Empire Mod Questions & Recommendations

[=Prince Nuada=]

Well, the time is come when I am making the decision to break free of the frusterations of vanilla and install a mod.

I really like what Imperial Splendor II has to offer, but I know that Darth Mod is by far the most popular and has its good points too.

So I put it to you:

• Which mod do you play/prefer and why?
• Are the mods compatible with other mods/patches?
• Is there a difference between Darth Mod & DMUC?

[aggie_john]

This is a hard one. I have played both and there both great mods. I am really looking forward to the new IS3 mod with the faction specific uniforms but then again Darth mod is the definitive ETW mod. I mean all mods have the Darth AI in them so that says a lot about Darth's contribution.

[RakeinWaiting]

To be honest, I didnt really like Darthmod.

The battles were amazing, but it was stuffed full of mainly useless units, the AI didnt seem that different (the AI even seemed more passive; in my Russian campaign, I literally rolled over the Turks, never lost a battle on H/H) and it seemed there were only 5 portraits for your generals, admirals and politicians; I once had 3 ministers with the same picture (yes, a small thing I know).

I havent played Imperial Splendor yet, but maybe in the future.

Oh yes and DMUC has more visual and sound improvements so battles are way cooler (lots of BLOOD!!!), while Darth Mod mainly consists of an AI upgrade.

Rake.

[SturmChurro]

Well, the time is come when I am making the decision to break free of the frusterations of vanilla and install a mod.

I really like what Imperial Splendor II has to offer, but I know that Darth Mod is by far the most popular and has its good points too.

So I put it to you:

• Which mod do you play/prefer and why?
• Are the mods compatible with each other?
• Are the mods compatible with other mods/patches?
• Is there a difference between Darth Mod & DMUC?

I haven't actually played Imperial Splendor, but I do know what the mod is about as I have kept a close watch on their progress.

Imperial Splendor I am starting to prefer. I love how the guys working on the mod make units. They are all amazing.

DMUC is more meant for the better AI and larger battles.

Simply for aesthetic reasons I picked Imperial Splendor.

[eschelar]

There are a couple of good youtube vids that compare them as well.

But I think you should try a world dom by 1750 to say farewell to the flaws and weaknesses of Vanilla AI before you move on to the next thing. Don't just beat the game. Beat it DOWN!

[Sir Furlong]

I think you should go with Imperial Spendour first, it doesn't seem to change the game as much, so I feel its better to go with when you've just been using Vanilla before.

[CptAustus]

I never played Imperial Splendor, but I found Darth Mod to be way TOO easy. A swedish campaign where I had a stable alliance with Russia and Austria, Denmark and GB. I dont think the AI even used ships to block my ports or something. I quit when I had most of the Caribean and half of India. The AI would always accept my deals in diplomacy, so I was allied with all of my neighbors and had trade agreements with everyone.

[Apolloa]

No replies....T-T

[=Prince Nuada=]

Thanks guys. Well, I've installed IS2 and so far I am mightily impressed and excited.
Most notable is the size of the download – IS2 is a much smaller download and assumedly quicker to install.

Let's keep the discussion rolling though, I'm interested to see what people's opinions are.

[eschelar]

Cpt Austus, what difficulty settings were you using?

[CptAustus]

Cpt Austus, what difficulty settings were you using?

Hard/Hard IIRC.

[ErikBerg]

Darth Mod is by far the most popular

Argumentum ad populum.



I for one feel more immersed in the game when the nations are diverse, distinct and unique. I enjoy faction specific technologies. I enjoy factions having noticable strengths and weaknesses. I enjoy factions having unit names in their native languages.

As for blood and smoke and other aesthetical factors: Imperial Splendour was designed to let the players decide for themselves what they want. I've tried several submods that change sounds, flags and uniforms among other things, and they've always worked alongside IS.

Quotes by the IS developers:

DMUC has lots of things that look nice, like big battles, smoke by Blood and Smoke mod and new portraits and flags - but IS changes the game to be a new experience.

I just say: Unique, distinct factions!

IS offer a new alternative for E:TW gameplay, contrary to DMUC which push Vanilla's one to its extremities.

Imperial Splendour is about the experience of Empire.

[=Prince Nuada=]

Well, the score is currently 8:4 with IS in the lead.

