Contributions, Fixes, Additions, Sub-Mods

[Spartan69]

here there is the link

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=123995 and you can also take a look here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=124709

enjoy

[goony20]

Has anyone considered pushing the start date back and adding crusaders states (KOJ or various principalities or dukedoms or counties)? Mod sounds amazing.

[DesMarekle]

I just fixed the problem where the custom battle locations were either totally wrong or even underwater
just put the attached file in "/The_Long_Road/data" and overwrite the default one

you may redistribute this file as you wish without giving credits

[DesMarekle]

In addition to fixing the old custom battle locations, I added more of them (but i also took some old ones out).

[Rat-tail]

Thanx

[ilmrik]

Awsome!, consider this added to the next TLR release! thanks mate.

[acegogo]

this feature is not yet implemented.... we are working on a non-kingdoms version at the moment, but for sure a must in future.

[Irishmafia2020]

Do you have a link to this ai? That is quite a commercial...

[paynegeneral08]

wow

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

This is my first post here. I just downloaded The Long Road mod and played it since then, and I must say it's totally hilarious.
The modders gave me just what I wanted from this game:

- a bigger map to explore and conquer

- a much more difficult and complex grand campaign

- superb local titles and banners

- the mercenary recruiting points (what a great idea!)

- grandmasters of the knightly orders (yess)

- much more realistic, history-like world, with a lot of extra info




I'd like to make some suggestions here to help improve the mod:

- it would be more real-life if you could recruit only or mainly local units (f.e. why could you recruit croat axemen in mosul???)

- the extra infos could include pictures, otherwise you wouldn't bother reading what you already knew

- a hot button for adopting potent generals to your family

- the privy council titles could grant much more power, than an ordinary "despot of x city" title

Thanks again for creating this mod, keep on delivering the good stuff!

[meznaric]

Has anybody managed to include the Oppida (view settlement) mod into TLR? That would be quite cool.

[acegogo]

???

[kepper]

Will came back it the help of Zuma

[Condottiere SOG]

not at this time.

[Gray Beard]

Is it possible to tweak the AI so that it handles horse archers better both defensively and offensively?

I can take 6 units of unimproved cheap horse archers and beat ANY army the AI throws out because it does the same stupid things over and over.

To be honest, I could use the same units to defeat almost any non-computer opponant as well if they don't know how to defend against them. the difference is that even 16 year-old high school drop out losers can learn how to do this but the computer can't.

As I do a lot of auto resolve against the computer this has implications for troop selection. You never, ever, unless you have no other choice put horse archers or Vards in an AI resolved battle because they are simply wiped out. But, if you fight a battle youself you never want to be without them. They simply kill better than any other unit including gun powder units.

Here is a hypothetical but not uncommon example of what I mean.
My Byzantine army of six Horse Archers and one family member is attacked by the Syrians with an army 8 militia spearmen, 4 Arab archers, two family members and two camel units and 4 arab infantry.

In short hand I have about 200 men versus over 1000. But, my horse archers have 4320 arrows.

I place my family member in the center of the map, in plane sight. I split the HA units into three groups of two. One group is with the family member and the others hide behind a hill or trees on each flank.

The AI masses its infantry and charges with the camels to try and frighten my horses. They die before they get close enough. While this is happening the hidden units flank the AI and pour arrows into the infantry but take a few losses from the foot archers

If the AI tries to meet the flank attack turning his spears and using his family members the the two HA units in front attack because they now have an expossed flank. If it doesn't meet the attack on the flank the foot soldiers are wiped out. Either way it loses. It never looks for flanking units until it is too late.

However, before long I run out of arrows, rather than waste my troops on a stupid charge against the armoured infantry and spears remaining I withdraw. I've killed 700 out of the Syrians 1050 troops. I've lost 35 horse archers.

The computer credits me with a loss but the next turn my Horse archers have more arrows and the Syrian is still down 700 men. Who wins the next encounter?

In such situations the AI needs to be smart enough to not attack or fall for the obvious trap. It needs to find high ground, advance through trees or have a circular hedgehog deffense with archers in the center. It never does. It actually need to be smart enough to not attack unless it has more archers. Let me attack them and I have a harder time

[Condottiere SOG]

@Spartan69 - thank you for the recommendation. However, I am at odds with some of the features that you advertise.

