An interview with....

[Brennus]

Greetings Europa Barbarorum II fans!

In this thread you will have the opportunity to ask questions to a Europa Barbarorum II team member. Every few weeks we will be interviewing a different member of the team, finding out what they do and what they are working on at the moment. In addition to recurring questions such as "What is your role in the team?" and "What faction are you most looking forward to playing", we would also like fans to pose questions to the team members (1 question per org member please).

The first team member we will be interviewing is EBII's V.T. Marvin

If you would like to ask him a question, then please send me (Brennus) a personal message within two weeks of the date of this post and I will present it to V.T.

EDIT: For those unfamiliar with V.T. Marvin he is a very talented scripter.

[Brennus]

In order to save the time of members who are struggling to think of questions, here are the stock questions we will be asking V.T:

What is your role in the Europa Barbarorum II team?

What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

Why did you decide to help the EBII project?

What faction(s) are you looking forward to playing the most upon release?

Are there any surprises in your work we have not yet been told about?

Are there any skills you are currently looking for that would help the team?

Do you have any hopes or fears for the project?

[Brennus]

Greetings Europa Barbarorum II fans! Here is the first of our team member interviews.

This time we are interviewing V.T. Marvin

Thank you to all the fans who submitted questions.

And so, V.T. Marvin

EB II:What is your role in the Europa Barbarorum II team?

Actually working in the EB Team is a lot like playing Skyrim. Do you remember how Todd Howard advertised the Skyrim levelling system as "be whoever you wanna be, do whatever you wanna do and do not be afraid to respec in the middle of the game"? Actually it does fit exactly to what being on the Team is all about.

More specifically, I joined with the idea to add a few trait-related mechanics that I fancied, but instead it so happened that what I am doing most often now is coding buildings. Currently I am responsible for restructuring and cleaning of the EDB file and adding new buildings to support mechanisms devised by our historians. Connected to that are minor contributions to campaign scripting and transferring building descriptions from forum posts so that they appear in the game. You might be surprised that something as basic as building trees is still in development, but there are two reasons for that. First, ideas are developing over time and new concepts of how to make the game more historically accurate and fun are emerging all the time and, second, EB2 will have A LOT of buildings. I will not go into details here, but let me tell you, that I am keeping track of how many complexes we have already, because there is a hard-coded limit to them and that number is 128...

EB II:What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

Finding the bugs I have introduced in good faith, unknowingly running into one hard-code limit or another I had no idea they even are such. I am learning on the job, my modding experience before joining EB Team was very limited indeed.

EB II: Why did you decide to help the EBII project?

For a short period of time I happened to have somewhat more free time than I was used to. Playing Skyrim was getting old, even EB1 was no longer so attractive after so many years spent on it, I am not interested in any other mod, and EB2 was still nowhere to be seen. So I applied to check from inside how are the guys doing and help them a little to speed things up. And here I am.

EB II:What faction(s) are you looking forward to playing the most upon release?

Pahlava - I love them since I first read the unsurpassable AAR "The Waste Land" by Arsacerse/Obelics. But Bosporans and the Boii are very high on my list as well. In fact, if time would permit I would love to play them all, because the Team is working hard to make each faction unique and present different opportunities as well as challenges than other factions. So if all goes well EB2 should have pretty high re-playability.

EB II: Are there any surprises in your work we have not yet been told about?

Oh, yeah! A great many of these!!! But I am not going to tell you either.

EB II: Would you like to come back to my place for bouncy bouncy?

I am pleased and flattered by by the devotion to the EB Team and its members implied in this invitation. But, you see, I prefer female partners for bouncy bouncy and the only two girls on The Org (AFAIK) are (1.) my wife and (2.) the wife of Pezhetairoi. I guess you are neither of these, so the answer is "no". Sorry.

EB II: Are there any skills you are currently looking for that would help the team?

Skinning and modelling as always. Creating new units is incredibly time-consuming process about which I have no clue and luckily for everybody I am not involved with at all. Having wider variety of units provide for more interesting game-play, but require a lot of work. So I guess our unit-makers could use some help.

