Ultima: Total War

[Midnight]

A mod for Rome: Total War

Ultima: Total War is set in the fantasy world of Britannia, as seen in the hugely successful Ultima series of computer role-playing games.

Setting
Ultima: Total War is set just after the Avatar returns to Britannia from Pagan, and is based on the 'Bob White plot' of Ultima IX – namely, the theme of civil war in the kingdom of Britannia. However, I have taken some liberties with the plot to allow for better, 'Total War-style' gameplay – in particular, the civil war is actually in full, venomous swing.

The Guardian is planning an invasion of Britannia, and to facilitate this he has sent his agents to cause tension between the most powerful city-states. Civil war breaks out between Britain and Moonglow. Trinsic, another state, refuses to take sides but prepares itself for war. Meanwhile, the Pirates of Asylum (formerly Buccaneer's Den) are rallying together in an attempt to make something of the conflict.

The Gargoyles are also preparing themselves for combat, since the Guardian's forces have pushed them off their home of Terfin, and now, stung by the loss of their land, and by the treachery of some of their fellows who decided to join the invaders, they want their home back, and they want revenge.

Concepts

Shrines
The seven Shrines of Virtue (not counting the Shrine of Spirituality, which, as it is in the Void, is unreachable) will be present in the game, possibly represented in the same manner as 'Wonders of the World'. They will grant benefits to whoever controls them.

Dungeons
I do not yet know how best to implement the various Dungeons of Britannia (Covetous, Deceit, Despise, Destard, Hythloth, Shame, Wrong). The Stygian Abyss will probably not feature, as it is sealed.
The best idea so far seems to be making them 'Wonders of the World' as well. I'd love to make them 'Towns', but I don't think this is possible.

Lighthouses
The Stormcrow, Greyhaven, Fogsbane and Waveguide Lighthouses will be present, most probably as 'Wonders of the World'.

Moongates
If anybody has any ideas how to include Moongates, I would love to hear them!

Tunnels
The tunnels in Britannia are as follows:
Buc's Den to New Magincia (Ultima IX)
Buc's Den and the sewers under Lord British's Castle (Ultima VII)
Dungeon Hythloth and LB's Castle (Ultima IV)

As with the Moongates, I currently have no idea if these can be implemented.

Castles
Some of the 'towns' in Britannia are actually castles (Serpent Hold; Empath Abbey; The Lycaeum; and Lord British's castle, which is surrounded by the rest of Britanny).

I currently don't know how best to represent this. A solution is possibly to make 'Castle' an upgrade in place of one of the governor's buildings, or have it as a building in its own right.

Comments and suggestions welcome!

[Midnight]

Factions
Currently, the faction list is as follows:

Britain
Moonglow
Trinsic
Lord British's Forces
Buccaneers
Gargoyles
The Guardian's Forces

Settlements
There are currently 33 settlements, which are:

Britain
Britanny (North, East, and West Britanny, and LB's Castle)
Yew
Minoc
Jhelom
New Magincia
Moonglow
Skara Brae
Trinsic
Paws
Cove
Vesper
Asylum (formerly Buccaneer's Den)
Spektran
Retreat (the Fellowship retreat in Ultima VII)
Terfin
Windmere
Bordermarch
Farthing
Ambrosia
Serpent Hold
Empath Abbey
The Lycaeum
Hall of the Codex
Hall of Fire (formerly the Castle of Fire, on the Isle of Fire)
Dagger Hold (name may change, new settlement on Dagger Isle)
Deep Forest Camp (name may change, bandit camp in Deep Forest)
Spiritwood Camp (name may change, bandit camp in Spiritwood)
Pirate Camp (name may change, pirate camp on the Isle of the Avatar)
Isle Pirate Camp (name may change, pirate camp south of Verity Isle)
Bandit Camp (name may change, bandit camp west of Minoc)
Dawn (returned, disruptions caused by the Guardian prevent it from disappearing anymore)
Stonegate

Units (rough draft)

Britannian factions (LB's Forces, Britain, Trinsic, Moonglow, Buccaneers)
Peasants
Town Guard
Men-at-Arms
Spearmen
Pikemen
Halberdiers
Archers
Crossbowmen
Knights (trainable only in Jhelom)
Paladins (trainable only in Trinsic, Trinsic faction only)
Longbowmen (trainable only in Yew)
Triple Crossbowmen (Trainable only in Britain and Serpent Hold)
Order of the Silver Serpent Infantry (trainable only in Serpent Hold, LB's Forces faction only)
Mages (trainable only in Moonglow, Moonglow faction only)
Rangers (trainable only in Skara Brae)
Druids (trainable only in Yew)
Riflemen (trainable only in Britanny, LB's Forces faction only)
Pirates (Buccaneers faction only)
Bandits (Buccaneers faction only)
Light Lancers
Britannian Cavalry
Mounted Crossbowmen
Mounted Knights (trainable only in Jhelom)
Mounted Paladins (trainable only in Trinsic, Trinsic faction only)
Bandit Cavalry (Buccaneers faction only)
Order of the Silver Serpent Cavalry (trainable only in Serpent Hold, LB's Forces faction only)
Mounted Mages (trainable only in Moonglow, Moonglow faction only)

Gargoyles
TBA

The Guardian's Forces (Wyrmguard)
TBA

[Midnight]

Screenshots post

Strat map shot of Asylum. The radar map in the bottom-left corner shows the whole map.


