ZX Mod Beta 2 Released

[Zarax]

Hello, after almost month since last update i'm proud to announce the second release of the controversial ZX Mod!

For those of you that never heard of it:

The ZX MiniMod takes a different approach from the popular big Mods like BKB, XL or Medmod.
ZX aim is to bring an AOE flavour into MTW by using the exisisting MTW+VI unit set in a more specialized way, increasing faction specialization and rebalancing the game.
http://microsoftusernetwork.com/hosted/ZxMod.exe

Some features:

- Increased faction specialization

Now each faction has more marked strenghts and weaknesses, focusing on the importance of developing customized strategies shaped on what you have and increasing the importance of mercenaries/strategic troop production territories in order to increase your army efficency.

Each faction (a bit like in AOK) has one or more defined attributes that rules out the unit set.
For example the Danish are an Heavy Infantry faction.
What does this mean?
Their unit roster is mostly focused on heavy inf (like Landsmenn or Huskarles), while they are weak in most other aspects, especially cavalry (so you'll have to get heavy cav from the steppes or hire mercenaries), meaning that you won't get knights but only the crappy raider cav or druzhina...

Another interesting faction to try are the Italians.
Being a Militia and Late Tech faction they'll have to make do with an overall low morale army and may need to bring numbers against an heavier foe, especially on early where they won't get anything better than MS and ILI...
Things improves a lot with time for them (halbs in high and other heavy units in late) but mercs and crusades will be a resource through the whole game since they don't get killer units.

On the opposite tactical side you'll find interesting the Hungarians, which are a low tech cavalry archer faction.
I found them great on early as with Szekely you can make a pincushion of most enemies and engage lighter foes, but their roster won't improve much in high and late.
Facing the Horde head-on with them is an unique challenge, as you'll have to use amored spears and get nothing heavier than feudal knights, but ranged cav dueling is very interesting.

BTW, more specialized factions doesn't mean 100% unique tool set, just that you'll have to focus more on certain units to get an hedge over the opponent.
Simply, while all factions got the same basic units (spears, archers, light cav and men at arms) some got more advanced units in a respect or the other.
For example with the hungarians you'll get FMAA but not CMAA as they aren't focused on infantry rather than cavalry, while the Italians gets MS which are a bit weaker but this is compensated by the ILI...


- Revisited crusading system

Instead of having crusading orders tied to each faction, now they work on their own "zones of influence", where you have to build your chapter house or walk with your crusade in order to acquire an order's services.
Crusading roster has also been increased, moving a few units (like Turcopoles) into this specialistic role and giving two units to the factions with less chances to get a chapter house into the right place (this is done because the AI cannot recognize them).
In order to balance it and avoid a crusader swarm to Byz and muslims now crusading price has been doubled.

Historically (BTW, this mod is more focused in gameplay than historical accuracy, let's say you can expect a few "compromises") the knightly orders were'nt tied to a kingdom, but rather they had their own bases of operation and land holdings.
Nearby countries this way could call their help (for a price of course) and acquire their services.

I'm trying to simulate this by changing the crusader units requisites from "FN_xxx" to specific territories (IE Teutonics in Prussia, Hospitallers in Malta etc).
This way all you need to get an order instead of the other is to build a chapter house in an order's lands (still working on this, look for the valour bonuses in the beta).
Personally i'd get Prussia or Malta as those two orders gets an extra unit (i've unlocked the foot knights as separate unit for the Hospitallers), but if you like the other ones try Leon or Tolouse.
BTW, any historical info on where the various orders got their lands would be welcome

In addition to this system English and Danish gets a surprise (as their AI has problems in conquering the right places) so you'll want to do plenty of crusading with them

- Improved strategic balance

Now underdog factions gets their chance, they've been given money/territory bonuses so that they won't cripple the economy with the heirs.
Overall AI is improved and now produces better unit mixes.

- Peasants role redefined

No more peasant armies, they now appear only in crusades (early only) and rebellions, where they belong.

- Refined dimounted units

Now all light and non-noble cav can dismount outside sieges, improved the dismounted version of many units so you'll always get something useful.

- Other minor changes

A few units have been slightly retouched so they won't be nearly useless anymore (like Abissinian Guards, Bulgarian Brigands, Gothic Sergeants etc).

Also, dismounted versions of many units has been improved, giving an increased tactical flexibility to cavalry commanders.

- High and Late Campaigns added (currently WIP)

- Now with automatic installer!

- Looking for feedback and suggestions!

- Novgorod GA should work now

- Overall AI is improved and now produces better unit mixes

- Added a "new" unit from VI

temp address: http://microsoftuse.temp.powweb.com/hosted/ZxMod.exe

Latest update: 17/07/2005.