Custom settlements are also very much a work in progress, while being important for satisfying gameplay, so yes that would be welcome too.

But most importantly, the only truly required skill is the one how to make yourself a few hours a week of time to dedicate to the EB. Because there is so much to do that requires no previous computer skill or specialized knowledge at all that I am sure there is a niche for anybody.

There are good tutorials at The Org and over on TWC and anyone can become a modder with some patience and common-sense.

Also our historians are becoming scarce so we would welcome reinforcements here as well. A lot of buildings for a lot factions means a lot of descriptions to write and there are many very knowledgeable people in the community who could help us with them. Historians do not have any modding skills at all, but if they have it is of course big advantage. Currently we could use somebody knowing about Lusotonnan and Arevaci, preferably a Spanish speaker, Numidia, Nabatu , Saba and Sauromatae.

Rex Somnorum: Several other mods include a re-emergent faction function -that is, formerly "dead" factions crop up later due to poor governance or just bad luck. Historically, the notion makes sense. Few subjugated nations balked at the opportunity to rise up and reassert their independence. Will similar scripting feature in EBII? And, if so, what conditions will provoke such a revolution?

No. This issue has been raised several times and while attractive at the first glance it has always been refused. The reason is that for each such "rebel" faction - that has to be coded as unplayable faction in the engine - we would need to sacrifice a playable one. So the consensus is that the gameplay is better served overall by having a lot of factions - all playable - present on the campaign map all the time. It would be great if the engine worked similar to EU3 where any province can essentially become a state of its own, but it is not the case. So no re-emergent faction for EB2.

cahtush:Will you be able to play the hotseat mode that is built into Med 2 (since kingdoms) in EB 2 with the script and all?

We do not have this capability yet and we are not working on it. The priority is to get the game finished as a single player campaign. Once that is done and most of the balancing and tweaking done only then we will consider implementing this feature, which is of course very attractive. Taking the history of EB1 as a model, we are currently working on getting the 0.74 version (opn-beta) released. The first release will still contain a lot of placeholders, some features trimmed or not working and probably the campaign balance would be far from optimal. Only after this release and massive feedback from the player community we can identify the problems and start to fix them. And only after that we can add more features on already solid mod. So hopefully EB2v1.1 will have hotseat. At least I wish it has!

Velho: Regarding the reforms in the EB2, I would like to ask are you going to make the reform conditions more complex or more streamlined.

Both!

Thanks to more advanced scripting possibilities in M2TW we can make the conditions more complex, while making it much less hassle for the player. Also it depends on each faction concerned. Some, like Saka Rauka, may change rather dramatically from nomads of Fergahna to hellenized rulers of India, while others, like the big Hellenistic kingdoms may go through the game period without any profound change.

Cybvep: As far as scripts are concerned, is there sth which we can expect to be done much better in EB2 than in EB1 because of the engine changes etc.? Can you give some examples?

Evocata: I've heard mostly good things about the M2TW engine in terms of campaign scripting, so in comparison with RTW what's the biggest advantage?

These two questions are basically about the same thing so I am going to answer them together.

Yes, it is true that M2TW, despite its limitations, is way better than RTW as far as scripting is concerned. Perhaps the most important scripting tool for us are the "event_counters" that can tie together buildings, units, traits and scripts in a way that was impossible in EB1. An example of that may be for instance how colonization of new territory is done for some factions:
You have conquered a new province. Good for you. You want to settle your people there in order to affirm your control over it and eventually incorporate it fully into your empire. Fine. To do that you need people to settle on newly conquered land in the first place. So the script will count how many buildings that represent such population you have faction-wide and based on how many they are and how much time has passed since your last colonization attempt the "colony" building will become available, if all other conditions are met. Similarly some building and/or recruitment options may depend on particular traits of the faction leader or city governor etc.
In effect the reforms can be handled much better, in more natural and plausible way and we can spice the campaign with scripted events that present new challenges or opportunities.

Stath: Will there be scripted events for the majority of factions or just for some?

