Getting rid of the peasants

[Prince Cobra]

How to mod them out of the game so that they appear only in rebellions? I have been considering such a step for a long time. I am slightly tired of the hordes of Egyptian peasants in early/high.

P.S. Is it difficult and does it damage the game mechanics in any way?

[drone]

It's easy enough to do, and it improves the game greatly. Open up the crusaders_unit_prod11.txt file in the top level MTW directory with Notepad (copy it to a backup just in case), and search for "Peasants" (match case). This line and the one underneath should look like this:

Peasants	INFANTRY	50	3	1	0	60	100	3	DISCOURAGED	"CATH_REBELS(15), CATH_LOYALISTS(5), CATH_PEASANTS(10), CATH_BANDITS(12), CATH_ZEALOTS(10), ORTH_REBELS(15), ORTH_LOYALISTS(5), ORTH_PEASANTS(10), ORTH_BANDITS(12), ORTH_ZEALOTS(10), ENG_BANDITS(2), CATH_HERETICS(15), ORTH_HERETICS(15), PAG_REBELS(10), PAG_LOYALISTS(10), PAG_PEASANTS(10), PAG_BANDITS(10), PAG_ZEALOTS(10)"		ID_PROVENCE		"POVERTY_STRICKEN(63), DESPERATE_DEFENCE(2.1), CATHOLIC_EXPANSIONIST(16.8), CATHOLIC_NAVAL_EXPANSIONIST(16.8), CATHOLIC_TRADER(21), CATHOLIC_CRUSADER_TRADER(21), CATHOLIC_EXPANSIONIST_CRUSADER(16.8), CATHOLIC_DEFENSIVE_CRUSADER(16.8), POPE(10.5), CATHOLIC_DEFENSIVE(16.8), CATHOLIC_ISOLATIONIST(10.5), ORTHODOX_DEFENSIVE(16.8), ORTHODOX_EXPANSIONIST(16.8), ORTHODOX_STAGNANT(21), MUSLIM_PEACEFUL(21), MUSLIM_EXPANSIONIST(16.8), MUSLIM_DEVOUT(16.8), BARBARIAN_RAIDER(8.4), REBELS(21), CLOSE_TO_SUPPORT_LIMIT(1.05)"		{ CASTLE}	WEAK	-2	ALL_PERIODS	YES	"HEIGHT( 85 ), RADIUS( 25 ), SCALE( 120 ), PROJECTILE_TYPE( NONE ), SAMURAI( NO ), MARCH_SPEED( 6 ), RUN_SPEED( 10 ), CHARGE_SPEED( 11 ), MIN_TURNSPEED( 2 ), MAX_TURNSPEED( 8 ), TURN_TO_MOTION_SPEED( 8 ), MAX_INMOTION_TURN( 96 ), FORMATION_WIDTH_SPACING( 60 ), FORMATION_LENGTH_SPACING( 60 ), ENGAGEMENT_THRESHOLD( 1500 ), CHARGE_BONUS( 4 ), MELEE_BONUS( -2 ), DEFENCE_BONUS( -4 ), ARMOUR_LEVEL( 1 ), HONOUR_LEVEL( -2 ), AMMO( 0 ), FORMATIONS_PREFERRED_NUM_ROWS( 6 )"	NO		"own_unit_tooltip1, own_unit_tooltip2, other_unit_tooltip1,  other_unit_tooltip2"		"PEASANT, YES, YES"		"FN_ARAGONESE, FN_BURGUNDIAN, FN_BYZANTINE, FN_DANISH, FN_ENGLISH, FN_FRENCH, FN_GERMAN_HRE, FN_HUNGARIAN, FN_ITALIAN, FN_NOVGOROD, FN_PAPIST, FN_POLISH, FN_RUSSIAN, FN_SICILIAN, FN_SPANISH, FN_SWISS, FN_GOLDEN_HORDE"		"Missile, Shocktroop, Spear, Cavalry"	"SKIRMISH(1), ADVANCE_PARTY(1),
