THE EUROPA BARBARORUM II CHRISTMAS APPEAL

[b0Gia de Bodemloze]

Dear Europa Barbarorum Team

Greetings, I’m on behalf of a Chinese TW model designer---Max-Scribe, he admires your group and your work very much, and would like to help you design some models of the warriors from the West Region of China (as I remember, the most north-east region of EB 1 is “Xiyu”, the people there for example: Yuezhi, Uisin).

Above all, it’s the historicity of your work which attracts him and us the most, which makes us play it again and again. Max-Scribe also has his own plan---Anno Domini 600 : Continental Hegemony. While it’s still under development, but from the beginning, it’s aimed at being as historically accurate as EB: every model is based on the cultural relic or the reconstructive model, every detail is based on a quote, a picture or a drawing.

So, you may understand, because that’s how you work, it takes longer time and more energy, even money, to fulfill this mod. But against all the odds, he is determined to finish his job. And he is very confident that he could be of some help to your big project. During his preparation for AD 600, he got lots of experience of searching for material and designing model, the warriors from Xiyu would be his favorite theme.

Although EB group is facing some problems, actually it’s a hard time, but please know that, your mod is played time and time again by lots of Chinese players, and we regard it as the best Roman age-based mod of all times, and a dream to follow. Max-Scribe sincerely would like to give a hand to make this dream closer to us.

Cuz EB is the best

Please check his works and plan below.

Link of the AD 600:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?497805-WIP-Anno-Domini-600-Continental-Hegemony-(2013-02-16-UPDATED-World-Map-Preview)&p=10661048#post10661048

Some pictures of his work:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Best regards~

Post your offer here too:
http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showth...post2053625004

[The Wise Coffin]

It's a shame to hear this, but i really don't care to much for this one.
I am sorry for all fans and creators, i don't want to bash you guys. For what i played of EBII, it is a great mod, really, but what i think that it's a downer for manny people and the lack of enthusiasm is that this is a reboot of the first EB. I believe that this would get much more attention if it was a sequel, like AD15 to maybe the fall of Rome.

I really was sad whend i saw that EBII was a reboot. However....EB is a mod that deserves attention and even that i don't like it i want to help.
Now i can't because i'm to busy with my mod, Rise of Persia, that actually no one has ever helped, for like a year now i am working all alone on almost everything, but still i have hope. Whend i finish my work on ROP, to which is going to end soon, i'll maybe help. For EB also help me with borrowing models of their first game for ROP, so i believe i must thank them by aiding them.

However, i don't know very much of what you guys need. If some of you teach me i will do those, but now i just know the easy stuff, like making images for units, stats changes, and other normal stuff.

[b0Gia de Bodemloze]

It's a shame to hear this, but i really don't care to much for this one.
I am sorry for all fans and creators, i don't want to bash you guys. For what i played of EBII, it is a great mod, really, but what i think that it's a downer for manny people and the lack of enthusiasm is that this is a reboot of the first EB. I believe that this would get much more attention if it was a sequel, like AD15 to maybe the fall of Rome.

I really was sad whend i saw that EBII was a reboot. However....EB is a mod that deserves attention and even that i don't like it i want to help.
Now i can't because i'm to busy with my mod, Rise of Persia, that actually no one has ever helped, for like a year now i am working all alone on almost everything, but still i have hope. Whend i finish my work on ROP, to which is going to end soon, i'll maybe help. For EB also help me with borrowing models of their first game for ROP, so i believe i must thank them by aiding them.

However, i don't know very much of what you guys need. If some of you teach me i will do those, but now i just know the easy stuff, like making images for units, stats changes, and other normal stuff.

Post your offer here too:
http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showth...post2053625004

[Rasic]

After reading this I just remembered that I believe my first post ever on this forum (after being a long time lurker) was to ask if the EB team needed help with literally anything. Might have used the term "monkey work", so I hope they didn't take me for a racist as the offer wasn't acted upon. Anyway, hope we continue to see some updates and thanks for the hard work all these years.

