VanillaMod Version 0.93 Readme
VanillaMod Version 0.93
I. Introduction and Credits
Thank you for downloading VanillaMod 0.93, a modification for Medieval II: Total War
that aims to emulate a close to vanilla gaming experience. This modification was created by FactionHeir.
Some bits of code have been adapted and modified from GrandViz's UltimateBattleAI 1.6 and Lusted's Beta AI.
As of 0.92, 2H weapon animations have been improved using KnightErrant's GOAT tool.
II. What this modification does
This modification fixes numerous trait and ancillary bugs that were left unfixed in Medieval II: Total War in addition to
rebalancing all unit stats to make for more enjoyable battle experiences where cavalry is still powerful but not overpowering.
It also improves strategy map and battlefield map AI behavior to some extent in that the AI will field larger armies, more varied forces,
and higher quality soldiers and less artillery, although you will come across some rare siege trains at times. As if this was not enough,
the way missions work has been improved, tooltips enhanced, the guild system has been revisited, victory conditions for each faction individualized, and several
game mechanics such as birth and marriage rates have been improved.
To provide you with further enhanced gameplay, the AI will receive a number of florins a turn for each settlement they own up to a certain cap, so it stays
challenging but not overpowering.
Lastly, the frequency at which rebels spawn has been reduced but concurrently, rebels will be a lot more active in building and recruitment and troops have a higher chance to go rebel.
III. Installation
The modification has been packaged in a way that it is ready to run. To run it, copy all contents of the zip archive into your Medieval II: Total War directory.
Then, you can either modify the VanillaMod.cfg file by hand to suit your game settings or alternatively make a copy of your existing medieval2.preference.cfg
and rename it VanillaMod.cfg. If you go by the latter method, you will need to add following code to the new VanillaMod.cfg file:
[features]
mod = VanillaMod
Personally, I recommend that you use your own preference file and rename it as instructed as the game will not save/overwrite the VanillaMod.cfg file, meaning that
you would need to modify it by hand each time you want to change a setting, which can be quite time consuming!
Once that is done, you can run your game with VanillaMod using the VanillaMod.bat file.
Step by step walkthrough on how to make it work if the above did not help you or even confused you:
1. Find your medieval2.preferences.cfg
2. Make a copy of the file in another folder
3. Rename the copy VanillaMod.cfg
4. Open VanillaMod.cfg
5. Add the following to the top of the file:
[features]
mod=VanillaMod
6. Save the file and close it
7. Move the file back to where you copied it out from
8. Run the mod using VanillaMod.bat (has to be in the same folder as VanillaMod.cfg) that is included in the archive
9. Alternatively you can make a shortcut to VanillaMod.bat (which should be in the same folder as VanillaMod.cfg) and then place the shortcut (not the bat file) on your desktop for easy access
IV. Savegames
Note that to play VanillaMod, you must start a new game as it is not fully compatible with non VanillaMod savegames and you may
also lose out on certain AI features if you do not start a new game. If you really want to continue an old savegame however, you need only remove descr_missions.txt
from the VanillaMod folder (and place it somewhere safe) and copy your old savegame into the VanillaMod\saves folder. You will still benefit from somewhat improved AI,
buildings, guilds, trait fixes and rebalancing, but you will not benefit from AI cash injections and even better overall AI behavior. You have been warned!
V. Bugs and Errors
If you encounter any errors when playing VanillaMod, I want to know so I can help you and others overcome it. Similarly, if you find a bug, please tell me about it so it can be fixed.
To help me help you with error finding, you can add the following code to your VanillaMod.cfg file (it is in the one provided already)
Code:
[log]
to = VanillaMod/logs/errorlog.txt
level = * error
This will create a file called errorlog in your VanillaMod\logs directory and it usually contains very helpful information on your error. Note that some errors are bound to occur,
such as the common error saying you should "see Charlie". That is an issue with pathfinding that modders sadly cannot fix but also will not affect your game in any detrimental way!
VI. Changelog
For detailed changelogs, please visit the VanillaMod forum at https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=250
VII. Contacting me
You can usually find me around totalwar.org. I may also be around other places, but I do not check them regularly at all, so if there is anything you need, find me at the ORG!