[Pericles]

Zarax:

Glad to see that you are still working on this mod :)

I definitely like the ideas you have implemented here. It will make for a very interesting game to try to see how a player does with various factions.

You have most certainly filled a void with this mod. I am, still playing my current campaigns, but once done, I will give this puppy a workout :)

Cheers!

[Zarax]

Thank you very much, looking forward to see a post play evaluation :-)

[Pericles]

BTW, here is a website that provides a great deal of detail on the crusades and on the various orders:

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Crusade

[Pericles]

Here is another website that provides a great deal of info on the Knights orders:

http://www.orderofmaltacanada.org/page_e_history.htm

[Zarax]

Thanks!
They will surely serve me well to refine the crusading part...

[Pericles]

In addition to the Hospitalers and the Templars, both formed in PALESTINE during the CRUSADES, there were also the LIVONIAN ORDERS, the TEUTONIC KNIGHTS, and various orders devoted to fighting the MOSLEMS in Spain and Portugal had more strictly national interests and memberships. The Knights Of Malta, also an international body, was a later continuation of the Hospitalers.

More detail:

TEUTONIC KNIGHTS (too-tahn'-ik) or Teutonic Order, German religious-military order founded ab. 1190 at Jerusalem during the third CRUSADE. Patterned after the Templars and the Hospitalers, the new Order played only a small role in the affairs of the Frankish-Christian states which had been carved out in Palestine-Syria.

Around 1210 the Knights became involved in European affairs, and the Order reached the height of its influence and power during the 13th and l4th cent., when it conquered Prussia, converting the inhabitants to Christianity or replacing them with German colonists. By the end of this period, the Order, which after 1225 also included the LIVONIAN ORDER, with its cap. at Marienburg (Konigsberg after 1466), ruled a large domain along the coast of the Baltic as far as Russia. Following major defeats in the intermittent war with Poland (see TANNENBERG, BATTLES OF) in the l5th cent., the Order acknowledged Polish sovereignty. There followed a period of gradual but steady decline. In 1525, the Grand Master of the Order accepted PROTESTANTISM, and the former holdings of the Order in Prussia became a duchy under Polish protection. The Order's few remaining possessions in Germany proper were secularized in 1805. Biblio.: Krollmann, C., The Teutonic Order in Prussia (1938).


LIVONIAN ORDER (li-voh'-nee-un), Livonian Knights or Knights of the Swords, German KNGHTLY ORDER, founded in 1202 by the bishops of Riga to christianize the lands lying along the Baltic Coast, i.e., Livonia (N. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). In 1236, following their defeat at Siauliai by the Lithuanians, the Order became a branch of the TEUTONIC KNIGHTS, although it retained its autonomy in the Livonian Region. An attack by the Order on Novgorod led to its massive defeat by Alexander NEVSKY at Lake Peipus (1242), and in the years afterward the Order was steadily weakened by Russian and local opposition and by the Protestant Reformation. It was disbanded in 1561.

[Zarax]

Thanks, this is useful info, though i'm not looking to add new units at least for now...

[Zarax]

Good, after looking at the info you provided (and making a cross check with the wikipedia) I tripled the crusading order lands...
Will post an update with it as soon as i will finish some other minor tweaks...

[Zarax]

Update!

- Increased crusading order territories

- Minor AI tweaks

- Needs testing, please send your feedback!

[BAD]

Currently playing with the Italians GA with this mod. Seems good so far, I had to go to scandinavia to get some bada$$ infantry. Now I just need a shipping lane to get them back home. Hehe. I started playing before your last update so it won't have a few of the things added (what you did in your last update). The crusading units were nice. I started in Genoa and got the regualr two units of whichever order it is, but also when I went through either Venice or Austria I got one and a half units of Teutonic Seargeants also.

I think the HRE got ambushed by the French, Hungarians and Poles so they are crumbling, nothing strange there, but all seems to be pretty nice atm with everyone else. Just got the first crusade to Antioch and about to tech to Italian Light Infantry, so we'll see if I can hold till I get the better units in high and late.

[Zarax]

Oh, finally someone is playing it!

BTW, were you able to build custom units in scandinavia? Only the danes should be able to get viking units...

Watch out for the pesky French as if they tech up to FMAA they can give you some pain, even though MS should give you some decent counter...

Finally, as the Italians you should get the whole Italy + Malta (to get the Hospitallers) except the papal states as you get some kind of bonus in every place (emissaries in venice, priests in rome, spys in sicily) plus milan is the best place for ILI while Tuscany should be your militia hub (all militia units)... Naples will be useful in late to get some heavy cav (gendarmes) while Genoa is good for the ranged units.

