Fan-based map progression thread

**moonburn** · 01-06-2013, 17:18

trade map just shows the routes we can´t make much deductions from it sadly (except wich provinces we mich have to expand to to get a piece of the pie in some trades and wich will be our vital routes to make sure our factions are economically viable such as the luigi and sweaboz fighting over the amber route)

also the map is too small for a proper analyses

**Arjos** · 01-06-2013, 19:26

As moonburn pointed out in the Areuakoi preview, the map doesn't show the permanent forts, which in EBII will provide income (iirc merchants will be scripted in them) as they represent minor cities...
So with that map, all we can see is where units will be recruited, for all we know, those "removed/missing" settlements from EBI, are still there and increasing the regions' wealth, only difference is that they won't be able to recruit and build...

Other mods have so many permanent forts, it looks like the world doesn't have green spaces anymore lol

**Brave Brave Sir Robin** · 01-07-2013, 01:04

A fair enough point, but the trade map clearly shows borders, cities and ports. It is easy enough to speculate based on it.

As far as PSF's are concerned, interesting with the scripted merchants. Has this been confirmed? Will they all provide equal income or will different cities have merchants with various skill levels created to simulate various levels of development in those regions?

**Arjos** · 01-07-2013, 18:31

Originally Posted by Brave Brave Sir Robin

A fair enough point, but the trade map clearly shows borders, cities and ports. It is easy enough to speculate based on it.

About what though? Seems like there won't be any more factions releaved, as there shouldn't be more in the 1st release... (and if they are screwing with our minds, that's enough headaches for me lol)
Rather I'd like to know, if the factions are decided or if slots are still open, in which case maybe we can help with research or something...

As far as PSF's are concerned, interesting with the scripted merchants. Has this been confirmed? Will they all provide equal income or will different cities have merchants with various skill levels created to simulate various levels of development in those regions?

I remember bobbin saying that's what they were going to do with the merchants...
Even something like they can name the PSF, thanks to the merchant present inside (I've seen this in other mods)...
More than that and if they managed to do it, I don't know :P

**Brave Brave Sir Robin** · 01-08-2013, 00:15

That is actually a very cool idea, using a scripted merchant to provide income AND name the fort. It would be an odd mechanic though if the Lusotannan can get as much out of a PSF/city in the Levant as the Arche or Ptolemioi

I was speculating on provinces mostly from a gameplay point of interest as provincial capitals will still be the main goal for the AI and most players. For example, if the Ptolemioi lose a few provinces maybe we are less likely to see a Yellow Death, what will be the natural expansion point for the Areukioi, etc.

**Arjos** · 01-08-2013, 18:35

Originally Posted by Brave Brave Sir Robin

That is actually a very cool idea, using a scripted merchant to provide income AND name the fort. It would be an odd mechanic though if the Lusotannan can get as much out of a PSF/city in the Levant as the Arche or Ptolemioi

Since they are using merchants, these have 10 trading levels (11 if you count no star at all), haven't read anything about it from the team, but I'd speculate that they will use them and say lvl 1 merchant represents a small trading post or a rural hamlet, lvl 5 a fairly important town/city connected to a specific resource, while a lvl 10 a major trading hub...

Something like that :)

**B-Wing** · 01-08-2013, 23:28

Interesting. Haven't played many mods for M2TW, so I didn't know about the merchant-fort thing either. Pretty clever with the names. I'm guessing what happens is that whenever a particular stone fort is captured, the script automatically spawns a merchant belong to the corresponding faction with the appropriate name? What would happen if the merchant eventually died of old age? Don't know anything about scripting, but it is possible to ensure that there's always one there?

**Brave Brave Sir Robin** · 01-09-2013, 00:50

Originally Posted by B_Ray

Interesting. Haven't played many mods for M2TW, so I didn't know about the merchant-fort thing either. Pretty clever with the names. I'm guessing what happens is that whenever a particular stone fort is captured, the script automatically spawns a merchant belong to the corresponding faction with the appropriate name? What would happen if the merchant eventually died of old age? Don't know anything about scripting, but it is possible to ensure that there's always one there?

I understand it would be a similar script to the Central European defense script except with Merchants instead of uber-armies