OUTFLANKING_FORCE(0), MAIN_BODY(2), HOLD_TERRAIN(1), RESERVE(2), REINFORCEMENT(2), ASSAULT(1), ASSAULT_COVER(0), ASSAULT_COVER_CASTLE_ATTACK(0), COVER(0)"	"CATHOLIC, ORTHODOX, PAGAN"		0		UNFORMED	NONE	YES	1	NO	0	0						SWORD		ALL_PERIODS	"FN_ARAGONESE, FN_BURGUNDIAN, FN_BYZANTINE, FN_DANISH, FN_ENGLISH, FN_FRENCH, FN_GERMAN_HRE, FN_HUNGARIAN, FN_ITALIAN, FN_NOVGOROD, FN_PAPIST, FN_POLISH, FN_RUSSIAN, FN_SICILIAN, FN_SPANISH, FN_SWISS, FN_GOLDEN_HORDE"
MuslimPeasants	INFANTRY	50	3	1	0	80	100	3	DISCOURAGED	"MUS_REBELS(15), MUS_LOYALISTS(5), MUS_PEASANTS(15), MUS_BANDITS(12), MUS_ZEALOTS(10), MUS_HERETICS(15)"				"POVERTY_STRICKEN(63), DESPERATE_DEFENCE(2.1), CATHOLIC_EXPANSIONIST(16.8), CATHOLIC_NAVAL_EXPANSIONIST(16.8), CATHOLIC_TRADER(21), CATHOLIC_CRUSADER_TRADER(21), CATHOLIC_EXPANSIONIST_CRUSADER(16.8), CATHOLIC_DEFENSIVE_CRUSADER(16.8), POPE(10.5), CATHOLIC_DEFENSIVE(16.8), CATHOLIC_ISOLATIONIST(10.5), ORTHODOX_DEFENSIVE(16.8), ORTHODOX_EXPANSIONIST(16.8), ORTHODOX_STAGNANT(21), MUSLIM_PEACEFUL(21), MUSLIM_EXPANSIONIST(16.8), MUSLIM_DEVOUT(16.8), BARBARIAN_RAIDER(8.4), REBELS(21), CLOSE_TO_SUPPORT_LIMIT(1.05)"		{ CASTLE}	WEAK		ALL_PERIODS	YES	"HEIGHT( 85 ), RADIUS( 25 ), SCALE( 120 ), PROJECTILE_TYPE( NONE ), SAMURAI( NO ), MARCH_SPEED( 6 ), RUN_SPEED( 10 ), CHARGE_SPEED( 11 ), MIN_TURNSPEED( 2 ), MAX_TURNSPEED( 8 ), TURN_TO_MOTION_SPEED( 8 ), MAX_INMOTION_TURN( 96 ), FORMATION_WIDTH_SPACING( 60 ), FORMATION_LENGTH_SPACING( 60 ), ENGAGEMENT_THRESHOLD( 1500 ), CHARGE_BONUS( 4 ), MELEE_BONUS( -2 ), DEFENCE_BONUS( -4 ), ARMOUR_LEVEL( 1 ), HONOUR_LEVEL( -2 ), AMMO( 0 ), FORMATIONS_PREFERRED_NUM_ROWS( 6 )"	NO		"own_unit_tooltip1, own_unit_tooltip2, other_unit_tooltip1,  other_unit_tooltip2"		"BURNOUS, YES, YES"		"FN_ALMOHAD, FN_EGYPTIAN, FN_TURKISH"		"Missile, Shocktroop, Spear, Cavalry"	"SKIRMISH(1), ADVANCE_PARTY(1),
OUTFLANKING_FORCE(0), MAIN_BODY(2), HOLD_TERRAIN(1), RESERVE(2), REINFORCEMENT(2), ASSAULT(1), ASSAULT_COVER(0), ASSAULT_COVER_CASTLE_ATTACK(0), COVER(0)"	MUSLIM		0		UNFORMED	NONE	YES	1	NO	0	0						SWORD		ALL_PERIODS	"FN_ALMOHAD, FN_EGYPTIAN, FN_TURKISH"

The Bolded sections are the column 50 faction association entries. Delete the text but make sure you keep the tab delimiter. You may be able to replace the text with NO_FACTION, I can't remember.

[gollum]

There is another way too. Simply delete the "{ CASTLE}" entry that means the keep that recruits them. After that they will remain in game for rebellions for the factions designated.

[drone]

Or that.

[Brandy Blue]

Don't the Muslim factions have a virtually identital Muslim Peasant unit or some such? That would have to be eliminated too, right?

[drone]

Yup, it's the line right underneath the vanilla peasants. And if you are going to mod out peasants, you may as well do ballista as well.