That said, central europe will give you good infantry, look to the steppes for cavalry...

BTW, which version did you download? If you got some crusader units in Venice looks like you got the last one

[BAD]

Yeah I was able to build all the guys in Sweden as normal, Landsmen, Thralls, Woodsmen, Huscarles. After doing the appropriate tech's of course. But I thought that was the point, that you had to go far-a-field to fill the gaps in your army. Also I was seeing a fair few number of peasants dotted around the place, not from Rebellion's/Crusades/Jihads. Though I just checked the Unit_prod file and everything seems like it should be how you explained it. . . Will keep you informed.

[edyzmedieval]

Zarax,

Your enthusiasm is a joy to see. I'm currently downloading the mod. Looks promising. I promise I will submit some feedback when I install the mod and play it.

Cheers!

[Zarax]

EDIT: that was meant to be a reply to BAD



Hmm, you shouldn't be able to recruit viking units as the Italians, that's quite weird...
Peasants are also out, there might be some around left as starting units even though i was quite sure to have cleaned there too... I just hope they don't appear as much as in vanilla.

The infantry i meant to be available for everyone are the usual swiss guys, the swabian swordsmen and the almughavars... They are quite enough to fill most gaps but the viking line is absolutely reserved to Danes and Novgorod.

I don't really know what happended, if you got winrar you can try unpacking the exe and manually replace the prod files (they go to c:\total war\medieval total war\) in case they shouldn't be at the right place.

The easiest way to check if the prod file is the right one is to check the pope, he should be accompanied by Hospitaller knights.

[Zarax]

Zarax,

Your enthusiasm is a joy to see. I'm currently downloading the mod. Looks promising. I promise I will submit some feedback when I install the mod and play it.

Cheers!

Wow, this must be a lucky day!

Please let me know if you need any assistance

[BAD]

It's the correct one with the Pope having Knights Hospitaler as his Royal Unit.

[Zarax]

Err... I'm just as confused as you...
Try downloading it again from my sig...
If that does not fix it please send me your units prod file... And if all else fails i'll make a manual install archive that should be able to replace everything.

[edyzmedieval]

Zarax, here's some early feedback.

The mod is really at it's name(mini). Although it's a small one, I kinda like it. You changed much. The Pope is now a Hospitaller, which quite reflects the reality. You gave for example, to the Swiss, Tyrolia, which again is historic.
Until now, it's good. For the future, maybe you'll develop it to become a Large Mod like XL and SuperMod(BKB).

Cheers!

[Zarax]

Zarax, here's some early feedback.

The mod is really at it's name(mini). Although it's a small one, I kinda like it. You changed much. The Pope is now a Hospitaller, which quite reflects the reality. You gave for example, to the Swiss, Tyrolia, which again is historic.
Until now, it's good. For the future, maybe you'll develop it to become a Large Mod like XL and SuperMod(BKB).

Cheers!

Glad you're liking it

The scope of my small MOD was to provide a more interesting experience (with a number of compromises between gameplay and realism) by having the player use slightly more specialized factions so that you cannot build a nearly perfect army with ease but rather adapt against your enemies a bit like in Age of Empires 2 (cheers to all AOE players ) without having to rebuild the whole game like the big mods out there.

This also leads to other advantages, because the AI likes simpler rosters and so it can develop easier (seeing gothic units on easy was the biggest reward), offering a better challenge after some further tweaking (like placing ports at the right place) which gave underdogs like the Danes (don't let them bite you now) a chance to grow up...

About making larger mods i don't think i'm going to do it at least for now (see: university killing my free time), but i'll surely refine and expand this one until it will offer a fully balanced experience for those who wants a quick refreshing experience with MTW.

[edyzmedieval]

The most important part is that you've eliminated peasants!!!

They were completely annoying and also I won the battles way too easy!!! (in Vanilla MTW)

[Zarax]

The most important part is that you've eliminated peasants!!!

They were completely annoying and also I won the battles way too easy!!! (in Vanilla MTW)

Oh, but i didn't eliminate them... They now occupy their rightful place in the game (crusades and rebellions)

You will meet a few from time to time and also they have the nasty habit to ruin your early crusades but not much else, plus once early is gone so they are for good

[BAD]

Err... I'm just as confused as you...
Try downloading it again from my sig...
If that does not fix it please send me your units prod file... And if all else fails i'll make a manual install archive that should be able to replace everything.

