The Ilsamiren Wars

[Ilsamir Lord]

The fillet knives are a good idea, and yes there are units like that in R:TW (Cilician Pirates, from near modern Turkey, armed with harpoons and axes).

Thanks for the recommendation. Those colour ideas are good too!

[GrimSta]

Howabout giving the Seabourne corssbowmen a pavase (veyr large shield) to hide behind when firing....it could be like shield wall it would just lower the firing speed as well

[Ilsamir Lord]

That's a definite possibility, but we would need a new animation I think. I'll be adding more information on units in a while.

[Lonely Soldier]

I like the idea for the ethed! Hope this all goes well for you. You should probably start advertising on other sites as well.

[Ilsamir Lord]

I would, but for some reason I'm not allowed to post in the Mod Discussion forum...

I'll advertise at the SCC and the TWC though.

[GrimSta]

you cant post in Mod Discussion because your a junior member, just wait a bit, get your post count up and it'll change.

I Could always post for you, but it would be better if the creater posted.

[Ilsamir Lord]

I think I'll do it the old fashioned way. Thanks though .

I'm very flattered that you are using the banner by the way!

[GrimSta]

heh, i liked it

[Ilsamir Lord]

GrimSta - I'll do more in that vein when we find someone to do some icons.

[Ilsamir Lord]

Has anyone got a complete list of battlefield orders (for each order not each culture as I don't want double-ups)? I'd rather like to translate them and record them for the mod in their proper languages.

There are 5 languages:
Ilsamiren
Mechathenain
Low or Northern Ilsamiren
Oceanic &
Seaborne

The Latin voicemod for RTR did the same with only one person, and very well too, so I think we could do the same, with enough voice actors. I'll publish translations and pronunciation guides if I get the full list.

PS. Please include battlefield updates ("all hope is dooooomeeed!!!" etc.) as I would like to replace them too. Also, if someone has them, could they tell me how battlefield speeches are generated based on the situation and how many there are for, say, the Romans?

Thanks.

[RTW King]

Hello, your mod sounds really cool, so if you want I could be a skinner (but not a modeller, sorry). If you let me join the team, do you want to start discussing cultures etc. so I can get started on the units?

[Ilsamir Lord]

Most definitely! Welcome aboard! I'll post a shield design I did a while back in a while. Many of the units will need models unfortunately. Do you have any skill in making faction icons? If so that would be one of the better things to get done I think. You could also work on banners possibly...? By the way, the units will not have banners like in R:TW (the big flashing, bobbing ones) most unit will have a standard bearer who will carry a large flag. Those are the banners I'm referring to. You could simply do the texture, and then when we get some modellers you could apply them.

Thanks again and welcome aboard!

I'll post some cultural descriptions in a while and find some concept artists.

[boastj]

Hi if found your post on the WOT-TW forum and thought I’d check it out.
Love the originality
Couple of questions
It sounds brilliant but do you think that you have too few factions why don’t you add a few barbarian tribes or something, everyone loves barbarians and maybe a few desert tribes that have been left alone by The Mechathenain (if they are the ones fleeing the encroaching desert).
Haw about a slave kingdom, one city or something.
Will you have any original buildings?
What sort of mercenaries will there be?
Will you have anything equivalent to elephants?
hope it all goes well and when will it be out

[NodachiSam]

I would love to do concepts for you but I can't spare any time until my animation is done That'll be winter break for me.

[Ilsamir Lord]

NoDachiSam - no problem - life must come first. It's very generous of you to offer in the first place!

Thanks for the compliment!

On to your questions:

More factions?

Possibly, but I have only seven simply because of the culture limit - I want the most variety between them as possible, so that playing as each faction is a unique and interesting experience - even if there are fewer of them.

Will you have any original buildings?

Definitely. We will also have new walls and things. Ideally we need a modeller to focus only on buildings, as they will be a big job. I'd also like to have unique seige weapons, but I don't think that's possible.

What sort of mercenaries will there be?

That's a good question! And one that I hadn't yet considered... Well, the mercenaries will be appropriate to the climate I expect - they will also be much less professional than the ones in R:TW - you won't have units of hoplites and such, mostly smallish bands of brigands etc.

Will you have anything equivalent to elephants?

I'm not sure yet... we will probably have some large animals, but I'm not really sure. They would be very rare and expensive if we did, and perhaps exclusively available as mercenaries until quite a late stage - to illustrate the difficulty of finding and training them.

[boastj]

will you be including any "historical” battles

[Ilsamir Lord]

Another good question! I would hope to, they would be a good subject for a demo! I've just had some ideas about a few we could do because of your question! Thanks!

[GrimSta]

Remember! If you can model (god knows im trying to learn) then we need you as this project is in vital need of them!!

[Ilsamir Lord]

I'll second that! We are still in the planning stages at the moment, but soon we will have concepts to work from and any modellers will of course welcomed with open arms!

Grimsta - do you know why I'm still a junior member? I've broken fifty posts... what number did you have to get to?

[GrimSta]

I think its changed every month? im not entirley sure though...PM a mod about it

[Ilsamir Lord]

Ok, that'll be my next step - it's the first of December where I am, but maybe I need more than sixty posts...

A couple of Historical Battles:

ESCAPE FROM THE CLAUTHNOR
Description & Context
This was not so much a battle as a reconnaissance mission gone awry. In the year 3045 AF the Ilsamir king Ilsir XII dispatched a small band of Morchanin scouts to the vast southern forest, the Clauthnor. These scouts were the first to witness the arrival of the Mechathenain, and when the ships landed on a stretch of beach on the Southern edge of the Clauthnor, the Morchanin went to investigate.

