Eras Total War 2.2

[uanime5]

This mod allows yout to start your campaign in 970, 1080, 1200, 1300, 1400, or 1500 and can be downloaded here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1820

NB: this mod requires the official 1.2 patch for M2TW or it will not work. This patch can be downloaded here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1545

Also the launcher for this mod (total_war_eras.bat) has been set to use anglophonic (English language) pathways. If you're playing on a computer set to an non-anglophonic language you will have to change the pathways in the launcher. To do this open the total_war_eras.bat in notepad and find the lines listed below.

SET MTW= "\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\eras\data"
SET M2TW= "\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\eras\data\text"
SET MTW3= "\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\eras\data\menu\symbols"
SET M4TW= "\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\eras\data\ui"
SET M5TW= "\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\eras\data\unit_models\_units"
SET M6TW= "\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\eras\data\unit_models"
SET M7TW= "\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\eras\data\world\maps"

Change them to the following:

SET MTW= "\eras\data"
SET M2TW= "\eras\data\text"
SET MTW3= "\eras\data\menu\symbols"
SET M4TW= "\eras\data\ui"
SET M5TW= "\eras\data\unit_models\_units"
SET M6TW= "\eras\data\unit_models"
SET M7TW= "\eras\data\world\maps"

970

1) Seven new factions; Bulgaria, Burgundy, Cuman, Ireland, Norway, Serbia, and Sweden.
2) New events prevent the recruitment of all but the most basic units.
3) Yes, the HRE is meant to be that big.

1080

1) Five new factions; Cuman, Ireland, Norway, Serbia, and Sweden.
2) Most faction start out with more settlements.
3) Yes, the HRE is meant to be that big.

1200

1) Nine new factions; Aragon, Bulgaria, the Crusader States, Cuman, Ireland, Norway, Novgorod, Serbia, and Sweden.
2) Slightly larger starting armies and some settlements are more developed.
3) Fight against the Mongols.

1300

1) Ten new factions; Aragon, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Genoa, Lithunania, Norway, Novgorod, Serbia, Sweden, and the Teutonic Order. The Mongols are also playable.
2) Much larger starting armies and most settlements have been improved.
3) Face the Bubonic Plague, Timurids, and the rise of gunpowder weapons.

1400

1) Seven new factions; Aragon, Cyprus, Genoa, Lithunania, Novgorod, Serbia, and the Teutonic Order. The Mongols, Timurids, and Milan are also playable.
2) Larger starting armies, though the plague has depopulated most cities.
3) Almost every weapon and unit is available (all units become available once America is discovered).

1500

1) Most of the smaller factions have been absorbed by larger factions.
2) Larger starting armies, mostly gunpowder units and pikemen.
3) All weapons and units are available and most can be recruited.
4) Some new events will occur, though they have no impact on the game.

Conquest vs Achievement

One of the main features of this mod is that the player can choose whether their win conditions will be based on Conquest or Achievment. A Conquest campaigns is won if the player takes a set number of settlements from anywhere on the map, while an Achievement campaign requires the player to defeat certain factions but does not require the player's faction to possess more than one settlement. To access this feature on the campaign screen you need to click where the 'Long / Short' campaign button was.

Total War Eras Installation Guide
0) DOwnload this mod (eras lite 2.2.7z) and unpack it using 7zip (http://www.7-zip.org/).

1) Go to the Medieval II Total War directory (default is C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War).

2) Copy and paste the eras.bat, eras.cfg, and 'eras' folder into the Medieval II Total War directory. These files form the basics of the game.

3) Copy and paste the 'data' folder in the 'eras lite' folder into the Medieval II Total War directory, you will be asked if you wish to overwrite the vanilla 'data' folder, click yes. This will add the shared.sd and strategy.sd in the vanilla 'data\ui' folder. These files are needed to make the factions symbols work but may prevent other mods from working. If you have a problem with other mods try deleting them (there's a spare copy of them in the 'eras\data\ui' folder).

4) To play this mod double click on the 'total_war_eras.bat' file and select the campaign you want to play (you can make this file into a desktop shortcut).

How to Play the 2.2 Version

0) Download the mod
1) Start up this mod by clicking on the 'total_war_eras.bat'.
2) Choose which campaign you want to play (this copies the relevent files).
3) Click on 'Single Player' option in the start menu.
4) Click on 'Imperial Campaign' on the next menu (this mod will now automatically bring up the correct campaign).
5) Select a faction and start this mod.

How to Play the 2.1 Version

0) Download the mod
1) Start up this mod by clicking on the 'total_war_eras.bat'.
2) Click on 'Single Player' option in the start menu.
3) Click on 'Custom Campaign' on the next menu.
4) Choose which campaign you want to play.
5) Select a faction and start this mod.

Additional Files

If the sound does not work copy the whole vanilla 'data/sound' folder to the 'eras/data' folder.

Other mods
The following mod were added to this mod with the permission of their respective authors.

