siegfriedfr
08-06-2010, 13:32
For several days i'm contemplating entirely changing the EDU of a major mod for personnal use. It's harder than just modifying a few numbers, and i had to document myself on equipment, tactics, and differentiate what i think i know about reality, and how I and the RTW engine can translates them into the gameplay to stick to semi-realistics combat mechanics.
This is the list of my intended guidelines, and i would appreciate input and constructive criticism from knowledgeable EDU modders.
I understand that for many grizzled EDU modders what i write might be either obvious, innacurate or ridiculous, but i'm starting from scratch with my own understanding of the game and bits and pieces taken from various posts on the forums, and i'm willing to be corrected.
Even if my goal is realism, this is not an historical quoting contest : for one historian with an opinion, there will be another using as valuable source material, but reaching a different conclusion, so don't engage in one of those futile attempt at proving a point on half-documented knowledge 2 millenias old
Definition of some words
" spears " is for (graphically) short/medium spears, not sarissa
" sarissa " is for sarissa
- attack and armor values should be an equipment check
- defense and lethality values should be a " unit skill " (morale, training and cost) check with a bias toward elite units
- shield should be both an equipment (size, form, quality) AND skill check
- spears should have a slightly lower attack than swords (due to the limitation of the varity of possible attacking movements aside from thrusting in a close quarter brawl), but a clear charge bonus (much better range in the initial charge/engagement)
- spears units should have a " mass " increase or " radius " decrease compared to swords, to stress that its easier to thrust than slash in a close-quarter brawl, and are also better suited for a " pushing contest "
- " ap " should only be given to elephants, chariots, siege engines, and missiles
- lethality (ability to kill once the defense has been bypassed ?) should be equal between sword/spear
- 2 handed weapons should have a clear (double) attack and lethality bonus over 1 handed
- the " shield-wall " ability from BI is the closest thing to a classical hoplite phalanx formation ;
- the *_pike attributes should only be used in conjunction with the phalanx attribute, otherwise the neat formation is offset by the disorganized behaviour and secondary weapon preference
- the combination of " short_pike+phalanx " should be given extensively to trained hoplites with a secondary weapon (use : absorb cavalry shock, fight infantry with swords) - for those units, the spear attack should be low and the spear bonus high ; [Imo, " short_pike " was an aftertought by CA to create a classical hoplite " pushing " phalanx formation, but they didn't finish/abandoned the coding for it, and shield wall in BI was their partial fix]
- sarissa units should not be able to push or kill much (low attack and lethality), but pin down while support is doing the job; an unsupported sarissa phalanx should be dead meat;
- " spear " attribute pushes too much for infantry units and should not be given to them ;
- " spear_bonus_X " is a better choice than " light_spear " or " spear " attributes, whom maluses are uneasy to balance trough atk/def bonus ;
- " light_spear " is better suited to sarissa than spear for its defensive bonus/malus
- Pushing power should only be adjusted trough mass and not spear/light_spear
- Since the AI is very bad at flanking and can only win trough superior numbers or quality (altho sometimes it does surprise me, and win)
Final conclusion : the BI.exe is the best choice to mod RTW with maximal accuracy.
This is the list of my intended guidelines, and i would appreciate input and constructive criticism from knowledgeable EDU modders.
I understand that for many grizzled EDU modders what i write might be either obvious, innacurate or ridiculous, but i'm starting from scratch with my own understanding of the game and bits and pieces taken from various posts on the forums, and i'm willing to be corrected.
Even if my goal is realism, this is not an historical quoting contest : for one historian with an opinion, there will be another using as valuable source material, but reaching a different conclusion, so don't engage in one of those futile attempt at proving a point on half-documented knowledge 2 millenias old
Definition of some words
" spears " is for (graphically) short/medium spears, not sarissa
" sarissa " is for sarissa
- attack and armor values should be an equipment check
- defense and lethality values should be a " unit skill " (morale, training and cost) check with a bias toward elite units
- shield should be both an equipment (size, form, quality) AND skill check
- spears should have a slightly lower attack than swords (due to the limitation of the varity of possible attacking movements aside from thrusting in a close quarter brawl), but a clear charge bonus (much better range in the initial charge/engagement)
- spears units should have a " mass " increase or " radius " decrease compared to swords, to stress that its easier to thrust than slash in a close-quarter brawl, and are also better suited for a " pushing contest "
- " ap " should only be given to elephants, chariots, siege engines, and missiles
- lethality (ability to kill once the defense has been bypassed ?) should be equal between sword/spear
- 2 handed weapons should have a clear (double) attack and lethality bonus over 1 handed
- the " shield-wall " ability from BI is the closest thing to a classical hoplite phalanx formation ;
- the *_pike attributes should only be used in conjunction with the phalanx attribute, otherwise the neat formation is offset by the disorganized behaviour and secondary weapon preference
- the combination of " short_pike+phalanx " should be given extensively to trained hoplites with a secondary weapon (use : absorb cavalry shock, fight infantry with swords) - for those units, the spear attack should be low and the spear bonus high ; [Imo, " short_pike " was an aftertought by CA to create a classical hoplite " pushing " phalanx formation, but they didn't finish/abandoned the coding for it, and shield wall in BI was their partial fix]
- sarissa units should not be able to push or kill much (low attack and lethality), but pin down while support is doing the job; an unsupported sarissa phalanx should be dead meat;
- " spear " attribute pushes too much for infantry units and should not be given to them ;
- " spear_bonus_X " is a better choice than " light_spear " or " spear " attributes, whom maluses are uneasy to balance trough atk/def bonus ;
- " light_spear " is better suited to sarissa than spear for its defensive bonus/malus
- Pushing power should only be adjusted trough mass and not spear/light_spear
- Since the AI is very bad at flanking and can only win trough superior numbers or quality (altho sometimes it does surprise me, and win)
Final conclusion : the BI.exe is the best choice to mod RTW with maximal accuracy.