The Paladins of Trinsic advance! Their shields are not yet modified - the final version will have them using kite shields.

[Bigwig]

This is an amazing idea. I can't wait to hear your unit ideas, there is definitely a lot of material to work with in that regard. Do you plan on making province specific units like Yew bowmen and such? And how will you deal with monsters? (especially the bigger ones) There is so much you can do with this mod... wow. Really looking forward to this one.

[Midnight]

Yes, units like Yew bowmen and the above Paladins of Trinsic will probably only be trainable in certain provinces.

Larger monsters, hmm... I'm hoping to have them as 'wandering rebels', if it's possible to do that. However, the Guardian's Forces (Wyrmguard) will be able to recruit Wyrm Riders. As for whether the Britannians can recruit the Dragons of Destard, I'm not sure. It largely depends on what is possible with the Dungeons. Certainly, in the Bob White plot, the Dragons of Destard did give their aid against the Guardian, but whether they'd be prepared to help against others I'm not sure. Perhaps only LB's forces could persuade them?

My main concerns right now are the number of provinces (just not enough towns ), and how the Dungeons will be done.

[ChaosDrake]

a nice idea hehe im playing ultima online, i hope we will hear more about your mod.

[Haldor]

This sounds like a great mod, though i'd imaging that the Wyrmguard/Dragons will be difficult to get in game. One thing though in your list of locations you put Britain and then Britanny (North, East, and West Britanny, and LB's Castle) but isn't LB's castle in (or just north of) Britain? never heard of Britanny , could be wrong though.

[Midnight]

Back in Ultima V, LB's castle is surrounded by the Britannies, settlements which grew up around it, largely in order to supply the people living there. It disappeared in later games, and LB's castle moved closer to Britain, so it actually became part of it.

However, for the purposes of the story, I couldn't really see LB riding at the head of the Britain army, ready to make war on Moonglow (which is why he effectively has his own faction - he'll start with Britanny and Serpent Hold, as he effectively commands the Order of the Silver Serpent). It just seemed to make more sense to return to having Britanny and Britain as being separate.

[Haldor]

ahh right that explains it, i've never managed to get around to playing U5, i start playing various ones and then it seems immediatly after that i get bogged down with various work so several months later when i've got some time free it's better to start over again.

As for recruitable Dragons, in the Bob White plot they only aided against the guardian because the avatar saved some eggs... i don't really know alot about the AI settings for factions in RTW but perhaps if there is a way to get them so they don't start wars, put the Dragons in as their own faction, so that way if they arn't attacked or make a deal with another faction (attack a faction requests?) they just stay in destard, but if they are they can actually fight back unlike rebels?

don't know if thats possible with the AI or not though...if it isn't just ignore me

[Midnight]

Well, the only dragons I'd actually planned were in the Wyrm Riders unit.

All the Dungeons are tricky. I think they really should be included, but I'm not sure how (any suggestions would be great!). In particular, Destard (home of the dragons, who I don't honestly think would help anyone under most circumstances), and Despise (home of the remnants of Baron Almric's now-destroyed town in the Stygian Abyss?) are the most difficult, because they have inhabitants who shouldn't be overlooked.

[ChaosDrake]

hm you can include in the factions order, chaos, council of mages the shadowlords, true brittanians and mhm im sure there was another faction i cant remember hehe

[Haldor]

umm i believe he is just basing it on the single player ultima's not UO and Order and Chaos were more to do with Serpent Isle (though did affect Britannia).Alot of the factions from UO are just taken from them such as the Shadowlords(Ultima 5), Order and Chaos(Ultima 7 part 2) the other faction your thinking of is Minax(Ultima 2) I think.

[Suraknar]

Hello,

First let me say how wonderfull of an Idea this is

Secondly, go in the same curent as Haldor in saying that this is indeed the case with Order and Chaos, elements taken from the Ultima Series and Implemented in Ultima Online, which promted adaptation to its context.

Order, Chaos and Balance are the three Axioms taken from Serpent's Isle that formed a separate philosophical basis for the Ophidiants than the 8 Virtues of Lord British established in Britannia.

The Faction system in UO was also an adaptation from the Series, and prelude to the Separation between Trammel and Fellucca, a fiction on its own, and in concert with the Multiverse Context.

Also it should be noted that Midnight is basing the map I think as per Ultima IX which is quite different than that of Britannia in UO, based itself on a pre-Ultima IX series.

I played the series up to Ultima 8 and also played Ultima Online for 6 years since launch, led a guild, the Order of the Silver Serpent, Atlantic Shard, based in Serpent's Hold. So I am not very familiar with events of Ultima IX, only briefly saw its map from a friend that played it.

Thus, Midnight, am I mistaken here, or was Serpent's Hold destroyed in the deluge of the IX setting? I know OSS survived as the Elite Order of Knighthood attached to Lord British however, so I found your OSS Cavalry unit to be quite nicelly thought here :)

Looking forward to this Project ;)