[Sir_Pee_Alot]

I wish you guys the best of luck with finding new members, But someone posted on the 0.A.D forum for help with EB II and thats fine but our team is already very small and with way to mutch work to help the EB II guys i know he means it with good intensions but only making a account for asking people from a already way to small team for the work it takes is not so good... I wish you guys the best with your mod but we can't help we also need more skilled people but its just not easy.

[Commios]

I wish you guys the best of luck with finding new members, But someone posted on the 0.A.D forum for help with EB II and thats fine but our team is already very small and with way to mutch work to help the EB II guys i know he means it with good intensions but only making a account for asking people from a already way to small team for the work it takes is not so good... I wish you guys the best with your mod but we can't help we also need more skilled people but its just not easy.

You already gave us access to your music which we are very grateful for! And good luck with 0 A.D. it's a smashing piece of work.

[Arsaces II]

And of course I also expect to improve my skills while working with EB II team.

[b0Gia de Bodemloze]

In general anyone who wants to help please post first here your offer: http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showth...post2053625004

[Brezkimra]

Maybe you should cooperate with Natus ob Imperium team, and H.E.L.P Project.

[Architect of Doom]

Maybe you should cooperate with Natus ob Imperium team, and H.E.L.P Project.

This. As far as I know, the H.E.L.P Project was meant exactly for situations like this.

And Natus ob Imperium has created wonderful Greek cities for the battle map, as you can see in this video.

[Commios]

This. As far as I know, the H.E.L.P Project was meant exactly for situations like this.

And Natus ob Imperium has created wonderful Greek cities for the battle map, as you can see in this video.

We were in touch with the H.E.L.P project, although I am not sure what the current status of those discussions were.

-Brennus

[Roma_Victrix]

Sad news indeed. Sorry to hear this, guys. I hope the EB II team can reassemble and continue the hard work they've done for all of us. I'd offer help, but I am admittedly not a modder, and I don't have the time for it anyways.

This. As far as I know, the H.E.L.P Project was meant exactly for situations like this.

And Natus ob Imperium has created wonderful Greek cities for the battle map, as you can see in this video.

OMG! That settlement! It's amazing! It totally blows the De Bello Mundi (DBM) models out of the water! What a glorious achievement! How come those guys haven't put their mod on TWC and made it available here? I would have never even heard of this mod if it weren't for you. I know a few guys on the EB II team (including alin) put a lot of work into re-skinning the walls for EB II and reworking the settlements, but the city type found in this Natus ob Imperium should just be adopted wholesale. I actually stopped playing DBM altogether because the settlements looked so tiny, bland and meh, considering how most of my battles were sieges, not pitched battles out in the field (naturally). At the very least, EB II has better settlements than DBM (which provided the base for the custom-built EB II settlements as I understand it). I was always annoyed by vanilla RTW with its ridiculous, unrealistic looking settlements (Roma Surrectum II improved this a little bit), yet CA really improved on that for Medieval II. The cities in the latter game look really authentic and awesome, it really made that game believable and, for me at least, much funner to play (I still play the Stainless Steel 6.4 mod for it).

I would download this Natus ob Imperium mod right away, but unfortunately it does not look like it has been released yet.

I also second Darios on the timeline of the game. As far as I'm aware there is no mod that focuses on the Principate period of the Roman Empire and its height under the Five Good Emperors. The only major late Roman mod I'm aware of is East of Rome (if we discount Invasio Barbarorum II, which isn't fully released yet). East of Rome doesn't have much of a campaign map considering how it doesn't even include all of Europe (given the focus of the mod, of course). EB II has an enormous amount of terrain you can possibly conquer for your empire, but it is strictly a 3rd century BC mod without later units. That's fun enough to play for a while, but with this latest announcement, it appears that we're not going to see much in the way of developing further units. A true shame, but I raise my cup to the team for what it's already done!

[QuAz]

Very sad. I was wondering what was going on behind the scenes and I had suspected something of the like. After the release of EB2 and delayed updates I knew something was up. I wish i had the skills to help but I do not.

EB1 was the most immersive, fun and accurate game of the like that ive ever played and ive played them all. Leaps and bounds above the stock total war games in every respect.

Congratulations to the whole EB team and my sincerest thanks for everything you have done so far. I hope there will be some light at the end of the figurative tunnel.

