Byzantine Faction Preview - Byzantium TW

[edyzmedieval]

Byzantine Faction Preview

As we promised, here is our first faction preview, specially for our fans.
We haven't included all of our units, but about 70-80% of them are here. :)
We have done many updates for the units, including remodelling and reskinning.

Along with the update, we announce our 0.1 BETA of Byzantium TW, which allows you to play with the Byzantines and a surprise faction. You will then be able to play even with the units not included in the faction preview. :)

Byzantine history

Born under the rule of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, Constantinople is still the strongest and richest city in the world. While its counterpart in Italy fell to the barbarian hordes in the year 476 AD, the city of Constantine and his successors stands strong. The walls of the city, built by their ancient masters are impregnable.

Constantinople is the center of the world. Merchants from the entire world enter the Gate of Constantinople and gaze at its amazing beauty. Pilgrimages travel every year to pray in the Hagia Sophia, built in 527 AD by the great Emperor Justinian I.

The Byzantines have always been powerful, but even more so under Justinian. With his great General Belisarius, he reconquered all of the former Roman Empire. Greece, Italy, North Africa and the Middle East all fell under the rule of Justinian. Unfortunately, this Grand Empire disintegrated after the death of the man who created it. That era was truly the zenith of Byzantine domination and power. They are now left with a still vast amount of land, soldiers, and money.

The Byzantines are in an extremely strong position. Constantinople is impenetrable, and its frontiers are protected by its strong armies. To the east, in Anatolia, the Armenians are strong under the rule of the Bagratid royal family. To the west, the Pope and the Italians rival Eastern Orthodoxy with their Western Catholicism, and tempers are steadily rising….. To the east, past Armenia, a new threat is growing in power. The Seljuk Turks may prove to be a problem in the future, and a good ruler would keep an eye on them at all times. To the north, the Bulgars are on the war path and will undoubtedly be a major thorn in the Empires side for years to come. The Grand Princes of Kiev also grow in power. It would be wise to ally with these noble people, lest a repeat of the year 911 should happen.

Maybe, even the Empire of Justinian will be resurrected…

Units

Dismounted Kataphraktoi
https://img44.imageshack.us/img44/5127/kat7zn.th.jpg (https://img44.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kat7zn.jpg)

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4209/kat21gw.th.jpg (https://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kat21gw.jpg)

Tagmata Klibanophoroi
https://img353.imageshack.us/img353/1849/klib2dq.png

Kataphraktoi
https://img353.imageshack.us/img353/6064/kat7vp.png

Tagmata Kataphraktoi

https://img355.imageshack.us/img355/476/tagkat0bo.png

https://img355.imageshack.us/img355/8047/tagkat27kr.th.png (https://img355.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tagkat27kr.png)

Stratiotai

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9532/strat8ky.th.jpg (https://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=strat8ky.jpg)

Latinikon Tagmata

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4316/latin9sj.th.jpg (https://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=latin9sj.jpg)

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/855/latin26gq.th.jpg (https://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=latin26gq.jpg)

Epirote Kontaratoi

https://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5696/epirote8hf.th.jpg (https://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=epirote8hf.jpg)

Early Varangian Guards

https://img498.imageshack.us/img498/9595/varag3ah.th.jpg (https://img498.imageshack.us/my.php?image=varag3ah.jpg)

https://img498.imageshack.us/img498/4678/varag29uf.th.jpg (https://img498.imageshack.us/my.php?image=varag29uf.jpg)

Late Varangian Guards

https://img310.imageshack.us/img310/5659/varagnew21lx.th.jpg (https://img310.imageshack.us/my.php?image=varagnew21lx.jpg)

Trebizond Archers

https://img59.imageshack.us/img59/149/trebizond3th.jpg

Phylakes(Urban Militia)

https://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6345/phylake7cj.jpg

Mourtatoi

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/mourtatoinew.jpg

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/mourtatoinew2.jpg

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/mourtatoinew3.jpg

Skoutatoi

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/skoutatoi.jpg

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/skoutatoi2.jpg

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/skoutatoi3.jpg

https://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3311/skoutatoi24cp.jpg

https://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3596/skoutatoi8wi.th.jpg

Peltastoi

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/peltastoi.jpg

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/peltastoi2.jpg

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/blindfaithnogod/peltastoi3.jpg

Peltastoi Enoplioi

https://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2237/peltastoien5bt.jpg (https://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=peltastoien5bt.jpg)

https://img387.imageshack.us/img387/6278/aaa7co.th.jpg (https://img387.imageshack.us/my.php?image=aaa7co.jpg)

https://img387.imageshack.us/img387/2143/aaaa6kj.th.jpg

Paramonai

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1117/paramonai8kc.th.jpg (https://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=paramonai8kc.jpg)

https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/886/paramonai35qn.th.jpg (https://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=paramonai35qn.jpg)

Hope you liked our first faction preview and don't forget, prepare for the first BETA of Byzantium TW!!!

