Byzantium Total War

[edyzmedieval]

Progress update...

I just started moving something with the IrfanView, have to learn a bit more so I can make the map. Looks like nobody is willing to do it.....

I am still waiting for my Osprey books to arrive, we're really stalling without the Byzantine Armies. King Henry is away, and I'll be away in 1 week or earlier, so the mod is gonna stall, unless people start to join!!!!

So, I want to ask those who are viewing this thread, if they want to join.
Those who want, just yell: "I want to join".

And also, those who want, say with what materials you can help us, like if you're good at history, you can help us on research, or if you're good at modding, you can help us on modifying.

We really need a map maker.

Eddy

[Russ Mitchell]

I'm no expert on the Byzantine military system.
Do a Google on the New Varangian Guard, and ask for pointers. Drop my name if need be.

[edyzmedieval]

We already know the Varangian Guards, Skutatoi and Klibanophoroi.
We need new units, that's what I'm looking for. I found one, Dismounted Kataphraktoi, as heavy as the Varangians.

[edyzmedieval]

Update!

Well guyz, I have made the map.It's only a primitive map, without the borders. It is only HiRes, so it's very big. I'm currently learning how to use the LMM, so I can draw the borders, make new provinces and put the castles were they belong.

Since I am the only one who is making it, and King Henry V is away, I officially start the recruiting. Those who want, give a yell. I will send PM's to those who I think can help us, like Russ and Fader_It.

Thanks.

[Aenlic]

Hey, Edyzmedieval, you do know about the below site, yes? It's filled with historical information with family trees (great for heroes and king/princess surnames and forenames), maps and charts all the way up to 1453.

http://www.friesian.com/romania.htm

[edyzmedieval]

Thanks for that...

I already know about it and it's been a real help, an excellent source.

[torguskhan]

you should start at an earlier date so it doesn't have to be too much like MTW. Maybe start when the west empire fell and end with the battle of manzikert because that was the begining of the end for the Byzantines. They were never that great again.
civ ideas:
avars and pechneg: they troubled the Byzantines northern borders for a long time
cumans: allied w/the Byzantines to crush the pechegs
ps. I don't think the mongols had very much to do w/Byzantium at all

[edyzmedieval]

We know very well, torgushkan. Don't get me wrong, comments are always welcome and appreciated....

We will start indeed in 1071. I have to edit the post....

The Mongols had contacts with the Byzantines in the late centuries, prior to the Fall of Constantinople.....

And these factions that you mentioned will be included, don't worry.

[edyzmedieval]

Barrocca,

I have a request. Can you make this post a sticky,please?!

We've grown enough.

[beauchamp]

this could be pretty awsome! just an idea, you guys could do the beggining of islam as well, make the Ummayad forces appear just like the mongols and attack the byzantines!

[edyzmedieval]

THANK YOU BAROCCA!!!!

Please applaud Barocca, for making this thread sticky and renaming it Byzantium Total War mod. Again, thank you very much.

Oh well, back to the mod.

I worked on the map last night, so we can include upper parts of Hungary.
Venice and Papacy will not be included. Venice will be included, but I need your vote, because I only "captured" a small part of Venice. The Sicilians will be, BTW, with Sicily and Malta. Now I am currently working with th LMM, so I can draw the borders. It's much easier with LMM, because it creates a basic script for me, leaving me free to concentrate on other parts.

I also thought about the units, and this is only a small part of the unit list for the Byzantines(exclusive):

Klibanophori
Skutatoi
Funciar Boyars
Pecheneg Mercenary Cavalry
Kataphraktoi
Proniai(not Pronoiai) Allagion
Byzantine Infantry
Varangian Guard(early)
Varangian Guard(high)
Trebizond Archers
Alan Mercenary Cavalry
Armenian Heavy Cavalry

Many other unit types will follow, but I really need the Osprey books which I ordered, especially the Byzantine Armies.

Eddy

[Dirk]

Have you got room for a battle map maker ?
If so....let me know. I love creating these maps.

[edyzmedieval]

Battle Map Maker?!

NO!

You're officially in the team!!!!!! Finally we found someone.

We really needed a battle map maker.

[Dirk]

OK!!!!

As it's your party, just let me know whether you'd like battle maps of specific battles / locations or just a whole bunch (how many have you got in mind than?) of different maps (personal variations on the standard MTW maps).
Maps for specific battles / locations are a challenge in themselves as it's important to try and catch the true lay out of the place.
Personaly I find the maps created by our Austrian friend (Antalis ?) for HTW fabulous so I'll really have a true standard to live up to.

[edyzmedieval]

Well Dirk,

I want to ask yo if you could make the following battles: Manzikert 1071 and Siege of Constantinople 1453.

Thanks.

[Dirk]

Hello !
Manzikert and Constantinopel are fine. In order to avoid confusion: I can make the maps but not the actual battles themselves and I can't influence the way the opposing forces are placed on the maps. That's a part you have to figure out yourself.
Further: As the history of Byzantium has always fascinated me I'll do a follow up by creating additional maps of other Byzantinian battle sites. If you can use those: fine. If not...it's still fun to make them.