[Arsaces II]

I hope that better days will come for EB II. I just accidentally run into this thread. I was never active in the forum but I enjoyed EB for many years. Now that you are in dire need I want to offer my aid. I'm ready to work so let me to introduce myself. I'm an armenian and a native armenian speaker. I've never modded TW games, but for two years I am already learning C++ programing language, I know modelling , a little texturing (using Blender and GIMP respectively) and my knowledge of armenian language, country and history maybe usefull, too. I can spare about an hour perday(or almost every day) to work on EB II.

My e-mail: arshak-nava@rambler.ru

Best regards.

[b0Gia de Bodemloze]

I hope that better days will come for EB II. I just accidentally run into this thread. I was never active in the forum but I enjoyed EB for many years. Now that you are in dire need I want to offer my aid. I'm ready to work so let me to introduce myself. I'm an armenian and a native armenian speaker. I've never modded TW games, but for two years I am already learning C++ programing language, I know modelling , a little texturing (using Blender and GIMP respectively) and my knowledge of armenian language, country and history maybe usefull, too. I can spare about an hour perday(or almost every day) to work on EB II.

My e-mail: arshak-nava@rambler.ru

Best regards.

Post your offer here too : http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showth...post2053625004

[DatwasbullXX]

Give me the place to stand, and I shall move the Earth.



In all seriousness, I doubt I could be any help, all I am good at is tediously changing numerical values in M2 and I have like barely any experience in skinning. And I know a fair bit about the period, but nothing you know already.

[Darios]

It's a shame to hear this, but i really don't care to much for this one.
I am sorry for all fans and creators, i don't want to bash you guys. For what i played of EBII, it is a great mod, really, but what i think that it's a downer for manny people and the lack of enthusiasm is that this is a reboot of the first EB. I believe that this would get much more attention if it was a sequel, like AD15 to maybe the fall of Rome.

I really was sad whend i saw that EBII was a reboot. However....EB is a mod that deserves attention and even that i don't like it i want to help.
Now i can't because i'm to busy with my mod, Rise of Persia, that actually no one has ever helped, for like a year now i am working all alone on almost everything, but still i have hope. Whend i finish my work on ROP, to which is going to end soon, i'll maybe help. For EB also help me with borrowing models of their first game for ROP, so i believe i must thank them by aiding them.

However, i don't know very much of what you guys need. If some of you teach me i will do those, but now i just know the easy stuff, like making images for units, stats changes, and other normal stuff.

Unfortunately, I do believe that there is some merit to this. It's nothing against the EB team or the quality of their work because this mod is really the best educational/game-play experience available for the Hellenistic Period. However, that underlines the problem. For the last decade we have been treated to (among other things) RTW, RTR, EB, RS II, and of course Rome II Total War, all which seek to recreate the Punic Wars, Celtic migrations, Wars between Hellenistic Kingdoms, etc. Subsequently, I have become very bored of this period of history and I played EB II for a grand total of two days before I got bored and uninstalled it. The mod is a beauty, but it simply does not offer anything that I have not already done a million times over the past decade.

Despite the fact that Rome II (for all of its faults) is more or less the same story, it manages to hold my attention better because it was the first time that I could play with factions like Athens, Cimmeria, Massalia, Roxolani, etc. Even so, I find the Imperator Augustus campaign far more interesting to play because it's an opportunity to play a period of Roman history in which there are not Greeks and Celts running all over the place and the Romans are not handicapped by complicated military reforms and a very difficult starting position. It is a very "refreshing" experience to play a scenario where the Romans, Parthians, and Germanic tribes are the dominant forces in the world.

I believe that there is an unspoken level of fatigue concerning this in the TWC. I personally would have loved to have seen the EB team to work its magic on later periods of Roman history, the Dark Ages, or even the Middle Ages. The choice to stick to 270 BC is largely what's hurting EB II at the moment. I hope that things will turn around with a new influx of blood to help complete this work of art, but the sad reality is that seven years was a long time to wait for something that people have already been doing for the past decade.

