MTW-Redux Beta Released!

[Faenaris]

I'm not gonna "butt-in" on the finer points of geography and MTW. All my campaigns in MTW (and Redux, although the Byzantine look interesting) tend to revolve over the northern part of Europe. My opinion on whether Malta or Cyprus should be removed (or not) would be ill-informed and I will trust in your expertise on that, gentlemen. :) I am curious about the "rebellion bug" though. MTW can't handle very high rebellion values?

Also, thanks for the tips about the Ati Cards, Axalon. I'll go hunt down one of those, just to keep a "low"-tech pc handy. You can maroon me with that pc, the bare essentials to keep my alive and a copy of MTW with some Redux goodness. I'll be a happy gamer for quite a long time.

The changes that Redux makes to the combat mechanics are for the Greater Good. It all feels more challenging and you do need to keep your head in the game. I rarely had to make great strategic plans simply because I would just smash my opposition without much effort. In Redux, all the tweaks will eat you up if you are being too casual about it. The Lithuanians will eat you up too, but that's a different story. Damn pagans, coming to my lands, stealing my cattle and women... *grumble*

[bamff]

Hi Axalon

I too am looking forward to the release of 3rd edition of Redux. I have been wandering the lands of XL for some time now, and have reached that point where a new challenge is required. All of the reviews that I have read thus far have been very positive indeed, so I thought that perhaps it is to the lands of Redux to which I must ride.

Yes, I know I could have a crack at the existing version, but with the new one so close.....

Okay, in the meantime I will keep following your development posts in an attempt to prepare myself for the VERY different world that I will eventually experience!

[Durango]

Why for the love of god and his uncle's mother do you use MTW 1.1!!!!oneoneone111!!!

Your work and vision should not be held back, IMHO

I will be eager to try out Redux 3 when it comes out.

[Axalon]

Hi guys,

I am happy to greet both sir Bamff and jarl Durango welcome to these parts of the Org. Castle Redux (this sub-forum) is always open to all traveling knights, warriors and vikings alike. We got wine (mead for the vikings), meat and sinful princesses in abundance so that’s why Faenaris feel right at home around here I’d guess….


Bamff: you do what you want of course and yes the differences between 2nd and 3rd edition are substantial so if you prefer to wait for it, by all means go ahead. If you change your mind and want to brush up on your understanding of reduxed battle ahead of the release – you know were to go…

At any rate, feel free to post and hang around here as much as you like. The new player thread is probably the most interesting place for you at this point (possibly the battle & tactics thread as well). If you want, go ahead and post questions there about things you might be wondering about and if we are lucky some redux-player might answer you there (I am too tainted by redux and besides I always got the princess-union on my back anyhow).


Faenaris: Troubles with the Lithuanians eh? Nice to hear that they are doing their job! Great stuff over at the new player thread by the way, that’s just the thing I was talking about.

Now as for rebellion bug, it should be covered in the redux “readme” – “known bugs”-section. The problem is that the original game (MTW 1.1 in particular) can’t handle very well too many rebellions at the same time for one faction. The game have a tendency freeze/crash and the most famous example found in redux got be the Moorish opening bug. You can technically have sky-high rebel values (at least 9) but the chances of a freeze/crash increases with them – thus you can’t have too many high rebel values if you want stable game – and I always want a stable game. Redux got a very good track-record so far in that sense, considering the actual circumstances (the original game itself is buggy and can get unstable on occasions – particularly MTW 1.1).

ATI is the way to go as far as MTW goes anyhow. The X-1xxx should be still available here and there on the market and should not be too expensive either. Redux should work with those and omega-drives (for XP).


Durango: Hehehe... Silly ‘ol me thought it was obvious but apparently it isn’t so I’ll explain it for you (and perhaps others as well) the reasons as for why. Ok, here goes….

