MTW-Redux Beta Released!

[Axalon]

Hi there Faenaris and Faremisch, glad to hear you guys like and enjoy redux. A little encouragement and approval for the things you do always feels good. So thanks for that. (The best way to show support and appreciation for redux are probably to be active and post plenty of interesting stuff here in this redux forum - in case anybody were wondering that is). Anyway….

As a general suggestion to the both of you (and others); there is a new redux player-thread around the corner and feel free to post away and share experiences and questions with others right there. Perhaps things like; what to look out for in redux and what the big differences there are in comparison with the original or anything else that you guys feel is interesting for new redux-players (Feanaris; you have already started on that path in your post – perhaps you would like to do some more right there?). I would love to get that place going but at the same time I am really not the one who should be active there (I am too accustomed with redux circumstances so its probably better if such discussions are done by others on a general principle). Now, if hard-core tactics and battle-reports (AAR as it apparently is called around here at the Org.) are more your kind of thing we also got a place for that as well – the Battle Reports thread. I'll be happy to babble away with you guys or any other redux-players right there.



Faenaris: Let me start by droping a few remarks on RTW and M2TW. I fully agree with you on the RTW and M2TW thing – both are entertaining games but they can’t compete with a good altered version of MTW or plain STW. Oh boy, I could get elaborate on this but it is probably better that I don’t. To keep it short and tempered then; personally I am always amused when people try to seriously maintain that RTW (and M2TW) can compete at all with MTW or STW. They can’t – as simple as that. And this just not a matter of preference - it is a matter of simple things like functionality, stability and unacceptable loading times for a commercial game to name a few reasons as for why. In fact TW-games have probably become more and more unstable for each new title! ETW is the most unstable TW-game I have ever tried to date - I wanted to play it but ETW apparently had other plans and instead showed me 101 ways to crash in style... None of the other TW-games come even close that track-record! No, I’ll manage just fine with the “old and rusty” GFX of MTW – besides I do improve it a bit in redux. At any rate, it is not a mere chance that I work with MTW and completely disregard M2TW as an option....

Now, as for your laptop and the future of MTW. When it dies (and it will) get yourself an ATI-card. The semi old X-1xxx series should work with redux and some omega drives (if you go for XP. For win2k default drives should just work fine). Such a card should be fairly cheap. As for you writing away around here – I welcome it (but you probably already knew that). After all it’s more fun! So write away as much as you like. The new player thread is, as I said earlier, the place to post for all stuff that might be interesting to new players of redux. Discoveries, questions, opinions and tips – all from a new players perspective - things like that.

Finally, a few remarks on what you wrote then. The RX-combat system is different than the original – it is more lethal, diverse and unforgiving to the player’s mistakes in the field. Many catholic troops are highly specialized and if used incorrectly or carelessly they can very well end up with heavy losses. Also the economics is harsher and on top of that troops cost a lot more than in any other version I know about. Redux support costs might be regarded as low for some, but I feel that they are just right. Commissioning new and fancy troops should cost a lot - but providing food and maintenance for existing troops should not! Short of the Byzantines which is the one exception in redux (see post: 58). Essentially redux is tougher all over. Better AI, tougher enemy armies and way more tactical diversity also contribute to creating a more interesting and difficult game as whole. You can’t expect to get the same impressive results in redux as you can in the original (as I have said many times before). The original MTW is a lot easier to play and with a lot less crucial parameters to consider while playing it. It is all connected to things like AI, army compositions, combat system, tactical standardizations of existing units, smaller and less diverse tech-trees, fatter and friendlier economics to name some of the big reasons as for why. Some people like it like that – I don’t. As simple as that.

At any rate, I am glad that you did "write away" here...


Faremisch: I suspect a formal welcome to the Org is redundant in your case. You obviously have been lurking around the Org. before and know the drill. For what it’s worth; I offer my approval for the move to break your lurking ways. Feel free to stick around and post reduxy things here as much as you like now that your lurking days are over. As Faenaris quite correctly gathered, quantity of Verdanas is not an issue around here - after all my own posts tend get big now and then (as this one for instance). Elsewhere it might be preferred to keep posts short but that does not apply here in the "duchy of reduxmark".


Western: As for the remarks you made concerning Spain in post:271. I do agree with you. If circumstances vary the common ground for a discussion about it becomes very limited. However, I want to make it clear to you and everybody else that I would welcome a “redux modders corner” if someone should want to set up such a place here. In essence a thread for those of you who like and play upon the redux-plattform but just the same make or would like to make your own special altered versions of redux on top of it. Throw in 5000 knight orders or whatever. A place to exchange and discuss ideas, and to show others what modifications has and could be done – things like that essentially. Of course, experience shows that whenever I do present these kinds of suggestions nothing happens – so I can’t say that I expect this to ever happen (but it would be fun). Why do I even bother to try....

Anyway, as for Spain and 3rd edition of redux. I decided a few weeks back to re-draw the map for the Iberian Peninsula and it will look something like this….


This is what the Iberian penisula will look like in 3rd ed.

Now, since I am stuck with the limitations of MTW 1.1 it means that my options and possibilities for further alterations on the map are highly limited due to massive hard-coded obstacles (108 provinces might work in VI but in plain MTW - I doubt it, they won’t work as supposed to anyhow). So, I can only play around with the map so much. If I was only working with the VI-version it would be a different and easier story – but the fact is that I don’t so that’s why. And, I want both standard and VI-redux versions to be as coherent as possible – as said many times before. Anyway, if I remember everything correctly the cutting of Cordoba is hardly unique and most other versions have that as well. However, the other few things I done here might be more unusual but more importantly I feel that this will probably help out to make things less dependent on Cordoba. Which is good thing for the entire region.

Anyway, the changes of the strat-map means that 3rd edition will not be compatible with any saved games from older versions of redux. This is indeed news and it perhaps something that you guys would like to know about in advance (now you do). So there you have it. There will also be some other changes for the map but all these are on a limited (yet effective ) scale to function within the borders of MTW 1.1.

Oki, that is enough of me for now.


- Cheers