[Abdülmecid I]

Unfortunately, I do believe that there is some merit to this. It's nothing against the EB team or the quality of their work because this mod is really the best educational/game-play experience available for the Hellenistic Period. However, that underlines the problem. For the last decade we have been treated to (among other things) RTW, RTR, EB, RS II, and of course Rome II Total War, all which seek to recreate the Punic Wars, Celtic migrations, Wars between Hellenistic Kingdoms, etc. Subsequently, I have become very bored of this period of history and I played EB II for a grand total of two days before I got bored and uninstalled it. The mod is a beauty, but it simply does not offer anything that I have not already done a million times over the past decade.

The thing is that the Hellenistic period offers a great variety, of which the modern historians have a lot of knowledge, unavailable to almost any other period of the ancient years. Greek cities, Macedonian monarchies, germanic or celtic tribes and Iranian nomads, all of them spiced with a slice of India or Egypt. The only other ancient period I can think of is the times of Cyrus the Great, where you could add the Mesopotamian or Egyptian empires, together with a couple of Etruscan and Corinthian helmets.

[Garbarsardar]

I sincerely hope that EB is not at an impasse. I have enjoyed your mod(s) for many year and your work is indeed admirable. However, and if you think that you have reached a point where development of your mod has stalled maybe the team should consider the possibility to review your modus operandi. I understand that past experiences make that rather unlikely, but all things considered it is probably the only viable option, bar extinction.

[Dago Red]

I don't believe the time frame is played out in any way. In fact, I believe short of the high middle ages, it's the most desired by fans. If I could skin or model I would offer services, but I don't. And these are truly the least of the mods concerns at this point. The mod needs to be more player friendly -- not dumbed down in any way -- but just easier to pick up and understand what's happening.

So far very little has been explained. Players don't get why their characters all lose influence and loyalty. Players don't understand that there are reform mechanics or that they can transform their city-state into an empire by fulfilling X, Y, and Z. Players don't know much about what's going on under the hood/behind the curtain, because it's not been revealed in a manner that people can digest, if at all.

I sincerely hope that EB is not at an impasse. I have enjoyed your mod(s) for many year and your work is indeed admirable. However, and if you think that you have reached a point where development of your mod has stalled maybe the team should consider the possibility to review your modus operandi. I understand that past experiences make that rather unlikely, but all things considered it is probably the only viable option, bar extinction.

My experience with this development team over many years has been perplexing. It's rare to see such a passion project with so little representation among visible TWC members. Few on the team seem to be active TWC members, seemingly working from some other forum or location, with news being posted on a social media platform that is restricted to 140 characters -- an oddity considering the novellas posted here every few months over the years revealing a new update, volumes of information that dwarf entire subforums here in a single post.

Foot would pen a long post, and then act like spending the next 6 months musing about which folio of historical information to publish next was more important than actually getting some concrete work completed. After half a decade of this, it became clear to many that making the mod was vastly more important than releasing it and while I understand that from a personal, this-is-my-baby, point of view, that really turned people away. All along the most important thing the team could have been doing (aside from completing more of their incredible work), boils down to positive community engagement. We call it branding today, and the EB II brand was repeatedly damaged.

TWC was the most powerful tool at their disposal, and still is. Start by getting the guys who are on the team today some recognizable forum bling. No one on the team ever seems to have even a noticeable indicator that they are a subforum moderator or even on any development team. Other mods have members with colored name titles and badges, whatever, simple things that keep reminding everyone that their mod exists and its team members are their friendly acquaintances here. Nothing in human history is sustained without popular support.

There need not be a big mouthy team leader, but a few team members -- who are personable and can remain visible would be a great start. Community members with skills may be easier to sway onto the team then -- "hey look, those guys really have their act together, and I like them."

As critical as I am, I love this mod and for my measly part, I've posted about EBII continually in the general forum and Rome 2 forum starting from back when bobbin and I argued about the poor quality of the vanilla armies being shown by CA in the "pre-alpha" Rome2 marketing. Eventually, Rome2 moderators began censoring any posts about EB2 made there. To this day, I've had several posts deleted recently wherein I mentioned this mods features in comparison to Rome2's. Part of that may be politics, it's a shame EB doesn't have anyone as high profile on staff here as some other mods....