In case you missed our other updates, here are the links:

Byzantium TW Update #1 (http://s10.invisionfree.com/Imperium_Total_War/index.php?showtopic=602)

Byzantium TW Update #2 (http://s10.invisionfree.com/Imperium_Total_War/index.php?showtopic=800)

Byzantium TW Update #3 (http://s10.invisionfree.com/Imperium_Total_War/index.php?showtopic=974)

[edyzmedieval]

Nobody likes it??!!!

I am totally shocked....

[paullus]

Very interesting. Nice looking units. Couple of things though: the ending for the peltasts is -ai not -oi.

And why not render the name for the Varangians in transliterated Greek as long as you're doing it for everything else? I suppose it would be difficult to decide how to do it: Barangoi might be best, though my favorite from the Byzantine sources is the simple but descriptive pelekuphoroi barbaroi.

Will the Varangians be recruited as Mercenaries, or will you be able to recruit them through barracks? If mercs, it would be nice if you could start them as being recruitable in the Crimea only, and then have a trigger to move their recruitment zone down to Byzantium, to simulate the trips made by the Rus down to Constantinople looking for jobs.

[hellas1]

Hi folks,

I don't know why many people aren't interested in this.
Some sort of bias going on here? There is only 1 response?
Particularly as it follows the logical progression of the "Roman" empire into western europe which is true historically, what a number of people have been clamoring about.

The "Dark," erroneously called so, ages in Europe happened to the ex-Western Empire, NOT the East. The west was revived initially in the medieval but mostly during the renaissance times when Greek works by and large were reintroduced into it by the Byzantine and Arab scholars who stockpiled mostly Greek and some Latin works!
Who did the Romans copy by and large? Greeks! Virgil-Captive Greece has taken Rome captive.
Is this making sense?

My overall view of the dark & medieval ages is that they were a real clusterscrew of confusion of steppe peoples, who now call themselves "Europeans." Thank God for the incorporation of the ancient literature of the greek culture, where would "Europe" and then America be without it?

Look Community, If work is collectively done, a collective harvest happens.
Pet projects only get pet support. I think everyone should broaden their horizons in this matter. Being poor, I don't have techy tools to help or modify, but I have tried to give what historic info. I do know about any given time period, if needed, cause it's all I know.

Later. :2thumbsup:

[wlesmana]

I'm sad to say that the reason it's getting little response is most probably due to the models not being better or at least as good as RTR, EB and other popular mods with Romans in it.

[hellas1]

Well, everyone should work together.

IF they did, all the projected mods should and WOULD have been done by now.

Need I say more?

[wlesmana]

Good idea! All the Byzantium team should halt their project and work on EB. Then maybe the EB team can help Byzantium when EB is done.

[snevets]

Or everybody could just cheer on Hegemonia. :laugh4:

[hellas1]

Or perhaps,

EVERYONE IN THIS FORUM, should have discussed the length of time needed for each mod idea & mutually agreed on what to do, instead of willy nillying things to death!!! Every bit helps folks, that's all I'm saying. :idea2:

These mods, given all the talent I've seen here :dizzy2: , (essentially EVERYONE but me) should have been completed eons ago.

BTW, This ENTIRE forum IS excellent.

To me the Total War series of games makes me think strategically, which always helps in everyday life if you know how to do it, not just blow up/kill pixel people and destroy pixel countries, i.e. "first person shooters" and also gives me the ability relive history.

[soibean]

nice units, I like the variety and models for each
keep up the good work

[Patricius]

Fine work!

Is there any possible date for a mod demo?

I hope this mod is not halted. The EB era does not interest me in the least.

[Samurai Waki]

looks very good Edyz. I will probably play it, once it's released. I just think people are either preoccupied with other mods, or people are losing interest in RTW... and getting excited about M2TW. Anyways, keep up the good work, and don't get discouraged!

[Moros]

looking good! Certainly worth downloading when it's ready or a beta comles out!

:2thumbsup:

[Paul Peru]

This looks really good, but I've got a feeling most mods are dying out before they get finished, so I'm not getting my hopes up too much.
I'll try this one out if it gets finished though :2thumbsup:

[edyzmedieval]

Well, at least we got some fan support. ~:)