Ancient Empires Rome 2, 264BC - 100CE - Project Outline

[ABH2]

*All credit for the logo above goes to Inarus who graciously offered us his help.
Ancient Empires Steam Group| Steam Collection

What is it?

"Ancient Empires." With the four CA campaigns as a base, this mod seeks to create the most accurate representation of the periods from 264 through to the creation of the Roman Empire that the game will allow. It will be a complete overhaul of the game from the campaign map to the battles. The following specific features are listed to give players an idea of what to expect, though they certainly do not cover the full scope of this project:

• A complete re-balancing of the campaign to add strategic choice to every aspect possible. What this means is, no decision you make will be easy. There will be consequences, unlike in vanilla. Gone are the days where you click a magical button and receive mindless buffs.
• This mod will aim for historical accuracy. By that, I mean I am not concerned with artificial concepts such as "balance" between factions. I am concerned with representing the factions in question as closely as possible within the confines of the game. Historical strengths and weaknesses will be present in order to provide [b]a unique experience while playing as different cultures and factions.
• I'll repeat this again - the game will strive to create unique experiences playing as each subculture and the key factions in the game as they existed historically.
• This unit will prioritize gameplay over pretty units. I want to have pretty units, too, but that is not my specialty.
• This mod will provide a re-balanced campaign dynamic that will attempt to create a superior, and more dangerous AI. The goal will be to force the player to actually think before they go to war. Things such as upkeep and cashflow will be addressed. The late game will not be the boring cakewalk it is in vanilla. And, war will not always be of the player's choosing.
• For the basics of the framework, this mod will start in 264 BC with at the start of the First Punic War. It will attempt to make use of an expanded Sicily.

Features

A list of some, but not all, of the new features you can expect from this mod:

• A reworked campaign map which will place factions as closely to their historical starting point as possible.
• 12 new factions for the Grand Campaign.
• Reworked edicts similar to my Strategic Edict Governance Mod. To go with this, I also plan the most unique set of force stances seen in any mod to date. I can say this with confidence. They are highly specified for subcultures and situations. Barbarians, for instance, will find sieges more difficult than Roman and Greek factions. To add this, completely redone seasons. I can't say they will be the most unique because certain mods have gone above and beyond here, but I do intend unique seasons for each province in the game.
• Increased walled cities, and/or the construction of walls in certain regions.
• A reworked resource system. Resources and trade will have a much greater emphasis in this mod.
• For the first time in any Rome 2 mod, a completely redone building system. Every building in vanilla will be redone, and the campaign itself rebuilt from the ground-up. I will also attempt to get the most out of the limited construction slots. As mentioned above, the goal here is strategy - not mindless choices that add buffs. I want to make players think about how they build, though not artificially limtied. This will also give the player back the ability to construct roads!
• To add to this, completely new icons that will actually show the buildings. See the screenshots below for a sneak peak.
• Not just completely unique regions (for things such as recruitment slots/population, food production), but completely different settlement lines for each region. Further, each region will be different upon conquest depending on the faction you play as.
• Complete unit roster overhaul. I will not add units for the sake of adding them to the game, but I do intend to represent different ethnic groups and actual combat styles as well as the changes that took place over time.
• To add to this, a fully non-scripted AOR.
• Non-scripted, non-linear, and balanced reforms. What I mean by this is, you won't simply get access to a bunch of new units all at once if that isn't how it happened. There will be, often times, more gradual progression. Certain conditions and timeframes will be necessary
• If all goes well, slowed down expansion.
• Citizenship based recruitment, or unique recruitment systems unique to the specific subculture/faction. For example, Rome will have access to different troops in Italy than elsewhere. Troop recruitment will be based on the area and status the conquered region is given by the player. All of this will be non-scripted.
• I have mentioned non-scripted twice now. I intend to avoid scripts as much as possible. I am not averse to their use, but I would rather not take a glitchy shortcut that will increase loadtimes if I can balance things properly through the DB.