This another great use of the better scripting opportunities provided by M2TW engine compared to the RTW one and we intend to use it fully. Eventually all factions will have some, currently about a half of them has, if I am not mistaken.

Ailfertes: What particular new accomplishment are you most proud of so far?

As far as my personal contribution is concerned I rather proud of implementing a way in which every faction can have its own unique government structure and options. And also of finding and coding in a way in which some phenomena represented by buildings in the game will have appropriate running cost, upkeep, associated with them. At this stage it is difficult to test the economy of mid- to late-game, but I hope it will help to mitigate the problem of being overly rich once you cross a certain size threshold and force little more of planning and strategic choices throughout the whole campaign, because it will no longer be wise to just build everything everywhere.

Thank you for your time, V.T. Marvin, and good luck with your work.


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Next time round we will be interviewing Gaius Scribonius Curio our Roman historian. If you wish to ask him a question please PM me (Brennus). As previously stated, only one question per member.

[Brennus]

I must apologies to EBII fans who are still waiting on the next interview. I am currently on holiday and have not had the chance to upload it. However, It will be done in the next few days.

-Brennus

[Brennus]

Thank you for waiting Europa Barbarorum II fans. This time we are pleased to bring you the words of our Roman historian Gaius Scribonius Curio

EB II:What is your role in the Europa Barbarorum II team?

My main role within the EB II is, as stated by Brennus, the Faction Historian for the Romani. Given, however, that prior to me joining the team a veritable mountain of work had already been done on this faction I have been turning my attention to other areas. Particularly, I have taken responsibility for the Bosporan Kingdom, and have, in a clinch, had some involvement in the development of the Numidian faction.

EB II:What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

The most challenging aspect of my work so far has been researching in areas for which both my prior knowledge is severely lacking and the amount of scholarly literature is negligible and in a foreign language. This was particularly the case with my attempts to look into ancient North African religious practices. Works in English are few and far between and usually uninspiring. Those in German and French are much better, and thankfully my university had access to some, but the field is plagued by inconsistencies and disagreement, which I felt ill-qualified to comment on. This is one reason why the team is actively seeking a historian with reasonable knowledge on Ancient North Africa in general and Ancient Numidia in particular.

Aside from that, coming up with detailed ideas for how to make the mod even more realistic and historically accurate, only to be told, ‘that is not possible’ by coders and the like. Though this has not, thankfully, happened to me often…

EB II:What is it about the Romans that intrigues you so much?

A standard question, but one that is difficult to answer.

I have always, as long as I can remember, had an interest in the Roman History and Classical mythology. This may, partially, be the product of growing up in Chester, ancient Deva, and thus being surrounded by archaeological relics from the period in my formative years. That doesn’t really explain it, however, and whence my interest stems is likely to remain unknown.

The question is what is intriguing about the Romani. Again, unfortunately I do not have an easy answer. There is something enticing in mechanisms that allowed such a fractious elite to conquer most of the known world, hence my research focus on the political and institutional history of the Late Republic. In the end, as unsatisfying as it may be, I genuinely do not know…

EB II:Why did you decide to help the EBII project?

In 2011 approaching my final semester of undergraduate study, knowing that I would have a reduced workload and having a strong interest in the project I got in contact with the team. My motivation was primarily to assist the team in getting the mod finished in as short a time-frame as possible, and I felt that my research skills would both benefit the team and be improved by shifting outside the narrow confines of Late Republican and Triumviral socio-political history.

I do not feel that I have expressed this well so, in summary: I felt like I would be a benefit to the team; I had a sudden increase in the amount of free time I had; I wanted a first release to be forthcoming as soon as possible.

EB II:What faction(s) are you looking forward to playing the most upon release?

The Romani obviously, also the Bosporan Kingdom. Otherwise the Parthians and Baktria – I can be a little taken in by the Late Republican/Early Imperial rhetoric on the allure of the East.

EB II:Are there any surprises in your work we have not yet been told about?

There definitely will be some surprises: since most have not been confirmed or fully integrated I cannot be too specific at this stage. While I am aware that this probably isn’t new, I can confirm that it will be much harder for the Romani player to retain control of Italia – due largely to the plethora of different grades of citizenship.

