[VI 2 Submod] The Last Kingdom (TLK)

[DaVinci]

TLK

'I had been given a perfect childhood, perfect, at least, to the ideas of a boy. I was raised among men, I was free, I ran wild, was encumbered by no laws, was troubled by no priests and was encouraged to violence.' Uhtred is an English boy, born into the aristocracy of 9th Century Northumbria, but orphaned at ten, adopted by a Dane and taught the Viking ways. Yet Uhtred's fate is indissolubly bound up with Alfred, King of Wessex, who rules over the last English kingdom when the Danes have overrun Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia.

That war, with its massacres, defeats and betrayals, is the background to Uhtred's childhood, a childhood which leaves him uncertain of his loyalties, but a slaughter in a winter dawn propels him to the English side and he will become a man just as the Danes launch their fiercest attack yet on Alfred's kingdom. Marriage ties him further to the West Saxon cause, but when his wife and child vanish in the chaos of a Danish invasion, Uhtred is driven to face the greatest of the Viking chieftains in a battle beside the sea, and there, in the horror of a shield-wall, he discovers his true allegiance.

Extract from 'The Last Kingdom'

Content

Submod for Viking Invasion 2 (VI 2), v1.7, DoB edition (DoB 1.0 or 1.2, both compatible)

Submod name: The Last Kingdom (TLK) or VI2-TLK (shortform)

Updated version: VI2-TLK 1.1

The updated VI2-TLK v1.1 changes again the startsituation (not saved game compatible - start a new campaign vs. TLK 1.0), adds a few units, changes some descriptive texts, and comes with diverse small to decisive changes to the gameplay.

Introduction

This submod is inspired by Bernard Cornwell's novels 'The Saxon Stories', here especially 'The Last Kingdom', last phase and a bit of the starting phase of 'The Pale Rider'.
Players who know the book(s) will notice the many novel characters, which occur in this mod. TLK is a special scenario-mod.

Else: The submod comes with quite some changes to VI2, starts 25 years later, and has alterations in the unit balance, recruitment, costs, building conditions etc., and anyway the start situation and family tree's, victory conditions, traits and ancs, plus many descriptive texts are changed.

Important: The mod is done/balanced to play Wessex (the West-Saxons), in a kind of a RPG (roleplay game) with Uhtred as main actor. However, i left the Danes as playable faction as well for the pure Viking fans.

Credits go to everybody who has to do with the development of Viking Invasion 2 (VI2), v 1.7, DoB edition, for the awesome base mod. And additionally to Chivalry Total War (ChivTW) for using again some added mod material (anc tga's). Further on, since v1.1 credits go to the Norman Invasion mod for some used unit material.

Thanks go to christof139 for support and some inspiration.
The mod refers as well to this thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=364820

... and of course thanks go to Bernard Cornwell for the great novels 'The Saxon Stories', the source of the inspiration, and this mod is dedicated to this author and his work.

Submod-Creator: DaVinci

Changed files

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

TLK 1.0 modifies or adds
data:
export_descr_ancillaries.txt
export_descr_character_traits.txt
export_descr_buildings.txt
export_descr_unit.txt
text:
campaign_descriptions.txt
event_strings.txt
event_titles.txt
expanded_bi.txt
export_ancillaries.txt
export_buildings.txt
export_units.txt
export_VnVs.txt
historic_events.txt
names.txt
shared.txt
strat.txt
base:
descr_regions.txt
map.rwm (zero file, overwrites)
campaign:
descr_events.txt
descr_mercenaries.txt
descr_strat.txt
descr_win_conditions.txt
VI2_campaign_script.txt
menu:
backdrop.tga
ui:
ancillaries (adds 6 tga's, ChivTW material)
unit_info (adds 1 tga / saxons, uhtreds_men.tga)
units (adds 1 tga / saxons, uhtreds_men.tga)
TLK 1.1 changes additionally
- descr_rebel_factions
- descr_model_battle
- model_units
- sprites
- ui (units, unit_info)

Instructions + Download

Installation

Preparation (requirement):
- Needs a working VI 2, DoB version (equal if 1.0 or 1.2) installed, with no further custom changes.
- Download the file calling TLK.zip to your desktop or where ever you like.
- Extract this file TLK.zip, you'll find a readme and the file calling VI2_Submod_TLK.zip
- Make a backup of the original VI2 folder (copy the VI2 folder), rename that folder (or move out the VI2 backup folder from this bi folder).

Install + Start: (as well valid for version 1.1)
- Move the file VI2_Submod_TLK.zip into the bi folder, where VI2-DoB is located (the original VI2 folder).
- Extract the file VI2_Submod_TLK.zip there (ie. with right-click on it), overwrite all. Done.

- Start VI2 as usually.
- VI2-TLK control: you must see a TLK notification on the screen, where the DoB notification is, while the TLK notification is on the left side.

