A dilemma - IBFD submod

[Leon Katakalon]

Hello guys !

I am currently making a submod for IBFD 7.03 and I have corrected and rebalanced unit stats and sizes which were made following the excellent SAI unit balance. Also I have changed some starting positions for armies and army compositions in order to depict 410 AD as accurately as possible, for example no more powerful Romano-British. Because I have added some units from other mods, I am currently asking other modders to allow me to use their work. Along with that, I decided to create a mini-mod regarding the time of Justinian, by using IBFD 7.03 as a modding base and resurrecting many of the units that were discontinued in the last fully functional 7.03 version, from what I call the models (and textures) graveyard, the IBFD's models unit folder. The balances of course in my new mini mod will be altered favoring the new time period and geopolitical situation. The mini mod will start in 527 and end in 641, and few cities will be added to rebalance the map. The factions that will be included are all of IBFD 7.03 with the exception of WRE, Alemanni and Imperium Constantini. Since I am in real trouble with which three factions I will have to replace the two current ones, I decided to present the question to the community in the form of a poll which three factions shall be the new ones. I am between five factions: Avars, Bulgars, Suebi, Thuringii and Gepids, and I have three slots to finish the map making. Any ideas????

[Gäiten]

IMHO Avars, Gepids and Suevi.

[Joar]

IMHO Avars, Gepids and Suevi.

I second this.

...and good luck, Leon, I applaud your initiative!

[demagogos nicator]

Amazing idea, hope you will succed in making it reality. I voted for Avars, Gepids and Thuringii. For me it was quit tight between Thuringii and Suebi but I feel that germania would be quite empty without them. Btw, is the hunnic faction still important in this period?

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

The Huns and Bulgars are the same, but these were not the later Bulgars of Asparuch from the late 7th century.

The Suebes were rather irrelevant, having been completely subdued by the Gothic Kingdom of Toledo in this time.

Ergo the Avars and Gepids, which are a must because they were incredibly important in this period, and the Thuringians.

[Leon Katakalon]

Features and Ideas. What will be new in this submod:

-ERE (Now renamed just to Imperium Romanum) will occupy the same regions plus Theodosia on Crimea (the region of this city will be reduced). Forts and watchtowers will be built on Danube, Euphrates, in the east and in the southern borders of Egypt to depict the Romano-Byzantine System of limes. The Romans will have their regular historical characters Justinian, Belisarius, Narses, Mundus, e.t.c. Also other historical characters such as Procopius, Tribonianus, Theodora, John Lydus, Liberius, will be present as ancillaries. On important addition will be the new religions. Some of the most important Germanic kingdoms of the West had an Arian ruling elite and a Chalcedonian Romanised population, so it will be nice to present the friction between the two. In the ERE, Monophysitism will be the religion that will dominate the Syropalaestinian and Egyptian provinces of the Empire, so we can present the religious strife of the Eastern Empire during the first centuries of tis existence. Some parts of Greece will remain partly pagan also to increase the tension too. As long as the Roman army is concerned, Belisarius will present with his Bucelarii (lancers/heavy horse-archers) with an effective but expensive force, regular lancer cavalry and horse-archer cavalry will be recruitable in few important cities will comprise the comitatenses part of the army, along with heavy infantry (I am thinking turning most comitatenses infantry into spearmen/swordsmen and to leave aside some plumbatarii units together). All those will be recruitable only in certain big cities and strategic points, and they will be expensive to recruit and maintain, so make wise use of them! The second part will be the foederati, they will have some very good and expensive units such as Germanic Lancers, Vandali Justiniani, Hunnic Horse-Archers, Lombard mercenaries e.t.c. They will be also rather expensive to maintain if they are good but they will comprise an integral of Roman field armies. The last category will be the limitanei, mostly poor militias, cheap and numerous, but only to guard the extensive borders of the empire (of course those categorizations by the time were less clear than in 4th century but I am obliged to make some kind of distinction).

Sassanids- Not much will be changed here. Historical characters, recruiting tree and some starting positions will be changed and Persarmenia will be a protectorate, in Roman Armenia, the Roman player will have the option to recruit Armenian units.

