A Quick FAQ for the Only Mod That Steals Your Lunch Money to Pay for Your Schooling...

[ODaly]

...otherwise known as "ODaly's Almost-Comprehensive Knowledge of APE:TI"

I've noticed recently that many newcomers to APE:TI come to the forums after encountering an unfamiliar feature or side-effect while they're learning all of what this mod has to offer. Some of these issues are real problems, and need to be addressed. This is expected, considering more than the fact that this is the work of volunteers (though some would argue that even paid professionals didn't get vanilla ETW past beta stage) who dedicate probably more than their fair share of time to give the community a new experience and dedicated response to the players.

Others, I've noticed, are more-often-than-not-recycled questions about the unforeseen effects of some of APE:TI's new features. Not that other community members or I object to responding to any questions raised (after all, I get to exercise my infinite wit and charm) but I figure I'd write up a quick reference guide as an easily accessible place for answers to many of the questions I've seen asked here, and hopefully give you a chuckle or two in the process while I'm at it.


Let's Start at the Beginning, Shall We?
What better place to start than the stickies on the APE:TI board...

Firstly, I highly recommend you read, or re-read, the list of features and most recent changelog here. I, like many of you, don't know much about computers aside from how to make them do things that will entertain me for an hour or two at a time. Fortunately installing APE:TI is much simpler than it might seem. Blindly follow the voice. It will lead you to the light.
Now that you've got everything downloaded, go back and reread the list of features. Please?

FIXED!
Wait! Before We Go Further, My Version is Listed as 1.0.9! Didn't I Get the New Version?
Yes, you got the newest version. It's a known issue that the 1.1.0 version incorrectly displays the previous version number. The downloads are not swapped just to mess with you.
FIXED!

Is This Mod Compatible With...
-APE:TI is modfoldered, so you can download the other hosted mods onto your computer too. Ohh Yeah! Unfortunately, you can still only run one hosted mod at a time, but wait! There's more good news!
-APE:TI has a compatible version of AUM, with fantastic instructions on installing listed here.
-APE:TI supports all DLC, so no units go to waste!
-APE:TI is also compatible with all sound and graphics mods, except loading screens. Go ahead and enjoy all the different flag and skin mods to the bounds of your heart, or courage.


Can I Play As...
-APE:TI lets you play as any major or minor nation at the start of either Early or Late Campaign, respectively. Playing as emergents will require editing of savegame data, and is not officially supported yet.
-To have complete diplomatic freedom as a protectorate nation, you must break free from your protector, usually by declaring a war against them. This is a vanilla issue regarding diplomatic mechanics. Still, playing as protectorates (notably the American ones) is not officially supported yet either.


Vanilla is too Easy! Will This Mod Give Me a Challenge?
-APE:TI, like many hosted mods, has tweaked and improved both the CAI and BAI. Not exactly comparable to multiplayer, unless you play against your grandmother.
-APE:TI has introduced many new features to add to the campaign difficulty, and it is recommended that regardless of skill, a new player try playing at N/N until they develop an understanding of the mod's features.
-APE:TI's unique feature regarding difficulty is significantly increased Resistance to Foreign Occupation. It is not unusual to fight off a rebellion in every captured province, and even more in enemy capitals. No more overpowered blitzkrieg for you wannabe Panzer commanders!


Manpower and Supply? What the heck is all this?
-APE:TI imposes limits on recruitment based off of a nation's population and production ability, rather than its pocketbook like in vanilla. It's worth noting that colonial possessions have much less available recruitment, meaning that large overseas action may require you to raise an army in the homeland and ship it over. This means no more battling your way through two and a half stacks of Hannover line infantry!
-APE:TI signals insufficient recruitment ability to the player by showing "-1" turns for the recruitment of a new unit.


I Should be Making Bank! Where's all my Money Going?
-APE:TI has added research costs in the form of school upkeep. It's been the base of a running joke to rename the mod and why this FAQ has such a title. School cost is dependent on your difficulty level and the building level of the school in question.
-APE:TI displays the cost of a particular school in the upper-left-hand window when the school is selected.
-Everyone forgets to account for their school costs until they get used to this feature. Everyone, no exceptions.


Two Turns per Year is Lame! Is APE:TI Lame?
-APE:TI is set to run three turns per year (one winter and two summer). Building, recruitment, and research times are balanced accordingly.


This is a Terrible FAQ! What if I've Got Other Questions?
There are a few bug/issues that are already being looked at and addressed for the next version of APE:TI. Some of these are:
-Tech tree bugs
-Popup windows displaying vanilla information
-Theoretically infinite spending/debt without bankruptcy due to how school costs are calculated.
If you've downloaded the newest HOTFIX (it is required, after all) you should have no gamebreaking problems, even if the infinite debt thing does sound pretty bad. I'm just being dramatic.


A Few Parting Words...
-Playing as Saxony is practically suicide. You want a challenge? It's wearing a bright green jacket.
-The English are a bunch of twans on Hard and Very Hard. Watch out.
-Don't be a stranger. APE:TI's fortunate to have a very helpful and friendly community, if a bit smaller than some other mods.
-80% of readers have by now forgotten about school costs. 100% now remember.
-Have fun, or else!

[Krixux]

My campaign is slightly different :

Apeti v110 + aum
Hard battle + Hard game

France:
1. Winter 1700.

