Blue Lotus: Total War

[Bulten]

And of course that will include indigenous Nepalese and Tibetan style kingdoms with the possibilities that could offer for new units...

I know :D It would be awesome! ^^

Btw, Hoggy how much work is still to be done with this mod?

[DemonArchangel]

DemonArchangel: You mean a Naginata? I think the Japanese sohei monks already have those.
What i'd like to see for the monks are the Japanese Onmyou with ranged spell attacks

No.
The half moon glaive
Like what the Wang Liang is carrying.

[kendonosensei]

Hoggy, here's a name for the Chinese hero unit.

"Hong Se Niang Zi Jun" (Sisterhood of the Red Army). A bit of a mouthful at the moment, I know.

They were a group of peasant women who rebelled against the Despotic governments of the early 20th century in China. Current propaganda says that they were "good Communist women", but in reality they were just ordianary women rebelling against oppressive policies. So these beautiful gong-fu maidens could be part of any "red army".

If you don't like that name, you could have

"Hong Lian Niang Zi Jun" (Sisterhood of the Red Lotus)

I think both names are good.


I would imagine them to be the daughters of aristocrats, officials, generals and merchants, who have found their dreams hindered by traditional parents, or society. So they formed a secret society, where it would be easier for them to practice their martial prowess. Now with the onset of war, they have pledged their support to the Dragon Empress (ruling Empress, not wife of the Emperor), who has gladly let them fight for their people.

Perhaps you could spice the plot of the mod up a little, by saying that the Empress' husband was murdered, and instead of giving power to a male relative, she took it for herself.

[hoggy]

Hello all, we could do with some ideas for faction names, symbols and colours for the Mongol and Korean factions. Here’s what we’ve got so far for other factions:

Chinese 1 Zhuanshi Clan (symbol = Dragon, colour = red and yellow)
Chinese 2 Yuwan Clan (symbol = YingYang, colour = blue and yellow)


Japan 1 Akagi Clan (symbol = Fan, colour = black and yelow)
Japan 2 Zensen Clan (symbol = Wave, colour = white and silver)


Demon Yomi Empire (symbol = Demon Head, colour = black and dark red)
India Krishnapur (symbol = Minaret, colour = gold and purple)

any ideas for mongol and korean welcome.

[The Panda Centurion]

For a Mongol faction, i think the silhouette of a horse archer would make a good symbol. I can't think of any really good names though, since my favoured subject is European and Mediterranean history.

Btw, I have been watching this thread for a while and i must say it is looking very promising! Keep up the good work.

[DragoonXXIV]

Firstly, i think a minaret isn't a good idea to repersent Indian, i would recommend an elephant, elephant head, or a lotus.

That aside, some ideas for mongols:
Golden Khanate
Warriors of the Steppe
Horse Lords
for the symbols i would recommend a horse or a skull

For the Koreans:
I have no clue about names, but for the symbol you can use a turtle, fish, mask, or the South Korean flag.

All that aside, great work so far and i'm greatly impressed with your attension to deal, especially with the layout and minor details.

[Meneldil]

Mongol : Karazaï khanate ? Symbol, a bow

Korea : Koryŏ Kingdom (I think it's the name of a legendary Korean KD) Symbol, no idea

[Kageka]

-MONGOL-

Symbol: Black sillhuette of a wild/powerfull horse (head tilted backwards, open mouth, flowwing mane, kicking and galloping hindlegs) on a beige -or- grey background.

Color: Beige/Grey and Black.

Name Ideas:
Empire of the Horse
the Golden Horde
Realm of the Khan
Steppe lords
the Khan Empire
the Great Horde





-KOREAN-

Symbol: A white tiger head whit blue eyes and red stripes. Or a white tiger head on a red and blue dotless yingyang.

Color: White, red and blue.

Name ideas:
Maybe the different old names of korea/korean dynsasties?

