poland,lithuania,and the east roman empire(byzanz)
the best infantry in the whole world should be at the east roman empire and the teutonic order also the englisch should have very powerfull infantry
the best cavalry should have the mongols,most of the islamic factions and of course france....

i hope that text won't confuse you so much and will help you a little bit...

[mattgonzo]

edit: all units should be better against cavalry.....

[ivanhoex]

i have spent all weekend at my girlfriends without dlv, as soon i can get hold of a few custom battles you will have enough feedback to even hate me a little (at least for a while)

i am seriously thinking on putting a stop on playing time and become a modder again and restart doing my damn new calc... i also hate things half done so...


btw, need to ask you this: are you managing data using an excel sheet or other type of batch calculator /maybe provided by pb? if so i would love to put my hands on it as it might help me through a lot