Horsemen Of The Steppe

**Silesian_Noble** · February 26, 2011, 08:23 AM

Thanks guys

I will post another update with 25 new settlements tommorow, it will be then 175 of 199 settlements poole. The final preview of all 199 settlements will be much (about a week perhaps) later as I have to introduce some balancing improvments. Another stepe will be creation of the map heights. It will take a long while as I will draw each dot by myself, this way I can model the relief very nicely but it is very time consuming process.

**ALFAJI** · February 26, 2011, 02:41 PM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

1 diyar baker
2 sinjar
3 alanbar
4 alhillah
5alkufa
6 alahwaz
7 alqatif
8 yanbu
9 sammera
10 alyamamah

**Silesian_Noble** · February 27, 2011, 06:38 AM

OK guys, we are closing to the finish with settlements placement. With today sneak preview there are 175 provinces on the map and only 24 to go.

General view of the map (progress status: 175 settlements of 199).

List of new settlements:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Some screen shots:
Caucas___________________Tibet-Guge_________________Hungary/West Rus____________Iraq______________________Uighuria

@ALFAJI
Thank you for you reasearch. I will study the information you provided me. Though I must admit I can't add much provinces to Arabia as this land in case of HotS map is peripheral and on the side of the 'main action area'. But we will try with your help to make it historical by placing the most suitable for HotS time frame Arabic settlements

**ALFAJI** · February 27, 2011, 12:11 PM

as you see but those citys must be in the mod for there historic importance

sinjar
alhillah
alahwaz
sammera

**NikeBG** · February 28, 2011, 03:00 AM

I suggest renaming "Silistria" either to "Drastar" (medieval Bulgarian name) or "Durostolon" (medieval Byzantine name). "Silistra" only came to be used since Turkish times (post-14th century).

**Silesian_Noble** · February 28, 2011, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by ALFAJI

as you see but those citys must be in the mod for there historic importance
sinjar

Wiki says nothing about that settlement importance.

Originally Posted by ALFAJI

alhillah

According to wiki the city was established in 1101y, too late for HotS.

Originally Posted by ALFAJI

alahwaz

Would you say that it was more important then Basra? I'm afraid I can't have both.

Originally Posted by ALFAJI

sammera

Similar as above, I would probably have to sacrifice Kirmanshah to have Samarra on the map, is it worth it?

Originally Posted by NikeBG

I suggest renaming "Silistria" either to "Drastar" (medieval Bulgarian name) or "Durostolon" (medieval Byzantine name). "Silistra" only came to be used since Turkish times (post-14th century).

Thanks for the tip mate

I will use the name Durostolon, as the settlement was under ERE control in 1040 (if it was rebellious as Nisse then I would use Bulgarian name).

**ALFAJI** · February 28, 2011, 05:43 PM

as for sinjar is important for its place in aljazira its important like albasra in iraq and in 1057 i think the uqily ruler of mosel killed 4000 of its people and i will make a research for it and the jazira citys

and for the hillah i'm sorry but can you give me the time of this mod if you please

as for sammera it was the capital of the abbasids ones a time

alahwz its one of regions of iraq alarab

and i suggest to add alanbar too for the citys in iraq

**Silesian_Noble** · February 28, 2011, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by ALFAJI

and for the hillah i'm sorry but can you give me the time of this mod if you please

Years 1040-1205.

Originally Posted by ALFAJI

and i suggest to add alanbar too for the citys in iraq

I can't give that many regions to Arabia as for example Broken Crescent have. HotS is focused on steppic factions and I need more provinces for them. Also when it comes to Iraq - Caliphate of Abbasids already has plenty of provinces in HotS, giving them to many may be difficult for the gameplay settings.

**ALFAJI** · February 28, 2011, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by Silesian_Noble

Years 1040-1205.

I can't give that many regions to Arabia as for example Broken Crescent have. HotS is focused on steppic factions and I need more provinces for them. Also when it comes to Iraq - Caliphate of Abbasids already has plenty of provinces in HotS, giving them to many may be difficult for the gameplay settings.

ok

whos more important sammera or annah i see sammera so i will change some citys instead others

and how many citys you can give for aljazira we have now 3 i need just need to added 2 to make them 5 settlements and i will see about them later

**NikeBG** · March 01, 2011, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by Silesian_Noble

Thanks for the tip mate

I will use the name Durostolon, as the settlement was under ERE control in 1040 (if it was rebellious as Nisse then I would use Bulgarian name).

It wasn't exactly rebellious, but it was rather contested. There was a great Pecheneg raid in Paristrion/Moesia in 1036 (same time as the Pechenegs were crushed at Kiev), during which the old capital of Pliska, the thematic "capital" of Drastar and several other important strongholds were "conquered". Many of the Pechenegs also started settling in that region and this was the beginning of the great Pecheneg turmoils of Byzantium, with the Pechenegs eventually de facto gaining control of the Paristrion region until the battle of Levounion in 1091. In those times it's also known that Drastar was the main seat of Pecheneg power in the region. But that's a bit later, I guess - f.e. in 1047-1048 one Pecheneg "rebel-chieftain", Kegen, eventually fled to the Byzantine governor of Drastar, Michael Akolutes, asking to become a Byzantine foederate. Thus, while the Pechenegs had already gained a foothold in the region, it's safe to assume that the city itself was still in Byzantine power in 1040, even if only for a short while.

