Ages: Total War

[Vorge]

Ages: Total War (Temporary name, may need a super power brain trust to get a better one :laughter:)

I am proposing possibly the largest M2TW project. Not because we'll have a massive map or something like a space age style game. But because it will span from 337 AD, the year Constantinople was named Constantinople, to 1453. The year The Ottoman Empire took Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul. Our mod will run 3 different campaigns, early, dark, and another medieval campaign. The eary campaign, or Roman campaign, starts at 337 AD. I have not yet decided when it will end but I feel that 600 AD seems like a good time. The second campaign would be the Dark Age campaign. Starting the year the Early Campaign ends it would last till the year the original M2TW campaign. Then the Medieval Campaign would last to 1453.

EARLY CAMPAIGN
https://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w163/Vorge/800px-Roemischeprovinzentrajan.png
This will be the base for the Early Campaign region map.

Here is my first shot at a faction list:
The Western Roman Empire
The Eastern Roman Empire
The Vandals
The Lombards
The Saxons
The Franks
The Huns

DARK AGE CAMPAIGN

Faction List:
Ostrogoths
Visigoths
Franks
Bergundy
Saxons
The Eastern Roman Empire

Hordes:
The Saracen Empire


This is just a rough draft and more will be added later as my research continues.

RECRUITMENT
Ages: Total War will need a massive amount of work. 2d artists, 3d artists, a mapper, people to do script and of course researchers.

Thanks,
Vorge

[Vorge]

Is there a reason I can't edit my post?

[Rhyfelwyr]

Junior members can't edit posts. You'll need to do much more thorough research and a little modding yourself if you want this mod to generate interest. Check the guides in the modding forums and start making a map or some basic units.

[DisgruntledGoat]

An expansive mod created by a complete noob in terms of tw modding.... ya this ones got a chance.

[Vorge]

... Thank you DG for your post. I do have modding experience, have read many of the tutorials on TWC, have just come over to the .org in order to expand the list of people who have heard of the mod.

[DisgruntledGoat]

reading tutorials and actually doing something are two completely different things. Seriously you are setting yourself up for failure. You can't map, you can't model or do textures you have no knowledge of scripting. So what are you left with... text editing and everyone can do that. You have to start less ambitious if your going to go anywhere in TW modding. You have essentially laid out probably the most ambitious mod ever conceived for TW. I would even tell the RTR teams and the EB teams that they are just setting themselves up for failure if they tried this. Not to mention you don't have anyone to help you yet. Maybe instead of setting out on a quest for the holy grail you should try creating your own map. If that works out move onto doing a medieval centric campaign. And then after you have a much better idea of what modding really takes then and only then do you think about switching time frames.

[Vorge]

DG, Im sorry. You must have misunderstood when I said I had read most of the tutorials. I have completed most of the tutorials. Sure its ambitious. But have you seen someone come up with this idea before? Now since its just an idea and my skill is to low to complete all the work needed. Im just trying to find people willing to work on it. I thought it was a good idea and I'm working to edit textures and I can map barely. I'm really attempting to help the community out here and if you feel that isn't where I should be then thanks for your input. But I feel your just the person that is the flamer, I didn't really think this would be the side of you after your work on One Faction at A Time. I've been prepared to be flamed and so I'll accept your input.

Thanks,
Vorge

[DisgruntledGoat]

I'm not flaming you I am trying to wake you up to the reality of your situation. You are literally WASTING your time trying to complete something so ambitious. Eventually you will lose interest and walk away from modding for good. How does that help the community. Instead I suggest you start small and work towards something more tangible build up your confidence and your skills and you will actually produce something of value. Not just an overly ambitious failure. And again, just completing some tutorials means absolutely nothing. Read this thread, specifically this post, maybe you will learn some things from it:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1832281&postcount=8

[Vorge]

Ok. Again I thank you. That post is in a way helpful. But don't get me wrong. I understand the unlikelyhood this mod will suceed. But atleast it isn't a WW2 mod. I do see that what I'm asking for is a big chunk but I deffinately don't feel it is an un-reachable goal. Im working in anyway to help this mod. I see the position you come from and I actually have the same feeling in many ways. And I know an idea itself isn't enough to take a mod off the ground but for some reason this one feels different. Hell I can't make this mod stay in the air myself. Not with the knowledge I have, but I do feel I can do enough to take it off the ground. I can aid the mod, and to tell you the truth if I have to let this post die out and for me to go skin half the units/add new models/make a brand new map and then come back. Im willing to do it. I just felt that people would be willing to help out and Im sure they would do a much better job, i.e. better looking skins/models and much better map. But if that is the fate of Ages: Total War then I'll have to work harder than ever to complete it. Thank you though DG, I have noticed even more flaws in the idea and the way I wanted things to be done.

