XL mod

Hi, I've heard a lot about this and I'm really interested in the more historical aspects. I know I need VI to install it, and that it adds new playable (?) factions, what other modifications does it make?
I remember reading something about compound bows shooting further and other historical changes is this correct?

Well I'm not in a position to say how much more historically accurate it is (although yes, eastern archers have better range now), but the XL Mod definitely adds a *ton* of replayability to MTW. Aside from more factions and more provinces, here are some of the most noticable features of XL (although it's by no means a comprehensive list):


1.) You get more money from land and farming improvements, and trade income has been reduced. This helps balance things out for factions that are mostly land-locked (such as the HRE, Polish, Bohemians, etc.). In particular, however, it helps put the AI factions on a more even economic footing with the human-controlled faction (which has never been very good at setting up trade fleets/networks). It's still worth your while to get some trade going, but trade income isn't as overpowered as it was in the original game.

2.) The AI generally fields much better armies now. You'll still get "spammed" by the occasional spearmen/UM/archer horde, but not nearly as often as in the original game. This is for several reasons:

a.) Peasants have been eliminated.
b.) Everyone (both the human and the AI factions) start with more troops and more infrastructure. Hence, pretty much everyone can start training some of their more decent units (such as feudal seargents and FMAA's) right away.
3.) The strategic AI has been improved. The other factions are now better at developing infrastructure in their provinces, and therefore train more of their better units.

There's a lot of other stuff, too, but that covers the main things I can think of at the moment.