Screenshots

This mod is still in the development phase. A decent amount has been implemented, but it's still only a start. A few screenshots, with more to come:

Edicts

Buildings/Unique Regions - Athens and Syracuse *Just a glimpse*

Contributors

The following modders will contribute to this project as of this point in time, an without them this mod would not be possible. I cannot thank the people them enough. In the future, credits will receive a much more prominent place (with the creation of a forum):

• Hloeric (see his amazing AAW: Romanorum Acies v.03 here)
• Petellius (Will be working on our combat system such as unit stats and battle mechanics to fix the many flaws of vanilla primarily, but also DB editing, and perhaps 2D art - versatile modder)
• Sheridan/Philip - Battle mechanics
• Linke - DB editor
• UMCenturion - UI and 2D art
• Bongfu - Research and color text
• Thomahawk2k - DB editing
• Ghsi011 - DB and startpos editing
• Zbigniew - modeller

I'd also like to specially thank the following two modders for the great help, advice, and encouragement they've given me as I've learned how to mod. I wouldn't be nearly as capable as I now am without them:

• Hetairos - I can't thank this guy enough. He's been great to work with in the past, and he's done tremendous modding work. His dedication to open source, friendliness, and ambition is the primary reason I'm able to start this project. I highly encourage anyone who hasn't done so to download the Authentic Ancient World collection from Steam. The game is improved exponentially. Further links are in my sig below.
• Daruwind *Steam Workshop*
• Sebidee (a very well know modder who will be generously be helping us with units. Sebidee's Unit Roster Overhaul-Forum | Steam Workshop
• Inarus (Does tremendous graphical work. A wizard who graciously developed our logo - can't thank him enough. It's great work)
• Melcor - Provided faction icons and UI components. Works on the Haegemonia mod (a French overhaul). Please, check out his work.
• HigoChumbo (not a modder as far as I know, but provided us with a great deal of info on Iberians which I hope to incorporate into this mod. Stuff that will help me shape unique culture from the military to the politics to the buildings).
• Phalangitis (a very creative modder, creator of the Sell Your Slaves mod - click here for his Steam Workshop

A number of other modders have given me permission to use aspects of their work. I appreciate that, and once I make sense of everything, full credits will be given. This mod is fully dedicated to open source and collaboration. As such, anything produced by me is open to the use by anyone who desires. I would ask for for a simple acknowledgment, but do as you wish.

[MathiasOfAthens]

How do you plan on adding Byzantion?

[Causeless]

Your aversion to scripts as a "glitchy shortcuts" and how you seem to interpret scripted reforms as"getting all the units at once" just show clueless you are about them, to be honest.

Anyways, good luck with the mod!

[ABH2]

Your aversion to scripts as a "glitchy shortcuts" and how you seem to interpret scripted reforms as"getting all the units at once" just show clueless you are about them, to be honest.

I can only say it on my experience. I'm not averse to all scripts, and I have actually not played RTR or used any of yours in the past - so I'm not in a position to say. I understand the advantages they provide. At least, I think I do. I also have seen some of the drawbacks of the reform scripts in other mods and how they have performed for me. I probably phrased that in the wrong way regardless.

In terms of scripting, I lack the skills in that area at this point in time, but I don't feel them as necessary for reforms.

How do you plan on adding Byzantion?

I'm torn on Byzantion/still unsure, so I'd like feedback on this, actually. The plan right now is to give them Antheia and rename it. It's obviously imperfect as its off geographically, but Tylis really doesn't seem to have been located in the region in question, either.

The EE map provided me a few extra regions to make some of my added factions more sensible. For instance, Numidia was broken up which allowed for a more seamless addition of the Massyli to the GC. Unfortunately, the same did not occur with regards to that area. I really was hoping they would move the city slightly or just make Byzantium in game. I'm sure there will be a map with the city eventually with future expansions.

[MathiasOfAthens]

I was hoping they would move the city or add it as well. Its like they didnt just to spite us. They clearly added Narbo, Beneventum and others. Perhaps if someone can figure out the cordinates for cities and land points one could theoretically move a city to another location.

[ABH2]

Unfortunately, I don't think that's possible. A lot of things are tied to those locations in the startpos - including building slots (reason we can't unlock them). The best I can do is renaming Antheia until/unless we get some map tools. I can perhaps make it a walled city, but I'm going to have to redo all the tests I did on that with the new map.

Speaking of which, I've made very good progress. I'd say about 80% of the vanilla factions are into the new EE map. To be clear, this campaign takes the place of the Grand Campaign and will not impact the EE campaign at all. So, the player will get to keep both.

I'll take some screenshots and post them sometime this weekend.

[ABH2]

So, an update. All factions are in their correct startpos for the new EE map. The intro video is disabled, and the scripting lua from the GC is working fine with the new map.

Screenshots below in the context boxes.

