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I had a great idea the other day... I dont know how many people have read Raymond E Fiests Daughter of the Empire series but they would make a GREAT basis for a RTW mod, a rich back story, a map, warring factions, an Emperor and High Council that could easily take the place of the Senate.... I dont have any modding experience but I just thaught this would be a sweet idea anyone interested?
I've read it, as well as several other books that are set in the same universe and I agree that it would be an excellent place.
The main problem is as I see it this; internal fighting within the Empire is common and tolerated, while the same can't be said about the Romans in TW. Infighting is not tolerated.
Also, the most intressting stuff, to which there also is the most facts about in terms of unites and such is the invasion of Midkemia through the rift between the worlds. How would one be able to mod this in? I understand that a such thing might have to be put aside so it wouldn't be a such great hinderence.
But I anyway think it would be an excellent idea, sorry enough I can't mod nor have the time or intresst to learn. But if you get people for it I'll be happy to help with collecting facts for it. ~;)
use BI not RTW vanilla
Perhaps to signify the rift between worlds you could simply have a 'black' ocean between two continents that could only be crossed at certain points? In reply to the response to use BI rather than RTW, BI doesnt have the Senate faction, the Senate acts much like the Tsurani High Council, giving missions to Houses etc, however, again there is the problem that the Rome does not allow for infighting between allies, as technically all the Houses are part of one Empire.... Perhaps a Senate type faction could be coded back into BI to allow missions to be given to Houses etc while still allowing the fighting between faction (i.e BI has the Roman Rebels)
Alternatly I dont see why Tsurani "Roman" factions couldnt infight as long as all the other factions dont just declair war on you like the Romans do in RTW... Perhaps simply have everyone allied to the High Council aka the Senate and let each House then form alliances with eachother as they whish?
Also playing both RTW and BI it seems that there is some way to code "events" such as the military reforms for the Roman factions in RTW into the Game, this could be used to emulate things such as the death of plot central characters such as Jingu of the Minwanabi or Sezu and Lanokota or make more troops aailable to an Acoma player after Mara recruits Lujan and the Grey Warriors.
Anyway again if anyone can actually mod, Id learn but Im going to Switzerland on exchange in two months so I dont see me having time to learn or ready access to a computer, please drop me a line at
james_vee13@hotmail.com
It would be great to see some enthusiasm, it would make for a great mod!
Well it doesnt seem like there is all that much enthusiams for this mod, none the less Im going to go ahead and start gathering the required research, Family Colours, Family Members, Map locations, settlement names etc....
As of today the playable factions I am planning are:
Tsurani:
- Acoma
- Minwanabi
- Tonmargu
- Shinzawai
- Keda
- Anasati
- Xacatecas
- Oaxatucan
Kingdom:
- Western Realm
- Eastern Realm
- Empire of Great Kesh
- Elves
- Dwarves
- Dark Elves (Murmadamus?)
Any other sudgestions would be more than appreciated...... lets get this thing going people!!!
Oh I forgot to add that the Tsurani Emperor/ High Council will take the place of the Senate, as in the books they do give out missions to houses etc....
There have been some sudgestions to use BI as the base for this mod, the use of 'nomadic' factions would aid this mod greatly, namley becuase the peoples of Tsubar and perhaps the Thuril on Kelewan and the Dark Elves and goblins of Midkemia could take the role of these factions.....
I have appealed to Vlad of Vlad:TW fame to perhaps help out as at this time my "team" stands with myself performing research and my friend possibly modeling. At this moment I have the research part down pat so really we need models and if possible someone who can fiddle arround with the code. I hope to take the very limited "events" found in both Rome and BI and perhaps get something that allows events to have an effect on the in game environment to signify deaths of plot central characters, award a player new warriors etc, can anyone tell me if this is possible?
All I can say is good luck to you!
It will be hard to find a team for this mod as its a 'niche' mod which will be popular mainly to those who know the story. Be prepared to learn some modding yourself, it will probably be necessary. :bow:
Like I said before, I would be happy to help with the research. But I can't help with the modding itself.
Here is for example and idea for a start of a Tsurani list.
Tsurani Swordmen: I know that warriors with two-handed swords have been mentioned, and also that these delivered quite a punch.
Tsurani Archers: Archers are mentioned several times so they are a given.
Tsurani Spearmen: I think that I’ve read about spearmen, but I am not one hundred procent sure.
Tsurani Warrior-Priests of Jastur: Mentioned in the last book of Daughter of the Empire, they treatens the magicans to break down their walls with their warhammers. Armed with armour and two-handed warhammers. Appers to be fearless warriors.
Tsurani Mad Dancers: Warriors dedicated to Sibis, it’s said that their mere touch brings death. Are said to jump and dance around in battle untill they die. Like the warrior-priests the high priestess of Sibis threatens to relase her mad dancers inside the magicans’ city.
Tsurani Cho'ja warriors: Highly effective and fast troops. Very common in the series and effective like few others.
Tsurani Cho’ja cavallery: Soliders mounted on Cho’jans. Appers in some of the battles, in the later half of the serie when Tsurani soliders from Acome and her allies mount these fierce troops by suggestion from Mara’s lover Kevin.
Tsurani cavallery: After that horses were brought into Kelewan it took some time before riders were used in war. But evnetually it happened and among those that did use this way of fighting was Shinsawai. In the book Hokanu (I think it’s him) leads mounted household troops against Anastasia soliders, a battle that ends with the leader of Anastasia, Jiro is being stranggeled to death. He also fights off a Thun attack when riding in the riftwar series.
Tsurani Auxillian knights: In the riftwar series there is a mention that the Midkemians will make “good vasalls once they’re conquered”. Thus I wouldn’t find it strange if Tsurani who took territory in Midkemia would be able to raise local Auxillian troops.