One significant difference I have noticed with IS (and one of the reasons I chose it) is naval battles.
The ships of the line are ponderous compared to lighter, faster escorts.
Now, if I'm not careful, my brigs and sloops will out-distance my 4th and 5th Rates.
When engauging enemy escorts, they will easily out-run and out-maneuver the larger ships.
I love this!
Now escorts have really found their place and any fleet without at least a small handful is slow and cumbersome.
Also, you can now force a surrender more easily which means that you don't have to totally pound a ship into submission before it gives up the fight. This saves on time and ship damage.

[DeValiere]

I don't play with either mod, but find the AUM3.2 mod and various visual mods for blood and smoke and flags etc do me fine. My own tweak to unit size takes care of battle sizes. I think having had a cursory look at DMUC, the issue there seems to be that there's a limit to what can be done with the AI - something to do with what is and what isn't hard coded into the game I think. So, while an improvement on AI, it's hamstrung by the hard coded bits. Interesting about naval battles in IS2. If the speeds have been reduced on larger ships, I'd be expecting a big change in how ships maneuver in line to accompany the speed drop so that they behave realistically in all aspects - currently you have to play follow the leader rather than ships turning in sequence when reversing course as was the proper method of the time. Simply slowing down the ships might be realistic but doing so with the flawed ship handling to me would make for very ponderous naval battles. Just a grump of mine - if that's fixed too in IS it might even be worth trying it! If I were to choose between the two, I suspect from what I've seen it would be IS rather than DMUC however. I must agree that completely vanilla Empire will only get you so far.

[=Prince Nuada=]

Naval combat has changed.
Ships of the line can't execute 90* turns anymore.
Escorts can and they are a lot more fast and agile.
I think the major heavyweights will be slow and ponderous.
In this we're talking about 3rd and 2nd rates.
That is why the heavier ships of the line and battleships need to be compensated by frigates (6th Rates) and escorts (Brigs and Sloops).
I personally have found that I have to adjust my naval strategy.
I can't rely on "snaking" my ships to bring both my broadsides to bear, but I can rely on my ships being more durable and less likely to explode.
Ammunition has changed too.
At range round shot is the most accurate, chainshot slightly less so.
I can't soley rely on chainshot anymore.
I need to get some round shot in to knock-out some guns, then target the rigging to slow the enemy down, and finally canister shot on the stern.

[DeValiere]

Hmmm. It's the "snaking" that irks me the most in vanilla. The implementation of naval battles is poor in Empire - confrontations between main battle lines at sea were indeed slow and ponderous, and the windward fleet had the advantage but that all relied on how the lines maneuvered - and Empire just doesn't replicate that at all. But, less accurate chain shot at range is a reasonable change. Slow moving heavy ships really should just be pounding each other as well, not racing all over the map and of course if it's a fight to the death, and not for prize money, you aim at the hull, not the rigging. The carnage was horrific during large sea battles of the period for the very reason that it was slow moving, close quarters action in many cases. Frigates and smaller ships weren't meant for main fleet action anyway. They'd never survive.

Well, at least the challenges in IS make for more of a challenge I dare say.

I must admit I was also disappointed with the naval battles in FoTS - was practically salivating at the thought of ironclads but the same basic flaws in ship behavior in formation detract from the experience for me. If there's one thing I'd love to see hugely revised in future TWs it's the naval combat. I suppose if we're getting R2, there'll be bloody oars to deal with.

[Mr. Shaboobies]

Ok I dont want to highjack this thread or anything, but I am also looking for a suggestion for which mod to download. I just have a problem of not having a very good computer, so my unit sizes I play on for Vanilla is med (80 men per line inf) and the graphics are way low. Im not so much looking for the graphically intense adjustments like smoke and blood, because as it is now my comp lags badly with the smoke. I am looking for more immersion with the factions diversity and the unit outfits and names, and (am I dreaming too much?) good diplomacy. I dont know which to choose, IS or Darth Mod?

[=Prince Nuada=]

IS is a smaller download/install and doesn't make majorly drastic changes.
DM is 2GB and makes some quite comprehnsive roster changes I believe.

[Taraphir]

To decide between Imperial Splendor and Darth Mod puts me into a serious Dilemma because I like both very much.
Well I tentatively voted for Darth Mod but must stress that in my opinion both mods are quite excellent.

[ninjaskill]

DMUC is better than Darthmod