FAUST Unit guide for M2:TW and Kingdoms

[brandybarrel]

The FAUST Unit Guides for Medieval 2: Total War download here:
1. Kingdoms expansion (8MB, 40 pages) MediaFire
2. M2TW Grand Campaign (5MB, 25 pages) MediaFire
Adobe Reader is required to read and print the PDF file.

All factions are represented on individual faction pages, categorized into polearm, melee, ranged, and cavalry units.
All unit pictures are accompanied by at least 12 stats for comparing unit strengths and abilities.

Each page contains:
Important stats for comparing unit strengths and abilities:
1. Recruitment: Class, Size (normal), Cost, Upkeep
2. Attack: Primary and Secondary weapon, Charge, Range, Damage Types
3. Defence: (Total: Armor + Skill + Shield) including Special Formations
4. Unit Morale and Hit Points

Unique faction information for choosing a side to play:
1. Campaign objectives (Short and Long)
2. Religion, Culture, or faction specific requirements
3. Faction Strengths (subjectively rated) Kingdoms only
4. Mini map

Appendices:
A. Mercenary Units
B. Navy and Artillery
C. Unit Defence mechanics

[Armoured Hoplite]

Thank you very much, it is HIGHLY appreciated. I printed your first version and it is my primary source of bathroom reading . Now it is even better.

[Foreign Fruitcake]

Thank you very much, it is HIGHLY appreciated. I printed your first version and it is my primary source of bathroom reading . Now it is even better.

HEY! That's a great idea! I'm going to do that right now coz I have to snap one off.

[Helmi]

Wow, great!

Thanks alot for this!

(I would rep if I could... :/)

[romanfool]

much appreciated

[brandybarrel]

For those who have downloaded both the new FAUST and FUSIL, please let me know your preference - unit tables or unit pictures?

Thanks for the commentary.

[PorT_Lobo]

Ty!

[LoAmmi]

Great work, I love them both!

[Germanicus75]

Both are nice ;-) Many thanks for your work.

[Helmi]

Both are nice ;-)

Dito.

The pictures are nice because the stats table that came with the game (once again, I have to say) is far from being comprehensive (I really begin to wonder why they bother including it at all - I'd rather see CA host an updated PDF for download...), so you can't see all faction's units.
I do need to pics though, so I can memorize the units better (mostly for enemy units, because I cannot be bothered to check out each enemy unit's detail before battle, I only look at the big picture to get an idea of how many archers, spearmen etc).

The table is much better suited for direct comparison, though, so I can estimate how one unit would fare against a specific other.

It would be absolutely outstanding if you managed to mix those two somehow



That said, I know it's too much to ask, but if the guide was somehow interactive (now, this certainly does not work with PDF) so you can tick specific units for a direct comparison or work with two scrolling frames above and below or similar, you would even outdo yourself! :p

Oh, and seeing as I already complained about CA, if you could do a similar things for the building trees, that would be ace
The in-game system is ok, I guess (I also loved Civ's Civiliopaedia), but I like having a hardcopy, or a second display so it doesn't block my game view.

/dreams

[lindy]

Hi great work

May I check with you what the "bodkin" stat at the Appendix C, is referring to? Which units actually use this?

Also just curious how did you arrive at the accuracy values?

Thanks..

[Candelarius]

Fantastic!

I've already printed, laminated, and put into a 3 ring binder!

Thanks!

[Germanicus75]

The pics are also helpful in letting you see all game units as they are in vanilla, meaning you can more easily compare to modded skins like Burrek's.