Ostrogothic, Visigothic, Vandalic, Burgundian, Suebic Kingdoms - Those will be Arian Kingdoms with a Chalcedonian majority. They will be romanised partly in their cities, army and some historical characters who will appear. The Suebi are a personal choice, in order to not leave "alone" the Visigoths on the Iberian Peninsula

Avars, Huns, - Pagan Nomad factions with many subject peoples in their ranks, predominantly cavalry factions with some foreign infantry. Especially the former will be a massive horde and a threat to the Romans and to other. The latter are matter of dispute whether they should be included or not ? (I need some opinions)

Romano-British, - Something of a faction. Actually an organization of chieftains with heavy cavalry and poor militias and celtic units here and there, some regions will be added in Britain to represent rather loose statelets and there will be actually R-B and Angles/Jutes of the slave faction too. They will start with little money and practically surrounded by the Saxons and the Gaels.

Saxons, Gepids, Lombards, Slavs - Factions which are in position where the above mentioned barbarian factions in 5th century were.

I need some new ideas or suggestions too??? (I was thinking to replace the Lakhmids with Thuringii, since the Lakhmids were never more than a simple vassal state, and to absorb their regions in the Sassanid Empire along with region-specific units. What you think about that too?)

The Iuthungi are finally in! Lakhmids are going out and their territories were added to the Sassanid Empire and their units are recruitable as Sassanids "auxilia".

[Majorien]

I'm far from knowing the roman army during the reign of Justinian. Do the old organization Constantine is still valid (comitatenses, limitanei, foederati, scholae) or has already passed the military system of tagmata/moira/mesos ? Furthermore, I think you are absolutely right , by giving major importance for both overpowering ( and expensive !) Bucellarii and allies, who sometimes outnumbered the regulars soldiers in Roman armies (gothic wars are a good example)

[Serapio]

hi leon,

if you need historical help with the thuringians, then i can give you some support. i assisted rio in IB II Britanniae to represent the germanic factions on the continent.

[Riothamus]

hi leon,

if you need historical help with the thuringians, then i can give you some support. i assisted rio in IB II Britanniae to represent the germanic factions on the continent.

Serapio would be a great help for this mod leon representing the Germanic factions as he continues to be for IB II.

My only concern are the Romano British in the 6th Centurry. I'm one who believes they had actually acquired an Empire that included Brittany-Normandy an alliance with Hibernia and the entire North up to the vassalage of Dal Raider. Their faction rose again around 425AD( but several near ending revolts in between) and peeked around 455AD 470AD but dissipating into many sovereign British Kingdoms after 477AD.
Its your call but a Conundrum trying to created a faction or factions with this region at this time. Gepids, Thuringii and the Bulgars would be right for the mod at this time period in my own opinion. Good luck as it pumps fresh air and continued life into IB.

[Leon Katakalon]

Serapio Thanks! Please send me a PM and write me your ideas and suggestions, I am very glad that you want to help. I need help for the germanic factions of the time, since my knowledge is pretty much superficial for that area of the map.

[Leon Katakalon]

I believe Huns and Bulgars are pretty much the same @Rio at the time. What you think? I decided to keep Hetphalites because they were a huge faction of the time and of course to not leave the Sassies to be a huge fish in a small pool. Maybe anyone of you have a detailed guide for descry_strat, because Ι got some CTD's, I mean a detailed, not for beginners, I know 80% but something more in detail

[Riothamus]

I believe Huns and Bulgars are pretty much the same @Rio at the time. What you think? I decided to keep Hetphalites because they were a huge faction of the time and of course to not leave the Sassies to be a huge fish in a small pool. Maybe anyone of you have a detailed guide for descry_strat, because Ι got some CTD's, I mean a detailed, not for beginners, I know 80% but something more in detail

Yes they very similar but its quite complicated as for political reasons that arose in the 20th century and a far from well recorded history. Either way I would(in my own opinion) be fine with ever you decided. You may need to ask for a team(developers) if you are getting ctds errors. Also a place to work on your mod..a sub forum of sorts. Possibly at: NVASIO BARBARORVM: Free Mod Projects or a sub forum here. Contact julianus Heraclius and Joar for help and questions in regards to where you could work on your mod thus acquiring further help developing your mod

[Antiokhos Euergetes]

Interesting the army of the Romans had indeed changed in this period, older Legions still existed, although they appear to have been garrisoned on frontier in a semi offensive/limitanei nature.
The new field armies consisted of new Comitatenses or Straiotai raised by Justinian.
Looking at texts Procopius and Olympiodorus they refer to the φοιδεράτοι being composed of both Romans and barbarians (Procop. Wars 3.11.3-5. Olympic. Frag 7-4).
This does not of course take into account author depictions of barbarians or lack of distinction between Roman and non Roman. Further complications are seen in assessing ethnicity and cultural identity in late antiquity.

I have further to add but must finish my paper, plus this is far from my comfort zone!!