Looking for input

[Madae]

I've never modded these games before, so I'm looking for some input on how I would go about doing these things;

1. Remove ability for armies to traverse water.
2. Create two new ships;
- Light Transport
- Heavy Transport

Ships will be empty shells (no units).

3. Ability to mount units on to those shells, 1 for 1. (1 unit of infantry can board 1 Light Transport - 1 Cavalry (or similar) unit can board 1 Heavy Transport).
4. New models for these two ships.
5. New animations, at least for the Heavy Transport.

It will be a "double decker" ship, with units visibly on the top and appearing like they normally would on a ship, with horses, elephants and chariots housed below deck. The new animation(s) will primarily be used for invasion battles; when the ship lands, the soldiers on top either drop a board to the shore (off to the side to avoid visual collision with the front) and descend to the shore, and then the front of the ship will open up to a ramp and offload "rideables" where the troops will meet with them and mount... or, the troops descend below deck, the front drops, and the troops come out mounted.

6. Editing stats on these newly created ships.

For all intents and purposes, Light Transports will act identically to similar ships currently in the game, with various strengths and weaknesses. Heavy Transports will have a lot more penalties (vulnerable due to lesser numbers, unable to ram, and will basically only be able to shoot or board other ships).

7. Removal of the aforementioned ships that are identical to the Light Transport (no more slinger ships, marine ships, etc). The only ships that will remain will be the siege-weapon type ships, fire bombs, or other specific task ships.

My goal here is to fix something I've found annoying in the Total War games; either an entire army can board one ship, or armies can freely traverse water with a small movement penalty. Instead, I want certain ships that need to be created to move armies, and these ships will take on the tasks of certain ships already present in the game when manned (see slinger or marine ships).

[Dunadd]

Can't tell you how to do that. Maybe others can, but i'd think it'd be much easier just to nerf transports so much that they get sunk easily if they meet even a small fleet of warships if they don't have a fleet of their own escorting them. Just my opinion, if you still want to do it hope someone can tell you how.

[CoolDemon]

Forget about transport ships, the engine and AI simply would not allow it. The best you can hope for is to nerve them they will not be very effective in naval combat or Ask CA to implement them in an expansion