One my overriding goals and intentions with public redux from day one was to create a version for MTW that is/was coherent and all over compatible for all major versions of MTW. You should be able to play redux no matter what kind of copy of MTW you got. I want to make it possible for people that play on MTW 1.1 to be able to play the same game as the people that play on top of VI. That way people are able to discuss and debate reduxy things regardless what version they are running on (in fact we already have had a few examples of that in this very forum). There are of course some small differences but it is almost the same game – almost (the VI-version is still a bit tougher, hard-coded reasons in MTW 1.1).

In this sense redux is probably the only one of its kind on the planet and thus stand as unique so far in that regard. MedMod is the only other version besides redux who have compatibility to MTW 1.1, but its two different versions/games that are not even trying to be coherent the way I understand it. The strictly VI-policy have been tried and tested before - and I am no believer in it.

In fact it appears that about 60% of all redux-player use the standard MTW 1.1 edition - with the current numbers of downloads that translates to several hundred players (even if I suspect that some 10% of the total sum is people just downloading and checking out the files and really not playing redux). Even if the (roughly 40%) VI-players seems in general better in downloading fixes and keeping an optimal game going, it would be plain stupid shut down and abandon about 60% of the players just so I could have things a bit easier while working with redux. The additional limits of MTW 1.1 are a price I am willing to pay, considering the alternatives. Going strictly VI is simply out of the question – redux can not afford to do so in order to survive publicly. A few years back maybe - these days, no way. The golden days of support for MTW from the various forums are all gone - even for mods of this magnitude.

Redux is for instance still not stickied over at the TWC and it was some 8-9 months ago I set up the thread there - it has even been in the top 20 threads on that forum/section ever since. Still, it dont get the support and recognition it would get about 3-4 years ago. One might think that the staff/moderators should have by now gathered that redux is easily as worthy of a stickie like any of the other major mods that got such recognition - but evidently this is something that is yet to happen. So, it's harsh times for MTW in general and that makes an impact on redux as well, man. It's all "kindergarten" with the youngsters RTW, M2TW and now ETW that counts these days (no matter that they are pretty much inferior and thus less interesting to play). So, that’s why...

At any rate, with the release of 3rd edition the completion of the standard redux-platform *may* very well be finally realized – it would be real nice anyhow. After the completion of the platform we all could do various expansions (large or small, simple or advanced, no matter) for redux if we like. I might do a smaller expansion for redux that is strictly VI. We’ll see, but I have thought about it from time to time, smaller and tighter scope, new map, less factions and things like that. Perhaps even with a fictional or a low-epic-fantasy theme – it has crossed my mind anyhow. If not, perhaps Scandinavia or the British Isles but all this is just loose ideas at this point, nothing else. Finally, my earlier suggestions to Bamff go for you too…


Oki, that is enough of me for now.

- Cheers

[Leith]

Salutations,gentlemen:

Firstly, allow me to congratulate you on this very ambitious mod, Axalon, which, incidentally, has acquired a permanent space on my harddrive, along with Hellenic:Total War and Middle Earth TW. Secondly, I highly appreciate your continued effort to upgrade and improve the mod, with version 3 being so close to completion. Thirdly, it brings joy to my heart knowing that version 3 won't be your last effort in modding TW. Thus, "A thank you very much" is well-deserved.

Would you be considering adding a couple of new factions to the mod? Personally I wish Scotland were there since neither the original MTW nor the subsequent mods have done justice to Scotland. Since you're planning to add new provinces, perhaps adding Scotland is plausible ? For the record, Scotland is well-represented in Medieval: Total War 2 but I don't enjoy playing MTW2. I could do that myself actually but I am not sure it will be a balanced mod eventually. One thing for sure, I lack your talent in creating superbly done unit icons :) Your mod has managed to get a few lurkers to post, and that should say something :)

All the best!

P.S Life sucks almost on every single level in this country but your mod has brought some joy into my life. Thank you!

[gollum]

Which country is that Leith? Welcome to the org and the MTW section btw.



EDIT

Right Syria, i see, why does it suck so bad Leith? Unemployment or civil disorder or?

[Achilleslastand]

Been spending the last 3 weeks playing ETW........watching and waiting for Redux 3......Sadly i dont ever think CA will eclipse MTW.........Cant wait for version 3