The Danelag [Submod]

[DaVinci]

Submod Release

The Danelag

A submod for 'The Last Kingdom' (TLK)


for TLK version 3.06

This submod puts the struggle into the focus, that happened during the historical Danelag timeframe, and hereby the role of Wessex,
thus Wessex is the only playable faction. TLK vanilla has been the perfect base for such a side-mod reflection.
Alternatives with other factions playable are provided though, see below (versions).


The 'Great Heathen Army', from on AD 865


The 'Great Heathen Army', from on AD 892


Wessex conquers the Danelag, from on AD 902

Picture-source: Danelag - Wikipedia

***.***

Updates

27.12.2011: 'The Danelag' Final Version 3

There are now 3 campaign-setups available (zipped folders within one main zip file), according to different playable factions (each with some different setups).

Choose one of them. Each setup-installation shall overwrite a former used campaign-setup.

Version 'Denmark only':
# Denmark playable.

Version 'All Factions':
# All usual TLK factions playable, except Wessex, Denmark, Normans and East-Franks.

Version 'Wessex only':
(This is the initial and main submod design, just about what the name 'The Last Kingdom' suggests, Wessex was the according last kingdom - submod details see below).
# Wessex playable.
# Some more balancing for the recruitment.
# Merc pools re-organised once more.


Version 'Wessex only':

25.12.2011: Update v2.7
# Implemented a reflection of the "Five Cities" (some advantages for Denmark).
# Few minor other things.

24.12.2011: Update v2.5
# More balancing for the start situation, win conditions, campaign script.

23.12.2011: Update v2
# Some changes again for the start situation, win conditions, campaign script.
# Some changes once more the recruitment, some unit costs and stats, some construction times and costs.
# Minor other things.

All in all, the update increases slightly the challenge for Wessex (player faction), as the initial released version seemed to easy (in
my experience). This is still balanced with the same parameters as below - people who find it still too easy just can try the difficulty VH/VH.

***.***


The Danelag: Wessex only playable

Features & Notes (v1)

# New start situation (all factions), complete re-designed balance for campaign and combat, a combination of historical-realism and gameplay.

# The gameplay is designed in a way, that the viking factions will subdue especially parts of the british isles, at most of anglo-saxon
realms, the scripts are changed a lot, so note, the mod is not neutrally balanced but to build-in a degree of historical-realism of the
according timeframe, just what TLK vanilla already does to a degree, is increased in this submod.

# Development/balancing-focus is put on Wessex as player-faction: Unite the anglo-saxon realms, free english realms from the growing danelaw!
But even a bit of B. Cornwell's novel 'The Last Kingdom' is reflected (Uhtred appears in this submod). It won't be easy, but the chance is there.

# The submod provides a general valid increase of the challenge, ie. building/tech-tree modified a lot, and many other things which have potencial
to refresh your TLK experience, even many pure descriptive text files are edited to increase here and there the already excellent flavour of TLK.

# Some common fixes to TLK vanilla have been done (map, start situation), ie. which caused formerly system.log entries.

# Following geographical map changes are done by One-Eye

- map_ground types, map_height edited (new islands created, impassable areas changed
because new settlements or changes of positions of settlements)

- map_features edited (some rivers added, for better gameplay as impassable)

- map_regions edited (new regions, new positions of "old" regions or settlements,
borders of regions, little changes mainly for rivers)

- imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names edited (new regions, renamed "old"
regions and settlements)

- descr_sounds_music_types (added new regions)

- descr_strat (added new regions, Scoine is new capital for Scots, Aberffraw is new
capital for Welsh, positions of Ceaster Landmark changed)

- descr_regions changed (new regions, Iona settlement for Isle_of_Muile_Region changed
to Isle_of_Muile_Town because created new island for Iona)

which especially enhance the historicity of the map and help to enhance the gameplay.

# The mod uses two CAI files, done by Alreadyded (technically customised for TLK), recently added, playtested, works good (stays for now).

# Development/balancing parameters: Wessex as playtest faction, Long campaign, difficulty H/H, large unit size, manage all settlements,
no battletime limit, no radar map (battle), minimal ui (battle).

