Hi everyone, I previously released an alpha version of RTRVII Platinum and after lots of tweaking and testing I decided to release it as a bèta version since it's almost complete and it seems pretty stable now.
Here's a list of new features:
-Polybian reforms for the romans.
-Overhauled the Antigonid unit roster. New units include the agema, basilikoi peltastai (replace the asthetairoi and hypaspists), leukaspides, chalkaspides (replace the pezhetairoi), xystophoi and kestrosphendonetai. The sarrisaphoroi are removed.
-New environments for RTRVII (it looks better than the environments in Roma Surrectum III IMHO).
-Some new units including Asturian axemen and Cohors Evocata.
-the achean league have a new unit namely epilektoi phalangitai, and it's only recruitable in corinth.
-New granary building with two levels, this building will reduce the impact of sieges and food shortages.
-RSII building textures.
-2 hitpoints for all units (some elite or heavily armored units have 3 hitpoints).
-hoplites can form a phalanx but don't worry, they'll will not hold their spears like phalangites. Unlike phalangites hoplites can fight effectively outside the phalanx formation, but never attack another phalanx from the front when your hoplites are not in phalanx formation or you will lose severely. Furthermore hoplites can now run while in phalanx formation but phalangites still can't.
-More dynamic movement and fatigue.
-More dynamic weather.
-More dynamic projectile ranges (damage and accuracy depends on distance and flaming arrows have reduced range).
-Flaming arrows have severely reduced damage and accuracy, but they are still useful to set enemy siege equipment to fire and to scare elephants and chariots.
-Lithoboloi (stone throwing ballistas) and polyboloi (repeating ballistas).
-Soundtracks of RSII, 0AD, DTW, EB and R2TW are added to RTRVII for a bit more variation in music.
-Enhanced battle sound effects.
-The Cimbri can become a horde.
-Enemy generals are harder to kill.
-Unit sizes have been increased.
-realistic casualty rates, just like in real life most casualties will happen during the rout.
-a trait system that simulates supplies and starvation.
-a script that makes you able to get peace with death factions.
-AI bonuses to make the campaign harder.
-High resolution heightmap of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Atlantic Ocean, that is visible on both the campaign- and the mini-map, the resolution is three times the resolution of the campaignmap itself. Shallow areas are light blue and deep areas are dark blue, also the climate affects the colour; more temperate waters have a darker and less saturated grey-blue colour while subtropical waters have a more saturated cyan colour.
-some variation in banners, depending on the culture for the free people faction (since v3.0).
-lots of new traits and new descriptions, trait triggers & levels for existing traits (since v3.0).
-new classes of classes of infantry, cavalry and artillery: medium cavalry, medium infantry, light artillery, medium artillery and heavy artillery (since v3.0).
-banners will tear when a unit routs (since v3.0).
-new wall textures made by DAVIDE (since v3.0).
-new testudo formation icon (since v3.0).
-celtic, germanic, thracian and iberian aor light cavalry have a chainmail armoured variant that becomes available after the Marian reforms. It has almost identical stats as the original except it has higher armour and slightly better morale, it's also slightly more expensive (since v3.0).
-Marian equites are removed since the equites were phased out as a cavalry in the early first century BC (since v3.0).
-More dynamic morale. Morale depends on supplies, the location of the army, the generals's command skill & experience, e.t.c. (since v3.1)
-alliances last slightly longer and there is also slighly less backstabbing (since v3.5).
-slightly harder campaign & battle AI (since v3.5).
-even more new traits & trait triggers (since v3.7).
-lethality has been increased by a factor of 1.7 to compensate that units have 2 hitpoints. (since v3.8)
-further tweaked campaign AI (since v3.9)
-ReallyBadAI Script adapted for RTW Alexander by Germanicu5. Please note that this feature only works if you run the mod with RTW Alexander. (since v3.9)
-Lots of tweaks and bugfixes.
-e.t.c.
Here are some screenshots from the new environments:
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Installation guide:
1. Make sure you have a clean RTW install. If you are not using steam I recommend to install RTW and RTRVII in a folder called C:\games\RTRVII on your harddisk instead of the program files folder. Also make sure that your PC will be able to run the mod, the recommended specifications for this mod are Windows Vista 64 bit or a newer version of windows, 4GB of RAM, 512GB of VRAM, at least 10GB of free space on your harddisk and a 64 bit processor that runs at 2GHz or more.
2. Remove any existing folders in you RTW directory named "RTRVII", this is important to fix the coastlines bug.
3. Download this 7zip file & extract it in your RTW directory: (this is v3.0)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!zN4y1B5C
4. Download one of the patches and extract it into your RTW directory:
You can choose between v3.6 and v3.9, v3.9 has less bugs, more balanced gameplay and a lot of new traits, but if you would like to continue a campaign of a previous version, then I would recommend to play v3.6 instead of v3.9
This is v3.6:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
This is v3.9:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!XJRTiRBD
5. If you want to play with RTRVII RTW Alexander or RTW 1.5/1.5.1 you'll need one of these two patches:
RTW Alexander:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!jE5xxaCK
RTW 1.5/1.5.1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!ydZmyKaL
6. Battles in RTRVII are quite long, if you want shorter battles and lower morale, then you should replace your EDU file (it's located in this folder: ...\Rome Total War\RTRVII\data) by this one:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!GEASDLZZ
Slightly shorter battles for alexander & rtw 1.5:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!aJxAwCpS
if you still think that battles are too long you might want to try this one:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!GVwSBRrS
Shorter battles for alexander & rtw 1.5:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!eIRC2D4Q
-WARNING! this is for v3.9 only, it might be incompatible with v3.6
7. For players whose graphics card has less than 512 mp VRAM, I recommend to revert the medieval campaign map trees to the old Rome 1 trees. If this applies to you should replace the descr_climates.txt file in ...\Rome Total War\RTRVII\data folder by this one:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b...ew?usp=sharing
http://mega.nz/#!yZwGkCZK
8. Make your Rome Total War Barbarian Invasion/Alexander/RTW exe large address aware. This is needed because the mod uses 3GB of ram and rtw is not able to use more than 2GB, unless you make it large address aware. If you don't the game will crash when you start a campaign.
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/th...-aware.112556/
9. Right click on your RTW:BI/RTW:ALX/RTW exe, go to proporties, go to compatibility and select:
-Run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
-Run this program as an administrator
9. Make a shortcut of RTW Barbarian Invasion / RTW Alexander / RTW and add these command line switches:
-show_err -ne -mod:RTRVII
10. Run the game using the shortcut you made and have fun playing RTRVII Platinum.
Copy of the credits.txt file:
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Some advice for campaigns:
-don't play on very hard campaign difficulty, it destroys the balance of the mod and it's actually easier than medium difficulty. I recommend to play on hard for expierienced RTRVII players or hardcore vanilla players, normal for players with some expierience with vanilla and easy for new players. For the battle difficulty I recommend to set it to the same level as you would set it in vanilla. If you play on H/VH and it's still not hard enough for you then I would recommend to run the mod with RTW Alexander.
-If you play as the antigonid dynasty your first goal should be to capture Pella, if you don't do that quickly you will not be able to retrain or recruit your best units and your treasury will go quickly into the minus.
-night battles may cause the game to crash under certain circumstances, always save before engaging an enemy general on the map if you plan to fight at night.
-If you want a really tough challenge, then I recommend you to play as the Kingdom of the Massyli on H/VH.
-I also recommend you to read these feature highlights:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...s-and-traitors
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...ht-The-Reforms
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...man-Leadership
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...t-Unique-Units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...omic-buildings
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...ed-settlements
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...0#post10669140