TOTEM

[Post Hoc]

I hope you finish it, this is by far the best map ever made for any total war game.

[robomanus]

I hope you finish it, this is by far the best map ever made for any total war game.

Oh and I will. You better believe it!

[RubiconDecision]

I'll show you what I mean when the mod is finished. I'll place various structures upon the terrain and demonstrate how the terrain looks differently based upon those structures. In some cases, the map coordinates of settlements make great battlefields themselves and are way preferable to fighting yet another siege battle.

By discovering which map coordinates on the TOTEM map are the most thrilling, then a modder could create a section of campaign script to spawn an army on that particular set of coordinates. Then lock the spawned army. When that happens, the army won't move. When an army discovers another army, then usually based upon the strength of either side, one army will either retreat or allow battle to commence. When the army is locked, they won't retreat, which is preferable for that means that the player will actually get to fight at that choice battlefield.

Third Age does this ^ by creating spawned armies (some are minions of Sauron) that are in wooded areas and set up for ambush. Since they are hidden until you bump into them, then it adds an element to the game that ordinarily wouldn't be there.

Otherwise in your mod, a suggested list of custom battles could be included with pictures and documentation in a pdf (this is where I come in). Then players can always fight there any time they wish. Recently, I've had a discussion about spawning armies by pressing a certain combination of keys. What this would do is create an army in known locations during the game. Then players would only do it if they wanted the extra challenge of dealing with an enemy on that battlefield. It could be solely rebel units and therefore have little effect on diplomacy OR if could cause a diplomatic incident at that location. Either could be a breath of fresh air during routine gameplay.

[Kirila the Kitten]

Here is the map

but try to understand: there no critical importance for now of 100% accuracy of the regions till everybody knows how to do it and it will take me 10 minutes to correct it. So please take a look and let me know but remember of: the period - XII-XIII century and the factions: for now there are only vanilla ones cause of less dimensions of the mod to share, but I'll include again: Wales, Ireland, Sweden, Teutonic order, Lituania, Genoa, Cumans, Antiochia and Jerusalem, so thats why there are more regions in those areas, like in Ireland etc..

If you put new factions as well, I will love you son! You should try to borrow units from other mods, also take a look at Kingdoms Grand Campaign for regions. Also check DarthMod for unit-stats remaking and AI so the battles will be nice too.

[robomanus]

If you put new factions as well, I will love you son! You should try to borrow units from other mods, also take a look at Kingdoms Grand Campaign for regions. Also check DarthMod for unit-stats remaking and AI so the battles will be nice too.

As I sad before I already gathered all the Kingdoms factions plus Genoa, Sweeden and Cumans but for now I hide them because of mod's dimension.

[robomanus]

I'll show you what I mean when the mod is finished. I'll place various structures upon the terrain and demonstrate how the terrain looks differently based upon those structures. In some cases, the map coordinates of settlements make great battlefields themselves and are way preferable to fighting yet another siege battle.

By discovering which map coordinates on the TOTEM map are the most thrilling, then a modder could create a section of campaign script to spawn an army on that particular set of coordinates. Then lock the spawned army. When that happens, the army won't move. When an army discovers another army, then usually based upon the strength of either side, one army will either retreat or allow battle to commence. When the army is locked, they won't retreat, which is preferable for that means that the player will actually get to fight at that choice battlefield.

Third Age does this ^ by creating spawned armies (some are minions of Sauron) that are in wooded areas and set up for ambush. Since they are hidden until you bump into them, then it adds an element to the game that ordinarily wouldn't be there.

Otherwise in your mod, a suggested list of custom battles could be included with pictures and documentation in a pdf (this is where I come in). Then players can always fight there any time they wish. Recently, I've had a discussion about spawning armies by pressing a certain combination of keys. What this would do is create an army in known locations during the game. Then players would only do it if they wanted the extra challenge of dealing with an enemy on that battlefield. It could be solely rebel units and therefore have little effect on diplomacy OR if could cause a diplomatic incident at that location. Either could be a breath of fresh air during routine gameplay.

