Terrae Expugnandae 4.0 Preview

Just a little preview of what will be in 4.0:

Terrae Expugnandae forum:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forum...ysprune=&f=114

Terrae Expugnandae 4.0 will be a significant improvement over previous versions of the mod. Not only will it include many of the features from previous versions, it will also include many new ones, the full list of what it will change from normal RTw is listed below:
Features list
-reskins for nearly every unit for every faction
-unified rome - now only one roman faction, so no annoying senate!
-2 new factions - brutii and scipii have been converted into Epirus and Baktria
-Mundus Magna v3 implemented as Imperial Campaign map
-unique victory conditions for all factions
-edited custom battle locations - everyone is different from the RTw one
-Genetics, Ageing, Family and Health traits and ancilliaries added in
-SignifierOnes animation pack implemented
-new unit cards for all reskinned units done by Kaweh K
-sprites for all units so there will be a significant performance increase over previous versions
-DarthsFormation Mod 12.0 included, but modified by me to work best with TE - seriously improves ai battle behaviour
-longer lasting battles
-recruitment and upkeep costs doubled from TE 3.1 so battles are now more decisive
-recruitable generals - but they are expensive
-night battles added in to campaign, and torches added to night battles!
-new icons for all factions done by Kaweh K
-new battlemap banners for greece, thrace, romans, thrace, numidia, carthage, macedon, gaul, germania, dacia, britons
-reskinned agents for all factions with a new faction colour
-urban cohort, praetorian cavalry, war dogs, flaming pigs and arcani removed
-romans can only build onagers, after the marian refroms
-new unit added - imperial heavy cohort for the romans (please dont spam them or it will make the game too easy as the romans) and unique units for epirus and baktria:baktrian agema and chaeonian guard for eprius
-no more machine gun arrow towers in sieges, rate of fire is much much slower
-each factions campaign ai tweaked slightly to make them stronger
-realistic horse mod by pinarius included
-new loading screens done by me
-rebels are stronger so it is a challenge expanding
-peasents no longer recruiable in campaign
-more starting money for all factions - greatly increases the challenge
-rebels no longer get peasents, now they are a challenge to fight!
-skymod courtsey of Archer
-new forts courtesy of lt1956
-single player historical battles are still playable - i have made all of them work with this mod apart from Telamnon which doesn't work for some reason.

The new factions:

Baktria

Quote:

---

It is not known whether Bactria formed part of the Median Empire, but it was subjugated by Cyrus the Great, and from then formed one of the satrapies of the Persian empire. After Darius III of Persia had been defeated by Alexander the Great and killed in the ensuing chaos, his murderer Bessus, the satrap of Bactria, tried to organize a national resistance based on his satrapy. Alexander conquered Bactria without much difficulty; it was only in Sogdiana to the north, beyond the Oxus, that he met strong resistance. Bactria became a province of the Macedonian empire, and soon came under the rule of Seleucus, king of Asia. The Macedonians (and especially Seleucus I and his son Antiochus I) established the Seleucid Empire, and founded a great many Greek towns in eastern Iran, and the Greek language became for some time dominant there. The paradox that Greek presence was more prominent in Bactria than in areas far more adjacent to Greece could possibly be explained by the supposed policy of Persian kings to deport unreliable Greek colonists to this the most remote province of their huge empire. The many difficulties against which the Seleucid kings had to fight and the attacks of Ptolemy II of Egypt, gave to Diodotus, satrap of Bactria, the opportunity of making himself independent (about 255 BC) and of conquering Sogdiana. He was the founder of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. Diodotus and his successors were able to maintain themselves against the attacks of the Seleucids particularly Antiochus III the Great, who was ultimately defeated by the Romans (190 BC).

---

Taken from wikipedia

Situated to the east of the Seleucid Empire, Baktria has an interesting starting position. With the Seleucid Empire overstretched at the beginning, Baktria could expand quickly by taking lands from it. But there are also large rebel provinces nearby, though these will not be as easy to conquer as you think they will be.

Just some of the units you will get as Baktria:

Agema

https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...gema5ed.th.jpg

After the collapes of Alexanders empire into the successor states, Baktria found it was left with none of his Argyrapsids or Hypaspists. Drawn from the upper echelons of Baktrian society, these elite soldiers are armed with the sarissa pike, the traditional hoplon shield, and armoured in a breast plate and helm similar to the one worn by the famous Companions. When close-quarter fighting starts they also carry short swords like other pikemen.

Greek Cataphracts

https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...acts7vz.th.jpg

After first meeting cataphracts in battle, the Seleucids decided to create their own version of them, realising what they could add to their army. Heavily armoured, these are pure shock cavalry, the very best that the Seleucids and Baktrians can recruit.

Companions

https://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...ions3sp.th.jpg

Companion Cavalry are a social and military elite, and fight as heavy cavalry using shock and mass to break enemy units. They are the direct heirs to the Companions of Alexander the Great and his father, Philip of Macedon, and they revel in this proud heritage.

Horse Archers

https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...cher0so.th.jpg

Horse archers are a speciality of the East: swift horses and expert marksmen make a deadly combination. They are armed with a powerful bow and a dagger for defence, but they are not armoured and should not be expected to fight other than to escape. Horse archers rely on the maxim that 'speed is armour' to keep them out of trouble. Infantry have no hope of catching them, but other cavalry may be able to chase them down. Wise eastern commanders know this, and deploy horse archers with other cavalry to act as a deterrent to over-ambitious pursuit by an enemy.