***.***

Installation

a) Basis is TLK 3.06 installed and properly running, including latest official TLK quickfix (but no other changes!).

b) Download the submod file The Last Kingdom_Danelag.zip, extract (unzip) this file to desktop, result: Readme file and zipped TLK_Danelag files.

Extract one of the zipped 'TLK_Danelag' files (playable factions, see above) into the Medieval II Total War folder, overwrite (if it asks you to overwrite, then the installation is directed correctly).

Example-path: C:\Games\SEGA\Medieval II Total War

or extract elsewhere (ie. desktop) and overwrite manually (the actual submod file comes with mods/Last_Kingdom modfolder).

c) Start the submod Danelag with the 'Pagan Normans' shortcut
(possibly you have to run first the normal Last Kingdom shortcut and then again the 'Pagan Normans' shortcut, happens also with TLK vanilla from time to time in my experience).


In order to secure TLK vanilla, either backup the whole Last Kingdom modfolder (if you have enough harddisk space), rename this backup,
or backup the single files which are modified with this submod. Alternatively, one can also reinstall TLK vanilla completely after the application of this submod, all submod files will
be overwritten again with TLK vanilla.

***.***

Credits

DaVinci - Submod Creator
One-Eye - Geographical map changes and map fixes
Alreadyded - Two CAI modfiles (which he did originally for the TATW mod)
and of course the TLK team under Danova's leadership and everybody who contributed to the awesome basic TLK mod.

Download - TWC Server: TLK Danelag v3


***.***

[DaVinci]

My little chrismas present to the fans of The Last Kingdom, and here especially Wessex players.

Initially it was a personal mod for myself, but in the meantime it became too good to hide it.
I spent a lot time the recent weeks with this submod development, expect a challenge and a refreshing experience with this sidemod to The Last Kingdom.

Thanks again to Danova and team, and One-Eye for his dedicated work with the map files.

[Xoxoman]

Thanks..

but there´s always the MOOOOOOOOAAAAAR FACTIONS!

[danova]

Thanks DaVinci!
My original tLK plan was similar ... (but meanwhile it has grown)!

If you have some more ideas, i'm opened. I have a some free time in the next year maybe...
.

[kakabis]

whell i installed it as you say i enter with pagan Normans but when i start the campaign with Wessex I have a blank screen and back to desctop.....any ideas??

[Heathen Storm]

I'm very interested in this... Although I would like there to be more factions. I myself prefer the Northmen

[DaVinci]

whell i installed it as you say i enter with pagan Normans but when i start the campaign with Wessex I have a blank screen and back to desctop.....any ideas??

If i understand right, you've installed the submod correctly.
That's the case when the TLK faction-menu offers only Wessex as playable faction and has a new campaign description for Wessex (if this is different in your case, then the submod is installed wrong).

That it ctd's* is beyond me, possibly you have not running a M2TW-Kingdoms 1.05 (unmodified), or your TLK-vanilla is not v3.06 plus the last quickfix by Danova? Or you have other TLK submods installed?

* the only thing that can happen (also with TLK vanilla) is that 'Pagan Normans' shortcut does not work, and a message appears "...emaluation software...", and that is solved when one runs the normal TLK shortcut (game shall start), and afterwards (quit the game) the 'Pagan Normans' shortcut once more.

[DaVinci]

Thanks DaVinci!
My original tLK plan was similar ... (but meanwhile it has grown)!

If you have some more ideas, i'm opened. I have a some free time in the next year maybe...
.

Hi Danova, i have always a lot ideas, but also a lack of time. But who knows what future brings, we'll see, best wishes to you.

[DaVinci]

Thanks..

but there´s always the MOOOOOOOOAAAAAR FACTIONS!

I'm very interested in this... Although I would like there to be more factions. I myself prefer the Northmen

I'll make then soon an All Factions playable version additionally.

[GERMANICUS]

NIce work DV! I look forward to trying this out! After I finish up a STW2 campaign using your excellent S2R mod.

[DaVinci]

First post updated, v2 uploaded.

