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I would like to start a mod based around 350-550 AD, incorparting the downfall of Róme, the rise of Byzantium, arival of the Huns, forming of the Anglo-Saxon and Frankish kingdoms, etc.
I am aware that there has been a few Rome/Fall of Rome type mods or are one or two on the way, not forgetting RTW coming out this year lol...however not one of these seems to want to include this 350-550 AD era which has got to be the best era of all Huns, Goths, Arthurian Britain, etc. The possibilities for unit types and animations are very exciting. It would centre more around large populations on the strategy map, perhaps even 'great acheivements' rather than total domination - giving a more accurate reflection of history, even a focus keyed on multiplayer. There should be a real difference between the four different faction groups, buildings, tech tree and unit types will have much more variation. The northern tribes will be more like the Viking Invasion guys, Romans based on the legionaries -Byzantines too with some variations and special cav. Sassanids like the muslim factions, and the Huns will be completely new, cavalry based. All should have huge unit sizes based around the Roman maniple of 120 men. I think somethimg close to the HTW units, which are both javerlin throwers and good infantry too would suit the Legionaries.
I have a lot of historical knowledge from this era, not to mention a hell of a lot of info at the ready, I have prepared all the necessary units and faction particulars. All I need really is a) someone to handle the programming side and put them into action b) someone to animate the models. I know that is in fact the whole art and hard work of the mod, but I have got a really good lot of info, research and collected artwork for the period. I can also sort the website out completely. I just need to work with modders who can do the 'boring practical side.'
The main factions I have prepared are:
based on
catholic
orthodox
muslim
pagan
I was thinking 'north', 'east', 'west' and a fourth set of faction groups.
north
OstroGoths (heavy cav + alannic horse archers)
VisiGoths (heavy cav + alannic horse archers)
Vandals (javelin cav, nubian guard)
Franks (heavy axe, throwing axes)
Anglo-Saxons (longswords, shortswords)
east
Sassanids (persians)
Bosporans (sarmatians, mixed culture)
west
Romano-Britons
Romans?
Byzantines
4th group BARBARIAN/pagan
huns (very few buildings)(cav only, 'mercenaries'/vassals goths and alans)
arabs/moors
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Small point: No one was of the islamic faith before the 7th century...
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true, but i think he was talking about culture-wise only. and also, no one was of "orthodox" faith either, because that was before the schism.
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Yeah exactly, I hadn't made myself clear. I am talking about replacing the conceot of the four religious faction-types with cultural groups. North, east, west and say Hunnic/Arabic. Read my post again and you'll get it.
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Here's an exapmle of the work I've been doing, this is a drafted introduction to the Bosporan faction:
The Bosporan kingdom was born from the geographical advantages of the Crimean peninsula. From here the seat of an ambitious king could dominate the Black Sea to the south as well as commanding great resources from the Steppes to the north, guarded by great rivers to the west and flanked by the Caucasus mountains in the east. The Bosporan Kingdom was in the reach of several great trade routes and at the crossroads of several worlds. Through the ages it was always the Bosporans cultural variety which allowed for its prosperity, its strength, but also its vulnerability. Beginning with Celtic and Greek colonies along the Black Sea shoreline, the city states grew into union and were eventually over-ruled by the self-proclaimed kings of Panticipaeum. The strength of Greek infantry combined there with the unique multiple-role abilities of the Scythian cavalry whom were known among the Greek and Persian empires as great horse archers. As Rome's grip grew in the Mediterranean, the Bosporan had become more dependent on the new power. However, at the same time, a new nomadic wave came westwards across the Steppe, relatives of the Scyths, bringing advanced cavalry techniques. The Sarmatians and later, a sub-group the Alans, were of Iranian origin and they used the horse archer in combination with lavish armour and in tandem with a sophisticated new cavalry unit, the heavy lancer. The Sarmatians revolutionised warfare and slowly allowed themselves to come to power in the Bosporan as well as driving the Bosporan kingdom to take a more independent role from the incursions of Rome and Persia. By 300 A.D. some nomadic Sarmatians had begun wandering westwards seeking service in many armies, even the Roman war machine, standing foremost among their cavalry. However, as for the kingdom itself, it stood tentatively poised between great empires and as the Goths migrated towards the Crimean the influence of infantry returned, reinforcing its cosmopolitan variation. All of this combines to make for a potentially awesome military power ready to break out of its hemmed-in natural fortress on the Crimean and subjugate the many tribes around, the Alan, the Goth and, perhaps another newcomer from the Steppe...the Hun?
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Were the Vamdals, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Avar, Alans, Quadi,Alamanni,Gepids etc aso termed as Barbarian by the Romans and not just Atilla and his "Scurge of God".
Hross, could you recomend any reading material in English on the fall of Rome and the Barbarian incursions.
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