I love all that stuff so much!!! So we'll wait when the map is finished (very soon)

Another question: I would like to put the forts on the map to bring it more caotic. So I was wandering is someone could help me with the correct historical interpretation of putting them on the map (the mod will start in the XII century)...

[robomanus]

Just updated witn new photos (check 1st post's Stratmap preview section)

[Archagetes]

Great map, nice to see navigable rivers.
But I wouldn't make the Nile entirely navigable, I think you should make it navigable to the first cataract.
And you could make Rhine, Tigris and Niger also partially navigable.
It also seems a little bit that the regions are more dense in GB

[The Byzantine]

I've been watching this for quite a while now and i have to say that i am amazed by the quality of your work!

I have a small request however, if you find some free time please update the campaign map screenshots with some where the fog of war is disabled so we can take a better look at this awesome map!

Keep up the good work man!

[robomanus]

Great map, nice to see navigable rivers.
But I wouldn't make the Nile entirely navigable, I think you should make it navigable to the first cataract.
And you could make Rhine, Tigris and Niger also partially navigable.
It also seems a little bit that the regions are more dense in GB

Thank you first of all

I wouldn't make the Nile entirely navigable, I think you should make it navigable to the first cataract.

Why??

Rhine, Tigris and Niger are not navigable (don't remember why but I've decided in that way).

It also seems a little bit that the regions are more dense in GB

Because of Wales and Ireland That I've included

Infact there are no entirely navigable rivers because of the landbringes and the roads upon them. Let me explain better:

Usually when you put the Landbridge 2 regions are connected and you can walk through. But there is no road upon the bringe, and I don't like it. So I connect 2 regions on the map_regions.tga but leave them disconnected on the map_heights.tga so visually it seems to bee the water but the navy can't pass through (because of the land). But in that way the road is present!!! And the landbridge has only an'aesthetic function.
So in that point you will not cross with the navy but will take another one situated beyond the bringe (If you have it

If you didn't understand so please reply and I'll put some images just to explain better

[robomanus]

I've been watching this for quite a while now and i have to say that i am amazed by the quality of your work!

I have a small request however, if you find some free time please update the campaign map screenshots with some where the fog of war is disabled so we can take a better look at this awesome map!

Keep up the good work man!

Thanks a lot.

But before I start to post some gameplay photos or videos I still have to:

Complete designing the city models (I wandered if someone could help me???) in other way it will seem stupid (with wanilla ones)

Put some forts just for creating a major map chaos and for the strategic interests of course (I wandered If someone could find me some kind of a list of the most important castles of XII century)

After all of that stuff I'll be ready not only to post new images but to upload my mod

[Kirila the Kitten]

Thank you first of all



Why??

Rhine, Tigris and Niger are not navigable (don't remember why but I've decided in that way).



Because of Wales and Ireland That I've included

Infact there are no entirely navigable rivers because of the landbringes and the roads upon them. Let me explain better:

Usually when you put the Landbridge 2 regions are connected and you can walk through. But there is no road upon the bringe, and I don't like it. So I connect 2 regions on the map_regions.tga but leave them disconnected on the map_heights.tga so visually it seems to bee the water but the navy can't pass through (because of the land). But in that way the road is present!!! And the landbridge has only an'aesthetic function.
So in that point you will not cross with the navy but will take another one situated beyond the bringe (If you have it

If you didn't understand so please reply and I'll put some images just to explain better

No navigable rivers?

[robomanus]

Yes there are: Danube, Dnepr, Volga and Nile

[RubiconDecision]

Thanks a lot.

