Rhyfelwyr
04-13-2009, 19:17
Validus Regnum is a mod for M2TW: Kingdoms, which covers a huge area of land, from Scotland, to Ghana, beyond the Urals, and into the Indian subcontinent. The mod is set between 1072, with the formation of the Kingdom of Leon-Castille and the battle of Manzikert having just occured; to 1218, when the Mongols invaded the Kara-Khitan lands to the far east of the map. Validus Regnum aims to provide a much more challenging and historically accurate gameplay experience, by providing faction-specific government buildings, an advanced 'Area of Recruitment' system, realistic representation of infrastructure, populations, and economics, and accurate formations and tactics for AI armies. In particular, VR aims to recreate the area covered as accurately as possible at the start date in 1072, while realistic AI (and player) development will be encouraged.
While I understand that some factions such as Bohemia, Kiev, and in particular Serbia are often very popular within the M2TW modding community, I have chosen not to include them as they simply do not merit a faction slot at 1072 AD; and considering this mods timeframe is shorter than mosts, these factions rise to power is in most cases outside the timeframe for Validus Regnum. By representing these factions through either 'Minor Factions' or government buildings for their overlords in their territories, extra slots have been freed up to expand the map and include areas such as sub-Saharan Africa and parts of India. I hope this will add an epic, semi-mythical atmosphere that in my opinion was achieved brilliantly by Europa Barbarorum. The king-worship of Ghana and far eastern culture of the Kara-Khitans add an exciting element to the steriotypically dark, fragmented realms of feudal Europe.
Massive new map containing 199 regions:
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9285/minimapz.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=minimapz.jpg)
https://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9096/irelandw.jpg (https://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=irelandw.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5130/scotland.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scotland.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8774/francep.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=francep.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4760/germanya.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=germanya.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1676/denmark.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=denmark.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6641/swedenkpu.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=swedenkpu.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6855/polandi.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=polandi.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8342/hungaryw.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hungaryw.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9950/illyria.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=illyria.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7105/kievd.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kievd.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8408/steppe.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=steppe.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9177/spainx.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spainx.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5913/andalus.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=andalus.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4410/italyz.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=italyz.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9224/sicily.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sicily.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2182/tunisia.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tunisia.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1567/greece.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=greece.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6865/anatoliai.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=anatoliai.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1208/levant.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=levant.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6542/caucasus.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=caucasus.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6894/persiaf.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=persiaf.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3721/transoxiana.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=transoxiana.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8855/ghaznavids.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ghaznavids.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1956/ghanay.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ghanay.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4162/nubia.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nubia.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1705/ethiopia.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ethiopia.jpg)
31 Factions (with the Kara-Khitai still to be added):
The Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of France
The Duchy of Aquitaine
The Kingdom of Leon-Castille
The Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Norway
The Kingdom of Denmark
The Holy Roman Empire
The Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Hungary
The Republic of Venice
The Duchy of Apulia-Calabria
The Papal States
Rus
The Byzantine Empire
The Kingdom of Georgia
Makuria
Zagwe Dynasty
The Murabitun
The Zirids
The Fatimid Caliphate
The Seljuq Empire
The Kara-Khanid Khanate
The Ghaznavid Empire
The Volga-Bulgar Khanate
Wagadou
The Kipchaks
Kara-Khitai
Historically accurate sub-factions for all regions which start as Rebel:
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8873/subfactions.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=subfactions.jpg)
Unit lists for new factions, including new units for African factions:
General's Bodyguard:
https://img295.imageshack.us/img295/2468/bodyguardscreenxd4.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
These warriors are dedicated to protecting the general on the battlefield. Hand-picked for loyalty and valour and benefiting from quality armour and weapons, the general's bodyguard are elite heavy cavalry capable of devastating charges and dealing plenty of carnage in hand to hand, as well as taking on odds that would send lesser units running.
Town Militia:
https://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4096/ghanianspearmenoi5.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Armed with a short spear but little armour, these troops are city dwellers usually called up to defend their homes in time of need, but sometimes pressed into action on foreign campaigns. Although useful for city defence, they should not be relied on in the field.
Ghanian Tribesmen:
https://img259.imageshack.us/img259/7070/ghaniantribesmenscreenva9.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
These sub-Saharan soldiers are recuited from the various tribes which had once fueled the armies of the Ghana Empire. Armed with only a sword and a shield and lacking any armour, these are still disciplined troops from a society based on warfare, and form the backbone of early Mali armies. While they are lightly armed, they are ideal soldiers for the climates in their homelands.
