Warhammer 40k Ideas

[Col. Tartleton]

Just sort of a brainstorm, I still have a little less than two months until school ends and I'd be able to do anything more productive than thinking and writing, but I think it could certainly be done with the engine in some form (There are pretty obvious limitations to work around.) So I by no means expect any offers of help, rather, any concerns, comments, or criticisms. Consider this an exploratory committee of sorts.

So some overview:

Several Factions will be factions of the the Imperium.

The Inquisition represents the Papal States, with the Pope being an Inquisitor General and the Cardinals are Inquisitors. Your regular Priests and Bishops are simply agents of the Ministorum (Ecclesiarchy), but they are under the ever present eyes of the Ordo Hereticus. The College of Cardinals will be an Inquisitorial Conclave. The Inquisitor General will general attempt to coordinate the Imperial factions to bring the hurt to the enemies of mankind. If you screw around he will declare your faction Extremis Diabolus and basically track you down and kill you... He's going to periodically declare crusades, and sanctions. It's pretty straight forward vanilla stuff. Crusades will generate enormous quantities of deranged Redemptionists and the like. Teeming hordes of nutjobs with industrial equipment and chainsaws for weapons... GLORIOUS.

Agents:
Diplomat - Administratum Ordinate (Pretty straight forward, they're going to be doing negotiations and such as part of their administrative duties.)
Spy - Astropath (Psychics of course make for good spies.)
Assassin - Death Cult Assassin (The Officio Assassinorum are a little above your security clearance, Lord Marshal, these zealots will have to suffice.)
Princess - Commissar (As insane as this sounds, commissars are paired with Imperial Commanders and should "produce" protege commanders. This nonsexual relation is related to the fact its not a royal family but a number of general staff officers butting heads for command and generating new talent from their retinues. They're also often skilled negotiators and act as intermediaries for different forces. This also allows both male and female officers and commissars where appropriate.)
Merchant -Adeptus Mechanicus Magos (Again as crazy as this sounds, the Ad Mech is the manufacturing arm of the Imperium and will oversee resources. The use of skilled Magi can vastly improve imperial manufacturing and turn the tide of a war in your favor.)

The Chapter Houses will be either an Adeptus Astartes Stronghold or Adeptus Sororitas Preceptory and unlock all the kick ass warriors your greasy Munitorum clerk won't offer you. Say goodbye to meaningless weight of numbers attrition and hello awe inspiring carnage

Imperial Factions will be various Theaters. There's a world at war, and that's going to add up to (I'm guessing) six "Commands". Faction Leaders will be Lord's Marshal, Family Members will be Lord's General, and Captains will be Colonels. Numerous cool hanger ons will be available in 40k style (Same with all agents) like Tech Priests, Arbite Judges, Ministorum Missionaries, Munitorum Clerks, Naval Liasons, Grand Artillerists, Comms Experts, Astropaths, Commissars, Hospitallers, and Guards, etc.

List of Imperial Guard Factions (All of whom will have access to standard PDF assets as early units):

Drookian Fen Guard - Light Infantry and Cavalry with a distinct Scottish theme. Most units will be able to hide and specialize in ranged fighting. Longer ranged weapons than average and some sort of "stakes" will be their signature, giving them a sort of British Longbow feeling overall. They are deployed in a more rural strategically valuable forested temperate region.

Vostroyan Firstborn - Cossack inspired Heavy Infantry and endless Medium Armor (Presumably based on Cannon Elephants in some form.) When all else fails throw tanks at the enemy and crush them beneath your treads. Deployed in an arctic region in defense of massive resource reserves and manufacturing centers.

Death Korps of Krieg - Mass Infantry and overwhelming Artillery might with a Franco-Prussian theme. Tons of cannons, bombards, mortars, and the odd tactical nuke backed up by hordes of cheap doom welcoming fanatics with too little sense to use their guns for much more than spears and noble chevaliers on cyborg horses riding into glorious death. Sometimes they'd even win Deployed in a temperate Region in defense of several hive cities.

Cadian Shock Troopers - Highly professional and well balanced, Cadians are the quintessential Imperial Soldiers armed with everything from medium infantry to Superheavy Armor (Probably based on Monster Bombards) with which to clobber everything that moves into the ground. Deployed in a moutainous temperate region in defense of several hive cities.

