DCI: Tôl Acharn 1.2.4 released 12th Aug 2013 - unleash the mighty Dúnedain Counter-Invasions for TATW 3.2
second place in TWC's "Favorite Classical mod/submod" 2018
third place in TWC's "Most Popular Mod and Sub-Mod 2013"
winner of TWC's "Music & SFX Award 2012"
[for SFX, DCI:TA don't change music]
Version 1.2.4 for Third Age: Total War 3.2 is avilable as complete game and trough an attached patch at the end of this post
Hello friends! Longed to counter Invasions or get countered?
Unleash the mighty Tôl Acharn oath (the Jihad from M2:TW) as either Gondor or Arnor upon the enemies of the Dúnedain.
Use diplomacy to allow the Northmen factions to also participate in them when the tide is turning and since v1.2, by time, be able to call them as Northmen yourself.
What is a M2:TW Jihad?
If TATW is the only Medieval 2 Total War game that you ever played then you might have no idea that this feature even exists.
It is similar to a Crusade (named "Invasion" in TATW) whereby a settlement becomes the target of a joint attack. It can be called by a 'priest' (Imam) of any Muslim faction and all other Muslim factions can join it. But unlike Crusades there is no Pope to make the decision on whether it will be called; when an Imam calls one it begins immediately. Armies that join one have the same movement bonus that Crusading ones have, plus the option to recruit mercenaries that are only available to Jihading generals.
It is an interesting and powerful feature, adding an extra dynamic to the campaign. If one of the joining AI factions captures the target then they own it, which can affect how they behave from that point on as they move to add further units/armies there to defend it and possibly take other settlements in between to 'unite' their realm. i.e. Influencing another faction to do something that they would not normally do which could take the campaign down an interesting path.
Plus, of course, it means a good chance of fighting alongside your allies in an attack on a settlement.
One reason that TATW does not have this feature is that the Jihading factions must be of the same "islam" religion (culture). In vanilla TATW the Dwarves have this religion ("Dwarves") and the others have, rightly so, their own religions (Elves, Dunedain, Northmen, Melkor). This submod makes the "Dunedain" religion the "islam" one instead - so they may call and join Jihads - and uses some slight of hand to temporarily make the Northmen factions "islam" as well - so they may join Jihads.
Preview of the game
Arnor example campaign: Invoke a Tôl Acharn
Start the game
Let us start a campaign as Eriador under the firm rule of Aragorn. First we make 3 important choises (which you do when you start as any faction): to use Acharn?, speed up Invasions? and start as Arnor (to get the Acharn available early)?
At this time we say Yes to the first and decline the two second alternatives.
Call and join Tôl Acharn
After a long hard struggle Eriador has been reforged into Arnor! Good work lads. Now we get our Loremaster (Picture #1. Picture #2 is a sneak peak on Gondor's) and because there has been already Invasions we may make use of the Tôl Acharn. Pay back time!
Now we have invoked it. We shall of course send the best to fulfill it, we send Gandalf and can se Him and his men now marked with the white star of the Oath of Vengeance.
Acharn in progress
We are not alone. Gondor is Dúnedain so they may join freely. Rohan and Dale is both allied with Arnor so they are free to join if they want to.
And they want to. Men of the West on the move!
Guess we are a bit slow, ran around gathering merc's... (Note that some of these event-images are Northmen-UI specific)
Hang on Gamling and Angbor! We're coming!
The result
We missed the party! But now we are far from the boring North (OotMM and OoG is dead) but at the real east front and can help out Gondor and Dale
The war continued with many Tôl Acharns and a really thrilling, unusual development.
***
Dale example campaign: Join a Tôl Acharn
Messages
Far into the campaign as Dale we are allied to both Gondor and Arnor to enable participation if a Tôl Acharn is summoned.
And then it comes: Picture 1) Do we want to be able to take the Oath? Yes of course! Picture 2) Welcome to the party
Practical aspects
King Bard has now taken the oath.
Since it was Arnor who called it, and they are not allied with Rohan, Rohan is not requested to join and therefore we're three factions in this Acharn.