Uninstallation

- Rename the modified VI2 folder, which is now the VI2-TLK submod folder.
- Rename back the formerly done VI2-backup folder to VI2 (or move back the external stored original VI2 folder).
(this way one can switch between VI2 original and the submod TLK)

Download

TLK 1.1: TWC Server

---
DaVinci, June-July 2010

[Aradan]

Congrats on the release! Downloaded, but not tried yet (exam period, bleh).


Bugs:

Version number on the backdrop reads DoB 1.0, while the latest version of DoB is 1.2.
Leader portrait on faction selection menu does not match the one in campaign.

[DaVinci]

Congrats on the release! Downloaded, but not tried yet (exam period, bleh).


Bugs:

Version number on the backdrop reads DoB 1.0, while the latest version of DoB is 1.2.
Leader portrait on faction selection menu does not match the one in campaign.

Thanks Aradan, for the heads-up.

Re 1: Obviously i installed only DoB 1.0 ... what's the difference between DoB 1.0 and 1.2? I guess (or hope) it makes no harm for the TLK submod if Dob 1.0 or 1.2 is installed as base, as all relevant files which are responsible for the gameplay are changed with TLK. However, i guess i'll download DoB 1.2 soon to check it out, if it makes a difference for TLK.

Re 2: It's due to the family tree, which starts with a scripted death of the old king Aethelwulf (is the one who is portrayed).

... for now just cosmetics, and the latter point of these two is not avoidable.

Anyway, TLK 1.0 is an open beta, and i'll do some updates, some day (atm. planned for: unit officer changes, traits, ancs, some names/characters, small start situation changes, victory conditions ... aspects which are modified already and get some ammendments).

[Aradan]

I suggest you change TLK to use the latest version of DoB as a base. I can't remember the changes off the top of my head, but we don't release patches without serious reasons to.

[DaVinci]

I suggest you change TLK to use the latest version of DoB as a base. I can't remember the changes off the top of my head, but we don't release patches without serious reasons to.

Yeah, i'll just install DoB 1.2, and put TLK on it to see if it makes a difference (speak: looking for possible bugs due to DoB 1.0 or 1.2). From what i see in the DoB changelog to VI2 1.7 though, my guess is, those points won't matter for TLK. But i have anyway the plan to playtest TLK completely, means play through the Saxons for further balancing purposes.

[Athenogoras]

Looking good DV, will try it soon...

[DaVinci]

Looking good DV, will try it soon...

Alright.

[DaVinci]

As for DoB 1.0 or 1.2:

I just dl'ed DoB 1.2, then made a brief file comparison - result: TLK is VI2 1.7/DoB 1.2 compatible (1st post edited accordingly).

All relevant files are changed with TLK, which were edited with DoB 1.2, everything else is the same.
So the remaining difference is the starting screen entry of DoB 1.0 (just cosmetics).

EDIT

Just made an addition to post #1: A Changed files list, so the VI2 experts get a clue what happened regarding the file structure.

[Keyser Soze]

congrat DaVinci. downloading now...

about DoB 1.0 and DoB 1.02, there were several text edits and bugs in codding, but I think no eidt which change game.

[DaVinci]

Hello Keyser, i playtested TLK in the meantime, about 40 turns and i had no technical issues, it's bugfree so far (campaign and battle mode).

Gameplay wise, i have a hard time with the West-Saxons on M/M, have always to defend and regain lost settlements from the Danes, consolidating and retraining. Initially after the release of TLK 1.0, i counted with a ToDo of an increase of the difficulty, means i planned to make the game harder, but atm. i think it is hard enough. After the played 20 years I haven't increased the starting regions, so i'm far away from the victory conditions, and "The Norns Can Be Wicked" ... Uhtred changed recently the sides to the Danes, next time i'll need to add at least a good diplomat into Uhtred's map-character, hope to avoid a successfull bribe by the Danes.

[DragonsWarrior]

looks good i shall download this tomorrow and bring back england

[christof139]

Hi DV, I haven't dwld'd TLK yet but will. I have an idea for you but you may already be using it. The Cornish/Welsh witch whose name I think starts with an 'I' (helpful aren't I? - I'll go back through all the books & make a list of things in awhile) would make a good ancillary for Uthred. Maybe give him +1 strat. vision & +1 morale as she supposedly could forsee the future somewhat & was a hot little vixen.

Could make ancillaries out of some other characters maybe, like Uthred's old priest friend that ends marrying Ragnar's beeeautiful but slightly mad sister. I think his name was father 'W', Wildabog or Wildabeast (just kidding) or some such (once again my memory etc. fail, but I am just ever so helpful - it's the thought that counts, & some quick research, but if I don't post the idea at least partially it may never get posted, or used, due to the impartialness of the Norns & Powers That Be, or Don't Be but still effect & give affects - something like that).

