DogSoldier's Combatus Maximus Mod - Patch 7 Compatible! Automatically Updated Through Steam! ( 15/11/13)
COMBATUS MAXIMUS
A COMPLETELY NEW EXPERIENCE
For videos on this mod, please check out my YouTube Channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/DogSoldierSPQR
A big thank you to Creative Assembly. Their recent patches have been making Rome 2 a much more better game as we go on. Here's hoping Patch 7 will sort a lot of things out
Patch Notes!
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Version 1.2:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:Mod has been completely improved! Check outs what's new directly below!
Weapon damages themselves have been altered. Blunt objects have good damage but less AP etc. Elite units have much better quality swords than those of their lesser counterparts.
Charges have been revamped. Everyone's charges are important but there is a fine line between Elite charges and levy charges, however, Hoplon-wielding units still have a good charge on them no matter their training, but lesser Hoplites will be a bit lower but still higher than average etc.
More changes to shield stats.
Testudo and shield-wall give brilliant protection against missiles but KEEP THEM AT RANGE! I've made it so that missile units are deadlier up close than at range.
Elite and well trained units other than the Romans now have the Testudo and Shield wall to keep them safe.
Hoplite Phalanx has been replaced with the Shield wall.
Units in Pike Phalanx and Shield have MASSIVE defensive bonuses. They can also successfully absorb a charge from Heroes of Sparta but ONLY if they are in one of these formations. However, you must remember that the Pike Phalanx is still bugged in general so wait for CA to fix that. I've tried to do my part with it.
Cavalry are more decisive and are better than last time hopefully but still more balances are needed most likely.
Units DEFINITELY route now. There is also a mass route penalty. This is applied when the enemy has lost a vast majority of their army and cannot raise their morale before it's too late.
Missile units have a nice balance. They'll steadily/slowly kill units who are not in formations but those who are in Testudo or Shield Wall will literally be impenetrable as long as you are not too close to that missile unit. Both attacking Testudo and defensive Testudo give amazing protection.
There are more changes but it's hard to remember as I did so many things. I hope you enjoy this and it was YOUR feedback that helped me make crucial changes.
First off, pay no mind to the name. It's not proper Latin but I like it and it gave me a laugh when I first thought of it haha
Version 1.3
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:Missiles have been properly balanced. Units that are not in Testudo or Shield Wall get slaughtered by Javelins and arrows but those who are in formation can take the punishment.
Fire Javelins and Fire Arrows have been removed! They p'd me off and lowered frame-rates. Also, they were too visually distracting.
Missiles can kill A LOT when units are not adopting either a Testudo or Shield Wall but to counter this, I have lowered their ammo. Look below:
Javelins - Been reduced to 3 again.
Archers - Around about twice the javelinmen ammunition give or take.
Slingers are irrelevant and no attention has been paid to them. Recruiting them is pointless.
The campaign feature that was still in this mod has been taken care of.
Enjoy!
Version 1.4 - Important! - For those of you who want more missiles, a newer pack has been added. It's called Missiles.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:Spartan Heroes have been converted into Swordsmen for flavour and to give you more tactics as Sparta.
I have finally fixed the missiles! Make sure you read this next bit very carefully.
It was all my fault before. Such a simple thing I was doing wrong which was stopping me from getting the desired effect with my missiles.
Now, missiles are very deadly to all who are not adopting a formation.
Shield Wall or any kind of Testudo renders a unit invulnerable against missile fire. HOWEVER, make sure you keep a good distance away. Anywhere under 30 metres and you're bound to feel it!
Javelins - 100 metres - 4 Volleys-worth of ammo - Very high base damage (Read at end of paragraph) - Highest AP out of all. Javelins close up can rip through formation eventually.
Arrows - 150+ metres - Approx 7 Volleys-worth of ammo - Low but considerable armour piercing - Considerable base damage.
Slingers - 120 Metres - 8 to 10 Volleys-worth of ammo - Non-existent armour piercing capabilities - Highest base damage of all!