Thanks,
Vorge

[AlphaDelta1]

This project is not that ambitious, not even half as ambitious as many mods out there. He has suggested only 7 factions for the first campaign. That is only 1/4th as many as most mods (such as MTR) say they will develop.

My advice; Produce and release the mod chapter by chapter (early, dark age, medieval). Start the faction rosters small and make use of the same unit models for different factions.

7 factions for the early campaign..For each faction I would average; 3 spearmen, 3 infantry, 2 cav, 2 archers. That's only 70 new units total. Building light, medium and heavy base models for each distinct group (north europeans, south europeans, romans etc) with changes in textures. Perhaps you'll only need to make 16 base models/textures from which to spawn all of your units. The map is big but if you keep it broad and light, and step over heavy detail, it shouldn't be that complex to make.

Download the tools and become familiar with them. Start cloning vanilla units and editing their stats, move onto editing textures, then editing models. Before you know it you'll slide right into modding.

Not long ago Mirage of Broken crescent decided to make a little mod of the middle east. Now, 3 months later, we have over 200 new units, a great map with intricate detail, menu's, music, AI, diplomacy, implementation of real combat type battle stats. And it's a team of 2 artists, a mapper/coder and a few historians.

Infact, some of the best RTW mods were originally built by one man teams (SPQR, 'The Crusades' etc.) and developed and grew into larger teams. The general rule is;

produce some work > the work produces interest > the interest attracts new team members > the new team members produce new work > which produces new interest > which produces new .... etc etc. The catalyst that will begin the cycle is the production of some work..A map, some units, even a new menu design.

Dont let DG put you off, his voice is the voice of skepticism. Mine, (after working for the last 3 months on a mod of similar scale) is the voice of optimism. In order for this mod to succeed all you need is a great work ethic, a crappy social life, and an understanding family.

DG,

Relax, relax..He has an idea, give him some room and maybe he'll suprise you.

[Filibustería]

I wish you luck on this mod.

You know, it just a matter of not giving up. Inca total war started with three memers with no or little modding skills(me included), and we kept like that for three months, featuring our mod and begging people to join. People joined and left, with no good result. But we kept going. Two months ago meliritos, our good modeller, joined us. Then rramashan, our mapper. Now we got over a HUNDRED of completely new units, a working southamerican map and really nice 2d art!

If you dont surrender, you win. Thats life.
Good luck.

[Tuuvi]

I think DG has a point. I once tried to start a mod called America: Total War. It was a very ambitous project and it didn't get anywhere, because I had no experience and nothing to generate interest. But you have an advantage over me, because you have some experience, while I didn't have any at the time. So take advantage of that and make a couple of units, a map, etc. Even if they are crappy then so what. People will know you are serious and may become interested in your mod. I wish you luck and I hope your mod becomes a success.

[Sheogorath]

Just an FYI, the Turks called the city 'Kostantiniyye' up until around the 1700's and it wasnt OFFICIALLY renamed Istanbul until the 1930's, after the Ottoman Empire fell.

EDIT:
And the city was known as 'New Rome/Nova Roma' until some time after Constantine's death >_>

[Ilsamir Lord]

I second these positive comments :) . I started an ambitious mod - not many factions, but all without similarity to any already in the game - and I've been working and progressing for a year and a half. Keep the faith and you'll succeed. Episodic releases are a good suggestion though :) .

[Vorge]

Ok. Well I've been listening to everyone comments and I've realized that I can't help sustain a team to create Ages: Total War. So I've put the mod on hold to work on my modding skills. Don't worry. I'll be back once I've gotten some moddeling/texturing done. Thanks for everyones support.

Vorge

[Rhyfelwyr]

I'd leave the modelling and texturing until later. Thats just graphics, not important. Looking at most of the factions, plenty of vanilla M2TW units could be used as placeholders. For example, you could use Peasants, Peasant Archers, Town Militia, Viking Raiders, Theigns (from vanilla tutorial), Saxon Earl's (from tutoria), and Scouts all from vanilla M2TW. Rename the Town Militia to Fyrdmen and the Viking Raiders to Hearthwerod or something, and there you have a Saxon unit list.

Just add a few settlements to the map, muck about with the recruitment files and export_descr_unit a little, and you could have one faction well on the way to completion.