Dale's Northmen-culture is during the Acharn switched to Dúnedain to enable us to join in. As you can see there is no negative effect on public order because of this (picture 1). [Units can be recruted as normal as well].
Soon Isengard was in Dale hands and celebration was in order. Cheers! As can be seen in picture 2 above Dale then returned to Northmen culture.
***
Acharn merc's v1.2
Eriador regions
Gondor regions
New units in action
#1 Northern Line Volunteers #2 Elven Rangers (and Ranger Volunteers)
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Close to Arnor
Lond Daer
Tharbad [both]
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Mordor, Harad, Isengard
Minas Morgul
Black Gates
Malgalad (Dagorlad; Dead Marshes)
Barad-Harn
Isengard
Tirith-Thoron
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
- no more than 10 options will be possible at a time. Not only of us chosen targets will be possible but just more likely.
DCI version 1.2.4
Released: 12th August 2013 Size: 181 MB Site: Download v1.2.4 here. v1.2.4 is a stand alone and do not require any previous version of DCI: Tôl Acharn
For those who have v1.2.3 currently a patch to upgrade to v1.2.4 has been attached. This is of no interest unless you have v1.2.3
Open Third_Age_3/data/world/maps/base and delete the file map.rwm, after extracting the patch to your Third_Age_3-folder. Saved game compatible.
* Upgrade a condition making Dwarves and Dúnedain faction decline in diplomatic relationship over time (unless countered by other factors like trade and alliances), so it again applies to Elves and Dwarves.
* Title upgrades for northmen Loremasters so that all scripts apply properly.
* Previous versions compiled.
v1.2.3 Changelog
* Tweaked a flaw that good factions that can not join a Tôl Acharn got the messeage they should + a mission scroll giving the impression they could join the Acharn; it is now rewritten to notet hat those who can should join.
Due to scripts that secure that no good faction become target for a Tôl Acharn the message and visible mission is unavoidable.
v1.2.2 Changelog
* Corrected a flaw that might cause a bug in the religion switch when Rohan dies.
* Put 1.2 and 1.2.1 together as site for downloading was moved from GameFront to SpeedyShare due to GF's limitations
v1.2 + 1.2.1 Changelog
* From the end of the first Acharn + 25 turns (but not before turn 50), if the player is a Northmen faction [Rohan, Dale, Eriador] and is allied with either Gondor or Arnor, he/she might be offered to invoke the Tôl Acharn. The offer occurance is based upon frequency of Acharns in the campaign but the longer the campaign proceedes, the more frequent the chance of offer. See Acharn Mechanics (extensive info) for more details.
We thank Withwnar's skill once more.
* The Northern Line Volunteers are no longer Battle Ready Dúnedain but Dúnedain Swordsmen, a beautiful unit by smoesville.
The Lossarnach and Blackvale volunteers are replaced by additional Southern Line Volunteers.
All merc's has been given uniqe battle map-voices.
Unit stats has been tweaked.
* The two Tharbad-settlements are now added as targets; one faulty target removed.
* New voice set for the loremasters.
* Many smaller corrections and tweaks in texts and adjustments on the map to work with the 3.2-updates, etc.
v 1.2.1
* A few edits; removal of work notes and typos.
v1.0
Released 2 April 2012
* When starting a campaign three Yes/No events are given; Play with Acharns, Play with early Invasions and Begin with Arnor reforged?
* Gondor gets a Journeyman if a certain condition is fulfilled. The Journeyman's quest then make's him a Loremaster. When reforged and after the first Invasion Arnor get a Loremaster. No other faction can get one of their own. [see also "Acharn Mechanics"]
Only a Loremaster can call Acharns (jihads) and they can not do this before the first invasion has occured.
If allied to the Dúnedains then the Northmen factions may join the Tôl Acharn if they want to. This include Eriador and works for both AI and player.
* Players may call Acharns at non-evil factions but will not get any help from other factions doing that.