Good you released this without bugs as it seems, & are getting good reviews. It's always nice & fun to have a new mod that works. Recieved all those historical books on the period I ordered on the cheap from Amazon, & got the 2 novels of 2 different series. The Whale Road by Robert Low is the first of 4 books in the Oathsworn series & is great: it concerns a young fellow, Attila's treasure which they find but things go bad here due to the curse, another mad but beeeautiful witch, wheeling & dealing & backstabbing, the Rus of Kiev, etc., so I'm getting the other books in the series - quite complicated series & not real easy reading due to all the twists & turns, but they do deal mainly with the Norse in the East, in the Slav kingdoms, Finland, & Byzantium mainly but also in Britain. The other book, the Raven series book (Raven, Blood Eye) & first of 2 so far in the series is much easier reading & copies Cornwell to a large degree, but is OK - by Giles Kristian. Seems the Raven series is based on the first recorded Viking raid in Britain in southern Dorset in 787AD - 6-years before the raid on Lindisfarne monastery in 793AD) when 3 Danish ships (in the book, Norweigians, since the author is of Norwegian descent)raided:

"Six years before Lindisfarne was raided the Anglo Saxon Chronicle’s records for A.D. 787. that "This year King Bertric took Edburga the daughter of Offa to wife. And in his days came first three ships of the Northmen from the land of robbers. The reve then rode thereto, and would drive them to the king's town; for he knew not what they were; and there was he slain. These were the first ships of the Danish men that sought the land of the English nation."

Quote is from this website: http://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/793/

Another link saying the first raid of 3 ships was in Dorset in 787AD: http://www.localhistories.org/viking.html

"In 787 three Danish ships landed at Dorset. A royal official called a reeve went to meet them. He assumed the strangers had come to trade. Instead they killed him and sailed away."

[Alex-ander]

Tried installing this sounds great but i am getting this error message at startup.

script error bi/vi2/data/export/export_unit.txt at line 1189 column 53

could not find soldier battle model for unit type gaelic monk

[DaVinci]

The Cornish/Welsh witch whose name I think starts with an 'I'

It's Iseult, and yes (have her on my mind already), she would make up a good unique anc, while Uhtred starts now already with 6 ancs. Another point is, that Uhtred meets here quite after the start situation, but i can make this possible Iseult anc accessable for Uhtred alone, but have to think about the other trigger conditions. Else, christof139, i suggest that you install TLK first, and then comment on it (most relevant characters occur already in the one or other form, while i have to make some ammendments/checks by myself for some character names and its descriptions/circumstances - will happen and done with an upcoming TLK update).

Tried installing this sounds great but i am getting this error message at startup.

script error bi/vi2/data/export/export_unit.txt at line 1189 column 53

could not find soldier battle model for unit type gaelic monk

First of all, a folder calling export does not exist, so i assume you meant export_descr_units.txt.

Maybe you have a wrong installation? Or custom changes in VI2/DoB?

Really the dmb file (responsible for the unit models) is the same in TLK and VI2/DoB 1.0 or 1.2 (in other words: unit models file is not changed, but i might take a second look; edit*: done, no issue found, same codes in DoB 1.0 or 1.2 for the soldier models). Must be something on your end if you get an error message at startup.
Nonetheless i'll take a look at the edu line 1189; edit: done, no issue found.

EDIT*

So i made a fresh VI2 v1.7, DoB 1.2 installation, on this i installed TLK 1.0, started the campaign - result: No error message whatsoever. Can only confirm what i said above.

[Alex-ander]

Got it working now reinstalling it did the trick

Looks good

[christof139]

It's Iseult, and yes (have her on my mind already), she would make up a good unique anc, while Uhtred starts now already with 6 ancs. Another point is, that Uhtred meets here quite after the start situation, but i can make this possible Iseult anc accessable for Uhtred alone, but have to think about the other trigger conditions. Else, christof139, i suggest that you install TLK first, and then comment on it (most relevant characters occur already in the one or other form, while i have to make some ammendments/checks by myself for some character names and its descriptions/circumstances - will happen and done with an upcoming TLK update).

I will install it when I get around to it. I just got back from Nilfheim now & am tired. I wasn't commenting on the mod, just throwing an idea or two out, but I will eventually comment on it, but I can tell you in advance I will probably enjoy it & think it is OK etc.

Father 'P' (Pryllg, sp?), the Welsh monk would make another good anc. or maybe a character, with his own Welsh Christian warband to become available to Alfie the Great. More variety gives more character & fun, usually. If I get around to it I may do somethings like this for my own version, like I did with Med. TW1, but I never delved deeply inot RTW or later TW games. Good info here & at the other TW place for modding help though.