Praetorian Jungle Expeditionary Forces- Hive worlders raised with incredibly discipline, the Praetorians are primarily medium infantry and artillery and light cavalry. This Expedition are veterans of jungle campaigns and will be defending the Equatorial Jungles of this world.

Bar-El Penal Legions- Desert Warriors (inspired by Israelis), the Penal Legions of Bar-El (It's an official army and from the name I get a very strong Hebrew feel so I'm going with it) make use of light infantry and light armor to defend the promethium rich barren stretches of the world whose continued production is key to Imperial strategy.

Also I think there is a maximum of 7 species due to the different building types. ie. North European, South European, East European, Aztec, Middle Eastern, Greek, and Teutonic. IIRC.

I suggest Imperium and Chaos to start as they're both human (and thus more usable) and would make up several factions. 7 Imperial, and 5 Chaos is 12 which is about half to a third of the possible factions. Maximum 198 Province seems reasonable with with up to 7 "megafactions."

Much more to come as my brain thinks

[Derpy Hooves]

No. It won't work. First how are you going to show tanks? Second, how are you going to represent aircraft?

[Xx_Turk_xX]

No. It won't work. First how are you going to show tanks? Second, how are you going to represent aircraft?

Call of warhammer has tanks its absolutley possible

[Col. Tartleton]

I wouldn't have real aircraft. That's well outside the game's mechanics, although I'm curious if an artillery unit like a Great Cross or Carroccio Stand could be done so that it was transparent (or a semi awkward looking flying base thing) with a skimmer on top. Obviously there'd be some awkwardness involved, but its not really required.

Tanks would be very large box shaped heavy missile cavalry I imagine. Transports would be artillery units as they have small crews/ accompanying infantry which can detach (Bail out). Might need some tweaking, but I think its only mildly insane if you can put all the crew inside the vehicle sort of like a siege tower.

I feel 40k is special because its mostly melee oriented with guns being more secondary, keeping it medieval. Most units can shoot a bit, but its all heroic charges and futile last stands. I'm trying to keep my ideas as within the realm of MTW2 as possible. If something is impossible scrap it and focus on what's not. For example I'm sure Jump Infantry is a no no, but I feel they could be done as heavy cavalry with special charge animations to bring them up and then down. Undying Nephalim modeled his Gorons to roll like balls on the charge, I think a jump is equally possible.

[Derpy Hooves]

That is not true. It is mostly gun based with melee as secondary

[Col. Tartleton]

That is not true. It is mostly gun based with melee as secondary

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Psshaw. Three Words: The Black Templars



Anyone (you ) think those vehicle ideas have any workability?

[Derpy Hooves]

The Black Templars rely in guns as much as they rely on melee.

[Col. Tartleton]

The Black Templars rely in guns as much as they rely on melee.

Obviously they use them, but 40k has a lot of close combat too and it would not be totally out of the spirit of the setting if said mod emphasized the hand to hand and downplayed the non artillery shooting.

It's more about theme than gameplay.

[Russian Gondor]

DEAR GOD, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Col. Tartleton]

DEAR GOD, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that a Yes?

So let's say it's just Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery, (Aka what the engine can do) that's still plenty of territory for a distinct touch of grimdark. Anything more exotic doesn't need to be in unless it can be done.

Imperial Guard stuff is rather straight forward. Traitor Guard are rather straightforward. Numerous infantry types, some cavalry, and loads of guns.

[TMK]

Is that a Yes?

So let's say it's just Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery, (Aka what the engine can do) that's still plenty of territory for a distinct touch of grimdark. Anything more exotic doesn't need to be in unless it can be done.

Imperial Guard stuff is rather straight forward. Traitor Guard are rather straightforward. Numerous infantry types, some cavalry, and loads of guns.

Flying units can be done theoretically, if you have a tall model with plane on top and the the things that hold up the plane are invisble you can make it look like a plane but no one could pass under and behaving like a plane would need new animations and coding. Also it would not work in siege battles.

[Alone Elf]

Tanks are do-able in a sense, but I would suggest avoiding anything that the game engine is not designed for. (Aka Tanks, Flying units, etc...)