-Alliance with Westphalia & Wurttenberg. Exchange Arcadia for Corsica with Genoa + alliance. Massive build in France all ec. buildings. Train in Fr. 2 Lancers.
-moved some troops in Corsica and Alsace + increase taxes nobility at max in main theatre.
-Train in Fr. Guiana 1 Hessian.
-train sloops in all ports.
-move all south Louisiana troops, except archers to the northern part of Am.
-Sell my one and only Tech. to all that will buy. (ask 200, 100 or 70 till they buy it!)
End money 7000 (as a reserve) - train plug bayonet
-income nest turn 1200
-Turn. (-Dutch declare War on me! and airborne-drop 1 General + 1 militia next to Fr. Guiana.)

2. Summer 1700.

-recruit 1 Hessian in Fr. Guiana
- All Northern Native Am. go war on me.
-Maratha ask trade & give me 1600, accepted (!!!).
-Ottomans ask trade + ask 800, accepted!
-Turn (GB declares war on me; having my 1st censured thought )

3. Summer 1700.

-Recruited 2 Lancers in Paris.
-Recruited all sloops all over.
-block the bridge at New Found Land (or something) + Massive GB fleet gets there and force my Sloop to go submarine. Inviting road for the Inuit opened.
-train ring bayonet ; sell the just trained plug bayonet, to all (200 or min 70 !)
-Dutch lay siege on Fr. Guiana awaiting my eventual surrender ( yeah sure!)
-Pirates block all my ports in America theatre.
-disband one cannon battery & pike-men in main Fr. to stay on +.
- move the South Louisiana army into Huron territory. 2 Native armies average 5 units/army, move on me to get my Quebec regions , GB lands an army: 1 Gen. + cannon + 6 inf. European +1 reg of horde () next to the far east border of Quebec. where i have the start units + Gen.
-My Spy in North Am. informs me of a major conspiracy between the above named nations and supposedly some apeti moders to get me fubar asap.

South:
-i contra-attack in Fr. Guiana:
1 Hessian + 2 already browned trousers armed (lol) citizenry against the Dutch: 1 Gen + 1 militia. they don't have bayonets and wait for me to have a go at them. Hessians advance with the 2 armed cit. grouped to flank, all next to each other. In fire range. after the first volley from all my units (perfect flat ground) no casualties in Dutch ranks. Their militia fire and mow down half of my 1st Hessians line. my 2nd salvo is shot ( after about 2 min of dutifully cleaning ,and cleaning ,and cleaning , and cleaning , and so on, their muskets ) but not before the Dutch militia’s 2nd salvo, that wipes clean the remaining half of my 1st Hessian’s line. By now my all infantry’s trousers are dark brown + all flags get whitish (refrain : shall we go or shall we stay, ....repeatedly). Miracle: the 1st Dutch militia man dies (!) and they get +1 exp. Their Gen. charge my armed cit. ( brown and wet trousers by now) which just finishing their ammo start all running to the re-supply depot to get more, with the only problem that, that specific location is waaaay out of the map’s borders.... Hessians charge bayonet but change their mind mid-way and im “crushed defeated “. i loose Fr. Guiana....
-my face turns red, spilled coffee on my desk ( 1st censured curse is spoken aloud)

North:
The two Native’s armies attack my left town, and with just 2 brownies in defence i loose that region; at Quebec main, siege from GB: the British lose badly, but my heroic attack costs me 60% of my units +censured remark from my part
The Inuit are advancing on New F. land (ahem) , i sell it to Maratha (yeah! way to go baby) and get 2000 + all their tech. + Alliance ( me bad boy).
Main theatre France : silence of the lam (that me)
-no can do re-train in Quebec.
-turn...

4. Winter 1701.
-Recruited 2 Lancers in Paris + 2 farms in France done.
-All my ports are blocked everywhere , all my war ships are now subject of a future “Sea treasure hunt” as seen on Nat.Geo. ...
--Remember those 2 Native Am. armies? they lay siege on Quebec.
-the South Louisiana army asks surrender and take the undefended Western Huron Region - mood gets red big time there.
-the Dutch lay Siege on Brussels with massive army, attack-take it, and move on to Paris not bothering with the Flanders's low population mood
-Savoy declare war on me plus move 5 cav + 6 inf into main France and attack my army over a bridge (hehe)-they loose badly and pull back. i lose some and move my army north to protect Paris. then 2nd not so large Dutch army moves into Brussels to ensure both order and back up the 1st army.
-all moods in all my regions are yellow; if raise tax : are red. i don't , on the other hand i get redish with high blood-pressure.
-total treasury next turn 800...
-broke key-board with a fist blow.
-needed a break - go outside on the balcony i share with my neighbour : he’s there smoking : gives a polite “good day” : i beat the hell out of him for about 2 minutes ( nope, i didn't, but i really envisioned that while grinned-answered his salute)
-back to PC. closed game and restarted apeti but at extremely lowest of easiest very very easy.....game settings......

-hehe No ,isn't that bad:

by turn 30 i took back all north American regions, conquered both Guianas, while Brussels and Savoy + Genoa are mine (Genoa attacked Spain who in turn sacked Genoa-City that turned rebel. Genoa reappeared - no alliances what so ever , i had a go at them ....hehe)
I took The UP (weepy!) then landed in GB with a small 3 cav + 1 can + 4 inf and made havoc there ...
Im on offensive in America ....,

By GOD what a Game !!!! the best ever !!!!

[l33tl4m3r]

I thought these should be stickied.

If anyone else has a general advice post about how to play the mod or knows of one that should be added, link it here and I'll merge it in and clean up the thread!

Post your guides!

[ODaly]

Thanks for the glue!