Questions & Ideas

[lenin96]

I'm just wondering what things will be in this mod, so lets post our ideas.

[Sir Beane]

PeverGREEN knows this already, but I would like a BigMap version of the map, complete with as many provinces as we can physically cram into it. In addition to that it would be nice to see a few more places make an appearance, such as Indonesia and more of Africa and South America.

I'd also like to see certain islands become provinces. Iceland (if it isn't already) Svalbard (to the North of Norway) the Canary Islands, the Scilly Isles, The Hebredies, all of the Caribbean islands as their own provinces, and the same for the islands in the Bahamas. And maybe if the map extends far enough why not throw in the Galapogos islands as well.

Also it might be nice to make places such as France and Spain more than one province, depending on how it works in-game.

Other than that it might be fun to try and add more emergent factions into the game. And maybe try and create a viable pirate faction (although that could be for another mod).

What do people think about these ideas?

[pevergreen]

ITS pevergreen! RAWR.

Well, as for islands becoming provinces, that will be no problem. As for a bigmap, I'm thinking area, not just the map already given. But for an initial release, why not!

This isn't planned to be a major historical mod, but if I think France/Spain/others should have a bigger platform to launch off, then sure. But keep in mind, your opinions matter more than mine. If you guys want stuff changed/balanced, let me know and I'll do it.

Depending on programs needed, I may also begin a spinoff that would add new units and factions.

[Megas Methuselah]

We can hope there won't be a faction limit, but who knows?

[Fisherking]

How difficult is it to add factions?

Adding the units and perhaps techs? Any idea about that from working in M2?

If you are adding all that land it has to be populated. Just wondering about the peoples of the South West Pacific…also adding more tribes to North America is not a bad idea. South America would be mostly conquered, outwardly at least…some of the tribes there still are wild, like parts of New Guinea were until recently.

[pevergreen]

As for extending the map, I think I will be forced to fill it with unhistorical units to start with.

Going on M2TW, adding a faction is quite a bit of work, even if you use pre exisiting units (which will have incorrect colours and so on). It will help if CA releases the SDK.

It can be done, but will take some time, as the base I have within M2TW may not help, due to the new engine and such. Maybe it will be tons easier to add a unit.

[Sir Beane]

As for extending the map, I think I will be forced to fill it with unhistorical units to start with.

Going on M2TW, adding a faction is quite a bit of work, even if you use pre exisiting units (which will have incorrect colours and so on). It will help if CA releases the SDK.

It can be done, but will take some time, as the base I have within M2TW may not help, due to the new engine and such. Maybe it will be tons easier to add a unit.

In my opinion Africa will be hard to do accurately given the variety and number of the various local tribes. Asia will be even harder, probably impossible, given the various Asian cultures and how different their architecture and units would look.

On the plus side you can add in the whole of South America without being too incorrect. Just fill it with Spain and Portugal and it will be more or less accurate to history. And Australia is practically deserted at the time. The aboriginal tribes did very little fighting, so representing Australia as more or less deserted would not be too inaccurate.

There are quite a few places that were occupied by a faction already in game that can be added in without problems. A lot of island chains (especially tropical ones) come to mind.

[pevergreen]

And as for those areas, I think we could suffer them to be there, and populated with incorrect unit types.

Australia...<3.

And as this is Extended Vanilla Mod, I don't want to be changing too much. The player should be able to play vanilla, then see this as an extended version. Not too much new stuff. We can go off on crazy sub mods though.

[Sir Beane]

And as for those areas, I think we could suffer them to be there, and populated with incorrect unit types.

Australia...<3.

And as this is Extended Vanilla Mod, I don't want to be changing too much. The player should be able to play vanilla, then see this as an extended version. Not too much new stuff. We can go off on crazy sub mods though.

I heartily agree with the decision to keep the mod as vanilla is possible. Changing too much can alienate people who liked vanilla.

Making the mod as modular as possible using sub mods is a really good idea. Allowing players to mix and match exactly what features they want to install can help avoid people not downloading the mod because they dislike one feature.

You could divide the mod into certain sections. For instance:

Extended Map - Mod that adds in more land and more provinces

Rebalances - If the game is rebalanced then this could include those changes.

New Units - Adds in new units (if any get made of course)

Timeline Changes - Contains any change made to the timeline of the game, for instance the number of turns, turns taken to build thnigs etc.

This is just an example of course. The idea is that you could download one big mod with all the changes, or lots of little mods to allow you to pick the features you want. I suggest this because there are a number of larger mods I got for Med 2 that I liked some of but not all of. For example The Long Road, I loved the larger map and new traits and ancillaries, and the new units, but disliked the huge increase to building times (I do realise that increasing times was more or less the point of the mod ).

I'm not experienced in modding of course so I have no idea how easy or hard this would be to do. If you think I'm getting too carried away with suggestions then feel free to tell me to keep quiet.

[pevergreen]

Based off what I've done with the previous games, it shouldn't actually be too hard to do. In some cases, a few files would be different depending on how many submods you are running, but if I really went to town, I could probably write a program to do it all.

[Polemists]

DUnno

I don't know if this will be a problem again, but I know in MTW2 Age was a problem. You'd have a son's older then fathers, father's who had sons when they were 10, and people living to be 85...in the MIDDLE AGES.

So if this is a problem again I'd like to see ages fixed to be more realistic.

I know there was a mtw2 mod that did this, so should be able to be redone.

[pevergreen]

Really? I'm pretty sure children are not able to father a child until they are Generals (18) and married. Otherwise they don't get the chance per turn. And i've never seen or heard or had any issues about age, besides the sometimes long lifespans.

