Strat and Battle Map Borders Removal Mini-Mod

[socal_infidel]

Hi, I'm Socal_Infidel. Some of you may remember me from such AARs as The House of Seleukos: The History of the Arche Seleukeia (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?106019-The-House-of-Seleukos-The-History-of-the-Arche-Seleukeia&highlight=). Anyway, I've gotten back into EB 1.2 and am considering starting up a new AAR but was first looking for ways to make EB look better.

I personally find certain elements of the strat map to be visually unappealing. Since I plan on writing my next AAR in an historical fashion again, I find map screenshots look better with no region borders. Also, I think it's kind of silly and unfair how I can plant my army right on the border without crossing over so as not to invoke the wrath of the AI.

I also find the red glowing battle field border to look ridiculous, as well. Seeing one in a screenshot takes me out of an AAR somewhat.

So inspired by this thread (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?127139-A-guide-to-making-your-EB-look-better), I came up with this mini-mod to remove the region boundary borders and the sandy settlement/fort footprints beneath a city on the strat map, as well as the red battle map border on the, well, battlemap.

STRAT MAP SCREENSHOTS

EGYPT BEFORE
https://img835.imageshack.us/img835/2154/nilebefore.jpg (https://img835.imageshack.us/i/nilebefore.jpg/)

EGYPT AFTER
https://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8479/nile0.jpg (https://img694.imageshack.us/i/nile0.jpg/)

GREECE BEFORE
https://img811.imageshack.us/img811/843/greecebefore.jpg (https://img811.imageshack.us/i/greecebefore.jpg/)

GREECE AFTER
https://img230.imageshack.us/img230/1560/greece0.jpg (https://img230.imageshack.us/i/greece0.jpg/)

ITALY BEFORE
https://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2075/italybefore.jpg (https://img153.imageshack.us/i/italybefore.jpg/)

ITALY AFTER
https://img706.imageshack.us/img706/5072/italiacb.jpg (https://img706.imageshack.us/i/italiacb.jpg/)

BABYLONIA BEFORE
https://img684.imageshack.us/img684/4296/babylonbefore.jpg (https://img684.imageshack.us/i/babylonbefore.jpg/)

BABYLONIA AFTER
https://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5026/babylono.jpg (https://img3.imageshack.us/i/babylono.jpg/)
PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE SCREENSHOTS ARE FROM A PERSONALLY MODIFIED VERSION OF EB 1.2 THAT INCLUDES NEW STRAT MAP TERRAIN TEXTURES. THESE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS MINI-MOD, AS A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM ARE FROM RSII

BATTLEMAP SCREENSHOTS
https://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6032/0044v.jpg (https://img88.imageshack.us/i/0044v.jpg/)
https://img844.imageshack.us/img844/4674/0045g.jpg (https://img844.imageshack.us/i/0045g.jpg/)

TO INSTALL:
1] DOWNLOAD FROM FILEFRONT (http://www.filefront.com/17617447/Strat Map Improvement.rar)
2] Place .rar file in your ...\Rome - Total War folder
2a] As this mod will overwrite some Vanilla files you may want to make back-ups of them should you desire to revert back. You should therefore back-up the following VANILLA files:

STRAT MAP BORDERS:

data\terrain\aerial_map\indicators\region_borders_general
data\terrain\aerial_map\indicators\region_borders_main_colour
data\terrain\aerial_map\indicators\region_borders_primary
data\terrain\aerial_map\indicators\region_borders_secondary
data\terrain\aerial_map\indicators\region_borders_secondary_colour

BATTLE-MAP BORDERS:

data\textures\battlefield_border

3] Extract files
4] Confirm file replace for all files when prompted with the the following file already exists message
5] Play EB
6] Write AARs!

Regards,
S_I

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

Nice changes!

If I wanted to just remove those sandy circles around towns and forts, which file would I have to edit?

[socal_infidel]

Nice changes!

If I wanted to just remove those sandy circles around towns and forts, which file would I have to edit?

Extract the files somewhere other than your Rome - Total War folder. Then copy the following files to the EB folder where your installation is located:

EB\DATA\TERRAIN\AERIAL_MAP\BASES\SETTLEMENTS\nothing_base.tga
EB\DATA\TERRAIN\AERIAL_MAP\BASES\SETTLEMENTS\nothing_base.tga.dds
EB\DATA\descr_aerial_map_bases.txt

EDIT - the EB mod folder does not contain these folders/files so you can always revert back by simply deleting them
regards
si

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

Save game compatabile do you know?

[anubis88]

That's a really great thing you did there... It's very very interesting... Like we know, in ancient times the borders often weren't as clear cut as it seems with the RTW engine...

I'll even suggest this to be implemented in EB NOM to my team... I hope you'll give us the permission to use it if we decide on this after a vote... I'll definetly use it myself :)

[Atraphoenix]

I like you!

[Lysandros]

Hallo,
could someone please re-upload this mod or give a list of the files it includes (I already have them amongst other files, but don't know which are the ones I need)?