* Tôl Acharn merc's;
In the area of/by Gondor: Ithilian Rangers, Blackvale Archers, Lossarnach Axemen, Southern Line Volunteers [Spearmen of Pinnath Gelin]
In the area of/by Eriador/Arnor: Dúnedain Rangers, Battle Ready Dúnedains and one additional feat...
* New icons, flagmarker and event pictures.
* Religion swapped (see "Jihad Mechanics"). Dwarves culture now renamed Khazâd.
* New loremaster voice, event sounds and additional war horns for Northmen and Rhûn/Harad.
Reviews
Originally Posted by gordanlord
I love this mod
Originally Posted by StealthFox
Oh, I love it! Was great to be able to strike back against Isengard during my Eriador campaign. The even better part was seeing the other factions take part. Seeing Gondor's full stack besieging Orthanc was great!
Originally Posted by Kindjal83
I just came by to tell you this...
ING AMAZING!!! I am just loving to play TA with this incredible mod!!
Congrats!!
Originally Posted by Khales
Dang, DCI is so much fun!
(...)
The first campaign i played was with gondor but there the first invasion was called at turn 74 so i couldn´t test DCI that much, though the missions were very nice to unleash the Tôl Acharn.
Back to the map above. It was an invasion and counterinvasion madness!
Invasions: 33 Edoras, 59 E.Osgiliath, 83 Moria, 116 Bree / Edit: Turn 144 Black Gate..the madness continues
Tôl Acharn: 46 Tirith Toron, 67 Tir Ethraid, 90 Isengard, 128 Tirith Toron
The first Tôl Acharn gave dale a huge advantage against rhûn (dale wasn´t allied yet so it was taken by rohan and then conquered by mordor, thanks to total diplamcy so that dale didn´t miss the next counter invasions).
The second one helped gondor a lot and so on. The targets that are included are very good strategic points and i had to think a lot what could be the best next target. Especially because i could also make dale attack harad because of that (...)
Originally Posted by BBThrash
(...) Love the traits that are given to your own generals if they succeed in their Tôl Acharn.
(Khales and BBThrash used Withwnars Submod Collection)
Acharn Mechanics (extensive info)
Artistic concept and why only Men
Mod concept:
Tôl Acharn - ’Vengeance comes’ - is a mighty creed, first declared upon the followers of Melkor by Húrin of the Edain in the First Age.
At the end of the Second Age when Elendil came from Númenor to Middle-earth he said ’In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world’. But strife and loss has been his peoples late fate, with hope lost in darkness.
Still, in the South stewards as Túrin II or Denethor II and commanders as Thorongil or Boromir have proven that strenght remains to recapture lands Gondor have not relinguished its claim upon.
In Eriador the people once were friends and brothers in arms while the Northern Dúnedain rangers heed their linage, leaving the shadows; long have Rohirrim hold the Oath of Eorl true while the northmen of Dale could be reminded of the past alliances. Perhaps, if Gondor calls for their aid once more, they will come?
The Dúnedain now rise to claim Elendils heritage, awaking the hearth of all good Men to retribution, a reminder to all of the West - that Vengeance comes.
First the matter of the White Council - I answer as I am main responsible for the background story and therefore concept of the Dúnedain Counter-Invasions - as W.C very natural comes to most peoples mind and been the most expected base for a jihad feat.
The White Council consisted of Elves and Istari and nobody else, even if it is quite populair to make it an 'all races'-council in fan fiction that was not the case, and it was argued to keep it so. While there might be a contradiction in developing Tôl Acharn into a fan fic' jihad feature while not wanting to change another part of the lore I just happends to like the council the way it was hehe.
Our intention was, to begin with, a pure Dúnedain retaliation against the threat of Sauron. Later on, thanks to TNZ's input and Withwnars skill, we became able to let allied Northmen to join the Acharn. As they can't call it [edit: before v1.2] they are still considered a 'boon of help' - but this is not the Northmens cause.
It is the cause of Dúnedain still and it is those men who volunteer, leaving home to reclaim Elendils heritage. Northmen will follow their leaders to aid their kin and fulfill oaths of alliance, as in history they have done before, but its not a public rising for such a cause.
An important factor is further that the Invasionsare supposed to be the dread of Middle-earth.
