Help offered

**tone** · February 19, 2010, 04:43 AM

I've been contacted by a guy from a Russian forum who is offering help in getting RS2 released.

He comes from this forum http://www.imtw.ru/ where they eagerly await the arrival of RS2 (try using google translate). It's also clear that there are some guys there with modding abilities including campaign AI, scripting, modelling and so on.

Given that progress is painfully slow at the moment and there are a whole load of things that it'd be good to include that we just don't have the manpower to work on, what do you think?

I know on the whole we've tended to turn offers like this down, but TBH, I'm tired and would love to see more things integrated into RS2 than we have so far. I don't intend to do a whole stack more work after release either, so the question is who will do it?

One thing we could do even if we're not keen on getting them actively involved, would be to send them the text files for translation.

**Paedric** · February 19, 2010, 05:07 AM

I would say yes, the harm they can do is very little, but the reward is much more important.
But maybe let's be a bit more specific : what do we need, and what/who can they provide to do it.

By the way,I am away from the 17 to the 25 of February I'm sorry.

**tone** · February 19, 2010, 05:31 AM

They're likely to work on some enhancements anyway once it comes out (I get the feeling that there is a reasonable degree of expertise there from the analysing they've done of the previews and discussions)

Things that could do with being looked at (ideally, although not to delay release):

1) Roman cognomens related to victories (Germanicus, Africanus, etc)
2) Other faction leadership systems: Hellenistic, Spartan, Barbarian, ?Dacian, Eastern
3) Battle formations - I think there is a fair bit of work that could be done here to improve player and AI formations to make them more unique per faction)
4) Campaign map work - smoothing coastlines (I know you're working on this already - how's it going?)
5) There's still a load of polishing to do - images for custom battles, etc, etc

I've still got to do the following:
1) Finish edits to Roman rebellion traits (stayed up too late last night working on it)
2) Add secondary weapons to officers
3) Do the remaining modelling work - balearic, numidian, roman legion belts.
4) Roman preview
5) GET SOME FEEDBACK AFTER ASKING I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES ON THE ROMAN LEGION AI RECRUITMENT AND REBELLION SCRIPTS IN ORDER TO TWEAK THEM IF NECESSARY (.....in case you haven't guessed I'm really frustrated about this)

BTW, love your avatar, Paedric.

**tone** · February 19, 2010, 07:33 AM

some interesting comments from their forum (excuse the google translation) - note my highlighting - good ideas:

In general, it would be fun to do 2 types of rebels from the Romans - the usual Rebel (consisting of local units) and Roman rebels (the Roman army, Roman units) that was the difference - the uprising of local people against the Roman government or a rebellion of the Roman army (the traitor general or governor ). If, after the capture of the city passed a short time and he has risen - logically part of the rebels from the local units, and if the city has long been captured, built a lot of Roman building and in general have Romanize, then part of the Roman units. This is only my wishes, but one intriguing moment in the message developed that "at a late stage of the campaign, the Romans will have a lot of pain from the Roman golovnoi insurgents, maybe they should consider that something like what I wrote above?

Considering the fact that they are to make a new system RS2 AOR with elements of assimilation and the new rules of recruitment and career of the Romans, perhaps my suggestion would be not a fantasy

**ray243** · February 19, 2010, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by tone

some interesting comments from their forum (excuse the google translation) - note my highlighting - good ideas:

That will take the mod to a whole new level indeed. My only worry is that Russians have a rather relaxed attitude about copyrights and they do modify the .exe file from time to time.

If the Russians members released a version of RS 2 with a new .exe file, I wonder what will happen to RS 2?

**dvk901** · February 19, 2010, 09:50 AM

I think it's a GREAT idea, because there is so much needing to be done, and so much that could be done. I know there has been discussions among modders about the future of RTW\BI\Alex, and even plans to work on or head towards a new mod on a different game 'base' (like M2TW or ETW)...but as much as I like the idea, and would support any way I could, this mod has been my dream and 'baby' since day one....and I feel that when it is released it is going to be immensely popular for a long time.

The more 'elite' modders at TWC are by and large swinging away from RTW, but the fact is I see 'new faces', people who have been quietly watching RS2's progress every day\week, waiting for it to be released. This tells me there are a lot of new people we don't even know about who will want this mod, as well as a lot of current members who will at the very least play it for a time. We used to use the axiom that wherever one person is willing to speak up, there are 10 who really have something to say. So I believe this mod will be absolutely crushed with interest way beyond what we imagined since it's an 'old game'. Am I dreaming? Really, I don't think so. We created something that's just 'too good' to pass up.

