New to modding!

[TurtleMerc]

I first want to apologize in advance. I'm not trying to be lazy or waste anyone's time but there is SO much content here that I honestly don't know where to find what I'm looking for. I've played through the untouched (vanilla?) campaign quite a few times and really enjoy it, but now I'm looking for something a little different/improved. I don't want to get to crazy and change the game completely. I'm wondering what my best options are for improved realism. Primarily new skins/textures, improved AI, maybe a longer campaign and some new units? I have no experience modding so I don't know if I can use multiple mods to reach my goals or if I have to find ONE that suites my needs best. Also if there's anything MUST HAVE you can suggest. I understand that you all have put a lot of time into improving this game and I appreciate it. And if anyone can offer some help in pointing me in the right direction it also will be GREATLY appreciated. Thank You!

P.S. I'm using Medieval II w/ Kingdoms downloaded through Steam if that affects anything..

[The Holy Pilgrim]

Hey TurtleMerc (awesome name btw),

Modding can be a bit daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze in most respects. If you're looking for a quick way to learn how to mod, then you are out of luck. It all depends on how quick you can learn and how much you want to learn.

Here is a comprehensive list of all the tutorials, tools, and guides that can be found on the TWC:

Also, in this section, you can find a large assortment of mods for Kingdoms. There are historical mods, fantasy mods, fun mods, and serious mods. Some are challenging, some are easy. But they are all fun.

Here are a few I'd suggest for you since you want to have realism to your game: Index of Tutorials, Guides, and Modding Tools

1) Stainless Steel (SS)- One of the top two mods for Total War. It is sometimes said to be "what vanilla should have been." It was made by King Kong and it still has a strong, loyal, fan-base despite King Kong pretty much having left the project for The Third Age: Total War (see below). All of the units in this mod are balanced based on historical data and research, with realistic armor values and historically correct training times. The Americas have been removed from this mod in order to more effectively represent the Old World.
2) Eras Total Conquest- This mod is different from all of the other mods on the TWC being that it isn't just one mod, but actually 13. Eras Total Conquest has campaigns ranging from 970 AD to 1547 AD, covering land from as small as the vanilla map (the original campaign) to the entire world! Like Stainless Steel, the units are balanced based on realism, only this mod goes more in depth. This mod one of the most realistic economies that I've seen in any mod to date.
3) Expanded Americas- This is a fun, vanilla-based, mod that expands the Americas to a reasonably large size. It also adds some unique units like the Byzantine Fire Cannon and the Pope actually has his own model on the battlefield. You will also see some Old World and New World factions from various Kingdoms expansions. The units and economy are based on vanilla with some minor tweaking.
4) Kingdoms Grand Campaign Mod (KGCM)- Like Expanded Americas, this mod is a vanilla-based mod, but instead of focusing on the New World, it focuses on the Old World. Dave Scarface, the creator of KGCM, has put a lot of effort into making the AI more intelligent and adaptable to whatever age your campaign is currently in. Definitely worth a try.

There are many other mods, but those are the main realism mods that I've played. For Fantasy, I'd suggest Call of Warhammer, Thera, Akthross, and The Third Age: Total War.

And you can have as many mods installed as you wish, just as long as they're mod-foldered (which all of the above are). See each thread for Steam Help.

[TurtleMerc]

Thank you so much for your response! Your very in-depth comment seems to have everything I'll need to accomplish my goals (of course if I'm incapable after all this I'll have no choice but to throw my dunce cap on and beg for more help.. I'll try hard lol). Before I posted my plea for help I did some reading and remember seeing a lot on Stainless Steel and Lands to Conquer. They both intrigued me but I see you only suggested one of them. Do you know the differences between them, or can maybe let me know why you recommend SS and not LTC? Also you said I could install as many mods as I want.. does that include the complete overhauls? I hadn't though much about the fantasy mods but after checking out your suggestions admittedly The Third Age: Total War looks really cool. Is there a way where I can have both SS and Third Age installed so that I can play both without a lot of work to switch between them? Sorry if your now regretting your decision to respond in the first place but I really appreciate your help! lol

[TurtleMerc]

Also if I'm going to one of these mods should I install Retrofit, Custom Campaign 2, both, or neither?

[The Holy Pilgrim]

To be honest, you can find all of what's in Retrofit in KGCM, save for a few units. KGCM offers many new factions and an enhanced AI, but I'm not familiar enough with Retrofit to provide a good comparison (although I played Retrofit somewhat before moving onto KGCM).

I also played "Lands to Conquer," but I didn't really get too involved in it. It's a good mod and it's at least worth a try. Like I said, there are many other good mods for Realism, I just only mentioned the ones that I know a good bit about.

[TurtleMerc]

I went with SS. Took a little but to get running right (Thanks Steam), but with all the resources yourself and the rest of the fine gentlemen on this forum have provided I was able to figure it out. I'm already loving the new experience running SS. Thanks again for all your help!