I have about 6+(methinks more actually) copies of RTW & Alex on my PC now, and will make another for a seperate install specifically for your mod only, so things are sorted out & no conflicts arise.

Well, back to EoD1. Ha ha ha!! Still have it, with Elephants now for the Shambhala. Actually haven't played that in a month or 2 as things are getting hectic for me.

Maybe this weekend I will get your mod installed. Thanx!!

[christof139]

Hello DV, I finally got your mod installed but had trouble as some of the OPs here also did. I could not install it on a clean RTW-BI build upgraded to VI2v1.7 & then DoB1.2 then TLK. So, I had to make a copy of a clean VI2 already upgraded with DoB1.2 & then unzip your file into it & then it worked! Very strange!

Comments:

1) It wasn't until 897AD that Alfie the Great had the Large Saxon Warships in service, while your mod has 330 Large Saxon Warships in service at the start. Prior to 897AD, Alfie used smaller Saxon warships, & probably converted merchant ships & captured Viking & Frisian ships.

2) Good & interesting ancillaries you have.

3) How do you add replacements to Uthred's Household Troops, or is it you can't & they will just die off? I have only 5-troops left in the unit (I play with small units so I am at ~40% strength).

4) You use a Select Fyrd unit for Alfred's standing army main toop type it seems. Most historians don't agree with this view anymore but some do & it is still possible that poorer thegns & richer ceorls (free peasants) may have been kept in the field longer than normal & given additional and/or better arms & armor by the King himself to form the core along with his own household troops of his mobile, horse-mounted infantry army. The Great Fyrd would be in the main lesser equipped except for the hoseholds of the earls, reeves, & lesser thegns & richer ceorls as in the Selct Fyrd, & form the strategic reserve of the kingdom - as you have it in your mod.

4) The Great or Normal Fyrd you have without hand missile capability, & they should have hand missile capability as this was integral to the Saxons. Accounts (mainly Norman/French) of Hastings state that the missiles thrown by the Saxons were in immense quantity & consisted of throwing spears & short spears, various types of javelins, stones, stones tied to sticks, terrible throwing axes & other hand axes that did great damage, pieces of wood, just about anything that could do damage - an actual storm of hand missiles - and that the first attack of the Norman infantry seems to have never even reached the shieldwall to any significant degree & was beaten back by missiles alone. After every failed Norman attack, the Saxons would send men out to gather all the previoulsy thrown hand missiles they could in order to reuse them. This was safe for the Saxons to do when the Norman cavalry had retreated to the bottom of the hill, although the Saxons no doubt were shot at by the Norman archers when gathering the spent hand misslies from in front of the shieldwall - maybe 30-yards or so out from the shieldwall would be relatively safe except for the Norman archery fire.

Thanx, Take care.

[christof139]

DV, A good site that you may already have been to:

http://www.hurstwic.org/history/arti...orse_ships.htm

http://www.hurstwic.org/history/arti.../text/arms.htm

http://www.hurstwic.org/history/arti...king_sword.htm
This sword page shows a reddish colored sword at the bottom of the page and it is a single edged sword - not a long seax but a sword - & it is the first I ever remember seeing of such a sword type used by the Norse. Very interesting weapon, heavier than a normal double edged sword because of its relative crudeness & thicker non-cutting edge similar to a long seax. A long seax is shown further up the page, & it is clear that the single edged sword is longer & heavier - maybe 4 to 4.5 pounds in weight, a real meat cleaver.

[DaVinci]

Great links

Thanks for the other info. TLK is semi-historical, just between a novel and realism reflection.
You know, between TLK's scenario-mod and Hastings is 200 years, not sure why you mentioned Hastings as example.

But why 330 warships, i've set 11* ship units, do they each count as 30 ships? (will take a look).

* along the novel (one was just wracked)

3) How do you add replacements to Uthred's Household Troops, or is it you can't & they will just die off?

A secret ... they are retrainable though, during the campaign

Oh, and i have already an update v1.1, nearly finished, which is significant improved and different start situation to 1.0 (extended into a 'The Pale Rider' reflection).

The Great or Normal Fyrd you have without hand missile capability, & they should have hand missile capability as this was integral to the Saxons.

TLK 1.1 will come with Saxon javelin-armed light fyrdmen. It'll have a few additional units, and some unit name/description changes again.

I play with small units so I am at ~40% strength

I play (and balance) this mod as well with normal unit size, on M/M (seems to be hard enough here).

As for installation-issues: Can't say anything to that, as i wrote already above, i tested a TLK 1.0 installation on a fresh installed VI2 1.7/DoB 1.2, and had no problems.

[DaVinci]

I just tried to upload the TLK update version 1.1 to the TWC server, what failed.

EDIT

Update 1.1 successfully uploaded to filefront.