Similarly I can confirm that the Bosporan Kingdom will have a dual nature – two separate lines of administrative development dependent on the presence or absence of nomadic lifestyles. More than any other faction it will be equipped to dominate both steppe and settled regions.

EB II:Can you give us any ideas about how the Bosporan Greeks will differ from other Hellenic factions?

The Bosporan Kingdom is an intriguing prospect. Historically, it began as a league of small poleis, but the dominance of Pantikapaion’s ruling dynasty, first the Archaeanaktids, then the Spartokids, resulted in the growth of a proto-Hellenistic kingdom. Indeed, in some ways it can be considered a fore-runner to the kingdoms of the Diadokhoi. Due to its limited geographic extent, however, the Bosporan Kingdom never developed as complex a politico-administrative system, instead relying almost exclusively on familial and marital ties to produce its leaders. As such, it will, initially, be more difficult for the Basileus to assert his authority, than for other Hellenistic factions, though eventually, the faction will evolve into a fully operational Hellenistic state.

Most fundamentally, the Bosporan Kingdom differs from other factions in its liminal status. The northern littoral of the Black Sea was a place of interaction between steppe and Hellenic cultures. Military, political and cultural developments in the Bosporan Kingdom were tied to its location. Due to this, the Bosporan faction has both a greater steppe influence on its building tree and unit roster, but, more importantly, has a specific line of ‘government’ options for steppe provinces, greatly increasing its chances, compared to other settled factions, of controlling ‘nomadic’ regions.

EB II:What will be the diplomatic starting positions for the Romani and Bosporan Greeks in EB II?

On the diplomatic front the Romani starting position remains unchanged from EB I. With the Bosporan Kingdom, however, there was a dilemma: there is very little evidence which could enlighten us as to the exact state of affairs in 272 BCE. While we know that the Spartokids cultivated a strong relationship with Athens in the 4th Century, and received an embassy from the Ptolemaic Kingdom in ~254 BCE, nothing is certain. With regard to relationships with their nomadic neighbours, it is nearly impossible to determine a satisfactory timeline as to the periods of conflict and peace.

Arguments ex silentio are never particularly strong, but in this case we have little choice. Given the absence of explicit evidence stating that the relationship with Athens had broken down, the Bosporan Kingdom will be allied with the Koinon Hellenon at the start date. Going on, with no source claiming that there was conflict on a large scale between the Bosporans and nomadic tribes during the reign of Paerisades II (284-245 BCE), it has been decided that the Bosporan Kingdom will not be at war with the Sauromatae. Finally, since the first contact we know of between the Ptolemies and the Spartokids is in 254 BCE, there will not be any diplomatic relationship in place in 272. So in summary, the Romani are unchanged, while the Bosporan Kingdom will be allied with the Koinon Hellenon.

EB II:One recurring problem in EB was that the Romans tended to expand north at the start of the game, very rarely did they engage in war with the Carthaginians or perform naval invasions of North Africa. Are we more likely to see a Punic war(s) in EBII?

Given my limited understanding of how AI systems operate I cannot be definitive, but in my experience with the MII:TW engine both naval invasions and diplomacy are much improved from RTW. As such should Rome find itself at war with Kart-Hadast in EB II I think it likely that a full-blown naval war will result, and that control of the sea will define its result.

EB II:Do you ever have trouble with the Celtic historians?

Generally not – though they tend to ask odd questions.

EB II:Do you have any hopes or fears for the project?

I hope that the mod will fulfil all the expectations of its loyal fans, having been released in a timely fashion.

I fear that it may fail to meet my own, and the team’s standards and fail to meet the expectations of our loyal fans…

Velho: That How Roman Reforms Are implented, Like what is needed to them and how you will see it when playing.

Velho – firstly, though I fear my answer will disappoint you, I cannot confirm the exact requirements and effects of the reforms at this stage, though I will try and give you some information and a small justification.