But before I start to post some gameplay photos or videos I still have to:

Complete designing the city models (I wandered if someone could help me???) in other way it will seem stupid (with wanilla ones)

Put some forts just for creating a major map chaos and for the strategic interests of course (I wandered If someone could find me some kind of a list of the most important castles of XII century)

After all of that stuff I'll be ready not only to post new images but to upload my mod

You could look at Dominion of the Sword to see where the historic forts would be. If that's your goal then that's the easiest way to get close to the correct map coordinates for forts. I'd talk to them and give them credit.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forum...and-Promotions

I would encourage you not to put too many forts in there. It is entirely based upon what historical period that uses the map, right? Forts were essential but expensive. They should be used judiciously to limit an enemy army from passing unopposed through other kingdom's land. Certain terrain like rivers and forests were impassable as were mountains. As such, careful forts could limit. Since the AI is terrible about making such choices, then preplaced stone forts in some manner makes sense.

As a player of many custom battles, the most boring battles are sieges. In reality, medieval armies sieged fortified places for a long time to weaken the defenders. With things like supply traits, then the attackers are getting weaker each siege turn, right? With garrison scripts, unless well balanced and realistic, the AI attackers have a terrible job for while they estimated the defenders and then decided to attack, suddenly there are more and there is a much reduced chance of success.

The very best battles are ones in which many decisions must be made based upon terrain, reinforcements, tactics, elevation, ranged weapons, movement speed of cavalry, etc. Much of that is not under consideration with siege battles.

Because the AI doesn't fight battles, only autoresolves them, then you can play with that calculation. In addition, since the AI is defending MORE than the player who is likely using a blistering Blitzkrieg strategy, then pm me about altering the defensive capabilities of cities/castles. What I did was change the Level 3 castle/city settlements to fire ballista instead of arrows. Then in Level 4, the main ballista towers only fire trebuchet artillery. This gives the defenders range over the attackers and makes it far more realistic for the attackers to get hammered while moving their men into position. This then mostly affects the PLAYER and not the AI (well unless the human player blunders and defends too often. In that case it helps the human player.)
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...when-defending

[robomanus]

Very interesting!!!

and thanks for the link of Dominion of the Sword, I'll take a look

[RubiconDecision]

If you're like most modders, I would bet that you agree that many kingdoms are eliminated too soon in the vanilla version of the game. There are solutions to this. Naturally forts can be one aspect of that.

If you first allow practically all kingdoms to "horde" then in the event of the last settlement being taken (not a fort) then a set horde will form along with a set number of family (newly created named characters). They often when they horde in the early stages of a mod, they then subsequently set off a chain reaction by attacking a settlement and making it the new base of operations.

Besides that, you can have kingdoms reemerge based upon conditions. 1)You can have them spawn based upon disorder within a taken over city that has a capitol building (which is made hinterland and hence not destroyable) 2) You can use garrison scripts to bolster their strength in cities (usually their original cities/castles). 3) You can spawn armies outside of settlements to help oppose the invaders. Spawning cavalry outside is helpful for spawning cavalry inside a settlement is wasted, right? They can't be used for best effect, however in autoresolving such cavalry give the defenders a lot of points for the forumula to ultimately survive the battle. 4) You can periodically spawn armies within preplaced stone forts. This can be helpful since within the descr_strat you can have free upkeep. This means you strengthen the fort defense but don't cause the AI to have a lot of necessary upkeep.

There are variations of those ideas^ too.

[robomanus]

If you're like most modders, I would bet that you agree that many kingdoms are eliminated too soon in the vanilla version of the game. There are solutions to this. Naturally forts can be one aspect of that.

If you first allow practically all kingdoms to "horde" then in the event of the last settlement being taken (not a fort) then a set horde will form along with a set number of family (newly created named characters). They often when they horde in the early stages of a mod, they then subsequently set off a chain reaction by attacking a settlement and making it the new base of operations.

Besides that, you can have kingdoms reemerge based upon conditions. 1)You can have them spawn based upon disorder within a taken over city that has a capitol building (which is made hinterland and hence not destroyable) 2) You can use garrison scripts to bolster their strength in cities (usually their original cities/castles). 3) You can spawn armies outside of settlements to help oppose the invaders. Spawning cavalry outside is helpful for spawning cavalry inside a settlement is wasted, right? They can't be used for best effect, however in autoresolving such cavalry give the defenders a lot of points for the forumula to ultimately survive the battle. 4) You can periodically spawn armies within preplaced stone forts. This can be helpful since within the descr_strat you can have free upkeep. This means you strengthen the fort defense but don't cause the AI to have a lot of necessary upkeep.