Gojoseon
Ballhae/Silla
Baekje/Shilla
Goryeo
Goguryeo
Joseon
Hanguk

Or why not use the korea-like name that Jenns suggested in the "Army list"-forum - CHOSON? (reminds you of Gojoson or Joseon).



I have to agree with DragoonXXIV about the minaret as the faction's symbol. The colors are great though (purple and gold). I like the lotus idea. A purple lotus on a golden background -or- a golden lotus on a purple backround... I think that it would look great.

[Iron-Chef]

just here to say hoggy that you've done a great job on the mod. i cant wait to get my hands on it.

keep up the good work

[wlesmana]

First of all, hoggy, congrats on the best looking mod for RTW out there. I love the fact that you're doing fun units. It makes the mod looks more unique.

Just one minor thing I have a little problem with: Shaoling monks with swords.
I think they should use bo sticks instead. Sword is more familiar with the Wutang or the Hoa San mountain schools. Although, you could always add in Wutang in there :)

Keep up the awesome work!

[infernalbob]

First just let me say it's a great mod that ur making, if blue lotus: total war was a cd game being sold i'd probably buy it. Just one quest. could u give out a guide on how you did it so other people ( like me) who are just starting could learn. it would really help me since im just a noob. Well, keep up the good job.

[hoggy]

Ok, here are the updated factions:

Chinese 1 - Zhuanshi Clan (symbol = Dragon, colour = red and yellow)
Chinese 2 - Yuwan Clan (symbol = YingYang, colour = blue and yellow)


Japan 1 - Akagi Clan (symbol = Fan, colour = black and yelow)
Japan 2 - Zensen Clan (symbol = Wave, colour = white and silver)


Demon - Yomi Empire (symbol = Demon Head, colour = black and dark red)
India - Krishnapur (symbol = Elephant head, colour = gold and purple)

Mongol - Karazai Khanate (symbol = Horses head, colour = gold and green)
Korea - Choson Clan (symbol = Turtle, colour = red and blue)

[Big_John]

aww shucks, i was hoping the japanese would be factioned into shogunates instead of clans. but only b/c shogunate is such a great word.

[ramareddy]

Hoggy,

First of all let me congratulate you on being on the only people still continuing a RTW mod.

I didn't think this mod would be that cool, but I didn't realize you would be incorparating Mongols, Indians, or the Koreans. I think the problem with most Civ-oriented RTS games is that they completely forget about India and generalize non-European countries in general. You do not know how glad I was to see an Indian faction among your roster. Back in the Summer I had an Indian faction unit list that I posted at the RTW forum. I can give you the unit list if you'd like. Or I can make up a new unit list even, I probably have the time. Infact, I really want to help make the Indian faction memorable in this mod.

One more thing

The "-pur" in Krishnapur is actually of Persian origin, so is not Sanskritic. Now if you were to say "Krishnanagar" ( Dark City) or "Krishnagiri" (Dark Hill) it would be completely of Sanskritic and more "indigenously" Indian. Just nitpicking.

Keep it up.

[WrathOfMe]

hey hoggy great work on the mod, and to the person that posted last, i would just like to point out that there are MANY mods still going on, including the one that i am part of, so please dont say things like that, some may take offense.

[kendonosensei]

MOVED

[Emperior Eric]

Mod is looking awesome dude!

I am waiting for battlefield 2 but this mod is gonna bring Rome back for me

[Jay Tee]

Hi Hoggy (and others),

I've been following this mod since the beginning and must say I'm really looking forward to this one. Esp. the units appeal more than the units from the orignal game.

Here are some ideas about the resources that could be added to the map (I hope these are moddable too, wouldn't make much sense to see olive oil in China!!). Maybe you will find them useful:

- Rice: obviously to replace grain. Should occur along river banks and have the same population growth benefits as grain
- Gold
- Silver
- Jade: imperial green jade was thougth of as the most precious stone in the world. It was found deep in one of the remotest mines in the world, in a valley in the shadow of the Himalayas (in what is now Burma). Maybe it can be made a minable resource that has a higher profit than gold and only occur n one place.
- Porcelain: to be found in China and Japan
- Silk: to be found in China, Japan and maybe India
- Spices
- Timber (or possibly Bamboo)
- Wild animals
- Tea: again in China, India and Japan

Hope this is of any use,

Greetz,
JT

[hoggy]

Cheers Jay Tee, blindfaithnogod was just looking at the resources. Anyone else have more ideas for resources on the BL map?