Ghanian Bow Hunters:
https://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5963/ghanianbowhuntersgd8.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
These are basic bowmen, adapted to fight in the varying climates of Mali, from the tropical rainforests to the harsh Sahara. These troops historically made up a fifth of Ghana's forces, which were over 200,000 strong at their peak. Although they lack protection, they are effective ambushers well suited to the hotter climates, and rely on speed rather than strength to survive.
Ghanian Tribal Cavalry:
https://img172.imageshack.us/img172/921/ghaniantribalcavscreenvl2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Although cavalry had been almost non-existent in the sub-Sahara prior to the Berber invasion of the Murabitun, the fragmented states left in the region were quick to realise the advantages of horsemen, made clear by their conquerors success. These horsemen still retain their African traditions of light equipment and in particular the use of javelins, allowing them to harass enemies in the harsh desert climates.
Mali Artillery Crewmen:
https://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5915/artillerycrewzx3.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Several new religions added:
VR doubles the number of religions included from those in vanilla M2TW. Religion will play a much more significant role than in standard M2TW, with regions much harder to convert, many factions having the ability to change their official religion, and religious populations providing recruitment and building options for settlements. Below is a brief description of each religion and its historical importance, in order of the pic shown:
https://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9477/religionpipsreadyym2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
1. Roman Catholicism While less dominant than in vanilla M2TW, Catholicism will remain a very influential religion in VR, held by a more factions than any other faith. The Pope feature will be kept from vanilla, however new features will be implemented such as the ability to create anti-Popes, the foundation of monastic orders, and historical titles for Bishops and Archbishops should add a lot more flavour for the rolepaying of a faction with this religion.
2. Celtic Christianity - This unique branch of Chistendom is still influential in the more remote parts of western Europe, notably those which retain some form of Celtic identity. Celtic Christianity is the dominant religion of Scotland, Ireland, and also has influence in Brittany in France. Playing as Scotland or Ireland, players will have a choice between developing Catholicism to improve ties with their European counterparts, or maintaining the dominance of Celtic Christianity, with its unique features regarding the calculation of the date of Easter, and its system of monasteries and missionary work.
3. Orthodox Christianity - As in vanilla M2TW, the Orthodox faith will be dominant in Russia and Byzantium. These factions will benefit from new features similar to those being implemented for Catholicism, with the additional bonus of being able to appoint Patriarch's, the head on earth of their faith, whether of the Russian or Greek Orthodox churches. In addition to those, the Orthodox faith has an entire new front in VR, with the map extended southwards to include Makuria and the Ethiopian Zagwe dynasty offering very different challenges to players wishing to try Orthodox factions!
4. Judaism - No faction has Judaism as its official religion in VR, indeed the last officially Jewish empire before 1073 was the long extinct Khazar Khanate. The only settlements to have large Jewish populations are those in Israel, however all throughout Europe there are Jewish communities in many towns and cities. In game, these will provide special buildings, giving bonuses in particular to trade and income.
5. Sunni Islam - The Sunni faith is the more puritanical of the major Islamic denominations, strictly opposed to the idea of sainthood and idolatry. In particular, the Murabitun, originating from the Sahara, threaten to carry their holy war across the Iberian peninsula and perhaps even beyond. Sunni Islam is by far the dominant branch of Islam, dominant throughout north Africa, Arabia, the Levant, Iraq, and to the east of Iran.
6. Shia Islam - The more moderate branch of Islam, the ceremony involved in the Shia faith is in stark contrast to that of their puritanical Sunni counterparts. Only the Fatimids begin as Shia, however there are Shia populations spread dotted around the Sunni world, and in particular being dominant in eastern Iraq and parts of Iran, as well as having expanded through its influence over certain groups of Turks.
7. Zoroastrianism - This religion is a remnant of the beliefs the Parthian nomands once held in Iran. Their beliefs are derived from the prophet Zoroastra, who built a monotheistic faith, based around the divine God Ahura Mazda. A very unique faith amongst the greater Muslim and Christian conflicts of nearby areas, Zoroastrianism is based mainly Iran, where it still has a sizeable number of followers since Islam reached the region in the seventh century.
8. Hinduism - Although there are no Hindu faction in VR, Hinduism is the dominant religion of the far south-east corner of the map, most notably in Sindh and the Indus, and the west-Indian territories held by the Islamic Ghaznavid Empire. Hindiusm is unique in that it is the only polytheistic religion in VR, and Hindu regions will provide many exotic and diverse units, including lots of elephants!
Paganism and Heresy are also included in VR, playing a similar role as they did in vanilla M2TW.
INSTALLATION:
The istallation process is very simple. You should have Kingdoms installed, and the patch for it should not make a difference, since it is only concerned with multiplayer issues. So, first of all, install the Barebones mod folder below:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=1615
Then, download my mod from the file below:
http://files.filefront.com/barebonesrar/;13597450;/fileinfo.html
Simply place my 'barebones' mod folder over the other 'barebones' mod folder, and it should run fine.