Epirus

Quote:

---

The Epirotes seem to have initially been regarded with some disdain by the Greeks of the south. The 5th century BC historian Thucydides describes them as "barbarians" and the only Epirotes regarded as truly Greek were the Aeacidae, who claimed to be descended from Neoptolemus, son of Achilles. Plutarch mentions an interesting cultural element of the Epirotes regarding Achilles. In his biography of king Pyrrhus, he claims that Achilles "had a divine status in Epirus and in the local dialect he was called Aspetos" (Pyrrhus, 1, 3-4). The Aeacidae established the Molossian dynasty, who built a state in Epirus from about 370 BC onwards, expanding their power at the expense of rival tribes. The Molossians allied themselves with the increasingly powerful kingdom of Macedon and in 359 BC the Molossian princess Olympias, niece of Arybbas of Epirus, married King Philip II of Macedon. She was to become the mother of Alexander the Great. On the death of Arybbas, Alexander of Epirus succeeded to the throne and the title King of Epirus. Aeacides of Epirus, who succeeded Alexander, espoused the cause of Olympias against Cassander, but was dethroned in 313 BC.

---

Taken from wikipedia

Now with territroy in Italy and Epirus, the starting position is strong, especially with the new king Pyrrhus at the head of a large army near Tarentum. Epirus must expand fast if it wants to survive in this hostile world. The threat of the Greeks and Macedonians to the south of Epirus, and the mighty Romans to the north in Italy means that early victories are key. If Epirus can expand quickly, and win early victories, it will have the chance to be a great kingdom. If not, its future will be short.

Some of the units you will command as King of the Epirotes:

Chaeonian Guard

https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...gema6hw.th.jpg

Chaeonian Guard is the elite military unit of Eprius, fiercly loyal to the Epirot King. Battle hardened veterans, they fight in the phalagnite style. Armed with Sarissa long pike, and with a linen curiass armour, round hoplon style shield and helmet, they excel in defence, but can also be very effective offensively. When forced into close combat they are armed with a short sword like other pikemen.

Companions

https://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...ions4wr.th.jpg

Companion Cavalry are a social and military elite, and fight as heavy cavalry using shock and mass to break enemy units. They are the direct heirs to the Companions of Alexander the Great and his father, Philip of Macedon, and they revel in this proud heritage.

Hoplites

https://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...lite1nl.th.jpg

The basis of nearly all military power in Greece once revolved around the hoplite. Operating in phalanxes, or tightly grouped blocks, these men are a powerful force against infantry or cavalry.

The new custom battle maps

Here is what just some of the edited custom battle mpas look like:

https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...lley1wi.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...tium7yc.th.jpghttps://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...oast5ud.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...land8qv.th.jpghttps://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...asin4vo.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...rdan7od.th.jpghttps://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7844/rome3dp.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...ands2qn.th.jpg

Screenshots

These screenshots were taken by me, and by the very helpful beta testers Hader102 and viramur, who are helping to make 4.0 the most bug free version yet. Many of these pics will be used for loading screens

https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/1549/12ry.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/8223/28mg1.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/7311/40zd.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/7208/51bo.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/4419/67tt.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...10jd9mf.th.jpghttps://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...04qu6sb.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...85py8yv.th.jpghttps://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...30xs7ra.th.jpghttps://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...09zi0yl.th.jpghttps://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...y0yd4mq.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...17bk8mo.th.jpghttps://img109.imageshack.us/img109/...15oy1kl.th.jpghttps://img157.imageshack.us/img157/...39np1yk.th.jpghttps://img442.imageshack.us/img442/...15tr0fi.th.jpghttps://img313.imageshack.us/img313/6701/war52ze.th.jpghttps://img442.imageshack.us/img442/8131/war46dx.th.jpghttps://img313.imageshack.us/img313/5431/war8gz.th.jpg

Hope you enjoyed this preview of 4.0!

Great Job Lusted collecting all this great material together!Big thumbs up!:2thumbsup:

Nice preview - previews & other promotional material live in Mod Discussion though. Moved from the Forge.

Sorry Er, its just that lots of mods have promotional threads in the Forge.

Looks great Lusted! Was it hard to convert the Brutii ansd Scipii? How did you get rid of the Senate missions and the shared line of sight?

Ah, it is quite simple converting factions in 1.5, all you have to do is edit the culture line in descr_sm_factions, and to get rid of senate missions simply remove the superfaction senate line in descr_strat for the roman families.

Thanks man! wow Vanilla Rome just got a bit better for me..:D

I really like this mod and it has quickly become my current favourite. The Imperial heavy cohorts look awesome on the battlefield. The battles seem a lot more detailed and fun again for me.

Really nice work Lusted. Great job in fact.

And some of those loading screens are very cool!

Another thing I've found is the Naval Models in SPQR6.2 would look fantastic in this mod, and complete it entirely for me as the ultimate RTW 1.5 experience.

Thanks again, great effort mate :2thumbsup:

Just popping in really quick before work as I have encountered a problem I think.
Over the weekend I got all the tech buildings needed for Samnite Gladiators and the unit isn't showing up in the production que?

Have I missed something or was it excluded from the mod as a final decision or something? As the text is there for the Collesium saying enables Samnite Gladiators.

Anyway having a great time with the mod, and hope this can be resolved soon.

Cheers :2thumbsup:

Quote:

---

-recruitable generals - but they are expensive

---

Neat, I wonder how you accomplished that.

Crazy, I'm not even gonna try to guess how you did all this..:wall:

Yeah recruitable Generals was a sterling move for sure. Game progresses better and you can create better armies without having lack of family members to lead them. Great fun.


Encountered another problem : ( Playing as Gauls and attacking venice (or something) the game crashes. It's not tied to a year or anything as I reloaded and tried it at different years. I know that at least... My next move is to let the Romans take it and see if it works when I besiege them instead heh...

And wow! tough rebels hey? lol!