Ancient Empires Attila, 202BC - Project Outline

[ElSypatiko]

Thanks to u guys i keep playing my old games
Kr

[Spadde]

How do you feel about using the upcoming campaign map from "The last roman DLC" instead of the current one? It is alot more detailed altough it doesent have some of asia.

[SharpEyed]

losing Asia? while we even complain for current map is not being big enough?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[ABH2]

How do you feel about using the upcoming campaign map from "The last roman DLC" instead of the current one? It is alot more detailed altough it doesent have some of asia.

From what I saw of the map, it's just Italy, Spain, North Africa, and France? That's specifically what the Rally point video outlined. I would assume Greece would be in it, as well, but that's no given. It could very well cut off Byzantium and Greece. Germania/Dacia and such definitely won't be part of it, though. We won't be able to use it for the Grand Campaign.

We *will* most definitely make use of it, though I can't say at the moment what the scenario will be. We'll have to talk more about that as a team. The map seems like it would be well suited to the Punic Wars, though that's a scenario that's been done to death. It happens to be one of my own personal favorites.

At some point down the road, we may release multiple submod scenario campaigns, but that's a way off goal when we actually release and get the core of this mod complete.

[SharpEyed]

hmm yea that can be used for small-scale campaigns, but yea I agree that main one should be finished 1st

[The Wandering Storyteller]

From what I saw of the map, it's just Italy, Spain, North Africa, and France? That's specifically what the Rally point video outlined. I would assume Greece would be in it, as well, but that's no given. It could very well cut off Byzantium and Greece. Germania/Dacia and such definitely won't be part of it, though. We won't be able to use it for the Grand Campaign.

We *will* most definitely make use of it, though I can't say at the moment what the scenario will be. We'll have to talk more about that as a team. The map seems like it would be well suited to the Punic Wars, though that's a scenario that's been done to death. It happens to be one of my own personal favorites.

At some point down the road, we may release multiple submod scenario campaigns, but that's a way off goal when we actually release and get the core of this mod complete.

Submod scenarios here we come! [emoji2]

[GM207]

Nice, hope I don't have to wait too long.
If I may also suggest the need of transport ships in order to transport troops over seas.
And burning of the gates with torches to be removed

[Denco]

The map seems like it would be well suited to the Punic Wars, though that's a scenario that's been done to death. It happens to be one of my own personal favorites.

Nothing in TW is overdone

[DIABLONL]

The mod is looking good!
But I have a question about the faction traits, are they going to be like Rome 2(small percentage bonuses) or more like the ones in Attila( new ability's like in being able to recruit Roman units in Roman cities or no post-battle casualties for retreating or routing cavalry)?

[UMCenturion]

The mod is looking good!
But I have a question about the faction traits, are they going to be like Rome 2(small percentage bonuses) or more like the ones in Attila( new ability's like in being able to recruit Roman units in Roman cities or no post-battle casualties for retreating or routing cavalry)?

We fully plan to use all of Attila's capabilities, hence the reason porting ancient roman era to Attila. Although, a fully fleshed trait system being ready for the first release has not been decided. I for one, would like to replicate a system similar to what Roma Surrectum 2 uses. Not sure if it is remotely possible though, and to be honest, we have not focused much attention to the trait system yet.

[Petellius]

We fully plan to use all of Attila's capabilities, hence the reason porting ancient roman era to Attila. Although, a fully fleshed trait system being ready for the first release has not been decided. I for one, would like to replicate a system similar to what Roma Surrectum 2 uses. Not sure if it is remotely possible though, and to be honest, we have not focused much attention to the trait system yet.

Much of my style also comes from RSII and I've spoken to ABH about this a lot in the past and thats what we decided on really. I highly doubt, however, it will be included in the first release.

[Kurk Kokane]

What me as an fresh born TW modder interests pretty much is: How do you guys wanna alter the existing campaign map of Attila / Rome 2. As far as I know, Terry gives you no way to do custom campaigns. Do you guys just hope for the release of a campaign editor or is there another way to do a custom campaign?

