Byzantine Overhaul
I was thinking about getting together a team of people who want to overhaul the Roman unit roster to make it more historically accurate and fun. I am personally not a modder but can help with suggestions and history. This idea came to me when discussing Varangian Gaurd units in another thread, and here are my ideas plus those of dad_savage. We were all saying that the Byzantine faction leader's bodyguard should be elite Varangians, and dad_savage had an idea on how to re-mold the Varangian Guard. Here is a cut out of his post in said thread:
For starters they could be divided into four types, each one implemented into the game quite easily using existing models.
Imperial Varangian Guard: as they are in the game. Recruitable only in Constantinople.
Provincial Varangian Guard: Solid light infantry with a mean attack and high defensive skill, but only a small shield and somewhat light armor. Reskin the chain armored Norse swordsmen model, and give them cloaks. Recruitable from an Imperial Palace in huge cities.
Say: 15 attack, 18 defence (6 armor, 8 skill, 4 shield) very good morale, fast moving like sword & buckler men.
Varangian Archers: less range than most archers and crossbowmen (say 80 range) but with a very high attack rating to represent the fact that they're taking picked shots with powerful bows. Twelve would be reasonable. Good mellee stats, as well, with AP hand-axes and a small shield. Reskin the chain-armoured highland noble archers and give them cloaks. Recruitable from an Imperial Palace in huge cities.
Say: 12 attack (ap) 12 ranged attack (80 range) 16 defense.
All units would have a shallow recruitment pool (say 3 units) and low availability (1 unit every 5 turns) but the tradeoff would be their relatively low cost. This would ensure that you could always have a few to give some flavor to your armies, but would never be able to build entire armies of them as that would simply take away the fun of playing Byzantium.
Then, if you still wanted to go with the bodygaurd idea you'd need to make them for every family member and general (hardcoded limits) and since you're already using the Varangian Gaurd model, perhaps reskin Galliolach with cloaks? Half the unit size of normal Gaurdsmen, but with 2HP.
I was also thinking about adding Cataphract Archers, because the Byzantine Cataphracts used three weapons, I believe they were a lance, bow, and mace. since it is impossible to have a unit with three weapons in the game the archer Cataphracts will represent Cataphracts using bows. Also, the Byzantines will get gunpowder, an extensive roster, to represent the fact that if you are a hugely successful Emperor of Rome, and have not declined like the Roman Empire in the late 1300s and early 1400s you would have a vast arsenal of gunpowder troops like other powers at the time. Anyone who can edit meshes is definitely needed, as is a skinner. A historian or two could help us with the units and all of that. So anyone want to do it?
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Originally Posted by Axeman
