Hello, after two months since last update i'm proud to announce the third release of the controversial ZX Mod!
For those of you that never heard of it:
The ZX MiniMod takes a different approach from the popular big Mods like BKB, XL or Medmod.
ZX aim is to bring an AOE flavour into MTW by using the exisisting MTW+VI unit set in a more specialized way, increasing faction specialization and rebalancing the game.
http://microsoftuse.temp.powweb.com/hosted/ZxMod.exe
Some features:
- Increased faction specialization
Now each faction has more marked strenghts and weaknesses, focusing on the importance of developing customized strategies shaped on what you have and increasing the importance of mercenaries/strategic troop production territories in order to increase your army efficency.
Each faction (a bit like in AOK) has one or more defined attributes that rules out the unit set.
For example the Danish are an Heavy Infantry faction.
What does this mean?
Their unit roster is mostly focused on heavy inf (like Landsmenn or Huskarles), while they are weak in most other aspects, especially cavalry (so you'll have to get heavy cav from the steppes or hire mercenaries), meaning that you won't get knights but only the crappy raider cav or druzhina...
Another interesting faction to try are the Italians.
Being a Militia and Late Tech faction they'll have to make do with an overall low morale army and may need to bring numbers against an heavier foe, especially on early where they won't get anything better than MS and ILI...
Things improves a lot with time for them (halbs in high and other heavy units in late) but mercs and crusades will be a resource through the whole game since they don't get killer units.
On the opposite tactical side you'll find interesting the Hungarians, which are a low tech cavalry archer faction.
I found them great on early as with Szekely you can make a pincushion of most enemies and engage lighter foes, but their roster won't improve much in high and late.
Facing the Horde head-on with them is an unique challenge, as you'll have to use amored spears and get nothing heavier than feudal knights, but ranged cav dueling is very interesting.
BTW, more specialized factions doesn't mean 100% unique tool set, just that you'll have to focus more on certain units to get an hedge over the opponent.
Simply, while all factions got the same basic units (spears, archers, light cav and men at arms) some got more advanced units in a respect or the other.
For example with the hungarians you'll get FMAA but not CMAA as they aren't focused on infantry rather than cavalry, while the Italians gets MS which are a bit weaker but this is compensated by the ILI...
- Revisited crusading system
Instead of having crusading orders tied to each faction, now they work on their own "zones of influence", where you have to build your chapter house or walk with your crusade in order to acquire an order's services.
Crusading roster has also been increased, moving a few units (like Turcopoles) into this specialistic role and giving two units to the factions with less chances to get a chapter house into the right place (this is done because the AI cannot recognize them).
In order to balance it and avoid a crusader swarm to Byz and muslims now crusading price has been doubled.
Historically (BTW, this mod is more focused in gameplay than historical accuracy, let's say you can expect a few "compromises") the knightly orders were'nt tied to a kingdom, but rather they had their own bases of operation and land holdings.
Nearby countries this way could call their help (for a price of course) and acquire their services.
I'm trying to simulate this by changing the crusader units requisites from "FN_xxx" to specific territories (IE Teutonics in Prussia, Hospitallers in Malta etc).
This way all you need to get an order instead of the other is to build a chapter house in an order's lands (still working on this, look for the valour bonuses in the beta).
Personally i'd get Prussia or Malta as those two orders gets an extra unit (i've unlocked the foot knights as separate unit for the Hospitallers), but if you like the other ones try Leon or Tolouse.
BTW, any historical info on where the various orders got their lands would be welcome ~;)
In addition to this system English and Danish gets a surprise (as their AI has problems in conquering the right places) so you'll want to do plenty of crusading with them
- Improved strategic balance
Now underdog factions gets their chance, they've been given money/territory bonuses so that they won't cripple the economy with the heirs.
Overall AI is improved and now produces better unit mixes.
- Peasants role redefined
No more peasant armies, they now appear only in crusades (early only) and rebellions, where they belong.
- Refined dimounted units
Now all light and non-noble cav can dismount outside sieges, improved the dismounted version of many units so you'll always get something useful.
- Other minor changes
A few units have been slightly retouched so they won't be nearly useless anymore (like Abissinian Guards, Bulgarian Brigands, Gothic Sergeants etc).
Also, dismounted versions of many units has been improved, giving an increased tactical flexibility to cavalry commanders.
- Novgorod (early), Swiss and Golden Horde (late) are now playable!
- SFX installer!
- Overall AI is improved and now produces better unit mixes
- Added "new" units from VI
- Looking for feedback and suggestions!
The MOD isn't so "mini" now, and 56k users will have some problems with the size (at least until I can find a way to copy files inside the MTW folder), but it shouldn't get much bigger than this as the MOD is meant to be focused on gameplay improvements rather than adding new units to the roster.