[Petellius]

What me as an fresh born TW modder interests pretty much is: How do you guys wanna alter the existing campaign map of Attila / Rome 2. As far as I know, Terry gives you no way to do custom campaigns. Do you guys just hope for the release of a campaign editor or is there another way to do a custom campaign?

Well as you know there isn't much we can do. We plan to eventually add a bit more detail to the map aesthetically wise and gameplay wise we will be adding new factions and features but as far as the actual workability of the shape of the map and the cities placed upon it, we can't change a thing.

[ABH2]

I'm a bit confused on the question. In terms of factions, that's simple enough, but we never promised a new campaign map in terms of cities or regions. Unfortunately, that is impossible outside some aesthetic changes, though we can do custom cities and battle tiles, as well.

It's the big drawback of moving to Attila, and its the main thing we've had to work around.

[Kurk Kokane]

...though we can do custom cities and battle tiles, as well.

Okay understood. The map in the preview looked very altered, but yes you're right. At a second look I saw, its the same map. But new cities were added and it looks like you added more regions / devided existing regions in two or more. This was it was confused me. If I may ask, how can you add more regions to the campaign? Is it possible in Terry?? Sadly this tool crashes for me a few seconds after lunch so I can't test it by myself.

[The Wandering Storyteller]

Okay understood. The map in the preview looked very altered, but yes you're right. At a second look I saw, its the same map. But new cities were added and it looks like you added more regions / devided existing regions in two or more. This was it was confused me. If I may ask, how can you add more regions to the campaign? Is it possible in Terry?? Sadly this tool crashes for me a few seconds after lunch so I can't test it by myself.

New cities were added? I had a look as well and so far its the same Attila models currently being used. Although we will have to wait for cities to be added. The least you can do is change the way the settlement looks, something which the LOTR team are currently doing. You can use Terry to change the environment so that's not a problem. For adding regions, this may be considered in the future at some point, I don't know what ABH's plans are on this, but this is a bit too early to add regions. I'd consider contacting Uanime 5, the developer of Morning Sun(who's now adding in China and Korea), to have a look. I emailed him a couple of days ago and he said he would be able to have a look at the Attila tools and see what he can do, but he's currently busy with his Shogun 2 mod. I would leave the campaign map testing out for a bit it is still in development and more changes need to be made, and some parts of it crash, so we'll have to wait until they can get the campaign map going - do give feedback on the UI though. The campaign map is the thing that will need the most hardest of efforts to mod. I think this is the same for the Karling, LOTR, and AE mod teams. As ABH had stated, they have very ambitious plans, and I appericate it isn't easy to mod this so easily. For me, personally I'd love to see ancient cities in all their glory - but that's something I'm gonna have to wait for a while. I can guess their plan(not entirely accurate) is sort of this:

UI (Done), Unit Rosters( still needs time), Campaign map asthethics (not yet done,) Campaign map model reskins( a bit hard and not done yet). Currently they are at the unit rosters stage in my opinion, and they need to work on getting that done before they do much on the campaign map. I would replace the Attila general model units on the campaign, instead using the Rome 2 ones. But I can't be 100% accurate as of yet. This mod needs more testing by the community and its an excellent time which I applaud these guys for. Sometimes the community has to come and lift a few burdens and I understand that of most mods around here, some don't work because they become inactive, some which I know, like NTW 3 which is by far an excellent mod is being made and dedicated out of a few hardcore Napoleonic modders that made their first ever Napoleonic total war mod for RTW. Mods like Darthmod were possible back in the days of Empire because there was a lot you could change, unlike the settlements however. Nowadays looking back to the Rome 2 and Attila, you need dedicadted modders that can give up their time and I fully thank the AE team for doing this. Its no easy task, I attempted to mod so many times but never got nowhere - its too difficult - but these guys and the beta feedback that's coming is really good. These issues sorted out now will solve a lot of problems - to illustrate, I was looking so forward to Europa Barborum 2, and the first ever release had happened - and I wasn't impressed. It was so much a reminder of Rome 2 in many ways, unfinished rosters, excellent UI, but it just didn't feel right. But to be fair, they had said that they had very few people and they warned that the release WOULD be buggy. Now its improving, but the advantage AE has over most mods, is that they have a dedicated active team of modders that has been there since the Rome 2 heydays(back when I hoped that CA would release TED for Rome 2 which they never did, and the fact that it wasn't ready on release, it was rushed for a deadline like ETW had) and with Attila's tools, if used rightly, it can be very powerful. I think these modding tools are the best we can get - because pragmatically CA won't release full modding tools now, they're currently selling their games and making them - only after a few years are you likely to get modding tools. But those guys need to understand modders a bit better.Rome 1 and Med 2 are now full in development mode since CA released some tools, but bascially it allowed them to edit the entire game. I can't see this for Rome 2 just yet(CA have said that they intend to support the game, but I'm not too hopeful), but Attila's modding tools allow some good modding to be done. However, it does need patches for the Assembly Kit, and seeing that Grudge is working around a fix with Mr J, it seems there is still hope even if CA are inactive.