The team:
Rhyfelwyr - general modder/organiser
Ignoramus - historian
Romanos IV - Byzantine expert
Vazul's Ghost - 2d artwork
In the next update, I'll be looking to iron out any issues and add Vazul's faction symbols.
Please give any feedback! :2thumbsup:
While I understand that some factions such as Bohemia, Kiev, and in particular Serbia are often very popular within the M2TW modding community, I have chosen not to include them as they simply do not merit a faction slot at 1072 AD; and considering this mods timeframe is shorter than mosts, these factions rise to power is in most cases outside the timeframe for Validus Regnum. By representing these factions through either 'Minor Factions' or government buildings for their overlords in their territories, extra slots have been freed up to expand the map and include areas such as sub-Saharan Africa and parts of India. I hope this will add an epic, semi-mythical atmosphere that in my opinion was achieved brilliantly by Europa Barbarorum. The king-worship of Ghana and far eastern culture of the Kara-Khitans add an exciting element to the steriotypically dark, fragmented realms of feudal Europe.
Massive new map containing 199 regions:
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9285/minimapz.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=minimapz.jpg)
https://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9096/irelandw.jpg (https://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=irelandw.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5130/scotland.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scotland.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8774/francep.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=francep.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4760/germanya.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=germanya.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1676/denmark.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=denmark.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6641/swedenkpu.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=swedenkpu.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6855/polandi.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=polandi.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8342/hungaryw.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hungaryw.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9950/illyria.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=illyria.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7105/kievd.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kievd.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8408/steppe.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=steppe.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9177/spainx.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spainx.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5913/andalus.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=andalus.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4410/italyz.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=italyz.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9224/sicily.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sicily.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2182/tunisia.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tunisia.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1567/greece.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=greece.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6865/anatoliai.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=anatoliai.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1208/levant.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=levant.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6542/caucasus.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=caucasus.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6894/persiaf.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=persiaf.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3721/transoxiana.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=transoxiana.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8855/ghaznavids.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ghaznavids.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1956/ghanay.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ghanay.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4162/nubia.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nubia.jpg)
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1705/ethiopia.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ethiopia.jpg)
31 Factions (with the Kara-Khitai still to be added):
The Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of France
The Duchy of Aquitaine
The Kingdom of Leon-Castille
The Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Norway
The Kingdom of Denmark
The Holy Roman Empire
The Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Hungary
The Republic of Venice
The Duchy of Apulia-Calabria
The Papal States
Rus
The Byzantine Empire
The Kingdom of Georgia
Makuria
Zagwe Dynasty
The Murabitun
The Zirids
The Fatimid Caliphate
The Seljuq Empire
The Kara-Khanid Khanate
The Ghaznavid Empire
The Volga-Bulgar Khanate
Wagadou
The Kipchaks
Kara-Khitai
Historically accurate sub-factions for all regions which start as Rebel:
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8873/subfactions.jpg (https://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=subfactions.jpg)
Unit lists for new factions, including new units for African factions:
General's Bodyguard:
https://img295.imageshack.us/img295/2468/bodyguardscreenxd4.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
These warriors are dedicated to protecting the general on the battlefield. Hand-picked for loyalty and valour and benefiting from quality armour and weapons, the general's bodyguard are elite heavy cavalry capable of devastating charges and dealing plenty of carnage in hand to hand, as well as taking on odds that would send lesser units running.
Town Militia:
https://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4096/ghanianspearmenoi5.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Armed with a short spear but little armour, these troops are city dwellers usually called up to defend their homes in time of need, but sometimes pressed into action on foreign campaigns. Although useful for city defence, they should not be relied on in the field.
Ghanian Tribesmen:
https://img259.imageshack.us/img259/7070/ghaniantribesmenscreenva9.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
These sub-Saharan soldiers are recuited from the various tribes which had once fueled the armies of the Ghana Empire. Armed with only a sword and a shield and lacking any armour, these are still disciplined troops from a society based on warfare, and form the backbone of early Mali armies. While they are lightly armed, they are ideal soldiers for the climates in their homelands.
Ghanian Bow Hunters:
https://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5963/ghanianbowhuntersgd8.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
These are basic bowmen, adapted to fight in the varying climates of Mali, from the tropical rainforests to the harsh Sahara. These troops historically made up a fifth of Ghana's forces, which were over 200,000 strong at their peak. Although they lack protection, they are effective ambushers well suited to the hotter climates, and rely on speed rather than strength to survive.