If all 'good' factions may join then the total sum of potential Invasion faction participants is counted 6 while the potential Tôl Acharn faction participants is counted 7, turning the table in an unintended way.
Our hope is that it will not be dicourageing for the players but that those playing Elves or Dwarves will be glad each time they are alerted that Men is mustering their defence against the Dark Lord, maintaining differences between the good factions and be great fun for those who use or have to face (ye evil rascal) the Coming Vengeance
/Ngugi
Thanks to
We credit the TATW crew for their wonderfull work and we want to express our thanks to TNZ for all help and good suggestions; who inspired the scriptwork behind an all-Men-jihad.
Gratitude to Curufin that allowed us to use his Spearmen of Pinnath Gelin, and thus also credits to Rusichi tw whom helped him making them.
To Emperor of Hell who made the new Spearmen of Pinnath Gelin-unit card and Maltacus who given permission to use his unit cards for Ithilian and Dúnedain rangers.
We bow to the crew of The Last Kingom for the permission to one of their merchant strat map models with dual skin - here the Journeyman and mighty Loremasters.
Thanks last to Baron Samedi for a good pointer.
Permission
The DCI team keep an open attitude concerning sharing content to fellow modders, so it's just to ask
Exceptions are ofc content we ourselves got permission to use (see "Thanks to") and if you want to use the Dúnedain Swordsmen then first ask smoesville.
Regarding the availability of such a loremaster, wouldn't it be more fun and challenging to let the player somehow ''work'' before it has the option to use the jihad-feature? Imo the jihad-feature is a powerful gameplay feature, which can easily be abused by the player.
Option could be something like a ''training-loremaster-building'', which cost x money & x time to construct in settlements which are developed enough. Also you could make this building only contructible in the regions mentioned in the OP (through a custom made resource). Also it could be an option to make the recruitment of the loremaster a time consuming and expensive process (maybe each jihad will require a new loremaster = pay per use).
Anyways these are just some ideas I'm throwing out here. Good luck with making this feature a reality!
Last edited by Baron Samedi; November 29, 2011 at 07:09 AM.
@ Baron Samedi
Mmm, I love the taste of good ideas in the morning, smells like... victory ^^
(OK, its noon here but good ideas was the reason to make the preview)
In the case with Arnor I think the progress developing and reaching that might be enough, will consider that - but with Gondor it's another matter, with them a 'mission' or required circiumstances would indeed be a fun and interesting factor!
Last edited by Ngugi; November 29, 2011 at 07:33 AM.
you could also script that he appears later in-game as it will be a problem for the AI I think to make such a building and recruit a loremaster from it
you could also script that he appears later in-game as it will be a problem for the AI I think to make such a building and recruit a loremaster from it
You could do that for just the ai like the Arnor reunion script.
Were there but a tree in this godforsaken place i would have hanged myself.
For a start the alliance of the two factions would be good. For Gondor it could be with Eriador prior to the reunion.
Thats sounds like a decent condition, least lessens the risk that the player will turn Acharen gainst northmen-Eriadors Weather Top the first he does haha
Originally Posted by lolIsuck
you could also script that he appears later in-game as it will be a problem for the AI I think to make such a building and recruit a loremaster from it
The loremaster will spawn when Eriador automaticly become Arnor around turn 95, is the plan.
EDIT: Unless I misunderstood your consern now?
Last edited by Ngugi; November 29, 2011 at 08:10 AM.
Regarding the availability of such a loremaster, wouldn't it be more fun and challenging to let the player somehow ''work'' before it has the option to use the jihad-feature? Imo the jihad-feature is a powerful gameplay feature, which can easily be abused by the player.
Option could be something like a ''training-loremaster-building'', which cost x money & x time to construct in settlements which are developed enough. Also you could make this building only contructible in the regions mentioned in the OP (through a custom made resource). Also it could be an option to make the recruitment of the loremaster a time consuming and expensive process (maybe each jihad will require a new loremaster = pay per use).
Anyways these are just some ideas I'm throwing out here. Good luck with making this feature a reality!