[Derpy Hooves]

You would have make new sprites

[PaulH]

After being a fan of the series since my age was in single digits, I feel that the thread maker is right, it could work for this game. It'll be hard, but its possible.

[paradamed]

One of the coolest things in 40k universe are stuff like tanks with multiple turrets and machine guns and that is not possible on the M2TW engine. Id rather play 40k universe in the THQ game and play fantasy warhammer universe (CoW mod) in the M2TW engine.

[Col. Tartleton]

I think you could make multiple attack types though. A Leman Russ Company could switch between it's Battle Cannons and it's Heavy Bolters. It would be like switching firing modes on a Monster Ribault. You could presumably switch between one large explosion or a hail of smaller explosions fired from 3 heavy bolters. Or possibly you could have it fire like a warelephant (small arms), then fire a cannon, and have some sort of melee hit. It could be done, I think.

Again I'd probably stay away from fliers, I think that they aren't critical, but they'd be cool in a hypothetical later point.

Battering Ram could be modeled as a Hades Breaching Drill or a Thunderer Siege Tank. Siege Ladders are still plenty usable I imagine, and Siege Towers would be easily represented by some rather obtuse looking super heavy vehicles called the Capitol Imperialis which have a tower-like front and are mounted on tracks like the shuttle crawler. Such a vehicle could be driven into the enemy lines and used to unload a cargo hold of raging guardsmen. They're like 70 feet tall by my estimation... Basically perfect for the job.

Such a game would be a tremendous amount of work, but I think the tools are all there.

The Imperial factions would all use the same buildings with different sub factions having different units and stuff. Chaos would all use the same buildings with their unique units. I think Iron Warriors make for a good undivided faction. I feel the other Legions are less conquest oriented. The Iron Warriors have that Gimme the Loot thing going on. Iron Warriors allow lots of tanks and IG equivalents. I'm not sure you'd see the Legions working together so I think warbands would be more fitting and offer something different than expected.

So 5 Factions:

Undivided: The Iron Warriors - Ruthless Siege Strategists who use enormous siege engines, armor, and artillery.
Tzeentch: The Scourged - Insane Sorcerors plagued by ever present voices in their heads.
Khorne: The Sanctified - Beserkers and Sorcerers who make heavy use of Khornate Daemons.
Nurgle: The Lords of Decay - Death Guard warband still using pre heresy colors.
Slaanesh: The Flawless Host - Some really drugged out Emperor's Children.

[Russian Gondor]

Well, do whatever you want. I have seen tons of such threads open and die. Why would anyone want a WH 40k mod without guns? It is like ruining the game.

[Derpy Hooves]

Exactly. I would love a 40k like Total War game (DOW does not really cut it since you don't fight with thousands of soldiers). However, Medieval II is not the game to do it on. On a different note, can you mod? If so what are your skills.

[Col. Tartleton]

Well, do whatever you want. I have seen tons of such threads open and die. Why would anyone want a WH 40k mod without guns? It is like ruining the game.

I didn't say no guns. I just there'd be an emphasis on assault.

Exactly. I would love a 40k like Total War game (DOW does not really cut it since you don't fight with thousands of soldiers). However, Medieval II is not the game to do it on. On a different note, can you mod? If so what are your skills.

Unfortunately about none right now, but I should be able to do some 2D art (I'm a decent artist and writer and have a tablet and Photoshop and I'm probably going to pick up Adobe Illustrator) and I plan on teaching myself to do the strategic map, I just haven't had time to dig into it. I'm also pretty well versed in the lore.

Quite poor I'll admit but I'm a virgin to this.

So 2D, Concepts, Lore bits, Writing, and hopefully mapping unless someone more capable volunteers. Plus general problem solving stuff like trying to figure out how the heck to simulate stuff in the engine.

I know I can't just dictate and expect people to volunteer their time and creative energies when they have their own ideas. I'm not proposing this because I want to play it, I'm proposing it because I know a lot of people would want to play it and that it should be done right.

It needs to look something like this:

[Derpy Hooves]

Let me first say that you will never be able to have Titans in Medieval II. If you do, I definitely would not play it. Titans should not be represented on the battle map.