[Polemists]

Yea this was with Rome, it was a early version issue. I havn't paid enough attention to MTW2 to notice any problems, other then the fact that if your a monarchy you may only get 3-4 kings in the period.


Longer time span/turns sounds good to :)

[pevergreen]

but I know in MTW2 Age was a problem.

I know there was a mtw2 mod that did this, so should be able to be redone.

Yea this was with Rome,

I'm sure you can see where my confusion came from.

Now, brb wisdom tooth pain.

[Fisherking]

I was wondering about Individual Generals and Admirals.

I am sure the named ones start with a set of traits and abilities.

Is it a simple process to add Personalities which were left out, or is it going to be difficult?

[pevergreen]

by personalities i presume you mean traits/V&V. it is easy to modify starting ones, yes. adding new units on the campaign map should be easy as well (eg. spain gets another general with x units that have y xp.

[Fisherking]

by personalities i presume you mean traits/V&V. it is easy to modify starting ones, yes. adding new units on the campaign map should be easy as well (eg. spain gets another general with x units that have y xp.

Then when the game is out I am sure I will have a wish list of Leaders I would like to see in the game, that CA has left out or over looked.








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[Polemists]

Mighty pevergreen, I seek your infinite mod wisdom lol


So when/if a mod is made to increase turns, is there a way so it's 2 turns summer 2 turns winter? Rather then say summer winter, summer winter. Or can you only increase turns and not seasons?

Just curious.

[Sir Beane]

I have a question (surprise surprise ).

I really want to see Australia in the game, but I'm wondering how you will represent it. While the coastal regions and parts of the inland area are heavily populated the majority of the centre of the continent is a big red desert with nothing of use to an Empire (as I'm sure you know).

So how are you planning on spacing out provinces and cities? Especially given that during the time period there weren't many large settlements in the country.

[Megas Methuselah]

Mighty pevergreen, I seek your infinite mod wisdom lol


So when/if a mod is made to increase turns, is there a way so it's 2 turns summer 2 turns winter? Rather then say summer winter, summer winter. Or can you only increase turns and not seasons?

Just curious.

A script. However, I'd think it'd be better with 3 summers and 1 winter for spring, summer, fall, and winter.

[pevergreen]

I dont have a lot of experience with turn scripting, but I do believe there is a guide on it in the M2TW modding area. It should be possible.

Sir Beane, There are more settlements in the outback than you would think. Although I only know of a few larger ones and those within my state, it won't be hard. I'm thinking of having it like America was in M2TW, a few cities, with more stacks of troops, as the Aboriginies were mobile.

[Incongruous]

Don't know if I can post in here, but here goes anyway.

I reckon a unit movement slowdown will probably be required, judging from our most recent experiences, I also expect that the need will arise for slightly less accurate and damaging stats for muskets and cannons, just a guess.

I know that this may make some roll their eyes at the idea of a slow and tedious battle, but imho, MTW allowed for amazingly good musket duels (arty left alot to be desired) because they were drawn out. The way the game played meant that the primary job of the player was to manouvre correcty.
I truly mean correctly, for it should be so that you must make a decision about where your army will be and try as hard as you can to get it there, if you misjudge what it takes to get there or the position itself, game over.

For this is what battles were really about, gaining the best position, not "KILLZ THEM!", if you managed to take the best ground and hold it or force the enemy off it, you had probably just won the battle.
But I feel that in order for this aspect of war to be properly done, units must be slow moving and less effective with muskets that what I expect CA have made them, otherwise as you attmpt to take the hill, your army will be shredded as if those muskets were repeater rifles.

[Polemists]

I wouldn't mind seeing a fifth trade theatre, though I don't know where it would be or what it would include or if it could be added.

[Sir Beane]

I dont have a lot of experience with turn scripting, but I do believe there is a guide on it in the M2TW modding area. It should be possible.

Sir Beane, There are more settlements in the outback than you would think. Although I only know of a few larger ones and those within my state, it won't be hard. I'm thinking of having it like America was in M2TW, a few cities, with more stacks of troops, as the Aboriginies were mobile.

Excellent. I realise there are a lot of settlements in the outback around now, my point was that there weren't back then. Not for a while anyway. But if you put in the ones that are around now it won't be a problem to have them exist a few years early.

I cannot wait to run around Australia. Please, please make kangaroos, koalas, or some other stereotypical Aussie animal into a Trade Resource. Just to add to the Down Under flavour. (I hate to stereotype, but I do love Australia's wildlife)

One small question. If reefs are represented in game then will you be modeling the Great Barrier Reef?

[pevergreen]

Oh yes, of course I will!

I'm thinking if any animal should be represented it would have to be the wombat.

[Chloe]

If the unpacker is released with Empires then I might be able to reskin a few units.

[lenin96]

I hope we don't need an unpacker, that really annoyed me with M2TW.

[pevergreen]

If the unpacker is released with Empires then I might be able to reskin a few units.

Awesome!

[Fisherking]

One thing I saw mentioned that disturbed me was that troops unloaded from sea have no movement.

Perhaps the new system does not calculate reaming movement points of the force any longer. This is good for the naval movement but not really accurate.

I would much rather see landed units have a small amount of movement even if it is something of an exploit, than to have none at all.

6 months is a long time. Movement has never reflected real life distances and giving units some small amount of movement is better than none at all.

I guess we will have to see how it plays in the game but it may be something worth looking into.

[Sir Beane]

I'd like to ask if we can add Switzerland into the game as a faction? Because recent reviews suggest it is no longer in there for some reason.