Base Damage - Base damage is the damage that is dealt when a missile gets into contact with the body, not the shield. Now, if you aim at soldiers who are busy fighting and cannot raise their shields, they will drop like flies! Tried and tested! Slingers are best for this.
Missiles units are EXTREMELY vulnerable to missile fire. I have taken away their armour stats and shield stats. They die quickly but can deal A LOT of damage if you are not careful like me. If you get your volley off against the enemy before them, you can rip their unit right open. Every missile will kill on contact against another missile soldier but I've implemented spread but still, you must be super careful though!
Missile cavalry have had their hit points and armour values taken away from them so that counter-missile fire can kill them so they're not overpowered etc.
Save-game compatible so just go ahead and replace the old pack with this.
This is the update I want to hear the most feedback on. Let me know, please.
Version 1.6
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:1.6 is considered a BETA because there is a slight chance that the conversion process may have messed with a field, but it is very unlikely. The BETA status has been put up just incase. I really hope you enjoy this and it's very important you read below in the notes so you know what to expect.
This was initially going to be 1.5 but since Patch 4 came out and I figured I might as well just call it 6.
There is a strong notable difference now between training levels. For example, Elite infantry will dominate poorly trained infantry and will always have an edge, especially in straight-up combat. You will see the difference. Same rules apply though, flank heavy infantry and you shall kill them. For Barbarians, numbers are on your side. For advanced factions, you must make sure you keep your enemy in front of you otherwise your boys will be overwhelmed and taken out. Hoplites and legionaries are very dominant fighters against barbarians. You will see this. Like I said before though, to overcome this, you must flank and overwhelmed. Those bonuses are more than enough to even bring down the Heroes of Sparta (who are now swordsmen (since 1.4) ).
A big fat thank you to Creative Assembly for adding another field to the Shield section which now makes specific shields much more effective against arrow fire. You will now see Scutums and Hoplons being much more tougher against missile fire than you did before. I've noticed a significant increase in defence against them even while up close. A British skirmisher unit was firing javelins from at least 15 - 20 metres and they only killed one Praetorian and it was in the last volley (3rd) as well but you need Shield Wall for that uber-protection. When out of shield wall, there is a big notable different in missile defence as well. That new feature was much needed, CA, thank you.
As always, though, there are other changes here and there that I can't really remember but you may pick up on. Just minor fine-tuning here and there to give you a better experience etc.
The only other addition worth mentioning is the increased hit points I have given to everybody. You should see combat last quite a bit longer now than usual (tested with straight up combat from the front). Enemies still get dealt with swiftly if you do a successful flank though.
Unit Spacing: Unit spacing had to be disbanded because it spoilt the cohesiveness of the unit and units were getting ripped apart because of it.
User request: I was given a request by the user to increase the armour levels on the Pike Phalanx to make it immune to missiles from the front. I tried my best to do this but I had no luck. No such field exists for the Pike Phalanx therefore I cannot make it immune to missiles. I am sorry. I will continue to look and will post progress if I find anything but unfortunately it looks as if the Pike Phalanx was meant to be susceptible to missiles in Rome 2.
Version 1.6 Experimental
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:This experimental version is very important. It is potentially the future of this mod.
For those who have been playing my mod, you have most likely seen how the intensity of my charges caused soldiers to fly into each and just end up into one blob while soldiers who tried to get back into formation didn't know what to do. This is potentially fixed in this version. How did I do this? I figured that the speed of the charges was way too high. I reduced them. I kept the original speed of the movement the same as that is the flavour of my mod and I like getting to places as quickly as possible but the charge speeds have been effectively cut in half. If unit cohesion means a lot to you, I'm sure you can get used to this feature.
So what to expect? Units who can run pretty quickly and are very mobile as usual but every slows down when charging so cohesion is maintained.
From my testing (Principes vs Bri Swordband), both sides charged each other and clashed and cohesion was successfully maintained. The rest of the fight was in the favour of the Principes as they were in formation through the whole skirmish.
For those of you who like my mod and are keen followers, please test this version out.
You should note that this version still retains every single feature from the others, but since this isn't official and has the charge speeds changed, I called it Experimental.