And really, I don't think people realize, even with the previews being shown, just how GOOD it is.

So I intend to stick around and continue to improve this, well after release. And I envision it will be a bit more fun then doing so because the pressure will be off. There are swap factions to be done....and yes, the ideas from these guys are very interesting....in fact I thought about some of them when I was setting up the Roman Rebels for the Roman Campaign...things like depending on where the rebellions occurred, what 'kind' of rebellion it would be. It's just that there is so little time, and so much yet to do. So yeah, I would welcome their interest and help.

"If, after the capture of the city passed a short time and he has risen - logically part of the rebels from the local units, and if the city has long been captured, built a lot of Roman building and in general have Romanize, then part of the Roman units..."

Dang, that's a good idea. If I wasn't so freaking numb from looking at this trait and ancilliary stuff I know exactly how it could be done. The Roman Rebels (thrace) own all the unit anyway.

**tone** · February 19, 2010, 10:13 AM

I guess if you link it to whether the Romans go for Client Kingdom or Annexing?

I'll try and test the water with these guys a bit more, but there are certainly some good ideas being thrown around there including comparisons of Darth and Sinuhet's settings and more.

I agree RS2 is likely to be popular. Gameplay is good, graphics are good (a French forum is bewailing the poor vegetation in NTW compared with RS2 according to Super Newbie Pro).

**aja5191** · February 19, 2010, 10:17 AM

Does it make sense for one of us to start an account on that forum and keep them relatively updated?

Or are we going to let them come to TWC with their accounts here and talk to us.

**tone** · February 19, 2010, 10:37 AM

That will take the mod to a whole new level indeed. My only worry is that Russians have a rather relaxed attitude about copyrights and they do modify the .exe file from time to time.

Not these guys, I don't think at least as far as the .exe is concerned. I've browsed pretty much the whole thread.

**swhunter** · February 19, 2010, 01:16 PM

Sure why not, we can use all the help Tone.

**pacco** · February 19, 2010, 01:18 PM

Yeah, I agree.

**HouseOfHam** · February 19, 2010, 02:13 PM

Can I ask who from their site had contacted you? I might know them.

**tone** · February 19, 2010, 02:15 PM

I've made a couple of posts on there.

Apparently it's Chernish on that site. L VII C is also offereing help with translation

**MarcusTullius** · February 19, 2010, 02:24 PM

All for it, although are these the same collective of Russians that contacted us previously?

**tone** · February 21, 2010, 02:57 AM

I think they are.

Here's a PM from one of them:

Originally Posted by Chernish

I am pleased to welcome you on behalf of the Russian players in RSII. Kamrades from Forum Imperial instructed me to write you. We admire your work in RSII and await with great interest the release. If you and your team will agree, we would simultaneously with the final version of the mod to release Russian translation RSII. Please give us permission to do so and send the folder "Text" in my e-mail address DChern@list.ru. Preserving Confidentiality is guaranteed. For reference: I am the vice-rector Saratov Imperial State University in Russia - http://en.sgu.ru/, my info - http://en.sgu.ru/node/23903

Also I can help in strengthening Ai in tactical battles, I have the experience of such work for informal submod to EB and has already made it to RS1.6. If you are interested, I can send a file EDU to RS 1.6 for review. I used the idea of Darth Vader and some of my own observations. In any case, how to make the phalanx is not broke through from the front, I know :-).

Please excuse me for my not very good English. I am reading more than writing in English )

Beast Regards,

Dmitry Chernishevsky aka Chernish, Saratov, Russia

Now to me, improving the AI formations work sounds good. I know there are various pros and cons of Darth vs Sinuhet, but I think it might be worth seeing what these guys can potentially do to help.

**pacco** · February 21, 2010, 03:36 AM

Sounds good.

**MarcusTullius** · February 21, 2010, 03:46 AM

Yes, lets see what they've improved in the RS1.6 files?

**tone** · February 21, 2010, 08:50 AM

I've asked him to send them.

**tone** · February 25, 2010, 08:53 AM

Would someone like to try this out for RS1.6 using Darth formations please - need to do a comparison of the normal Sinuhet and this set of stats:
http://www.filefront.com/15650423/export_descr_unit.txt