The house of Kings for Arnor sounds like a good place to recruit such a person. For Gondor, perhaps build the library or archives in Minas Tirith. I forget what they're called in lore but if I remeber correctly the city did have an extencive collection of books and manuscripts that were not available for public use.
@ KnighsT'
We think it will be a nice add on and that it might prove a much needed tool for Gondor to stay up as well as bring over Arnor into the action a lot more (good for their soutern kin, though break for Mordor and Harad)
@ smoeville
A pre-phonecian alphabet ^^ Always seemed tricky to me not having them to build up the words.
I really hope this will be made available for MOS <img src="images/smilies/emoticons/tongue.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Sticking out tongue" smilieid="324" class="inlineimg"> Good work, had this idea for a long time but lack the time + exp. to do it.
Available for MOS, yes indeed <img src="images/smilies/emoticons/happy0144.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Thumbs up" smilieid="245" class="inlineimg">
If you ask me (which im not sure if you are or arent) this would go well in hand if the whole men of west religion was mixed together.
While I do not doubt that there are differences between the Dunedain and northern lineage, I would say that there are less difference between those two and say, orcs and haradrim who fall under worship of melkor.
I mean on the event of say, Rohan retaking Minas Tirith I do find it ridiculous that they must first "convert" the local populace to the northern culture in order to recruit troops to face against the marauding orcs and wicked men at the gates its like... silly really, one would think that cultural differences would not get in the way of fighting the one enemy.
So... why not merge the dunedain (Arnor, Gondor, Eriador) with their northern brothers (Dale, Rohan) and create the men of west religion, which would benefit from the Jihad (and that way you can add the whole lighting of the beacons video or use the "red arrow") and then you can smash Sauron with the strength of men.
IMO this should be available once Minas Tirith falls, but that is just my opinion
If you ask me (which im not sure if you are or arent) this would go well in hand if the whole men of west religion was mixed together.
While I do not doubt that there are differences between the Dunedain and northern lineage, I would say that there are less difference between those two and say, orcs and haradrim who fall under worship of melkor.
I mean on the event of say, Rohan retaking Minas Tirith I do find it ridiculous that they must first "convert" the local populace to the northern culture in order to recruit troops to face against the marauding orcs and wicked men at the gates its like... silly really, one would think that cultural differences would not get in the way of fighting the one enemy.
So... why not merge the dunedain (Arnor, Gondor, Eriador) with their northern brothers (Dale, Rohan) and create the men of west religion, which would benefit from the Jihad (and that way you can add the whole lighting of the beacons video or use the "red arrow") and then you can smash Sauron with the strength of men.
IMO this should be available once Minas Tirith falls, but that is just my opinion
A better solution would be AoR units for the good factions of man perhaps? They could also require a level of say numenorean culture so you have Gondor troops up until you can get your own factions troops if you were Rohan.
Were there but a tree in this godforsaken place i would have hanged myself.
Always interested in constructive input. If such will then have impact on the creation will be based on technical aspects and/or weither fitting the concept, but its no doubt welcomed!
The common evil culture is due to engine limitations (only catholic factions may use crusades) more than anything else I expect. And we want the Invasions hehe, it's Sauron giving us the finger after all
Been thinking about your points both to and fro Romaneck and I give them credit. There are arguments as Men ought to join easy against Sauron and argument against due to their selfaware, proud cultural identification to not be others subjects. There are gamewise arguments that it would balance up good-vs-evil and speed up game play, while at the same time a strategical deepth and challenge rate is lost, and so on ^__^
Smoesvilles altered version of your suggestion would fit my lorish mind better (oh, what a surprised, eh?) . Perhaps culture-dependent AoR or even merc's, whom, as in discussed example, when Dúnedain-culture drops under a certain level would make them impossible to recrute... Interesting idea
But, atm we're deep into make these basics work hehe, and to make them work good, before any such side-step development would be brought up.
On the other hand, its an interesting idea and if anybody else reads this getting inspired I at least wouldnt mind see them make a version
Last edited by Ngugi; December 01, 2011 at 12:57 PM.