Also, could someone please test the Pike Phalanx for me? I've tried my best to add another field for it where it's shield armour levels have been increased to simulate their immunity to missiles from the front. I'm very busy and just about have time to work on the cohesion problems for now. Please let me know.
Version 1.6 Second Experiment
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:As you all must know by now, there have been serious cohesion problems with my mod because of the faster charge and overall movements speeds I've been rolling with...well I've received some help from 'Gunny who kindly guided me to some specific fields. From then, I tweaked the hell out of them and put hours of testing into it and I now bring you the second Experimental version. Look below for more info:
Unit charges are now the same as running. Not as fast as the original's charge speeds but this speed is good enough for now.
I have ran through this quite a lot of times and I keep seeing units crash into each other and then they just nicely just keep fighting in formation right after.
Take note! Soldiers do still pull some stupid stuff here and there where they decide to play "ring around a rosie" but the occurrences of this have been dramatically reduced.
You will notice sometimes that right after a charge that units are about to play "ring around a rosie" but then quickly get back into formation. It's all over in less than a few seconds but yeah, everything seems a heck of a lot better especially for the speeds I'm using. You should test this out and let me know how it goes. Save game compatible so don't worry.
Other changes: Since this is an experimental version, I figured I'd add other changes to test as many things out so you can give me feedback with as fewer versions as possible etc.
I've changed the hit points. I've made them a little lower. Hopefully not too much. Other changes here and there. Do let me know how this plays out for you, not just with the charges and cohesion, but with the whole feel of it. Any and every piece of feedback and advice for changes are always appreciated. This problem has cost me too many hours which I could've spent adding more to my campaign mod. I'd like to apologise to those who are still waiting for an update to my campaign mod. I'll be right over as soon as this problem is adequately sorted.
I'd just like to drop a thank you to 'Gunny who kindly helped me out a little as this problem was getting a little out of hand. Any help on anything is always appreciated. Cheers, pal.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?61336-Gunny
Version 1.7
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:As always in mod updates there are numerous changes and that is the case in 1.7. However, there are notable changes and I'll list them below.
Pike Phalanxes have been fixed. I have given them custom values accordingly with my mod and they are now super reliable but watch out for flanks on them, they're not super-human. You'll need super-heavy infantry to even contend from the front and even they'll fall eventually but have the possibility to breakthrough. Pike Phalanxes are super-effective against light and medium infantry and will rip them apart. Effectiveness differs between class of Pike Phalanxes, obviously
Cavalry. I left these dudes alone for a very long time but I've finally gotten around to giving them some love. Now, super-heavy cavalry are very decisive and are to be used in crucial situations to end them accordingly. Units that go toe-to-hoof with cavalry will obviously last longer than other scenarios but will cause damage to your unit. Cavalry now are supposed to be dominant fighters and are meant to be the guys who are attacking, and not being attacked. Use them accordingly to get the desired results. With the Pike Phalanxes fixed now, you can use Thessalian Cavalry and Companion Cavalry to do the hammer and anvil attacks to their most efficiency. Old School tactics can now be employed. Missile cavalry have super low health and will die much quicker in melee but their charge will still be handy. Lances have been given serious melee weapon damage and more AP so that the charges are more worth while.
Missiles. Sit back and strap in, people, because there has been another overhaul. From the front, anyone with an adequate enough sized shield like Scutum, Hoplon, Theuros etc. will be impenetrable from the front. They should absorb every missile without fail with the odd stray getting in but these should be rare. However, any missile coming in from any direction not covered by the shield will, in most cases, especially with javelins, result in instant death. Javelins on contact are one-hit kills no matter what armour your boys are wearing. Slingers kill a little slower but are still very effective. Archers are slower than slingers but best used to counter every other missile unit with their superior range. Missile combat on other missile units is extremely lethal, it is meant to be this way. Missile combat is another kind of warfare in my eyes and it's all about timing and execution while still keeping to the formula I have set, which is - Slingers wipe out, Javelins while Archers wipe out both.