Alternate Crusader Shields (Salty) : improves crusader shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1214

Armoured Generals Mod, Vanilla Style Skins 1.0, Teutonic Campaign Skinpack (Tyre) :
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=106633

Banner & Symbol MOD (joedreck) :
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=93253

Big Map 1.06 (Big Map): increases the number of provinces to 166 and increases the number of resources to 436.[http://www.totalwarmods.com/BigMap%20Download%20Page.html]

Blood, Broads, & Bastards v2.1 (dearmad) : gives factions generals and leader more traits
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...do=file&id=955

Bringing Justice to the Horde! (Kalos) : reskins Mongols
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1651

burrek's Polish Heraldry : (burrek) : reskins some Polish shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1149

burrek's Unique Europeans, Early Period v0.91 (burrek): reskins most European factions' early units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1025

burrek's Unique Europeans, High Period v0.3 (burrek): reskins most European factions' late units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1048

Byg's Grim Reality 2.0 (Byg): character and supply traits (soldiers may munity if you spend too long in enemy terriory).
http://twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=106060

Byzantium Armor Progression Mod V 0.7 (WhiteWolf) :
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1134

Danish Shields (ziher) : reskins some Danish units
http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/m.../mod/11603.html

English Shields (Himmelsfeuer) : reskins some English shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1213

French Shields (Himmelsfeuer) : reskins some French shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1222

HRE shields retexture : (ziher) : reskins some Rebel shields
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1118

Highways mod (selenius4tsd): add highways http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1125

Italian Factions - Shield Mod 1.1 (Salty) : reskins some Italian shields
http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/m...mod/12217.html

Lord Condormanius' Irish Reskin (Lord Condormanius) : reskins Irish units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1755

MapMod: Trees, Textures, Sea v1.7 (Charge) : improves strat map appearence
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=153955

Magyar Mod 1.21 (Csatádi, Hunor) : reskins Hungary
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1506

New Garrison Script (GrnEyedDvl): an AI settlement with a Governor will now recruit mercenaries when it's being sieged. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1522

Ornamentum 1.32 (GubZol and DaNova) : reskins England, Scotland, and Denmark
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=136437

Realistic Walls and Siege Engines for UAI 1.6 (Raptor_341):
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1728

Rebel Shields (ziher) : reskins some Rebel units
http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/m...mod/11960.html

Spanish Shields (ziher) : reskins some Spanish unitshttp://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1146

Scotland Shields (ziher) : reskins some Scottish units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1132

Teutonic Campaign Skinpack (Tyre) : changes the appearence of Teutonic, Lithuanian, and HRE units http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=106633

The Real People Mod (Matz) : gives all agents more traits
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1809

Turk Reskin 1.1 (Eternal Cocoon): reskins Turks
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1044

Ultimate Battle AI 1.2 (GrandViZ): improves AI's fighting ability, conduct during sieges, and unit formation. (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1602)

Ultimate AI Mod 1.6 (GrandViZ): improves AI's behaviour in campaign mod, diplomacy, and unit's attack. (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1643)

Vanilla Style Skins 1.0 (Tyre) : changes the appreance of English, Scottish, and HRE units
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=106633

Xenophonia (Beiss) : gives factions native speach voice packs, got the sound working
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=256

Also I'd like to thank dave scarface for making a descr_events.txt file that works with the Big Map mod and SicilianVespers for all his work on the .bat launch menu.

Known issues

I am aware of the following problems and I am working on a way to fix them.

1) If you click on several factions, rather than just choosing one and starting the game, the mod will crash (to counter this choose the faction you want to play first, then start the game).

2) Since each campaign requires different files loading a save file from one campaign when this mod is set to another campaign's settings may cause the mod to crash. For example if the mod is set to the 970 settings and you try to load a save file from the 1500 campaign the mod may crash.

[poirot]

I downloaded Eras Total War 2.2 and tried to run it, but no matter which Era I chose (1,2,3,4,5), I ended up with 1400.

[I of the Storm]

Same here.

[uanime5]

This sounds like a problem with the laucher (total_war_eras.bat). There are two main causes.

1) You're using the 2.1 total_war_eras.bat file, which was not designed to change campaigns in the same way the 2.2 version does. Try replacing the 'total_war_eras.bat' with the one that came with the 2.2 file abnd see if this helps.

2) The files are not being copied. If you recieve a lot of error messages that you have to cancel this means that the necessary files are not being copied. Try rebooting your computer to see if this fixes the problem.

[I of the Storm]

Since 2.2 is the only version I downloaded it must be 2. Will try once I'm home.

[I of the Storm]

The problem with the error messages is the .bat itself, since it's an english-computers-only bat. How anglocentric!!!

There are the 6 or 7 lines in it which define the path, saying it's "c:\program files\etc..." That's fine with english pc's but in my (german) case it must be "c:\programme\etc..." to function at all.
No big deal and it's easily fixed. Maybe you could put a little remark in the readme for the non-english players?

I just started an early 970 campaign as england. I seem weak, there is a landbridge to mighty France and there is no pope. We'll see...