I'll let you know when Manzikert and Constantinopel are finished.

[cegorach]

If you give me the maps + enough info to make the battles + battle conditions (victory) you want + working units ( to make the tests) I can prepare the battles. I have good experience in doing them and I will prepare some battles for PMTW 2.0 for BKB and possibly for Samurai Barocca's mod so few more battles won't cause problems anyway.

[edyzmedieval]

Thanks for the offers Dirk and Cegorach.

We'll do it like this, so no one will get dissapointed. Cegorach will get Manzikert, and Dirk will get Constantinople.

And this is for Cegorach, would you like to join our team?!

[cegorach]

Thanks for the offer, but:

1. I am too busy with PMTW 2.0, PMTW2 and OiM TW,
2. Have limited time to do the modding stuff,
3. Still like to play RTW and MTW + STW for pleasure,
4. and finally my knowledge of the subject of your mod is limited ( VERY limited),

I can still make the battles if I get all I mentioned above + add some suggestions, do some work you can't do ( if not too time-consuming).

Regards Cegorach

[edyzmedieval]

Too bad. Even VH and Fader(not really) and Zarax refused me.(no time, or other duties).

No luck. Oh well, guess I'll have to do it myself, with help from King Henry V, Dirk and Russ Mitchell.

Eddy

[NodachiSam]

For the map: I have this great book called the world history atlas. It has a number of pages on the Byantine Empire that include province outlines and capitals. I would be happy to scan them up for you guys.

I am interested in this mod a lot, I havn't really modded much, I once changed all the factions including the pope in early to be jewish but that is it but I would be happy to help somehow. Maybe with the map or event illustrations or something.

[edyzmedieval]

Thanks for the offer NodachiSam.

Upload the map so we can see it,please.

As for the map I made, I don't know if it can be posted. It is a .bmp and has 11MB!!!! And before I complete the map and the script, I need the LMM documentation. Anyone has it?!

[NodachiSam]

Okay I've put essentially all my hours of free time today into this!!!

First off I want to say I scanned these maps from the "Atlas of World History" Compiled and presumably edited by John Haywood, Ph.D. Honarary Teaching Fellow, Lancaster University. UK and Brian Catchpol, M.A. - Simon Hall, M.A. - and Edward Barratt, M.A. The book was published in 2001 by Barnes and Noble Books.

I highly reccomend this fantastic book and it hasn't been scanned for anyone's personal fiscal benefit. As well the scanned maps will not be incorporated into our final product but will be used for research purposes. Please don't sue me for copyright infringment.

With out of the way I want to say that it took a long time to find a proper ratio of information to memory size and the computer I used could fit nicely in a meseum somewhere.

Each of the maps show events over a long period of time but I labeled them after the date of shown Byzantinian territory. It does not mean the borderlines and events described happened in one year. I've painted a lot of less important, though pretty, areas white to save on memory space.

There is one more map I am willing to scan near the year 1480 where the ottomans have taken over most of Byzantium and the kingdom of Morea and Constantinople remain free, but only if you ask nicely

I hope these will be useful for our purposes and I want to reccomend this book again.

Year 888 CE


Year 1095 CE




Year 1175 CE


Years 628 CE to 1204 CE







Oops, I made a mistake on this one painting unimportant space white to save memory.

Year 1204 CE






Religion around year 1200

[edyzmedieval]

Holy crap!!!

Thanks very much!!!!! :eek:

Woooow....

[NodachiSam]

You're very welcome I hope you can incorporate this into info into the map. Maybe you could load up a smaller jpeg version of the map.

[beauchamp]

If anyone needs my help regarding historical research, i work in a bookstore and am a well read amateur historian. Im currently helping people with India history and am trying to start my own mod that involves the 1400-1700's so it is obvious i would like to get more involved in the TW community. Drop me a message if anyone in this mod is in need of extra help!

-Beauchamp

[NodachiSam]

Thanks for the offer :)

[edyzmedieval]

To all of you guys who view this thread, I want to ask you if you agree that we should move this mod to RTW:BI.

So,
We have 4 options:

1.Only MTW
2. Both, but RTW:BI deserves more work
3. Both, but MTW deserves more work
4.Only RTW:BI

I'll let you choose. It's gonna be very important. To give your vote, check the poll in the Engineers Guild.

[Pericles]

My suggestion is to finish the mod for mtw.

Then later, after the BI expansion has arrived, been play-tested, and gets the usual patch, then do a mod for rtw.

Cheers!

[edyzmedieval]

Well guys, a bit of update.

Me and King Henry V have decided that we will do the mod for both games, and they deserve equal work, just like Cegorach does with his PMTW mod.

For the moment, I am going to a school camp. King Henry will be the only one for updates, so contact him or me, but I won't reply only after a week. He'll do the work for now. MTW Campaign map.

Thanks.