[Jay Tee]

Are you guys going to include Wonders in the BLTW map? I could do some research on that if you want to.

[blindfaithnogod]

the ideas about the resources are great. i will definitly keep those in mind. as for the wonders, i dont know, we hadn't talked about that one. if you have any suggestions we'd love to hear them. and im sure we could figure something our.

[ramareddy]

Eric:

Sorry about that. It's every time I click on a link or go to a thread where a Mod team is supposed to post their progress it's usually dead. I will say that one of the LOTR mod and a few others are still alive. However, the one that came out first( I think) was the Ancient China one, and I recently read that they're on the verge of quitting. My immediate reaction was " Jeez, if these guys are about to quit, who else has a chance?". I had thought of them as the most dedicated mod team, so I had lost hope in a lot of mods.


What exactly do you guys need?

[ramareddy]

Eric:

Sorry about that. It's every time I click on a link or go to a thread where a Mod team is supposed to post their progress it's usually dead. I will say that one of the LOTR mod and a few others are still alive. However, the one that came out first( I think) was the Ancient China one, and I recently read that they're on the verge of quitting. My immediate reaction was " Jeez, if these guys are about to quit, who else has a chance?". I had thought of them as the most dedicated mod team, so I had lost hope in a lot of mods.


Hoggy and other modders:

What exactly do you guys need? Have you cooked up a unit list for the Indians? If not, allow me ( please).

[hoggy]

Ideas for Wonders would be good too to replace existing ones. I think we can replace them quite easily.
ramaready - check the armylist there's an indian one there already but any unit ideas welcome.

[DragoonXXIV]

Some wonder ideas:
Teracota Army
Goldan Pavilion
Elephant Graveyard (I know it's supposed to be in Africa but it would be cool)
Gates of the Underworld
Forbidden City
Tokugawa Shrine
Buddha at Bangkok (largest reclining buddha)

[shifty157]

The question is though what bonuses would they give? These are just some thoughts off the top of my head.

Teracota Army - +1 experience to all troops trained
Golden Pavilion - increases income by 25%.
Elephant Graveyard - Faction may train generic elephant unit. Elephants trained dont run amok (or is this hardcoded?). Otherwise elephants trained get +2 hitpoints.
Gates of the Underworld - required by demons to train troops in any province.
Forbidden City - number of turns to build buildings is reduced by 1. Only affects buildings that take 5 or more turns to build.
Tokugawa Shrine - +20% public order in all cities
Buddha at Bangkok - Two temples may be built in each city (or is this hardcoded at 1?). Otherwise increases effectiveness of religious temples.

[Jay Tee]

If Wonders are included I think that they shouldn't give bonuses that are too high. In fact, I think the Wonders in RTW are somewhat ott. Besides that, they should be spread out more evenly than in RTW, so that every faction can have access to one max in the beginning.

Here are some examples that actually exist in the real world (maybe you prefer imaginary ones for this fantasy mod):