**AnthoniusII** · March 01, 2011, 03:03 AM

NikeBG may be right..We know that no matter what invasions came from the north the Roman fleet proven it self a savior for large heavy fortified cities.
The "enviroment" in modern Bulgaria was rather complicated those days.
Only Rus managed to qonquer that era some heavy and fortified river cities but even in that time the fleet responed and cut off the retreat routs.
Cities in the modern Bulgarians and modern northern Greece changed "side" between the Bulgarian authority and the Roman one even in the same day!!
But if you are talking about 1040ad then no matter the ethnic origin of the people arround Durostolon the city officialy was under Roman control because the great Romano-Bulgarian war ended some decades earlier.
There is NO bulgarian (official) state in 1040 until th enext major revolt in 1185 but there were many revolts earlier.
In 1040 the defeat of Bulgarians was to "fresh"...But Bulgarian nobles gained some privileges as province "Roman" officials.
That was a desision of Basill II to avoid an other revolt while he was prepeiring his troops for Italy. Death found him in 1025ad.

**Silesian_Noble** · March 01, 2011, 10:10 AM

OK guys, but what about Nisse (western Bulgaria), was it controled by ERE or was it rebelious as I drew it on the HotS map?

Also I hope we will show you some new strat map models soon

**AnthoniusII** · March 01, 2011, 10:45 AM

Niss , Belgrade and Sirmion suffered by serbian uprisings and Hungarian invasions. I am not sure now the exact days but the last hungarian invasion was ended in the battle of Sirmion at 1167.

**Constantius** · March 01, 2011, 11:49 AM

Niš is mentioned in 1080 as the Thema of Nis-Branicova under the Emperor Alexios campaigns. But an earlier seal of Nikephorus Lykaon a Protospatharios and strategos would imply the theme excisted earlier.
sources Alexiad, of Anna Komneme and Nesbit and Oikonomides, cataloue of seals,1, 100

**Bagatyr** · March 02, 2011, 03:47 AM

OK guys, but what about Nisse (western Bulgaria), was it controled by ERE or was it rebelious as I drew it on the HotS map?

Also I hope we will show you some new strat map models soon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Delyan . The Uprising starts in Belgrade that in the time is bulgarian inhabited city . My proposal is that it could be named rebellious bulgarian nobles or something like that .

**Silesian_Noble** · March 02, 2011, 06:17 PM

Well then certainly Nisse should stay rebelious with some great armies inside and outside. The problem is also with Szerem (Srem, Sirium), as according to wiki map it was also under rebels but in HotS this province include a great part of land of south Hungary. So I will probably leave it as Hungarian but will also add strong rebelious army around.

**wudang_clown** · March 03, 2011, 11:15 AM

Finally I've managed to launch the basic HotS map and I need to tell you, guys, that although it's just a beginning it already makes a good impression.

Since the scene of HotS will be predominantly land - I think carving the landscape will be crucial to avoid boredom, but I'm sure Silesian will deal with it on high level of quality.

This project is very intriguing, and I'm in to help as much as I can.

**Silesian_Noble** · March 04, 2011, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by wudang_clown

Finally I've managed to launch the basic HotS map and I need to tell you, guys, that although it's just a beginning it already makes a good impression.

Thanks

Originally Posted by wudang_clown

Since the scene of HotS will be predominantly land - I think carving the landscape will be crucial to avoid boredom, but I'm sure Silesian will deal with it on high level of quality.

The landscape will be extremely diverse, there will be hot sands in Arabia, fertile plains in Hungary, swamps and woods in Rus, cold woods in northern Siberia, fertile steppes near Black Sea, dry steppe in Iran, high mountains in Himalaya, Caucas, Tien Shan, Altai, lakes in Dzungaria and southern Siberia, oasis in Turkiestan, Khorasan and Uighuria, fertile river vallays of Syr-Darya, Amu-Darya, Indus, Tigris, Euphrates, Nile ... and many many more nice lands

I think that small percentage of Seas is good as all the nice action is taking place on land anyway. Also still there will be quite a few navigable reservoirs (Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea and probably even Aral Sea and Balklash lake will be navigable, though will host only low tier ship) and it will be possible to sail from Crimean Peninsula to Nile delta.

Originally Posted by wudang_clown

This project is very intriguing, and I'm in to help as much as I can.

I really count on you mate

**Constantius** · March 04, 2011, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Silesian_Noble

Thanks

The landscape will be extremely diverse, there will be hot sands in Arabia, fertile plains in Hungary, swamps and woods in Rus, cold woods in northern Siberia, fertile steppes near Black Sea, dry steppe in Iran, high mountains in Himalaya, Caucas, Tien Shan, Altai, lakes in Dzungaria and southern Siberia, oasis in Turkiestan, Khorasan and Uighuria, fertile river vallays of Syr-Darya, Amu-Darya, Indus, Tigris, Euphrates, Nile ... and many many more nice lands

I think that small percentage of Seas is good as all the nice action is taking place on land anyway. Also still there will be quite a few navigable reservoirs (Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea and probably even Aral Sea and Balklash lake will be navigable, though will host only low tier ship) and it will be possible to sail from Crimean Peninsula to Nile delta.

I really count on you mate

How about rivers, the Dniester and Volga two name but two important water ways. Anyway what you have written makes this project seem better by the day