Mini HURB Volga Bulgaria preview

[RollingWave]

As many of you may know, HURB is an ongoing sub mod project that aims to improve historical prospective in the game as much as the engine allows, it takes pretty dramatic measurers, changing everything from recruitment system, to most of the buildings, to a pretty massive roster overhaul that includes basically the complete revamp of Islamic faction models to Broken Cresent onces.

So here is a small mini Preview on the next version's new faction, Volga Bulgaria (AFAIK unless the next BC 2.4 release already includes them this will be the first mod in all the TW sphere to actually make this faction.)


Volga Bulgaria, as the name implies, is centered around the Volga River, from the SS6.4 map it covers roughly the region of Bulgar / Kazan / Yelabulga. though HURB changes the map considerablly, anyway, it's the top right silver faction in this map.




The Volga Bulgars were an interesting faction, although the name implies nomads, they were in reality very strongly based around urban centers along the middle Volga, where the river Kama meets into the Volga River. there were a series of cities, some were said to be quite huge, in fact recent decades' excavation reveals the rather amazing fact that in the pre-Mongol Invasion world, the cities of Volga Bulgaria were almost certainly much bigger than their Rus counter Parts' , and may have been the biggest city in Europe outside of Constantinople and Cordoba at certain points.

The name Bulgar implies that they're related with the Bulgarians, and indeed that is the case. they were both originally part of the same nomadic group that fell apart in the 7th century. upon their desintergration their leadesr led their people in several different direction, the most famous group soon established themself in modern day Bulgaria, but this other somewhat lesser known group, also established a significant state.

Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot of textual data on them, their own data was most likely destroyed by the Mongols, so we can only rely on some Arab / Rus records and modern excavation and some guess work.

Here's a look at their banners, I made it mostly out of modern Tartarstan flags and CoAs.








Units, a combination of Rushchi and BC models (mostly the former, but the new bodyguard's armored horse is BC's)







5.0 is a rather ambitious project at this point (especially for a one man operation) as I am trying to get 3 new factions into the game and a 4th switch . most of the other faction's units are done and Volga Bulgaria's are about half done. hopefully I can release it sooner than BC 2.4 which is schedueled for the end of Sepetember.

[Vissewalde rex de Gerzika]

Looks amazing, but the amount of factions using white color is too big, might make it confusing, what are the other new factions? Im especially interested about the one under France.

[RollingWave]

The white one under France is the Crusader States, in another word, it's the county of Toulouse, which in 1100 was ruled by Raymond St.Gilies (he was by far the most wealthy and powerful lord in the first Crusade, unlike Godfrey he did not sell or abandon his holding to go on the Crusade as he didn't need to.), who is basically the leader of the First Crusade, and was stillin the holy lands at that point, he would go on to found the County of Tripoli. and at least 2 more Counts of Toulouse would also be Counts of Tripoli.

The CS are obviously going to have a nightmarish time holding Toulouse, but my main point of point them there is to really check the expansion of some of the near by factions to a more realistic matter.


I agree though that here's too many white faction (though it is the same onces as 6.4, Portugal / Poladnd / Crusaders). I probably try to change Poland's color I guess.

The factions in HURB that is different from 6.4 is basically

Abbasid Caliph (Baghdad)
Principality of Serbia (the one in the Balkans between Hungary and the ERE)
Volga Bulgaria
Armenia Cilicia ( the one above the Crusader)
Kingdom of Georgia (well it's in Georgia... )
Sultanate of Rum (the one inAnatolia)

So in short it basically doubles the numbers of Orthodox and Islamic Factions you can play, and make the situation in the Eastern half of the map much more interesting, which has long been a complaint that to play a Islamic faction you can only play as one of the Giants. now you have a bunch of 1 to 2 region Islamic / Orthodox factions to choose from

[Silver Legionary]

Excellent work, RW.
Looking forward to trying the new Orthodox factions, as well
as retrying the Abbasids.

Also, I hope that you have time to give every unit in the EDU at least one recruitment
line, as a lot of units in 4.2 were unrecruitable.

[hippacrocafish]

I am going to play the crap out of Rum and Volga-Bulgaria.

[Ichon]

Nice to see HURB still expanding.

