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I've wanted to post on the mod pages for some time.
Patiently waited for the new forum and now I still can't post there.
So out of frustration, I'll do it here then.
I'm sorry to say that I was a bit dissapointed with the Byzantine units in MTW. They are all wrong.
Luckily it is easy to change the names of the units, so that they resemble their historic counterparts a bit more accurately.
First off the kataphraktoi in the game should be called klibanophoroi. In Roman times Cataphracts (or Cataphractarii) were very heavily armoured cavalry on completely barded horses. Clibanarii were mounted on horses that had only frontal barding and they could be equipped with bows.
Somewhere along the line these terms got switched around.
In Byzantine times kataphraktoi would be your regular heavy cavalry.
Thus, the unit called 'Byzantine Cavalry' in the game, should be called 'Kataphraktoi'.
The Pronoia Allagion cavalry would also be Kataphractoi. Pronoiai were the equivalent of european knights. In the sense that they were soldiers given land in return for serivce in the army.
Why the devellopers tagged the Allagion bit to Proanoia, I don't get. Allagion is simply a unit name, like 'battalion' or 'regiment'.
Arguably these people might be able to afford better equipment, so they might warrant a distinct unit that is better armoured than your normal cavalry.
A Byzantine infantry allagion could consist of more than one troop type.
It would have normal heavy infantry, called skutatoi, after the Roman word for shield, scutum. They carried a long spear and the kite shield. Front ranks would be very heavily armoured.
They would have an integral number of archers, possibly also armoured.
Next to the heavy infantry would be light infantry, or psiloi. These would be light archers, slingers and javelineers.
One source also mentions another small group of heavies that would be part of the allagion. They are supposed to be armed with a heavy throwing spear, called a menaulion. Thus they were called menaulatoi
So, to conclude the renaming, the 'Byzantine Infantry' should be renamed 'Skutatoi' and the 'trebizond archers' should be 'Psiloi Archers'.
It is also possible to edit units in the game but this involves a lot more work.
The 'new' Kataphractoi units should be given spears and shields, plus heavier armour. The Pronoiai should also be given bows and even heavier armour (class 8 or 9?).
The Skutatoi should have a spear and, if you want to emulate the super-heavy front ranks, you could also increase their armour (currently 3). But you would have to make them slower as well, let's remain fair.
All bows should be MTLG instead of SBOW. The SBOW is just a simple short or self bow, a stick with a string.
The Byzantines and eastern countries used the composite bow. This was composed of wood, bone, horn and sinew and was much more powerful. If you want you can edit the MTLG bow in projectiels.txt to give it slightly more range and armour penetration.
New units that could be created would be the regular archers and psiloi javelineers. Creating psiloi slingers would involve adding a new projectile type and new animation.
Oh, yes. Light Cavalry.
The Byzantines used huge numbers of auxiliaries: Patzinaks, Alans, Cumans, Turks etc etc. The generic 'Horse Archer' in the game would cover them all. So no need for new units there, really.
There is, however, an actual Byzantine Light Cavalry type.
The Trapezitoi. They were unarmoured but carried a largish shield (against all them pesky arrows) a lance and javelins. They were highly skilled riders, our word trapeze artist stems from these guys. Ideal pursuit cavalry to increase the number of kills after the enemy general runs for his women.
I'm working on an add-on for them now.
OK, hope this has been a bit informative.
At least I've been able to post some of what I've been wanting to write.
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You'll be happy to know that the modders are working on it already then. Here are some of the things you have mentioned...
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Ow, cool
Hrvojejcould you paste my post in that thread?
Would like to have some input into it http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...cons/smile.gif
Although Rosacrux has said most of it already.
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very nicely done dude but in aoe they say cataphract are mercz and the kata looks ok and i like da name
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http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...s/confused.gif
Errm, you're using aoe as a historical source???
