***Offical RSII Update Thread***

[MarcusTullius]

I know our updates are getting lost in the middle of the threads, so here is a new one so people can easily check updates. I will post here as well as in the 'Set release date' thread. People can discuss my post in that thread, but this thread is just for updates only so people do not have to trawl through the masses of information

New addition of a Q&A in the 2nd post of this thread, hope that helps!

Hope this helps!

Saturday 28th August, around 10am GMT+1

Right, I did promise an update. So, here it is:

The installer work is progressing nicely. I know some people have been asking for specifics, so let me tell you what is being done. As you know, the major Steam issue that we had earlier in the week is over and done with. So that's good!

Squid has magically managed to make your lives a lot easier by making sure the installer determines where you installed Rome - Total War and then copies the contents to the folder you want RS2 to be installed into. Good, neh? So you should get a message saying something like this: "The installer has automatically detected your rtw install. It will copy it to the selected path then proceed to the instalation. Select the path of your rtw if you want to overwrite it without creating a new folder. Warning: this will break vanilla."

We have tested the installer with reference to plain old .RTW, .BI and .Alex and also with regards to the Steam installation. And so far so good.

We had a few minor problems with some of the files not be correctly added to the .bin files that we will be using, so we had to update them. There were some clashes and the newer files we had edited in the last week had not made it onto the final release candidate, so we needed to change that. Just some small things getting lost in the cracks....but thankfully we found them before they slipped too far down!

I hope that helps you understand where we are. If you have questions that show genuine interest in how we are doing with the final steps, please ask and I will try my best to answer. Otherwise, I hope comments in the vein of 'why don't you just finish' or 'we've been waiting for ages' will be limited to only a few people.

I've said it more than once, and I will repeat it again: We are working to a very special timescale- our own. So no moaning or pleading, whining or flaming is going to bring release any nearer. Questions are always answer by us dev's, you know that much. We try to be as helpful as possible, and even more so to the people that give us a little respect and appreciate that this is being done in our free time.

RSII will not be released today, so please enjoy the start of your weekend, and if there are any developments I will post them here. But not today my friends. I am sorry to be the bearer of constant bad news, but I hope at least my explanation lets you know how we are getting on

Sunday 29th August, 9.30am GMT +1

To answer some of the questions that have appeared in the thread:

- The download link will be in the release thread that will be posted on the main forum (we will reopen it upon RSII's release)

- You will need a clean install of RTW/BI/ALEX - this mod is not modfoldered. Why? Because it makes ground breaking changes to each and every aspect of the game.

- What will the download be like? It will be in four pieces, one installer and 3 bin files. You'll just have to run the installer no mounting of images or anything. Simple as that!


Now for an update on our situation. There will be no release today. That means (for those of you in different timezones) that the mod will not be released on Sunday.

Sunday 29th August, 11:30am GMT +1

In response to annoying questions about "why this and why that"

The release has NOT been delayed. Because we never gave a firm release date.

The reason we have not released it yet is not because there are issues with the installer. Simply that Squid is the only person working on it at the moment, and he also has a life to live. When he finishes compiling it, we will release it. Simple.

We never have, and never will work to the timetable of the few impatient people on the board. To everyone else, I'd like to say thank you for waiting and putting up with these guys moaning all the time on the forum.

Monday 30th August, 10:05am GMT

All I can say is not today.
We haven't seen Squid for about three days, and we can't do anything in the mean time without him.
Let's just hope he is alright.

Tuesday 31st August, 9.30am GMT +1

Hey guys,

Thanks for being patient. It was a national holiday in the UK for me yesterday, so I really wanted to spend a little time with family so I didn't update yesterday. I hope you understand.

So this is our situation:

- As I confirmed before, the mod itself is ready and we are just missing the installer.
- Squid, unfortunately, has gone missing. We are very much hoping that he is ok, and just really busy with rl.
- As such, we have contacted another person, familiar with making installers, to make us a simple one, ready for release. It will take a little time for him to get familiar with the bits of the mod, but it should not take too long.

I will keep you updated on how he is doing, even if that means just telling you he has started work, or has read all of our beta files.

As I am sure you will expect by now, no firm date on release is forthcoming. Apologies for that. Definitely not today, and unlikely to be tomm unless he works bloody fast or Squid returns to the fray.

Any questions, I am happy to answer, as long as they are not moans.

Tuesday 31st August, 11.15am GMT +1

From Paedric

I've started working on the installer yesterday as Squid is still missing, and spent a good part of the night and this morning on it. The groundwork is done, I'll start polishing it while they're going to put all the files in three zipped folders, and test it. More infos on how it will work and the progress done later today.
Just so you don't have expectations, this installer will be rather "crude" compare to what Squid would have done, but it should do the job.
The release is not for today.