[Chazz1225]

I'm very double sided about giving the Crusader States Toulouse. It's great as when the AI Fatties take out the Crusader control of Outremer, which they inevitably will after the first Jihad, the CS will still have some region alive which is safe away from Fatty eyes. However there are many complications, firstly being so far away from Outremer can give the population there low public order always, so a moderate garrison is highly advised, secondly being a lone region they are under a lot of pressure from other faction due to being strapped for cash due to funding the battle for the Holy Lands they will hardly be capable of combating the vaste armies of the French who might be eyeing Toulouse which means defending it properly will be quite difficult. So I'm thinking the CS in france sounds somewhat wastful Meanwhile Everything else in this looks great though, props for the work you've put into it. I wished the TO were playable in this, my favies

[Twelve]

So, what do you think about adding Bilyar to the mod?

[RollingWave]

I'll think about it for sure. from a population POV it was clearly much bigger than my current choice of Permia.

BTW, if we end up taking the splite Volga Bulgria route, then what should I call the Bolghar region?

though do spare me, I have been working 18 hours days (that's not a typo) in the last few days, suffice to say my brain is barely function at this point.

[Vissewalde rex de Gerzika]

I'll think about it for sure. from a population POV it was clearly much bigger than my current choice of Permia.

BTW, if we end up taking the splite Volga Bulgria route, then what should I call the Bolghar region?

though do spare me, I have been working 18 hours days (that's not a typo) in the last few days, suffice to say my brain is barely function at this point.

Go and get some well deserved sleep then.

[Twelve]

I'll think about it for sure. from a population POV it was clearly much bigger than my current choice of Permia.

I think you may replace it by one of that Tunisia regions.

BTW, if we end up taking the splite Volga Bulgria route, then what should I call the Bolghar region?

Sorry for my stupidness, I can't understand you. The translator can't too. Please explane it simpler.

[The Kybrothilian]

Sorry for my stupidness, I can't understand you. The translator can't too. Please explane it simpler.

He's basically wondering what should be the name of the second region under Volga Bolgaria, if he adds it in.

[Twelve]

He's basically wondering what should be the name of the second region under Volga Bolgaria, if he adds it in.

Thanks.

Bulgar's region - Volga Bulgaria, so the Bilar's region - Bilaria, i think.

[Orlorin]

Make sure it is strong enough to resist K-shah, they are EVIl.

[napoleonic]

there are no more k-shah and no more the mongols AFAIK, the k-shah is certainly gone from that map, to compensate, RW strengthened the turks (seljuk?) a lot, a lot here mean they get so many different (and many are powerful) units compared to normal SS turks.

the mongols is obviously can't be seen in the year 1100, but if RW stick to his plan then I think they are already gone too.

some questions :

1. why new thread? lol
2. so now why there's no rebel settlements below hungary (and above serbia)? IIRC it was a rebel settlement in previous HURB
3. did you remove a region in that armenia faction region? IIRC there were at least 2 regions there but I saw only one there? can you give us region change log?
4. got a feeling that the situation around rum-cs-georgia is somewhat unbalanced as the 2 big powers (roman and turk) will likely get massive advantage if rum-cs-armenia-georgia fight each others.
5. a minor thing, change the color of sicily please lol



6. there seem to be so many region changes, for example AFAIK the HRE didn't have verona (or what it was called, the one below venice) or Florence/Bologna or both are gone?

some kievan/cuman regions changed too?

[Twelve]

And, i have to say, let the Permia and Bilar be a different regions, not hte same.
Also, my russian comrades wondering that the Kievan Rus's colors are blue-yellow, not crimson or dark-red. Why?

[RollingWave]

I'll try to see if I can juggle another region... it's doable of course, but I'd see the likely outcome being the VB almost always beating the crap out of the Cumans... errr well there are ways to adjust that as well, we'll see.

anyway, a few more units, the VB roster is largely finished I think. this is a upgraded Bulgar Archer and a upgraded Birig (militia) Spearmen and all 3 level of Urma axemen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[RollingWave]

alright, I think the relative position of bolghar / biliar is roughly like this right?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I ended up cutting Sistani, which is ashame, but it is kinda off the map and it's relavence in this sort of setting is somewhat limited.

[Twelve]

And also: Bulgar, not the Bolghar. Bulgar - name of the city existed there in IX-XII centuries, Bolghar - name of town existing there now.

[RollingWave]

And also: Bulgar, not the Bolghar. Bulgar - name of the city existed there in IX-XII centuries, Bolghar - name of town existing there now.

I'm not exactly an artist, redoing it I ended up with something like this which I don't really think look that much better than the previous incarnation...



of course I can bend the rivers a bit more to look more realistic but the nature of the beast is that changing maps, espeically when you want to go really deep into detail, is hard.