[Gen_Phalanx]

YOU ARE A GOD!! I downloaded both because I like the extended details and stats, but also, having the picture so that I can distinguish them is nice, and, it's just a really great package. Love that you included merc units also!! *bows down to your almighty FAUST/FAUSIL power*

[brandybarrel]

@ lindy

the bodkin arrow is a sharp pointed arrowhead used for penetrating armor versus a regular broadhead arrow used for causing wounds.
It is available to the following units:

French Mounted Archers
Longbowmen
Yeoman Archers
Sherwood Archers
Scots Guard
Dismounted Longbowmen
Dismounted French Archers
Welsh Longbowmen Merc
Free Company Longbowmen

The accuracy "values" or stars I have listed were an interpretation of the values given in the descr_projectile.text (ref: accuracy_vs_units) The values run from 0.05 for a regular arrow to 0.00001 extreme for the bodkin arrow. The lower the value the more accurate the missile. the composite bows and gunpowder were at 0.001. These values are not readily understandable so I put them into four relative groups or "stars" - adequate to know which is more accurate. (Since few units have the bodkin I will consider labelling them the next time.)

By the way, you should expect the bodkin arrow to be deadly at long range.

Cheers

[Henry the V]

Nice job, thank you!

[5h@\/\/|\| [TNT]]

thanks for this. GREAT JOB!!!! +1 for you

[resthal]

thnx a bunch!!

(I'd also rep if I could)

[Withwnar]

Excellent guide brandybarrel - as are your others. (More rep.)

Concerning this...

The accuracy "values" or stars I have listed were an interpretation of the values given in the descr_projectile.text (ref: accuracy_vs_units) The values run from 0.05 for a regular arrow to 0.00001 extreme for the bodkin arrow. The lower the value the more accurate the missile. the composite bows and gunpowder were at 0.001. These values are not readily understandable so I put them into four relative groups or "stars" - adequate to know which is more accurate.

In descr_projectile.txt some projectiles have their accuracy_vs_units attribute commented out, including bodkin, composite and the cavalry ones.

From what I have read elsewhere this results in the projectile inheriting a default accuracy, which I suspect is 0.05 but I couldn't find a definite answer to this anywhere. In fact, your guide is the only place I have found that shows accuracy in any form.

I was wondering how you arrived at the bodkin/composite/cavalry = 0.001 figure. Is it because this number appears in some places as a comment in the commented-out attr. lines? This does seem to suggest 0.001 is the answer.

[brandybarrel]

Hi Withwnar

Wow. I don’t know where to begin. It has been a while and I had to go back into the files to correlate my documents and jar my memory.

At the time of making the FAUST guides for Medieval 2 (vanilla) I didn’t know what to make of the commenting-out lines. Do the accuracy values apply or not? It was hard for me to believe that the bodkin arrow was at that extreme (0.00001) so I omitted their reference from the guide. I had to carry on and get the guide done.

I had some correspondence with CAOZ at the time regarding how the mechanics of unit defence changed from Rome to Medieval 2. As you can expect they are busy and I did not want to badger them. One is lucky and grateful to get a response at all. At the time I had also wanted to bring their attention to the fact that fiery composite arrows (0.0005) were more accurate than the regular composite arrows (0.001) which were also commented out. In the end, I can’t remember if I actually did ask CA projectile questions or they no longer replied. I don’t have the answer for M2TW vanilla commented-out accuracies and I tried to avoid putting them in the guide.

When Kingdoms was released they addressed the projectile issues in some campaigns and some not. That is why the FAUST Kingdoms accuracy tables are not as extensive as they could have been. I intentionally omitted fiery arrows for example. I felt the limited and correct information I presented in the Missile table was an adequate representation of weapon accuracies across the four campaigns and considering the grand scope of the guide I left it at my best understanding for the final versions. The listing for the 0.001 in the FAUST for M2TW (vanilla) missile table is most likely incorrect (see below) when considering other weapon accuracies.

I believe your research tests and results appear to be promising or at least proving that the commented out values do not apply. Have you considered the default being the last accuracy line read before encountering a commented out one? In vanilla M2TW, that would be the projectile arrow_fiery 0.07? Also, have you considered giving the plain arrow a default accuracy of 0.001 to test your hypothesis?

Well done in your findings,