The EB/BI 1.6 project

[Maion Maroneios]

Hello fellas,

I, as most of you out there, am a huge EB fan. It is, IMHO, the mother of all mods. In my humble jurney to please my own tastes, I have always made my own little changes to EB, like playing with the BI engine, adding the BI formations and other things.

Let me get to the point; I have always wanted to play EB with as many BI features as possible, in order to enhance gameplay, as well as historical accuracy. I was wondering if anyone out there was willing to help me with this project, which will convert EB to be completely playable with the BI engine patched to 1.6, along with many extra features available to this awesome expansion.

I have already started doing some minor changes, but there are still plenty of things I'd like to implement. Here are some of the things I want to implement, as well as the basic things I have already done so far;

1) Play EB with BI.exe, obviously (done)
2) Add shield_wall, schiltrom formations for specific units (semi-done)
3) Add the can_swim, warcry and can_horde attributes for specific units (semi-done)
4) Implement the religion system for EB (not done)
5) Make specific factions become hording factions (semi-done)
6) Make specific factions re-emergent (semi-done)
7) Add night battles (not done)

I am eagerly awaiting for your thoughts and ideas about this, as I was originally planning of doing this myself. If this is worked by as many as possible, we can complete and release this project to the public. Anyone interested in helping me, please pm me!

[Mediolanicus]

I'm not such a fan of schiltrom and can_swim myself, and I've added shield wall and warcry myself to the EDU, but I'm really looking forward to the other features!
I didn't know you could make factions re-emergent?

[brymht]

I actually already did this for the BI campaign I was playing, for the most part. Keep in mind, adding shield wall and shiltrom will actually unbalance many units that were meticulously balanced by the EB folks, and quite well most of the time. So be very careful how its done. In my campaign, it generally meant that the only units who could go up against a unit of professional solders with shield_wall was another unit of professionals with shield_wall. It usally means that even high end levy troops, like alpine short swords, will be far more ineffective against any kind of shield wall troop than they otherwise would be. This is one reason I switched to Alex.

Night battle, shieltrom and other such things tend to be bonuses without any drawbacks.

Unfortunately, the warcry and berzerk attributes require a LOT of work. Warcry can often be a detriment, since it takes a few seconds for barb factions, which seems bad.

Berzerk is NOT built for EB At all. Just adding berzerk to a unit will cause it to spin around stupidly and get killed very quickly. I wouldn't use it. I took it out pretty quick.

[Maion Maroneios]

OK, that's why I would like your ideas. So berzerk should be erased... As for making factions re-emergent, it is possible.

I had the idea of making the Pahlava re-emergent through Arche Seleukeia rebellion (which tends to happen in the eastern regions), as well as the Saka Rauka through Baktrian rebellion. This is mostly to make sure those factions actually come to destroy the ones they are attached to. Like the Pahlava fighting against the AS and the Saka against the Baktrians, like they historically did.

Another idea I had, is adding the hording ability for several factions. I am actually pretty sure I'm gonna make the Sweboz and Sauromatae hording factions. For others I seek your guidance. I have managed to make this possible with the Sweboz, but the faction symbols beame the original BI one's and the option of abandoning a settlement and becoming a horde is still unavailable...

[Maion Maroneios]

Guys, I need your help in some things;

1) Which factions to become hording ones
2) What horde units there should be in each of the factions you want (6 in total for each faction)
3) Factions you wish to be re-emergent

I have already done some stuff, for example I made the Arverni and Aedui shadow each other, like the Eastern and Western Empire rebels in BI. This means that, whenever a settlement of either of those two factions rebels, it goes over to the other. Also, if one of the two is destroyed and a settlement of the one alive rebels, the dead faction will be resurrected. This also means I will probably enable the loyalty system for the Gallic factions

Another thing I am thinking of doing, is to do more or less the same with other factions. Any ideas on this as well?

[Hax]

1) Which factions to become hording ones
2) What horde units there should be in each of the factions you want (6 in total for each faction)
3) Factions you wish to be re-emergent

1) Sweboz, Saka-Rauka, Sauromatae, Pahlava.

2) I'll get back to this.

3) A good candidate would be the Koinon Hellenon for this.

Also, I'd be very happy to help with modding the stuff, so if you need any help you can give me a call. Or something.

[konny]

2) Add shield_wall, schiltrom formations for specific units (semi-done)

I think shield wall would be good for Hoplites, Iphikratians and other semi-phalanx units. Needs testing, of course.

3) Add the can_swim, warcry and can_horde attributes for specific units (semi-done)

Swimming would be for unarmoured units. Horde units are clones of the existing units, but these always require a unit slot. There are some left, but not very much.

Warcry would be very much available for most Barbarian units (but the others might have such kinds of encouragements too). The only candidate for berserc I can think of are the Gaesatae.

4) Implement the religion system for EB (not done)

That's a couple of work. It was discussed in another thread. With three "religions" I would go for:
- Greek-Roman
- Western (including Dacia)
- Eastern (including Saba and Carthage)

Invasio Barbarorum has more than three religions ASFAIK. It would also require a lot of rework on the trait file and EDB.

7) Add night battles (not done)

I think the repective traits are still in the EB trait file and re just commented out.

3) Factions you wish to be re-emergent

The Successor factions might all shadow each other. I would not make Parthia or other non-Hellenic factions shadow one of these. Unfortuantly there are no faction slots left to make counterfactions. The only candidate for deletion would be Bactria by handing her province to AS and make them a counterfaction of AS (the greys will certainly lose lands in the East by rebellion very fast).

The Ptolemaioi usually have rebellions in their Southern provinces. Nevertheless these Satraps can as well declare for the Seleucid king and become grey provinces. Currently these lands go over to Saba, who do not make much out of the situation.

Makedonia and Epeiros do not suffer much from rebellion, but if they should shadow each other.

I would also keep an eye on sharing MICs to make the rebels really effective.

[Victor1234]

As I've posted on the TWC forums, I'm eagerly awaiting this mod, but in the meantime....

Perhaps you could check out the work done by this mod to reduce your workload or to get ideas?

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...58#post1946858

Good luck with your project!

[Maion Maroneios]

Thank you Victor, though I've already managed to add night battles and make EB playable with bi.exe. Anyways, as for hording factions it will be Sweboz, Sauromatae and Saka Rauka. I'm open to other suggestions though, like maybe Getai for example. I would also appreciate it if someone could propose me 6 hording units for each hording faction.

Thank you all again for your interest!

[Pode]

I would also appreciate it if someone could propose me 6 hording units for each hording faction.

Unless someone comes forward with a more knowledge-based answer for the specific factions, I'd just take the first 6 units for each faction listed in the EDB. I.e. the ones buildable at the lowest level native MICs. My rationale for this is that a horde is the entire civilization on the move. The bulk of the population will have some profession other than soldiering, so when they fight they should be represented by the lowest quality militia type units available to the faction.

[Maion Maroneios]

Finished with the hording factions, which include the Sweboz, Sauromatae, Saka Rauka and Getai. All where tested just fine. Now working on unit attributes and formations, next is night battles (again, as I had re-installed EB after some CTD problems) and finally some shieldwall testing with units like the Iphicrateans and Dacian Phalanxes. I think it won't take long untill I release this, maybe a couple of days.

[Havok.]

Will be any difference apart from night battles and the other BI features from the EB

and which EB features you'll change?