Missile continuation. Missiles are extremely dangerous to cavalry. Cavalry are extremely vulnerable and will fall very quickly when caught in a volley. No resistance whatsoever so you must use their speed and mobility to keep them safe. Infantry are very vulnerable to missiles, with javelins being one hit kills when the shield is not covering the right angle. Every javelin that finds a target will kill it. This is slower with other missiles but javelins are the most effective. You must use the right kind of unit to close-in on a missile unit from the front. Formations are no longer required to protect yourself from missiles but just MAKE SURE your shields are facing the direction of the volley. Your guys have no missile defence if they run, even in the direction of the volley.
Morale. Few tweaks here and there attempting to make routes happen at more appropriate times. Improvements may be minor but any improvement is good.
Many minor changes as usual but that's all for now. btw, Principes now have same armour as Triarii. I think this makes them look much more better and allows you to feel like you have a Triarii equivalent of Swordsmen. Too many Roman units sporting the same looks etc.
Slip the original file into your Rome 2 Data directory and just hit play.
for the "MOD" version, slip it in the data directory and then activate using mod manager.
Make sure you drop feedback later as it helps to improve this mod further. No variants of this mod yet. Reason is because of the many changes. I would like you to play this newer version and then request your variants, like more missiles etc.
Version 2.0 Patch Notes:
This should be all that there is now. A few fixes to 1.7 with some tweaks here and there.
This should sort out any problems you've been having with a few things here and there.
If some things still persist, please let me know and I'll replace the pack with changes.
Notable changes: Javelins now travel much slower, which means they can fly at different trajectories giving you the possibility of firing over your guys.
Combatus Maximus - Insane Edition - Steam Version Available
This is an entirely newer combat mod. It still retains the older formula but now the combat is LONGER!
Barbarians are more dangerous to Hellenistic factions now.
Javelins travel slower but are still deadly!
Cavalry should be beautifully balanced now.
Pike Phalanx is adequately balanced but is more of a "pinning formation" than a killing one. You will be amazing by how long they can hold out but you MUST support them.
Ridiculous stats that were given to shield wall just to help them fight cohesively have been removed as they are not really needed now due to the patches.
Unit spacing has been re-implemented and formations are wonderfully kept a lot of the time after charges.
Charge bonuses have been lowered to stop mass killings on contact but moral shocks and "momentum shakers" are still in.
For those of you who wanted a more dangerous, chaotic and tactical version all in one, you now have the insane version!
Since this is a newer version, feedback would be very helpful, indeed! I hope you enjoy!
RESPECT WHERE IT'S DUE:
Creative Assembly: For giving us an amazing game and I wish it gets patched well real soon. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen!
Prometheus: Thank you for giving me permission to use your mod! As of 14th Sept: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...ights-and-more
Prometheus' mod is very good and you should check it out if you don't like massive, weird-looking barbarians. It is in included in my mod too.
If anyone who tries my mod likes it and wants to incorporate it into his/hers, please let me know first.
IMPORTANT: MOD IS ONLY COMBAT-ORIENTED. CAMPAIGN MODS SHOULD NOT CONFLICT WITH THIS. JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NOT INSTALLED ANYTHING ELSE THAT INTERFERES WITH THE COMBAT SIDE OF ROME 2.
Below is the basic summary of the mod but you may find this description to be inaccurate as much has changed through the patches. Do not take what you read below as an accurate depiction but just a basic understanding etc.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:This mod changes unit stats in every single way. Too many changes to actually list them all but I'm going to give you an idea as to what this mod is actually like and what the main theme behind it all is. NOTE: This mod is more focused on "Authenticity" rather than "Accuracy". This mod is in no way "Arcady". Make sure you read everything so you know what you're getting into if you play this mod. This mod is more of my "point of view" but is based on realism as well.
CULTURE SPECIALTIES: Hellenistic, Rome, Celtic/Germanic and everyone else.