As mentioned above, though I am nominally in charge of the Romani, my focus over the last six to eight months has been elsewhere, either on the Bosporan Kingdom or on more general matters. The reason for this is that, in pushing for a first release, focus has to shift away from those factions which have had much work put into them towards those which have had very little work done. Before I joined the team in any capacity there were a number of historians who have done an admirable job in researching, writing on and coding for the Romani, though sadly most are no longer able to contribute on a full-time basis. As such my own input into the faction is, at this stage, limited – before a first release I will be combing over everything in order to test current ideas against my own, utilising our coders’ knowledge to push the boundaries as much as possible.

Having said this: in terms of requirements I believe EB II’s Romani reforms will be broadly similar in scope to those of EB I. That is to say that the Polybian reforms will be temporally limited and dependent upon territory gained, though possibly also battles fought against various opponents. Again, Marian reforms will be restricted by time to later in the game, and will require a character with particular traits as a trigger. Given the presence of multiple citizenship levels, my own plans are ambitious – encompassing a period of change rather than an instant ‘reform’ – but, as everyone is aware, ambitious plans are always limited by the engine. Finally, the Augustan reforms will have long-term requirements and traits.

Regarding how they will affect gameplay, it is obvious that they will allow reformed units to be recruited, though at this stage a first release will, unfortunately, only include Camillan units. I’m sure your focus is largely on what changes fall outside of this. Again, these things are not finalised, but, with various grades of citizenship the reforms will impact upon the attitude of subjects to Rome and to their own governance, as well as affecting what types of administration are available. It is also likely that they will affect what policies can be implemented (in the form of buildings), for example whether the player will be allowed to effect land reform packages.

cahtush: What kind of scripted events can we expect to see for the romani?

The same response applies as above – things are work in progress and subject to change. I must also state that I am not a fan of prescriptive history: the idea behind EB II is that the player has the liberty to change history and go one’s own way. There will be no ‘scripted’ Hannibalic invasion of Italy for instance. That said, certain trends are obvious in the development of the Roman polity and can be seen as significant, though not inevitable, changes. As such, though events may not occur in every game, there will a number of events which may occur.

Brennus has already revealed the ‘Arvernian revolt’ event which will have, hopefully, a significant impact on any unwary Romani player. In a similar way I hope to simulate a Social War, should the satisfaction of the socii drop below a certain level.

Evocata: What (If any) significant new or different historical sources/elements have been taken into account in comparison to EB1?

An excellent question, Evocata – I can only really answer with regard to the Romani, as the Bosporan Kingdom was not included in EB I. As far as I am aware there has not been any significant change in the methods used to research the Romani between EB I and II. The written sources are, of course, relatively static and the team was very thorough at the first time of asking. Given my own research into the institutional and political history of the Republic there will likely be some shift in emphasis. The broader scope offered by the MII:TW engine also plays a role here. So, unlike in EB I, maintaining order in Italy will be much harder, especially as the game develops. Similarly, internal disorder brought about by political and social conflict will be much more likely to strike those regions granted some sort of citizenship and hence a stake in the development of the Republic.

Stath's: Are you pleased with the amount and quality of character traits that the team created for the Roman generals and politicians? Are there going to be surprises in this domain?

Once again, exactitudes are not possible to this stage, but it is likely that there will be multiple surprises. I am highly motivated to provide as great an insight into the world of the Roman political class as possible and traits are the most obvious way of doing this. The models used to portray offices, triumphs and governorships in EB I will be retained and hopefully improved. Similarly, I would hope that a much wider range of traits reflecting political and philosophical views would be included within realistic bounds. So yes, I am satisfied with the progress in this area, but with regard to traits and ancillaries, more yields a more immersive experience, and so is usually better…

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We hoped you enjoyed that. Next time we will be interviewing Haithabas one of our 2D and 3D artists; responsible for many of the lovely units which have been previewed as well as many of the 2D icons you will use in the campaign screen.

[Brennus]

My sincere apologies to the fans of Europa Barbarorum II for the intermission which has occurred between the posting of interviews. Real life has taken a grip of me by the Gallic locks and I have only just managed to shake free.