1. I do not want Rebels to be 'tamed' and easy to conquer.
2. Battlefronts are not so easily defined with the current AI and more resembles Medieval warfare and not modern 1st world warfare.
3. CAI builds just fine in this game...you see the AI building elite units early in the game as soon as they can manage it. They use the same units allowing them to rack up xp and rebuilding them before sending them into battle again if the opportunity presents itself.
4. Diplomacy is brutal in TLR as it sets down a path of the weak falling before the strong...
5. Nothing was more cool for me than to see HRE, Spain and England in a war with Scotland, France, Milan and Sicily..alliances work just fine...
6. Religions determine a great many factors in TLR
7. The existing AI defends itself and its assets very well.
8. FOW works just fine...
9. I never use any other level than Normal settings for battles as I want neither side to have advantage. I let the AI fight my battles...there are some amazing things to see when you let the AI, fight the AI. Generals win honours for themselves and not with my help...I usually command only one unit in any given battle.
10. TLR is full of its own innovations...and has greatly influenced other mods on many levels.
11. I wanted TLR to have a well rounded AI...so I went with one set down by Lusted although heavily modified to be suitable for Medieval conflict and standalone as an example of an AI that does its job with low processing management and stays within the guidelines of the program(.exe) strictures(ie - not variables above '999' - numbers higher than that are considered 999 or maxed out).
12. The Pope does his job...no more no less...and will commit to battle or peace as he decides.
13. XP in TLR works perfectly...in a lot of battles as the game progresses you will find the enemy with units with great xp - have fought Rebels and other factions - greatly deciding the outcome of battles that the Human player fights. Hence, the AI is quite resourceful and conservative. Nothing was more exciting than to see my fresh units of Foot Knights turned by a 'triple silver' 'veteran unit of Spear Militia...

As for other game functions - Movement is based on realistic travel times. Supply will hinder movement if the army is out of its bounds. I removed all the money scripts for the game. Starting money is based on historical wealth(scalar depending on faction) and the AI insures that spending is more 'intelligent' and source dependent on role-play(bad leaders make for a bad day). Auto-resolve has not been tweaked much and if you rely on it rather than fighting battles you will lose a great deal. Diplomacy result...and enemy knows when it is beaten and will negotiate peace. If the AI finds that it is in powerful position it will use the device of war. If it is not satisfied it will make excellent use of its agents to subvert your cause.

TLR is just fine as it is...if you choose to use another system, more power to you.

[RKO]

For those of you who would like to have a nice radar map in TLR, here it is: radar-map1 & 2.

Simply copy-paste-replace in The_Long_Road/data/world/maps/campaign/imperial_campaign

As well, a nice 'Big Europe' map for the objectives page.

Paste these files in The_Long_Road/data/world/maps/campaign/imperial_campaign

These small add-ons are save compatible.

[RKO]

For those of you who would like to experience a more balanced gameplay playing the Long Road.

Here is what I call the Short Road


It's based on TLR 2.4 mod, of course. Roughly, economic challenge is present (no more unlimited money) and strategic dimension is more important. Beginnings are like having put too much spicy sauce, especially in very hard modes. Want more spicy sauce ? Install too "More spices", only one file to replace. Instructions included in files.


Main features:

- 2 turns a year instead of 4 turns a year (summer-winter)
- Added new water bridges (Scotland and Ireland between others)
- Greatly increased economic challenge: lowered taxes and trade revenues, gave economic bonuses to AI
- Increased investments strategic dimension (no more unlimited money, more surely money shortage to deal with)


What else has been done:

- Added geographical radar maps
- Increased diversity of ancillaries (won't get always the same two or three ancillaries)
- Modified buildings construction times (longer, ex. dirt roads now takes 10 turns)
- Modified buildings construction costs (much expensive except first level, ex. Guild's HQ is 30000 florins)
- Reverted back to M2TW infantry spacing (closer from each other for better infantry impact)
- Reverted back to M2TW unit numbers (ex. 120 archers, 80 knights, 150 spearmen, ...)
- Complete rethink of archery ranges (for better military balance with infantry)
- Added some unit cards (less generic unit cards but not for all I'm afraid)
- Increased AI Generals efficiency and resistance (real impact in hard or very hard modes)
- Modified some building trees to give back castles a bit of their strategic importance (ex. can't build stables before a city is at least "city" size, but still possible to get merchants cavalries)
- Small increase of wall resistance (so ballistas don't breach stone walls so easily)
- Modified spies, assassins, inquisitors, priests, merchants and diplomats efficiency (longer to achieve better ranks, more tactical impact)
- Balanced diplomacy (no more "perfect" relationships with an enemy)
- Modified faction names (back to the English names)

Hope you'll enjoy !

[Big Dogg]

Oo very nice RKO

[The Gingie 500]

i'm going to have a fiddle around with the building costs and build times to see what i can come up with! i'll post back if i come up with anything good! so this could be goodbye