- Great Wall of China: could give some defensive bonus, for example a +1 for defense for all units trained in the province with the wall. Should extent over more than one province but I don't think that will be possible? Not sure either what you should do if different parts of the wall are owned by different factions.
- Taj Mahal: so beautiful that it will attract people from all over the world to see it. Province in which it is situated has a +1 growth bonus
- Tripitaka Koreana: Housed in the halls of Haein Temple, the Koryo Tripitaka (Taejang'kyong) is the most highly regarded woodblock edition among the thirty or so Tripitaka canons existing in the world today because of its enormous size of 80,000 wooden printing blocks and for its accuracy. It is Korean Buddhism's most sacred treasure. It is from the 13th(?) century. See this link for more info: http://www.sutra.re.kr/english/default.asp
- Borobudur: Hugh and beautifully decorated piramid like Budhist temple from the 8-9th century in Indonesia. Makes building temples cheaper? Could be situated on the Monk Island? I think there sould be some kind off temple Wonder on the Monk Island anywayz.
- Angkor Wat: Temple/Mausoleum for Khmer ruler Suryavarman II, situated in Cambodia. 65 meter high piramid with an area of 1 square kilometer. Possible bonus: gives access to a special type of ancilliary if this province is owned.

[blindfaithnogod]

keep the ideas comin guys. i know it helps my motivation and creativity.

[ramareddy]

I like the emphasis you've put on the elephants and the chariot, as they were the priemeir arm of the Indian military in all mythic accounts.

Alright, here are some unit ideas:

I think the bow that the Golden Archer carries should be HUGE. When I say huge, I mean so that the bottom of the bow touches
the ground, as Megasthenes or Arrian said that Indian Longbows did. They can have armor piercing or long-range capabilities
or both.

http://www.krackow.com/asia.html

http://www.angelfire.com/il2/annatar/lbow.html


Also, a Chakra Thrower unit would be very distinctive and add to Indian uniqueness. They would have the range of skirmishing
units in RTW and be very effective against lightly armored troops. you might want to think about making them at the top of the
tech tree or elite or something.


http://www.flight-toys.com/rings/chackrum.html

http://www.whoosh.org/issue8/rudnick6.html



I was thinking for Indian Missile units, and what special abilities they could have that would be distinctly Indian and usable. I think the ability you are looking is called "mantra". In every Indian story there seems to be a hero
that chants a mantra before discharging an arrow or throwing a weapon. It could work like a attack enhancer, making it possible to kill more troops in that single volley. It could also have a effect on enemy morale. I think the
Golden Archers, Chakra Throwers, and Arjuna Chariots should have them. Maybe the Arjuna Chariots should have a more devestating effect, like an explosion.


Maybe you could replace the Tribal Macemen with Vanara Macemen. Vanara are monkey-men, below is a picture of Hanuman, an important of the Ramayana. In the picture, Hanuman is holding a "Gada", a two-handed mace. It's actually very much like the giant macemen you made for a Chinese factions.

http://www.carnaticcorner.com/hig/la-hanuman.jpg


Rakshasa: Indian Demons in every Indian myth I can think of, possibly a rebel faction or part of the demons in your mod.
They could have a wide variety of units.

http://www.vahini.org/ramakataplaatj...ama-ravana.jpg

http://www.familynyou.com/admin/imag...asa%20copy.JPG

[Kageka]

Nice research Ramareddy. Those Chakra throwers would really give some extra spice and character to the Krishnapur. Like the idea alot, hope they include them into the game.

But i don´t agree with you about the hanuman to be included into the Krishnapur army. I don't know if you have read the 'General'-forum yet, but a few days ago I wrote a post about making an entire faction of ape/monkey-men, called Hanuman (or Sun Wukong) after the "monkey god".

I think it would be be intressting with a good/neutral non-human faction. And besides that; the Krishnapur are way to shielded and privilege the way their starting location are now. The Hanuman Kingdom are jungle dewelling and would naturally have their starting location close to the Krishnapur.

Another thing I forgot to write on the Hanuman-post on the 'General'-forum is that to make the Hanuman's culture look different (...and not as a monkey/ape mirror image of the Krishnapurs culture) would be if the inspiration came from the cultures of Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and Indonesia. The arcitecture could look like the one i Ankhor Vat. Great temple citys shielded and semi-overgrown by the jungle, protected by the noble children of Hanuman.

Well, I think it could be a cool feature in the world of the Blue Lotus. But that's what I think. I really hope Hoggy & co will consider the possibillity of the Hanuman. If not as an own faction, they could at least be a major part of another faction...