HELLENISTIC:
I have implemented a system of mine that's basically "Faction Specialty" and I'll explain that now. For example, the Greeks and Hoplite units in general were amazing defensive troops and they had the ultimate protection thanks to the Hoplon. This is represented in the game as the stats for the Hoplon shield have been massively upgraded so they are more effective at man-to-man fighting but their attacking skill lingers around average with only their elites and higher ranking troops surpass this average. You will see Hoplites last very long in combat but their killing is slow. However, you must act fast and flank them as their higher defensive levels means they will win in the long run. Also, Hoplites have the highest charge levels on average in this mod. The Hoplon makes for a good shield to crash into an enemy with so I have represented this in the mod. Take note though, every unit except missile units have great charges that can disrupt, it's just that Hoplites have higher on average.
ROME:
Rome was tricky to balance. They have good sword-play and they were kitted out with some of the finest equipment going. They have been represented as a "nice mix" of both attacking and defensive capabilities. Their attacking stat starts around average with Hastati but increases so they do get much better than everyone else pretty early on as they did in reality. So Rome is a pretty tough faction in this mod. Their charges are also powerful as they were heavily armoured soldiers. This is represented so in this mod. Rome's Gladiator unit is classified as one of my "BERSERKER" units. Read below for more information.
CELTIC/GERMANIC:
These two factions were represented pretty similarly but differently at the same time. What I mean is that their weaker levy units who go to war topless or with basic clothing will suffer MAJOR armour penalties and are very vulnerable but their charges are represented as pretty considerable. They will tear up a flank if they catch you. Their nobles, swordsman, ambushers and Oathsworn are not the kind of units you take lightly this time around. Oathsworn are easily the most deadliest unit these guys have. Kitted out with chainmail and great swordplay, these guys without a doubt will make the casualties mount. These guys flanked my Heroes of Sparta on their rear and routed them in the followed-up scuffle as they maintained the momentum from the successful charge.
All in all, their basic units have good staying power but don't count on them with their attacks. Charges on all of their units are good and VERY useful. Their higher ranking units and Elites are more than a match but just pay close attention to what armour they are wearing. Now, sending topless or armour-less troops into the fray is not a wise choice. The Germanic Beserkers and the British "Painted Ones" are two of three of my Berserker units.
EVERYONE ELSE:
Eastern (Non-Hellenic), African and Iberian units have been tweaked as to what armour and weapons they are sporting. They haven't been given a specialty of any kind that they stick to. Not too much to say here.
BESERKERS UNITS:
By this point you are probably wondering what exactly my "Berserker units" are? There are three of them. The Roman Gladiators (not the spearmen), British Painted Ones and the Germanic Berserkers are those special units. They suffer massive armour penalties and their melee defensive is very low. Their "hit points" are non-existent. However, their charge and attacking stats are the highest of any infantry units. They are meant to come in hard, cause casualties and die in the process. NOTE: If these units get attacked or flanked themselves in combat, they won't put up much of a fight in defense. These units are most effective when their charge is successful and will only die fast when they are counter-flanked. If you don't flank them, you will have a very good unit causing a great deal of misery until you re-route a unit to flank their butts!
Heroes of Sparta are the best overall infantry in the game. The Germanic berserkers flanked them and routed them! However, a Spartan Hoplite unit flanked the berserkers and killed them to the last. Berserkers have maximum morale and never route! Make sure that you charge these guys. If they charge you, they'll be very hard to fight off but easy to kill if you flank them.
MORALE:
Morale has been fixed. Units know will route when there numbers are pretty low. Also, I have now made chain routes a dangerous possibility. If you an army suffers insane number of casualties in a short space of time, every legs it. This takes quite long to achieve and I mostly never see it but when it does, it kicks off. You have to maintain the pressure to even get this started.
JAVELIN-ARMED INFANTRY:
The majority of javelin-armed infantry in vanilla have been removed. All Roman cohorts have missiles and only a few enemy elites have javelins. I found that they were over-powered, too many units had them and they wrecked formations too much. So, except for Roman units, very few units have them.
MISSILE SPREAD:
This is very important. Missile spread has been increased to represent how inaccurate these kinds of weapons are at long range. At long range, they are thrown in bunches because they were "Area effect" weapons. This rules applies to any javelin-carrying unit including infantry. You will see that when a Roman unit engages an enemy and throws their Pila, there will be some Pilas that were over-shot and others will be spread out nicely. No more heat-seeking missiles.