[Loger]

I installed the submod, but when I try to start a campaign it returns to the single player menu. Any idea what I might have done wrong? Everything else seems to work fine.

[DaVinci]

I installed the submod, but when I try to start a campaign it returns to the single player menu. Any idea what I might have done wrong? Everything else seems to work fine.

Hm, the submod requires:

- M2-Kingdoms 1.05 vanilla, unmodified
- TLK vanilla 3.06 plus quickfix installed and properly running, unmodified

It must work then.

EDIT

I might reinstall TLK vanilla now, and install the submod on it, just to see what or if something is going on, that prevents the submod to work.

Edit: But before i do this (because it takes additional time etc.), is there anybody who applies the submod already, and it works as intended?
(Btw., i know it worked for One-Eye who did the geographical map changes).
Please leave a short post.

[gotrek]

I made a backup copy of TLk, renamed it " Danelag" and copy pasted your files in the mod's data folder... When I start it I notice no changes to the normal TLK campaign whatosoever despite having the "overwrite message" when I installed it. All factions are playable as far as I can tell. Any help on that?

I have a working TLK 3.06 version isntalled and the quick fix and no other submods.

[Loger]

Hm, the submod requires:

- M2-Kingdoms 1.05 vanilla, unmodified
- TLK vanilla 3.06 plus quickfix installed and properly running, unmodified

It must work then.

EDIT

I might reinstall TLK vanilla now, and install the submod on it, just to see what or if something is going on, that prevents the submod to work.

Strange. That's exactly what I had. I suppose I'll reinstall the vanilla mod and try again.

[DaVinci]

I made a backup copy of TLk, renamed it " Danelag" and copy pasted your files in the mod's data folder... When I start it I notice no changes to the normal TLK campaign whatosoever despite having the "overwrite message" when I installed it. All factions are playable as far as I can tell. Any help on that?

I have a working TLK 3.06 version isntalled and the quick fix and no other submods.

Bold part might be a culprit.

The modfolder that is applied by the TLK or Normans Pagan shortcut is always called Last_Kingdom.
Means, the mod you are playing must be in this modfolder Last_Kingdom*.
The backup modfolder should be renamed to something else (so a shortcut cannot find it), just not Last_Kingdom.
This way, changing the modfolder's name, allows also to switch between TLK vanilla and the submod, again: The shortcut applies the Last_Kingdom modfolder.

*path: ...\Medieval II Total War\mods\Last_Kingdom\data ... in data is TLK vanilla and if submod installed properly, the by submod installation overwritten files.

EDIT

Btw., for unzipping, you guys should not use the windows onboard unzipper, that sucks, just use 7zip (free version via google to find), winrar or winzip.

[gotrek]

So: I renamed it to it's original name and named the other file "third Kingdom backup".
run the game in normal mode. then exited and ran it in pagan norman (to be safe). and I get the grand campaign menu with just Wessex.
So it seems to work so far. I'm using your V2 version and Winrar for unzipping.

+ rep for efficience and patience.

[DaVinci]

So: I renamed it to it's original name and named the other file "third Kingdom backup".
run the game in normal mode. then exited and ran it in pagan norman (to be safe). and I get the grand campaign menu with just Wessex.
So it seems to work so far. I'm using your V2 version and Winrar for unzipping.

+ rep for efficience and patience.

Sounds good and correct, i hope it works now.

"third Kingdom backup"

Can also be called simply Last_Kingdom_backup.

[gotrek]

Just a question: what ever happened to shield walls? I can't seem to have it on any of my units so far, has it been trashed for historical reasons?

[DaVinci]

Just a question: what ever happened to hsield walls? I can't seem to have it on any of my units so far, has it been trashed for historical reasons?

Nope - shieldwall was commonly applied, and imo. the usual animation reflects this already good enough.

The AI can't apply the dense shieldwall animation, therfore it's disabled ... what is the sense in trying to improve the AI behaviour (CAI and BAI modding and diverse other indirect AI modding), when the player keeps several advantage-features the AI is imcapable of? And we just can't change the AI to apply certain things, which were created player-only by CA.