Wednesday 1st September, 20.45 GMT +1

This is the situation as it currently stands:

- Myself and apple are the only 'senior' members of the team left, and we are not even that senior. DVK is around a little.

- Paedric has had to leave, so the release of the mod now falls on me.

- We are testing hard as I type this and I am trying to get release sorted as soon as possible. Please bear with me because I am also starting a new college and things are very much in the air.

- I am committed to getting this thing out, barring any unforeseen errors.

- I have some steam testers willing to test the installer and some beta testers already testing the installer for the disc version of the game.

- At the same time, bear in mind I am at college full time, and working crazy hours.


Give me some time, and a little patience, and I promise you a mod. I know we have been saying this for a long time, but please help me b staying calm on the forums. The more I have to moderate, the less I can co-ordinate. Many thanks

[MarcusTullius]

Questions and Answers:

Where will the download link be located?

The download link will be in the release thread that will be posted on the main forum (we will reopen it upon RSII's release)

Is RSII mod foldered?

You will need a clean install of RTW/BI/ALEX - this mod is not modfoldered. Why? Because it makes ground breaking changes to each and every aspect of the game.

What will the download be like?

It will be in four pieces, one installer and 3 bin files. You'll just have to run the installer no mounting of images or anything. Simple as that!

Question asked regarding RSII features:

What's new with RS2 that's so superior to 1, anyway? They're both for RTW, afterall.

Just some of the features (from our release thread which is currently sitting ready in the dev fourms- designed by Chaplain):

• A completely redesigned environment
• Brand new and in some cases custom made faction music
• 28 unique legions
• Brand new models and skins for all factions as well as new factions
• Unique campaigns tailored to each specific faction
• An immersive yet understandable building tree
• Several new battle-map buildings
• New Traits and ancillaries, including Roman leadership tree envisioned by Calvin (R.I.P)
• Two Roman Rebellions
• A redesigned campaign map
• New banners and UI
• Regional resistance script that generates enemy armies after conquering a key enemy city
• Free People Faction to simulate independent kingdoms
• Diversified "barbarian" factions to highlight their uniqueness
• Diverse Areas of Recruitment
• Large mercenary pool
• Presence of Historical characters
• AUC (Ab Urbe Condita) system of year-keeping to prevent the 66BC CTD
• Non-adoptable characters capable of forming new family trees
• Greater Population control through buildings
• Standalone Launcher
• Faction Intro movies - Available in Separate Download
• Custom victory conditions for each faction for improved AI and a more difficult game
• ....And much more features far too many to list

Just see our previews HERE!

[apple]

The installer is being tested. I will give you guys further status reports once I got something new to tell you guys.

[apple]

Testing is still being made. Seems like this installer can go golden quite soon.

[apple]

Some minor problems has occurred. More testing will be made during the night.

[apple]

A secondary installer has been uploaded and is being tested as we speak.

[apple]

We are testing the final changes. A few files was missing from the installer. Everything else works good.

[tone]

....I've managed to resolve the issue with the traits file conflicts, and have just passed that file to bladerunner to create an updated installer. He's going to work on remaking it very shortly.

Virtually every file was correct with the previous installer apart from some older versions of files which got included rather than the latest versions due to one zipped Beta update getting missed out. The installer that Bladerunner has made works perfectly and people are running campaigns, it's just that there are those few glitches in some of the files with wring trait thresholds and some other minor issues.

So bottom line is this....we know that Bladerunner can make a decent installer that works, he now has the correct files and will remake it, and hopefully will be able to post if for us to check tomorrow am.


If you're wondering why creating the installer and so on, and making sure that everything is there has taken so long, then there are a number of reasons...

1) For beta testing we have been using something called SUBVERSION which is a version control program, which allowed us to upload edits to files and for people to download them on a more than daily basis and to know that what we were working on were the latest versions of files

2) Unfortunately because RS2 wasn't mod foldered, this caused quite a lot of work disentangling the modded files from the vanilla ones at the end of the process.

[apple]

Also I just bought RTW/BI/ALEX on steam to make sure that it works as it should. This will allow me to test steam RTW from a dev view instead of having to ask RTW Steam users for help at that area.

[apple]

The updated installer is soon uploaded for testing. Hopefully this is the last version of the installer before the release.

[tone]

Have downloaded the installer and am currently installing..next is to check that files match identically with the existing correct and working installation.

[tone]

Other than the issues which I've mentioned in the Previews thread, all seems to be fine and every other file is identical to working versions.

We've now got the installer files uploaded to 3 sites each so it's just a matter of doing some final administration stuff.

[apple]

And some final testing with steam RTW to see if it supports the advanced launcher options.

[Paedric]

"apple, check it out, check it out!"
"What?"
"RUUUUUUN!"