Tsurani Auxillian infantry: Just like the auxillian knights but foot soliders. More or less just the Midkemians’ average infantry that can be fielded by the Tsurani from taken provinces across the rift.
Tsurani Great Ones: The sorcerers, also know as the Black Robes. They do appere on the battlefield, mainly in the riftwar while they otherwise only seem to work to further their own intresst. In the game it should be hard to get them, they should cost ALOT both to reqruite and the upkeep. But they should also be VERY powerful, even if fragile to hand to hand and possibly missiles as well.
Great Ones do attend to a major invasion against the elves for example, in the end they are however defeated.
Tsurani Household Troops (?): Not sure about this but some sort of infantry honour guard that follows with family members. I think it’s been mentioned in the series, but I am not sure if there is any such standing force or if they are only raised temporerly.
Can I have a link for the book the mod is supposed to take place over?
I have found http://www.crydee.com/ to be very useful, If you click on the "synopsis" link then check out "Daughter of the Empire" "Servant of the Empire" and "Mistress of the Empire" there is a very quick run down on the storyline of the series.
Thanks alot for the unit list Gurkhal, I have started some concept art for the swordsmen, archers and spearmen as well as a "House Garrison" unit that would take the place of the Town Watch garrison unit in RTW and an elite "Lords Honour Company" that would have much the same stats as a Pretorian Cohort as the elite troops of a Tsurani Lord.
About the Auxillia units you mention, as any Midkemian warriors and civilians captured are nothing more than 'barbaian' slaves to the Tsurani I dont really see why they wuld recruit Midkemians or why Midkemians would fight for the Tsurani. Perhaps it wuld be better to have a mercinary unit made of Midkemian pirates/badits that could be hired by the Tsurani players on the Midkemian side of the rift.
Perhaps the Choja cavalry you peak of could be a unit specific to the Acoma? However the warriors do dismount the Choja before entering battle, and I dont know if that is possible using the RTW or BI engines, aybe someone can fill me in on that one.
On the issue of tsuani Great Ones I had the idea of simply modifying the Onager model, so that the Magician would perhaps perform an action similar to "chant" before speqing a great ball of fire into the enemy.....
On the issue of me modeling, Ive had a look at a few of the tutorials and Im going to give it a go, a few of my mates might give me a hand but I dont see unit wise why it would take all that much work...... I envisioned Tsurani warriors looking much like the Greek Hoplite units of RTW just without the giant phalanx spears
Anyway thanks for the feedback people!
But don't Acoma troops fight mounted upon Cho'jans in the great battle against Jiro's forces? I am pretty sure they do, but I could of course be wrong. If the engine don't make it possible for them to dismount, I wouldn't find it strange if they fought mounted as well.
That Cho'jan cavallery could be an Acome-only troop type I fully support. They seem to be the only one to actually use them.
The idea to modify onagers also sounds rather good, but won't it open the possibility that it will required crew which can be killed or chased off, thus leaving the magican "stranded"?
I know some other modders on projects such as Lord of The Rings TW have done something similar with an onager model so I imagine it can be done..... I will just have to ask around.
Another thing you might be able to help me with is the map.... the books are rather ambiguous as to an exact location for the Great Houses of many Lords so it may simply be up to our interpretation as to where Houses such as the Tonmaru and the Keda, whs estates are not specificaly mentioned in the series, are placed. The location of "cities" such as Sulan Qu, Jamar, Kentosani etc. has also provided a bit of a problem. These cities are not controlled by Houses, how do we reprset them? Are they under the control of the Emperor/High Council faction? How will players trade with these cities? Theres alot of things that we need to get sorted before I can even start anything practical......
Well, about the cities I can't really say much. Perhaps give them over to Houses that have a great or total influence over them in the books. Sulan-Qu and Acoma seems to go pretty much together. Or all the cities could of course also be of the Emperor faction.
I however more like the idea that the cities are controll by the Great Houses.
Regarding the Imperial faction I think that he should only controll the Imperial city, which in turn should be extremely wealthy and protected by a really strong army. Kind of like the senate in Rome.
As soon as I have finished a book by Robin Hoob I intend to re-read the series again, then I'll hopefully be able to come with more info.
Ok here is what I can find on the playable Houses, their family members, clan affiliation (although I dont intend to make this a large part of the game) and colour scheme:
Acoma:
Lords Sezu and Lanokota (both deceaced)
Lady Mara
Lord Buntokapi (by marriage to Mara)
Lord Ayaki
Lord Justin
(cant remember what Mara's mothers name was, although she too is deceaced)
House Colour=Light Green
Clan=Hadama
Minwanabi:
Lord Jingu
Lord Desio
Lord Tasaio
(Tasaio has two heirs and a wife, cant remember their names)
House Colour= Black with orange trimming
Clan=?
Anasati:
Lord Tecuma
Lord Halesko
Lord Jiro
Lord Buntokapi
House Colours= Half red half yellow
Clan= Ionani
Shinzawai:
Lord Kamatsu
Lord Kasumi
Lord Hokanu (adopted)
House Colours= Light Blue
Clan=Kanazawai
Xacatecas:
Lord Chipino
Lady Ishani
Lord Hoppara
(there are heaps of other blood Xacatecas Lords, I belive it mentions them by name in Servant of the Empire, if anyone can find these please notify me)
Well met,
I'd love to help anyone making a TW for Midkemia, but I dont know anything about modding :( I have been playing about with TiME for a little while and managed to knock together a map of Midkemia (It still needs a lot of work as the TiME is incomplete).
Point me at some tutorials and some free software and I'd gladly do what I can to get this project going.
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