I redownloaded and installed it. Runs fine now. Playing as the Almohads on Hard. Spanish overstretched themselves and went into civil war when I killed their king, they never recovered. The Aragonese then overstretched and I beat them back to Navarre and Aragon. The Eggies are my close allies who seem to be knacking the pope atm (never seen that before) after them annihilating the Turks and Byzantines. But everyone else seems to be hunkydory. Even the HRE are hacking it, for once! All in all god job, though I have yet to hit high. . .

Just one thing:-



Dunno how that Uber unit of Swabians appeared, but I'm glad I haven't had to fight it. . . yet. Oh and actually, is it correct that I can have 6 heirs at a time? I thought it was limited to only 5? But I have consistantly been having 6 sons from the Caliph.

PS - Got my housemate to download it too. After playing XL mod its a nice more familiar retreat.

[Zarax]

Oh, that unit of swabians is a small gift i gave to HRE so that they won't be swamped out that easily in the game openings... It's an unique unit so as HRE i would hoard it unless you really need the extra punch...

About the heirs i'm sure i didn't touch it but it is by design as i remember it plenty of times with catholics too (check the Italians).

BTW, did the french kill the english yet? It should be a lot more balanced on that front but those pesky blues have a quite plentiful money supply and go big.

PS: The Eggys going at the pope? That's something new for me too... Though they won't like the resurgences in high (swiss halbs will hurt them bad if hospitallers didn't yet)...

Happy playing!

[Zarax]

Oh, i almost forgot: A level 3 spearmaker in Navarre will give you a nice addition to your roster... I'm sure you will have less problems with knights ;-)

[Mithrandir]

stickied for a short while.

[Zarax]

stickied for a short while.

Many thanks Mithrandir, you have my gratitude

[BAD]

BTW, did the french kill the english yet? It should be a lot more balanced on that front but those pesky blues have a quite plentiful money supply and go big.

PS: The Eggys going at the pope? That's something new for me too... Though they won't like the resurgences in high (swiss halbs will hurt them bad if hospitallers didn't yet)...

Happy playing!

The French tried it on against the HRE but I guess they bit off more than they can chew and they are now stuck between England and a growing HRE. Nice and different for once. yeah I'm helping the Eggie's with rebelions in the popes lands and am slowly converting all the Italian Peninsula to Muslims. I like my little quirks.

I like the province bonus's that you've added, but maybe it makes nations like the Muslims a bit too strong with all the extra ones. Because they already have a diverse roster as opposed to the limited staus of the Christian nations. Maybe you could limit the units even more.

One I can think of is limit the Almo's heavy cavalry more, no Kwarazmanian Cavalry? So their heaviest cavalry without using mercs is Ghulam Cavalry and Ghulam Bodyguards. Because in one battle I had one unit of these (Kwarazmanian's) held up 5 enemy units and died to the last man while the rest of my army annihilated the Spanish and their King.

[Zarax]

Hmm, maybe i can remove the KC from the Almohads, but then the problem is that the muslims (which aren't optimized yet) usually gets owned by other factions, especially after early when crusades starts to bring havoc and the AI hopelessy tries to engage an head on fight against the heavier catholics.

The Turkish are the perfect example... No matter what i do they goes down against either Byz or the Eggys (which are quite a surprise in your game, usually they are kept well on the defensive by the Byz until the Horde comes) unless i play with them of course...

[BAD]

Well just an update on how its going:-



As you can see I am comfortably holding of the Catholics in Spain, (have well guarded Shipping lanes), have an uneasy alliance with the Egyptians. Alos mamged to bribe some rebels in Lesser Armenia, to get them V2 Armenian Heavies =D. And am starting the muslim influence in Scotland (holding that with a prince and Viking Mercs and some Crusader remnants (LOL). But yeah the Byzantines pretty much got owned by the Eggies same as the Turks the French got wiped by the English and HRE the others are just kinda holding there own. The pope re-emerged and the whole of italy changes from Egyptian to papal in the blink of an eye atm. O_O

I played on a few years and the mongols appeared basically carving a wedge down to Lesser Armenia (which I am now Jihading too =D) and up to Novgorod and Volhynia. The HRE had a civil which they seemed to have settled and the French re-emerged due to this. Egypt looks like it's in trouble against the Italians and the Horde. Italians are in Greece now, never seen that. O_o Oh yeah and Aragon has been my vassal guard faction against the Catholics since the begininng of the game. Good little catholics they are.

It's a great game atm (having said that I've never played as the Almo#s before), I'll give some specifics on how maybe to increase the playability after playing a few more factions. But atm I would say maybe give the French a little more cash in the beginning not much but a little more, maybe like 1000 extra. The Egyptians a little less maybe also 1000 less.

PS - Oh yeah I'm playing GA mode Hard btw. ;)