CHARGES:
Charges have been fixed. All units have powerful charges but there is a clear distinction between the charges of a heavy unit and a light unit. When a heavy unit charges a light unit, the heavy will devour it. When a light unit charges a heavy unit, the momentum will slip away from the light unit and the heavy will regain the upper hand.
CAVALRY:
Cavalry have been improved. They are now more useful and their charges are very decisive. Still work to be done but they're looking good.
ELEPHANTS:
Elephants have the most deadliest charges! However, to counter this, a few well placed javelins from any kind of javelin, be it infantry or skirmisher, will drop those Elephants like flies as Javelins actually would. So make sure you know where you send them and if any skirmishers are in the local vicinity. Roman infantry will be very deadly against Elephants. Also, hit points for Elephants are pretty low. This is in place to make sure that Elephants are not overpowered and that you can actually kill them if you get them bogged down. Javelins have a chance of making Elephants route pretty quickly but will kill at least two with the first volley.
COMBAT LENGTH:
STRAIGHT UP:
Straight-up combat is rather slow. Do not expect one side to just route on contact. Both units, regardless of class, will slug it out and it all comes down to who charged first, which is more powerful, armour levels, weapon damage and attacking skill. Every single stat will come into this so make sure you keep an eye on it as they are more important this time around than they were in vanilla. Also, two bouts between heavy infantry units will always be pretty lengthy. Messy too. All in all, straight up combat is pretty slow and you will have a lot of time to manoeuvre and make critical flanks and other tactical choices.
CHARGING OR BEING CHARGED:
This is essentially how you end skirmishes in this mod. If you charge from the sides, there will be quite some casualties be inflicted at first but the slow pace will return. However, this depends heavily on the units involved. Rear flanks are very deadly. There will be serious casualties if you do it right with a stretched out line running into their rear. Not only the instant casualties will occur but the enemy will be thrown off balance for the rest of the skirmish. You must support your flanked unit or they'll be FUBAR before you know it. So basically, combat will speed up dramatically if you pull off successful flanks as I have put an emphasis on charging in this mod. That's why every unit has adequate charging stats while others are just plain and simply deadly full stop.
MISSILE UNITS:
I have struck a nice balance with the missiles in this version. Units that are NOT in a formation like Testudo or Shield Wall will suffer a LOT of casualties. Those in one of those formations will not suffer any casualties, unless you're really close to the firing missile unit.
ARTILLERY:
Untouched.
CAMPAIGN:
Check out my campaign version which is not included in this mod - (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...1#post13279331)
SAVE GAME COMPATIBLE:
Course you can
UNIT STAT RANGES:
In this mod, units stats cover a way larger range than vanilla does. Highest unit attack is 85 and the lowest is around 4, I think. Defence stats surpass that range by quite some distance. This large range gives me lots of possibilities in combat. Do not be put off when you see Elite hoplites sporting 100+ defence stats. That includes points from the Hoplon and also that unit's self-defence capability via skill etc.
Armour is dictated by what the unit is wearing and their shield depending on what points I gave them. You will see certain shields like the Hoplon and Scutum have big bonuses while small phalanx shields will suffer. Also, topless and non-armour wearing units have massive minuses to armour. Expect quite a few of those units to be sporting minuses in the armour section. Use them wisely.
Formations:
Formations are SUPER reliable now! The Shield Wall can absorb a shock and even inflict a LOT of casualties on the enemies too. Now there is definitely an incentive to even use the formations that were given to us.
Remember, guys, this is my kind of combat. I'm not passing this off as the best mod. I made this for myself but wanted to give you guys a new experience. Purely for enjoyment is all. This is my first ever mod and I hope you guys like it! Have fun
Thanks
Downloads Non-steam versions have been taken off. It would be too much trouble for me to have to update every link and many people won't make return visits so they'd miss out. Use the steam versions as I can update them instantly and you can get the benefits from it. There are no drawbacks to using Steam mods.
Version 2.0 -
Steam Version: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile.../?id=194137443
Insane Edition
Steam Link : http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile.../?id=193547576
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Originally Posted by Threadoflength