There are variations of those ideas^ too.

omg... so much stuff gets me crazy ahaha

[RubiconDecision]

When you upload a screencapture, you can make it an attachment by uploading it to your profile in the forum software. Then it will show as a thumbnail instead of a full blown picture. That makes the screencapture upload faster plus allows people to pick and choose which ones to click on. Then even when displayed as a screencapture, then they click one more time to maximize the pic. See that link on the trebuchet firing from the city walls to defend it. You'll see what I am talking about.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/attac...7&d=1373758669
As you update your screencaps to show things like the fog of war being turned off, then you're going to have more and more screen caps. Trust me, you want to use to thumbnails when displaying that information on the forum. It's better.

Because some of the islands are actually part of a territory within a kingdom, then one could place a stone fort there, spawn units into it with named characters, and so in places like the Scottish islands or the Mediterranean, you could have kingdoms not eliminated but still maintaining a presence. This means they retreated to that island, are devastating the land at cost to another kingdom (likely the player), and might at some point have to be dealt with.

If "locked" with a trait, then they won't move until attacked. If an invisible and unused agent is placed with them, then that agent's name can be displayed to identify that island region. I asked about this recently in the text mod Workshop topic. Gigantus said that you could pick one resource, call it something else i.e. "retreated units", and so identify areas where the AI will spawn that the player should be looking for to finally destroy.

One could write some code in the campaign script, and if there were units there, then spawn more. It would be like the army was gathering strength by others joining them. At some point the player would have to deal with them again. You could do this over and over, and therefore lots of kingdoms that usually get eliminated would still be in the game past turn 200, 300, 400 and beyond. They would be very reduced in strength because they hold no settlements but not eliminated.

The main issue is getting them back to the mainland regions. Gigantus also said that the AI gets confused about actually boarding ships and launching a naval invasion. You could try to spawn navies, that's possible, but will the units ever actually retake some areas. Who knows?

If you've played the Britannia campaign in Kingdoms, then you know that small Scottish islands offer Norway a chance to have a foothold there, a base of operations. One could intentionally make some island settlements specifically for spawning armies towards that purpose. Malta makes sense. So does Crete or Cypress. The problem is the 199 settlements + 1 (the sea). I guess one could make several small islands to be a settlement region and so that might be helpful too.

[robomanus]

Infact you're right also because in my way I can't post more than 100 pictures

Because some of the islands are actually part of a territory within a kingdom, then one could place a stone fort there, spawn units into it with named characters, and so in places like the Scottish islands or the Mediterranean, you could have kingdoms not eliminated but still maintaining a presence. This means they retreated to that island, are devastating the land at cost to another kingdom (likely the player), and might at some point have to be dealt with.

If "locked" with a trait, then they won't move until attacked. If an invisible and unused agent is placed with them, then that agent's name can be displayed to identify that island region. I asked about this recently in the text mod Workshop topic. Gigantus said that you could pick one resource, call it something else i.e. "retreated units", and so identify areas where the AI will spawn that the player should be looking for to finally destroy.

One could write some code in the campaign script, and if there were units there, then spawn more. It would be like the army was gathering strength by others joining them. At some point the player would have to deal with them again. You could do this over and over, and therefore lots of kingdoms that usually get eliminated would still be in the game past turn 200, 300, 400 and beyond. They would be very reduced in strength because they hold no settlements but not eliminated.

The main issue is getting them back to the mainland regions. Gigantus also said that the AI gets confused about actually boarding ships and launching a naval invasion. You could try to spawn navies, that's possible, but will the units ever actually retake some areas. Who knows?

Very interesting. Infact there is a good idea to put them on the islands .....

If "locked" with a trait, then they won't move until attacked. If an invisible and unused agent is placed with them, then that agent's name can be displayed to identify that island region

I new that

[napoleonic]

most interesting project, too bad we can't simply port the map to any other mods, can we?