Ghanian Tribal Cavalry:
https://img172.imageshack.us/img172/921/ghaniantribalcavscreenvl2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Although cavalry had been almost non-existent in the sub-Sahara prior to the Berber invasion of the Murabitun, the fragmented states left in the region were quick to realise the advantages of horsemen, made clear by their conquerors success. These horsemen still retain their African traditions of light equipment and in particular the use of javelins, allowing them to harass enemies in the harsh desert climates.
Mali Artillery Crewmen:
https://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5915/artillerycrewzx3.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
Several new religions added:
VR doubles the number of religions included from those in vanilla M2TW. Religion will play a much more significant role than in standard M2TW, with regions much harder to convert, many factions having the ability to change their official religion, and religious populations providing recruitment and building options for settlements. Below is a brief description of each religion and its historical importance, in order of the pic shown:
https://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9477/religionpipsreadyym2.jpg (https://imageshack.us)
1. Roman Catholicism While less dominant than in vanilla M2TW, Catholicism will remain a very influential religion in VR, held by a more factions than any other faith. The Pope feature will be kept from vanilla, however new features will be implemented such as the ability to create anti-Popes, the foundation of monastic orders, and historical titles for Bishops and Archbishops should add a lot more flavour for the rolepaying of a faction with this religion.
2. Celtic Christianity - This unique branch of Chistendom is still influential in the more remote parts of western Europe, notably those which retain some form of Celtic identity. Celtic Christianity is the dominant religion of Scotland, Ireland, and also has influence in Brittany in France. Playing as Scotland or Ireland, players will have a choice between developing Catholicism to improve ties with their European counterparts, or maintaining the dominance of Celtic Christianity, with its unique features regarding the calculation of the date of Easter, and its system of monasteries and missionary work.
3. Orthodox Christianity - As in vanilla M2TW, the Orthodox faith will be dominant in Russia and Byzantium. These factions will benefit from new features similar to those being implemented for Catholicism, with the additional bonus of being able to appoint Patriarch's, the head on earth of their faith, whether of the Russian or Greek Orthodox churches. In addition to those, the Orthodox faith has an entire new front in VR, with the map extended southwards to include Makuria and the Ethiopian Zagwe dynasty offering very different challenges to players wishing to try Orthodox factions!
4. Judaism - No faction has Judaism as its official religion in VR, indeed the last officially Jewish empire before 1073 was the long extinct Khazar Khanate. The only settlements to have large Jewish populations are those in Israel, however all throughout Europe there are Jewish communities in many towns and cities. In game, these will provide special buildings, giving bonuses in particular to trade and income.
5. Sunni Islam - The Sunni faith is the more puritanical of the major Islamic denominations, strictly opposed to the idea of sainthood and idolatry. In particular, the Murabitun, originating from the Sahara, threaten to carry their holy war across the Iberian peninsula and perhaps even beyond. Sunni Islam is by far the dominant branch of Islam, dominant throughout north Africa, Arabia, the Levant, Iraq, and to the east of Iran.
6. Shia Islam - The more moderate branch of Islam, the ceremony involved in the Shia faith is in stark contrast to that of their puritanical Sunni counterparts. Only the Fatimids begin as Shia, however there are Shia populations spread dotted around the Sunni world, and in particular being dominant in eastern Iraq and parts of Iran, as well as having expanded through its influence over certain groups of Turks.
7. Zoroastrianism - This religion is a remnant of the beliefs the Parthian nomands once held in Iran. Their beliefs are derived from the prophet Zoroastra, who built a monotheistic faith, based around the divine God Ahura Mazda. A very unique faith amongst the greater Muslim and Christian conflicts of nearby areas, Zoroastrianism is based mainly Iran, where it still has a sizeable number of followers since Islam reached the region in the seventh century.
8. Hinduism - Although there are no Hindu faction in VR, Hinduism is the dominant religion of the far south-east corner of the map, most notably in Sindh and the Indus, and the west-Indian territories held by the Islamic Ghaznavid Empire. Hindiusm is unique in that it is the only polytheistic religion in VR, and Hindu regions will provide many exotic and diverse units, including lots of elephants!
Paganism and Heresy are also included in VR, playing a similar role as they did in vanilla M2TW.
INSTALLATION:
The istallation process is very simple. You should have Kingdoms installed, and the patch for it should not make a difference, since it is only concerned with multiplayer issues. So, first of all, install the Barebones mod folder below:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=1615
Then, download my mod from the file below:
http://files.filefront.com/barebonesrar/;13597450;/fileinfo.html
Simply place my 'barebones' mod folder over the other 'barebones' mod folder, and it should run fine.
The team:
Rhyfelwyr - general modder/organiser
Ignoramus - historian
Romanos IV - Byzantine expert
Vazul's Ghost - 2d artwork
In the next update, I'll be looking to iron out any issues and add Vazul's faction symbols.
Please give any feedback! :2thumbsup: