Eras Total War 2.3

This mod allows yout to start your campaign in 970, 1080, 1200, 1300, 1400, or 1500. It has two version:

1) The non-lite version, which has more variations in unit textures (for example German Feudal Knights have English textures if recruited by England) but when unpacked it's 1 Gigabyte larger than the lite version, can be downloaded here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1820

2) The lite version, which has fewer variations in unit textures (for example German Feudal Knights always look like German units no matter which faction recruited them) but when unpacked it's 1 Gigabyte smaller than the non-lite version, can be downloaded here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=2052

You only need to download one version of this mod to play it. Other than the size and variation in unit textures the mods are identical.

NB: this mod requires the official 1.2 or higher patch for M2TW. The 1.2 version can be downloaded here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1545

Eras

970
https://img183.imageshack.us/img183/...e970hn2.th.jpg
1) Eight new factions; Bulgaria, Burgundy, Croatia, Cuman, Ireland, Norway, Serbia, and Sweden.
2) New events prevent the recruitment of all but the most basic units.
3) Yes, the HRE is meant to be that big.

1080
https://img183.imageshack.us/img183/...1080zg1.th.jpg
1) Six new factions; Croatia, Cuman, Ireland, Norway, Serbia, and Sweden.
2) Most faction start out with more settlements.
3) Yes, the HRE is meant to be that big.

1200
https://img183.imageshack.us/img183/...1200ym2.th.jpg
1) Nine new factions; Aragon, Bulgaria, the Crusader States, Cuman, Ireland, Norway, Novgorod, Serbia, and Sweden.
2) Slightly larger starting armies and some settlements are more developed.
3) Fight against the Mongols.

1300
https://img293.imageshack.us/img293/...1300nz6.th.jpg
1) Ten new factions; Aragon, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Genoa, Lithunania, Norway, Novgorod, Serbia, Sweden, and the Teutonic Order. The Mongols are also playable.
2) Much larger starting armies and most settlements have been improved.
3) Face the Bubonic Plague, Timurids, and the rise of gunpowder weapons.

1400
https://img183.imageshack.us/img183/...1400bj7.th.jpg
1) Seven new factions; Aragon, Cyprus, Genoa, Lithunania, Novgorod, Serbia, and the Teutonic Order. The Mongols, Timurids, and Milan are also playable.
2) Larger starting armies, though the plague has depopulated most cities.
3) Almost every weapon and unit is available (all units become available once America is discovered).

1500
https://img143.imageshack.us/img143/...1500wp1.th.jpg
1) Most of the smaller factions have been absorbed by larger factions.
2) Larger starting armies, mostly gunpowder units and pikemen.
3) All weapons and units are available and most can be recruited.
4) Some new events will occur, though they have no impact on the game.

Conquest vs Achievement

One of the main features of this mod is that the player can choose whether their win conditions will be based on Conquest or Achievment. A Conquest campaigns is won if the player takes a set number of settlements from anywhere on the map, while an Achievement campaign requires the player to defeat certain factions but does not require the player's faction to possess more than one settlement. To access this feature on the campaign screen you need to click where the 'Long / Short' campaign button was.

Total War Eras Installation Guide

0) Download this mod (eras 2.3 or eras lite 2.3.7z) and unpack it using 7zip (http://www.7-zip.org/).

1) Go to the Medieval II Total War directory (default is C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War).

2) Copy and paste the total_war_eras.bat, eras.cfg, and 'eras' folder into the Medieval II Total War directory (default location 'C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War'). These files form most of the mod.

3) Copy and paste the 'data' folder in the 'eras lite' folder into the Medieval II Total War directory, you will be asked if you wish to overwrite the vanilla 'data' folder, click yes. This will add the shared.sd and strategy.sd into the 'Medieval II Total War\data\ui' folder. If these files are not put in the correct folder the mod will not display correctly. However if other mods need their own shared.sd and strategy.sd these files may prevent them working. If you other mods do not display correctly try deleting these files (there's a spare copy of them in the 'Medieval II Total War\eras\data\ui' folder).

4) To play this mod double click on the 'total_war_eras.bat' file and select the campaign you want to play (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) by pressing the corrisponding number on the keyboard (don't click on the number and hit the 'enter' key).

5) To make the 'total_war_eras.bat' file into a destop shortcut right click on it, select 'Send To' on the pop-up menu, then select 'Desktop (create shortcut)'.

How to Play the 2.2 and 2.3 Versions

0) Download the mod
1) Start up this mod by clicking on the 'total_war_eras.bat'.
2) Choose which campaign you want to play (this copies the relevent files).
3) Click on 'Single Player' option in the start menu.
4) Click on 'Imperial Campaign' on the next menu (this mod will now automatically bring up the correct campaign).
5) Select a faction and start this mod.

How to Play the 2.1 Version

0) Download the mod
1) Start up this mod by clicking on the 'total_war_eras.bat'.
2) Click on 'Single Player' option in the start menu.
3) Click on 'Custom Campaign' on the next menu.
4) Choose which campaign you want to play.
5) Select a faction and start this mod.

Additional Files

If the sound does not work copy the whole vanilla 'data/sound' folder to the 'eras/data' folder.

Staff
The following people worked on this mod:
Uanime5: mod leader, modeller, scripter, mapper
tomwushu: beta tester, mapper

Other mods
The following mod were added to this mod with the permission of their respective authors.

Alternate Crusader Shields (Salty) : improves crusader shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1214

Armoured Generals Mod, Vanilla Style Skins 1.0, Teutonic Campaign Skinpack (Tyre) :
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=106633

Banner & Symbol MOD (joedreck) :
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=93253

Big Map 1.06 (Big Map): increases the number of provinces to 166 and increases the number of resources to 436.
http://www.totalwarmods.com/BigMap%20Download%20Page.html

Blood, Broads, & Bastards v3.0 (dearmad and Pnutmaster) : gives factions generals and leader more traits
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...do=file&id=955

Bringing Justice to the Horde! (Kalos) : reskins Mongols
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1651

burrek's Polish Heraldry : (burrek) : reskins some Polish shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1149

burrek's Unique Europeans, Early Period v0.91 (burrek): reskins most European factions' early units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1025

burrek's Unique Europeans, High Period v0.3 (burrek): reskins most European factions' late units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1048

Byg's Grim Reality 2.0 (Byg): character and supply traits (soldiers may munity if you spend too long in enemy terriory).
http://twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=106060

Byzantium Armor Progression Mod V 0.7 (WhiteWolf) :
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1134

Danish Shields (ziher) : reskins some Danish units
http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/m.../mod/11603.html

Diverse Loading Screen 3.1 (apkairan) : adds 65 more loading screen to this mod
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1782

English Shields (Himmelsfeuer) : reskins some English shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1213

French Shields (Himmelsfeuer) : reskins some French shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1222

HRE shields retexture : (ziher) : reskins some Rebel shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1118

Highways mod (selenius4tsd): add highways
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1125

Italian Factions - Shield Mod 1.1 (Salty) : reskins some Italian shields
http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/m...mod/12217.html

Lord Condormanius' Irish Reskin (Lord Condormanius) : reskins Irish units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1755

MapMod: Trees, Textures, Sea v1.7 (Charge) : improves strat map appearence
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=153955

MapMod: Trees, Textures, Sea v1.7 (Charge) : improves strat map appearence
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=153955

Magyar Mod 1.21 (Csatádi, Hunor) : reskins Hungary
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1506

New battle models for captains (Lord Condormanius): changes the appearence of captains on the battle map
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1877

New Garrison Script (GrnEyedDvl): an AI settlement with a Governor will now recruit mercenaries when it's being sieged. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1522

New strat models for captains (Lord Condormanius): changes the appearence of captains on the strat map
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1983

New strat models for castles (Agart) : changes the appearence of castles on the strat map
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1993

Ordo Teutonicus (Rex Cobalt) : changes the appearence of Teutonic units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=128720

Ornamentum 1.32 (GubZol and DaNova) : reskins England, Scotland, and Denmark
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=136437

Real Combat 1.5 (point blank) : makes the attack and defence of units more realistic
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?p=3002969

Real Horses Project (Argent Usher) : makes the horses more realistic
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=165860

Realistic Walls and Siege Engines for UAI 1.6 (Raptor_341) : makes walls tougher, so sieges are more difficult.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1728

Rebel Shields (ziher) : reskins some Rebel units
http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/m...mod/11960.html

Spanish Shields (ziher) : reskins some Spanish units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1146

Scotland Shields (ziher) : reskins some Scottish units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1132

Teutonic Campaign Skinpack (Tyre) : changes the appearence of Teutonic, Lithuanian, and HRE units http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=106633

The Real People Mod (Matz) : gives all agents more traits
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1809

Turk Reskin 1.1 (Eternal Cocoon): reskins Turks
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1044

Ultimate Battle AI 1.2 (GrandViZ): improves AI's fighting ability, conduct during sieges, and unit formation. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1602

Ultimate AI Mod 1.6 (GrandViZ): improves AI's behaviour in campaign mod, diplomacy, and unit's attack. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1643

USCARLI MATHERIANI (Matherlandia): changes the Huscarl's appearence.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=125862

Vanilla Style Skins 1.0 (Tyre) : changes the appreance of English, Scottish, and HRE units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=106633

War College Quotes Mod (Ryoken) : adds 246 new quotes
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?p=2411392

Xenophonia (Beiss) : gives factions native speach voice packs, got the sound working
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=256

Also I'd like to thank:
dave scarface for making a descr_events.txt file that works with the Big Map mod,
SicilianVespers for all his work on the launch menu,
tomwushu for adding 22 provinces to the campaign map and beta testing this mod.

Known issues

I am aware of the following problems and I am working on a way to fix them.

1) If you click on several factions, rather than just choosing one and starting the game, the mod will crash (to counter this choose the faction you want to play first, then start the game).

2) Since each campaign requires different files loading a save file from one campaign when this mod is set to another campaign's settings may cause the mod to crash. For example if the mod is set to the 970 settings and you try to load a save file from the 1500 campaign the mod may crash.

Future Improvements

1) Improving unit's textures
2) Making the battle models for the general, faction heir, and faction leader different (other than making this a Kingdoms mod).
3) Make a Kingdoms version with Greek Flame Throwers (I know I can add Flame Throwers to the vanilla version I just feel that people should buy Kingdoms if they want to use them).
4) Make the player decide whether their generals will be Governers or Generals (being both will be difficult).
5) Make royal / noble military buildings (affects AoR).