Right I've gone off topic and rambled about stuff - to answer your question, yes you change the way cities look, and you can import your battlefields onto the campaign map. How far that can be done will be seen on the three mods, because if these mods are successful(and in 90% they will be?), then you can expect to see a Medieval Mod for Attila, a China mod(ok that is stretching it a bit too far) and a lot of submods for AE. But this will take time and patience and I realized that when I was watching LOTR and the Hobbit only a few weeks back. I realize I have been a bit too demanding and those demands are a bit unreasonable of me,but they may come in later when it comes to full flow. I wish these guys the best of luck to do well in this mod , they're like the fellowship, well the LOTR team can be described that, but the fellowship started small, and then grew and then defeated the forces that threatened to envelope the world. In the same way these guys are making a mod that may bode well for the future of modding which remains yet to be seen. But we gotta keep what we're doing and supporting these guys, because when the right time comes, you don't even know it. You can use terry to change the environment, but at the minute the campaign is modded - I would suggest you email ABH about joining their team and then mod it using terry, because at the minute it is viable to crashes because more work needs to be done.

In terms of a release - not now, because there's a few good months to go into solid modding and beta testing. A lot of work will need to be put in and I can understand they are taking their time and so we'll let them take their time. The unit rosters of importing will be taking much longer - because of the amount of factions needed - plus you need to get rid of the Attila rosters as well. The team can do a bit better - perhaps work on the UI more, someone does terry editing, while the other attempts to reskin cities when the time comes. Replacing the models of Attila's general on the campaign map would be nice. Importing Rome 2 building models will also need to be there as well if this is a classical mod - but then I think ABH and his team know better than I do. This is just one's person opinion. These guys have their chance to do it and I am very well confident that they will achieve what they intend to achieve. A release I estimate will be of early in October or December. That's about it I guess, but for beta testing, expect to see a few more as the months progress. I'm glad I came back once the exams finished for me, a lot has been improved, and I'd love to be a campaign tester and testing out those glorious epic siege battles in Attila with a reskinned city, and the units - happy days for me and for others . But yeah I should stop typing this rabble and get on.

Good luck to you guys! Take your time and all this hard work will pay off in the end. Though it will take some time.

[kwnic]

This looks really interesting. How are the horde factions going to interact with the world? Are they going to wander around or have a specific goal and direction? Also, I noticed you won't be including the Lugii, but if I remember correctly the Nahanarvali was one of the tribes that made up the Lugii. Out of curiosity, why did you decide to include one tribe out of the confederation? My knowledge on the Germanic tribes is fairly limited, but I would guess that the Lugii have yet to properly form at the start of the campaign. Would it be possible to accurately represent the formation of tribal confederations as they formed historically? Though it doesn't seem it would be possible to represent all the different tribes that make up confederations on the map with the limited scope available.

[Fred1351]

Will you give unit caps to units so that we won't be able to spam praetorian guards(elite units) all the time?

[Petellius]

Will you give unit caps to units so that we won't be able to spam praetorian guards(elite units) all the time?

Not sure yet, might do.

[aehim_salim]

does anybody when it will be available to download and play?