Sicily

Northern Italy

Greece

Asia Minor

Syria

Germania

Gaul 1

Gaul - New Faction - Levoxii

[juanplay]

Excellent progress, one thing is this project aimed as a complete overhaul of the game or as a mod directed towards those who prefer the vanilla experience (in battles)?

[renegade765]

Nice project i'll definitely be watching the progress. Do you know how many regions in total that EE campaign has over the GC?

[ABH2]

Do you know how many regions in total that EE campaign has over the GC?

187 to 173 in vanilla, so 14.

Excellent progress, one thing is this project aimed as a complete overhaul of the game or as a mod directed towards those who prefer the vanilla experience (in battles)?

It will be a complete overhaul. I haven't decided how much I want to change battles yet, but it will aim at just about every aspect of the game that I think I can improve/suit my and similar tastes.

[The Wandering Storyteller]

Looks good!

Am waiting for campaign/scenario mods to be out!

[General George S. Patton]

nice name...

[ABH2]

Am waiting for campaign/scenario mods to be out!

I would actually really like to be able to construct a series of minor, intricate campaigns. The biggest issue with this - no map tools, and we can't add campaigns in. Actually, Mitch says he is working on that (adding buttons for campaigns in the main menu etc.), so that may be progress. We still have no map tools. Mitch sounds like he has some very interesting things in the works (I don't really know him - just from the posts I've seen where's he dropped hints) with scripts.

nice name...

Well, it has a different meaning than IA despite the similarities. I didn't really think of IA when I discussed and developed the name with other people. Sorry about the closeness. But I rather like the current title and think that one is final (I changed it several times).

[The Wandering Storyteller]

Hold on, there's been two mods which focus on scenario style setting. One is Pax Romana, focusing on the Roman-Parthian wars, the second being Trajan's wars which focus on the wars and conquests of Trajan.

All you need to do is switch around the regions and make it as an mini campaign mod.

[Retógenes]

Just a minor correction for mod developers.

In our faction preview map, in center of Iberian Penninsula, you have written "Araveci" instead of "Arevaci" that is the correct name of the tribe.

Thanks for your work, this mod seems simply awesome.

Regards.

[vlakc]

Excellent proposal ABH2, I'm also one of those who think Imperator Augustus Campaign map is far better than the original; though personally, I would prefer a simple startpos mod while the rest remains vanilla, I'll stick around and follow this mod.

Best of luck with this project.

[ABH2]

Hold on, there's been two mods which focus on scenario style setting. One is Pax Romana, focusing on the Roman-Parthian wars, the second being Trajan's wars which focus on the wars and conquests of Trajan.

What I meant by that was an inclusive mod. As in, we add new campaigns so the player can go through all the scenarios in one mod instead of a series of mods that simply replace campaigns created by CA.

Glad to see some people are interested. I haven't decided if I am going to release an EE vanilla map. It seems like it would be popular, but it is also a good deal of work as I've changed around region ownership in some cases (particular that of the Seleucids).

[vlakc]

What I meant by that was an inclusive mod. As in, we add new campaigns so the player can go through all the scenarios in one mod instead of a series of mods that simply replace campaigns created by CA.

Glad to see some people are interested. I haven't decided if I am going to release an EE vanilla map. It seems like it would be popular, but it is also a good deal of work as I've changed around region ownership in some cases (particular that of the Seleucids).

Well, you could always release a vanilla version of ImpAug map and other with all the changes you want to introduce and let people decide which one they prefer, I'll definitely give your mod a chance, but It'll be nice to have the option to play a more vanilla campaign at a given time, in the end it's up to you.

True that making two separate versions could take considerable more time, but you're not CA so you're not forced to deliver the mod within a deadline, you can take as much time as you think you need.

Cheers.

[billydilly]

It would be nice to try a Vanilla Grand Campaign with the EE map.

[ABH2]

Ok, so little update. The startpos.esf is complete. Due to the amount of work I have with this project, I don't currently have plans to release a plain vanilla version. At least not until I decide on what I would do with some of the extra regions/the Seleucids (which are massively expanded in my version, as the map in the first post shows). I'm thinking of making the first release just the startpos.esf and the new factions - but that in itself may be very ambitious and take some time.

Inarus has very kindly helped us construct a logo, and he's doing great work. He's produced both a unique and detailed logo that can be used in game and in general for the mod itself. We would appreciate feedback as it's not quite 100% yet:

Inarus's logo, 'rough draft:'

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A version where I added the text on top, don't think it looks too great:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: