BROKEN CRESCENT: Emperor of the East PBM [Archive]

Shahed

01-22-2008, 01:29

Hi All !

Just wanted to throw this idea out there. There is a new mod for M2:TW called Broken Crescent. It should be a very enjoyable PBM if it is possible to PBM with that mod. I won't be game master or participant, but just in case anyone wants to start off a PBM, I think it may be a really different and great game.

Have Fun !

BC Forum: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=346
Factions tips and strategies: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=97742

Doug-Thompson

01-22-2008, 01:33

Will check this out tonight.

Shahed

01-22-2008, 01:44

I really want to play it but just don't have the time to actually dedicate myself to it. This mod should really be the cavalryman's ultimate mod. Seljuks, Kypchaks, Abbasids... should be amazing. All the great cavalry nations of the Middle East. There is also a distincition between "close bow" and "regular bow" horse archers. The former being longer range but less damage, the latter being close in and heavier damage. In case anyone hasn't seen the graphics check the screenshot thread and the faction previews. Ridiculous detail. From the few reports I've read it's hard to play and some vets have toned down from VH/VH to H/H, this is really intriguing because vanilla is a wipeout at VH/VH. They've also released a patch already. I don't know how it will play in PBM but if it works like vanilla, could be a very very interesting and challenging game. There's also a lot of educational value in it (with limits!), the Eastern factions are much better researched and represented than in Vanilla. The map is awesome, I hope I get some time next month to play for myself.

EDIT NB: Installation instructions: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=140857

deguerra

01-22-2008, 01:58

ooo I had not noticed it has finally been released. However, like you, I don't think I have the time for any more hotseats or PBMs at the moment.

Shahed

01-22-2008, 02:16

There's already one setting up, thought it might be useful for future game masters: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=141035

phonicsmonkey

01-22-2008, 02:26

Sinan, I've been playing since release and it's awesome.

I'll be setting up a BC hotseat some time in the next few months - I want to see what happens with the next patch and also keep an eye on the progress of the hotseat at the twcenter first.

Doug-Thompson

01-22-2008, 03:29

Dumb question time. If I install this mod, can I still play vanilla? I'm in the middle of a hotseat game right now and I don't want to suddenly be unable to play.

phonicsmonkey

01-22-2008, 08:31

yes you can - it installs itself in a separate folder and creates a separate shortcut for itself on the desktop

make sure you get the patch 1.05....

_Tristan_

01-22-2008, 09:23

I might be up for it... It looks like an awesome mod...

But before that, things will have to resolve themselves in other hotseat games...

If only days could last longer...

Xehh II

01-22-2008, 09:38

I love Broken Crescent, It's even managed to tie with EB as my favorite mod, if there was ever a BC PBM I would most definitely try and join.

Doug-Thompson

01-24-2008, 22:29

phonicsmonkey

01-24-2008, 23:11

Hi Doug

I'd love to help but I don't recall that happening when I installed it.

I dl'd the file, double-clicked it and got a windows installshield thing with the broken crescent logo on it - pretty sure it just asked me where to install it then when I hit next it just unpacked all the files.

can you post a screenshot?

alternatively at twcentre there is a forum where you could look for help - the BC team have been really supportive in the early days and you might get an answer directly from them

believe me it's worth the effort!

Shahed

01-25-2008, 00:14

OK. I admit being intimidated by the installation process.

I opened it up and the first thing it wanted to do was run some diagnostic on my computer.

Can I impose on someone to walk me through this?

Sounds like it might be your virus scanner. You can also ask the developers in this thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=140857&page=34

34 pages.. heh...

Well GrandViz is pretty good at installation issues (because he's worked a few mods). He'll probably have a solution for you if it still blocks up.

phonicsmonkey

01-25-2008, 00:15

hey, in case you needed any more persuading, check out this thread about the mongol invasions in BC

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=142585

my mouth is literally watering

Shahed

01-25-2008, 00:26

WOW! It looks amazing. It's best after post 23. From post 23 of that thread:

https://img104.imageshack.us/img104/7908/1219dy3.jpg

I was also reading through their forums and it seems AI does recruit ALL cavalry armies (finally) for certain factions. Can anyone confirm ?

Doug-Thompson

01-25-2008, 06:57

Uh, wow.

After finishing the hotseat I have active, I may never play vanilla again.

Zim

01-25-2008, 07:17

You will play in Phonicsmonkey's eventual BC hotseat thought, right? :beam: I know I will. :yes:

Uh, wow.

After finishing the hotseat I have active, I may never play vanilla again.

Xehh II

01-25-2008, 08:40

Will I be able to play using M2TW 1.2 version of BC? Since I think most others will be using Kingdoms.

phonicsmonkey

01-25-2008, 10:23

as I understand is this version of BC is compatible with 1.2, 1.3 and Kingdoms at the same time...so I guess it doesn't use any of the kingdoms or 1.3-specific reatures

Zim

01-25-2008, 22:27

Has anyone here ever tried to download a mod on a wireless router? I'm housesitting for a friend with a much faster connection than mine and thought now would be the perfect time to download BC. However, every time I try (from several of the sites) it downloads to a certian point, usually in the first few megabits, then just stops. I may try it again later, and just go out or something to see if it starts back up, but so far it isn't looking good.

I don't understand. I actually have my computer just into the wireless router router. At home I download stuff on my wife's laptop on wireless without the benefit of a router in the house and it works fine, although it's a lot slower (it'd take a day to download something the size of BC).

phonicsmonkey

01-25-2008, 23:28

is it a firewall or something built into the router?

:inquisitive:

Zim

01-25-2008, 23:56

I think whenever the wireless connection hiccups (stops for a second) the whole download stops, and then doesn't come back on with the wireless a second later.

Just a theory. I've noticed sometimes a page doesn't load, and won't no matter how long you wait, but then will work fine if you reload it or something.

is it a firewall or something built into the router?

:inquisitive:

Zim

01-25-2008, 23:59

Some download managers let you stop and restart downloads. I wonder if that would help or not?

I'd have to find a free one first.

Zim

01-26-2008, 01:02

Ok, I'm trying again on Rapidshare, in which the mod is separated into "chunks" of about 100 MB. Started on the first one, it only made it to a bit over 300 KB. The downloading animation is still happening, but otherwise there's no indication that it's being downloaded. I'm going to leave it for the amount of time it says it should take to download, but as far as I can tell nothing is happening.

Wierd. At least now that I know you can download the mod in parts I can download it on my wife's computer when I get home tomorrow. It will take a few days (I forsee something like 5 hours per section) but at least the parts are small enough to fit on my thumb drive and transfer one by one to my gaming computer.

At least it looks like it will be worth it.

Zim

01-26-2008, 05:52

Ok, I have an idea of what's wrong. I downloaded a download manager, and it was able to tell me what was happening. Apparently, a couple seconds into downloads they stop with a "Access denied. Invalid Username or Password" message.

I know the password, but because I just plug my computer into the router (it's not equipped for wireless), I'm never prompted for it.

Now I have one night to figure it out, before it's too late and I'm limited to dialup and a much slower wireless connection. I asked about it in the hard and sofware forum, and asked a couple forum members I know, but I get the feeling I'll run out time first. :clown:

Shahed

01-26-2008, 06:22

Hey wish I could help but I haven't downloaded it myself. My best recommendation would be to post in the BC forum.

Zim

01-26-2008, 06:26

Unfortunately I think this is more of a general download question than a BC specific one. The person I'm housesitting for must have some kind of security thing set up so you can't download unless you have the right username and password. I have both, since my computer isn't set up for wireless I just plug it into the router, and am not prompted for a username or password.

Xehh II

01-26-2008, 06:53

Why don't yuo try the Torrent? That's what I did.

Zim

01-26-2008, 07:40

Does that work differently somehow than downloading it the regular way?

Someone told me my friend might have a firewall. Too bad I can't call this late. I have the password, just no idea where to enter it. :sweatdrop:

I guess I'll try their torrent download.

Shahed

01-26-2008, 07:57

Try that, might work better.

Zim

01-26-2008, 08:00

Hmmm...it seems to be working, but at about a quarter the speed of downloading it the regular way. :clown: Never used torrent before, I always thought it was supposed to be very fast.

Does it uploading for other people slow things down during my download? If so, could someone tell me how to disable that until after I'm done downloading?

Zim

01-26-2008, 08:15

Bah, it's downloading, but it's going far too slowly. I guess I just won't be able to try the mod for now. I'll let it keep going while I sleep, but at this rate it won't be done in the next 8 hours, when I'll have to go back home.

Edit: I should also note, that in a cruel twist of fate, the normal download started working a few hours ago, half the mod downloaded, then it stopped again and won't restart. Must be fate's way to tell me I should play vanilla. :clown:

Ferret

01-26-2008, 10:52

I feel for you, my internet went off again when it was 80% downloaded but I have it now and will join this PBM if it ever starts up.

Zim

01-26-2008, 10:57

Ouch, I think it's even worse when you get so close.

Torrent seems to be running a bit quicker now. If it keeps up I'll actually have the game before I have to go home tomorrow. Still oddly slower than normal download. What is the advantage of torrent? I always imagined it was quicker or something, although I never tried it until now.

If I die in one of my aars I might consider drumming up support for a succession pbm if people from the hotseat one are interested. It'd be a shame to waste those wonderful unit models.

Zim

01-26-2008, 14:42

Well, I was able to download it with torrent, for the cost of only about six hours. Now I'm learning the joy of navigating the German on the pastch download site. My single semester of German would lead me to read the directions on the site as being to click on the "download" button. Apparently I learned nothing, since doing so just results in my downloading an html page to more German I don't understand.

Failing that, I clicked on the link the little green arrow by the download button pointed to, leading me to yet another page of German.

For the first time in my life, I think I will actually try a mod feeling as if I'd earned it. :clown:

"Zum Downloaden der Datei klicken Sie bitte auf den Download Button." seems straightforward enough, but I guess I'm suffering for taking far more Spanish than German.

Ferret

01-26-2008, 15:03

lol that is what happened to me with Stainless Steel, half of it is in German and half in English, God knows how these thiings happen when the mods were made in English. Did you check the 'fix language' box when you intalled the 1.05 patch? That said something about foreign language support.

Ramses II CP

01-26-2008, 16:12

The advantage of a torrent is load distribution. Instead of a single source for a file, or just three or four, everyone who downloads the file (And leaves the 'share bandwidth' or whatever box checked) participates in helping others get the file, leading to a snowball effect. Where a traditional source for a popular file will get slower the more people want it, a torrent might start slower but it will pick up speed as more sources come online. You may have experienced exactly that.

Of course there are downsides as well, but that's a whole different mess and usually more than compensated for by the advantages.

Broken Crescent is compatible across 1.2 and Kingdoms? I'll have to check it out.

:egypt:

Zim

01-26-2008, 23:30

My particular problem is that the download site for the patch is in German, it didn't even occur to me that parts of the game might end up that way. :sweatdrop:

Phonicsmonkey says I clicked on the right button on that download site, but the "file" I get is an html file. :dizzy2:

It's all a conspiracy on the part of the modders to make sure people earn the right to try the mod, I tell you. That, or bad luck. :clown:

Ramses Yep, it is. And if you have a decent internet connection (unlike me) I imagine you won't face the problems I've had getting the mod. :yes:

lol that is what happened to me with Stainless Steel, half of it is in German and half in English, God knows how these thiings happen when the mods were made in English. Did you check the 'fix language' box when you intalled the 1.05 patch? That said something about foreign language support.

phonicsmonkey

01-27-2008, 00:09

hey guys, I put the patch up on the filespace for those of you having trouble with the german download site

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/bcpatch105.zip

maybe work out who needs it then tell tosa inu he can clear it to save space...

Zim

01-27-2008, 00:33

After 6+ hours of downloading, and ever more hours trying to beforehand, I now suffer a fatal error everytime I try to run BC. Aloow me one moment.

%$^%$%&^%&^%&^%&^*:wall: :furious3:

Ok, I feel ebtter now, will try to reinstall. I wonder if the KOTRfix or something is interfering.

phonicsmonkey

01-27-2008, 00:50

all I can say is stick with it - it's worth it!

Zim

01-27-2008, 00:55

Reinstalled, turned my compouter off and on, still getting a fatal error.

Zim

01-27-2008, 00:57

Apparently I'm not the only one to have such a problem, there's a file you can download if you get a fatal error ctd, although it's intended mostly for Vista users. :clown:

Zim

01-27-2008, 01:04

It's working! Sort of. :clown: No error, but seems a bit slow to load. Several minutes on the first loading screen you hit when you run it. Since I haven't reinstalled the patch yet, that may fix it. Even if not, I can handle waiting the ten minutes or however long it takes. I've played mods with worse problems. In fact, it could be slow because torrent is still seeding on my comp.

Edit: Only took about two minutes, everything moves fine after that.