Mongols vs the world redux

[phonicsmonkey]

No, this will be an org game.

Myth I don't think it's a SS problem per se, it's just that sometimes in hotseat mode (in general) the campaign script doesn't trigger properly and the mongols don't invade. It's happening in LTC too but it's just that it takes so much less time (40mins) to run the game in that mod vs SS (about ten hours!).

In fact I've only been able to get it to work once in LTC...

I'll try a full reinstall of SS and see if that helps but otherwise I think I'm going to run with what I have (subject to comment when I post the starting save for you guys to look at)

[Myth]

I got my new PC and it has 16 GB of ram and a CoreI7, turn times are near-instant for me. Tell me what I must do to fast-forward in SS and I'll check what happens.

[phonicsmonkey]

First make the mongols (and timurids) playable by pasting them into the relevant section of your descr_strat file

then start a hotseat (autoresolve off, VH/VH) (amend your preferences as per the FAQ thread and pick a password that we'll remember for the admin pw) with all factions human.

Then on the first human turn log into the console (logon [pw]), set all factions to AI except the mongols (control [faction]). The game will either autopilot to the mongol invasion or go straight past it and keep running forever.

You can stop it to check where you are at any point by using the console to set a faction human.

[SilverShield]

i ve never heard of lands to conquer. so i got no idea whether im getting this running. this whole installing and updating and folder name changing and all this is giving me a hard time already. what about starting a late stainless steel campaign. the mongols are there already so we are good without any turn skipping. true u pretty likely are overrunning kwarz and the nomads in the north but u are running out of money fast which soon is giving u an US debt dimension like treasury. so no forts. and without forts ur offensive is slowing down massively unless u was fine with being caught in battles. i mean even with the movement rate of the mongols u still are running the risk of getting a battle forced on u if there is no forts. so u without forts already is balancing thigns. and yea human vs human field battles is what im in favor of. otherwise there really is just a little chance. so im cool with a late stainless steel game. im pretty sure we in the west are capable of building up a first front in turkey and the holy land already. also if one player was having 1 big and 1 small faction things very likely are balanced. east rome and sicily, moors and crusaders, england and southern russia e.g. so there still is backup further away in the west when the kingdom closest to the first line of battle is down. turkey, crusaders, southern russia maybe even east rome and egypt likely are falling in this category. having more factions human ruled is better than having those factions computer ruled and players leaving early in the game already because they were up for facing the enemy the earliest possible as turky or crusaders causing at least some casualties on ur side in an honorable act of pure self scarification in a glorious war of attrition. kinda like Quirl once did with the seljuks

[phonicsmonkey]

LTC installs itself nicely in a seperate folder. No messing around. It's a great mod, we're using it in V&V and it was played a lot a few years back by those who wanted an experience close to the vanilla game but improved. So I don't think you'd have any trouble at all getting it to work.

I did look at the option of the SS6.4 late era campaign but the Mongols don't really have the strength in that starting position to give them much of a chance against everyone else combined. Also they aren't a horde and my concept for this game is based around that. I like the arrival in waves, the decision whether to settle or not etc. I'll look again but I'm not crazy about that idea.

Ideally I could get SS6.4 to work and we'd use that. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the mod and I'll try again overnight tonight. Also maybe Myth will have luck where I have not.

[Myth]

Phonics I'll try this either today or tomorow, I was busy during the weekend with starting a project in AfterEffects, and in general had no option to leave my PC on with me in the room and not use it for work. 10 hours worth of turns sounds... daunting to say the least. But I'll give this a try. Also, some more inspiration:

In 1260, Hulagu (Mongol Khan) sent envoys to Qutuz in Cairo, demanding his surrender:

From the King of Kings of the East and West, the Great Khan. To Qutuz the Mamluk, who fled to escape our swords. You should think of what happened to other countries and submit to us. You have heard how we have conquered a vast empire and have purified the earth of the disorders that tainted it. We have conquered vast areas, massacring all the people. You cannot escape from the terror of our armies. Where can you flee? What road will you use to escape us? Our horses are swift, our arrows sharp, our swords like thunderbolts, our hearts as hard as the mountains, our soldiers as numerous as the sand. Fortresses will not detain us, nor arms stop us. Your prayers to God will not avail against us. We are not moved by tears nor touched by lamentations. Only those who beg our protection will be safe. Hasten your reply before the fire of war is kindled. Resist and you will suffer the most terrible catastrophes. We will shatter your mosques and reveal the weakness of your God and then will kill your children and your old men together. At present you are the only enemy against whom we have to march.[4]

Qutuz responded, however, by killing the envoys and displaying their heads on Bab Zuweila, one of the gates of Cairo.

[phonicsmonkey]

No one makes threats like a Mongol.

I reinstalled SS6.4 and am planning to give it another whirl overnight tonight. Also I'll run another LTC test and see if I can get an alternative start in that mod. I really like the one I have but the Mongols don't seem that tough in that mod compared to SS...