After a failed attempt at reconnaissance, which resulted in the death or capture of the entire band, the few remaining Morchanin managed to escape into the forest, and were pursued by a Mechathenain hunting party.

Only one Morchanin scout escaped to return to Darineth with news of the incursion.

Participants

The Ilsamiri

One unit of Morchanin Scouts

The Mechathenain

Two units of Hunters


THE SIEGE OF DARINETH
Description and Context
The siege of Darineth began in the year 3324 AF under the kingship of Ilsean III. In the previous years the Mechathenain had made only minor progress towards the capital, but the constant campaigns of the Ilsamiri against them had left their northern borders poorly guarded. After the fall of several forts along the North Road, Ilsean withdrew his garrisons from the Western Kingdom to defend his chief city.

The armies of the Northern Kingdom swept down from the mountains and immediately surrounded Darineth, barring all supplies from the West. However, Ilsean had recently managed to force the Seaborne back from the seas around Haven of Darineth, and so supply was maintained by the Ilsamir navy.

The siege had reached a stalemate. The Ilsamir defences were to strong to be broken, but they had too few troops to break the siege, and they were supplied adequately for an indefinite defence.

The stalemate was broken when the Mechathenain, perceiving a chance to take the city more easily once it had been captured by the Northern Kingdom, sent their navy to blockade the Haven.

This was taken as a signal to strike by the Northern Kingdom, and they commenced a furious attack against the half-starved defenders of the city.

After days of fighting in the streets and houses of Darineth, the Northern army had been severely weakened by an unexpectedly fierce defence. The Ilsamir drove the Northern army back to the walls and eventually won the battle, but the losses taken would cripple them for many years.

In this battle you must drive the Northern army back from the palace square and over the walls to win.

Participants

The Ilsamiri

Two units of Knights

Three units of Archers

Three units of Darineth Guardsmen

Two units of Swordsmen

Two units of Pikemen


The Northern Kingdom

One unit of Ethed Knights

Two units of archers

Three units of spearmen

Two units of swordsmen

Two units of foot knights

Three units of halberdiers

[boastj]

I see sounds good I especially like the sound of THE SIEGE OF DARINETH,
Are you open to “Historic” battles suggestions or have you already planned them out for your book.

[Ilsamir Lord]

Well, if I'm honest, I came up with those ones yesterday, I have major events planned out already (for the book), so maybe if I post a chronology, as it would have been in a book (so over a more compressed period) people could suggest stuff based on that.

[boastj]

Go for it

[Ilsamir Lord]

OK, I've done the Mechathenain chronology, but I'm not sure how best to post it... it's in table form.

[Casmin]

Sounds like a great idea! I used to write in the fantasy adventure genre. This is right up my alley. Keep up the great work!

[Ilsamir Lord]

Some more units:

THE OCEAN TRIBES

Spear Throwers
These are the lowliest warriors of the Ocean Tribes, but they are still quite able to inflict casualties. They wear no armour, as soldiers are expected to provide their own, and carry flint headed spears.

Foresters – hide in woods, long and short range
These men have lived all their lives in the jungles and forests of the scattered islands of the Dividing Sea. For this reason they are expert at hiding in woodland. They too carry flint headed spears and wear light armour but they also carry long handled, flint headed axes.

Waitanath Warriors
These men have been groomed as warriors since their births. They are truly fearsome, beginning every encounter with a terrible war cry and then charging to the fight with flint edged fighting sticks which the wield with terrifying speed and deftness. They wear little armour, but their martial skills more than make up for this.

Waves
Waves carry massive stone headed clubs and wear armour made from plates of wood. They are best used to break up formations of heavy infantry before their lighter armed comrades mop up.

Phanga-Huilin
Phanga-Huilin means Death Rain in Oceanic and indeed these men do rain death upon their foes. They are armed with large bows which are bound in vines and sinews to add further to their power. These men are trained to fire very quickly and with great accuracy, hurling their massive arrows hundreds of yards. They are not well trained for melee, but the strength in their arms makes them more than a match for light infantry.

Tanl-Aoirin
Tanl are the fierce sea-birds which flock around the islands of the Dividing Sea, scavenging and hunting. The Aoirin are their keepers, their friends and allies. They are experts in signalling to the Tanl and can order them to attack specific targets with the knowledge that they will fight until they or their enemies are defeated.


THE NORTHERN KINGDOM

INFANTRY
Peasants

Mountaineers
Hardened by life in the harsh mountains of the north, these men, though not as well armoured as their professional comrades, are extremely hardy and brave. They are armed with sharpened staves (which they usually use for climbing) and are only really effective against other light infantry - though they will easily defeat peasants.

Halberdiers
Halberds are brutal weapons, usually consisting of a large, heavy axe-head on the end of a long pole. These men are trained to use them as they should be used - with wide swings - in loose formations. For this reason they are somewhat vulnerable to cavalry. They are heavily armoured.

Foot Knights
These are simply knights who fight on foot, they therefore give up their lances in favour of their long sabres, but they do retain their shields. They are just as heavily armoured and against other heavy infantry are nearly invulnerable except when heavily outnumbered.

Spearmen
Armed with long spears and capable of forming clusters against cavalry, these men are best used to protect weaker infantry.

Swordsmen
Armed with long curved swords these men fight with slicing motions, and are therefore not as effective against steel armour as against lighter protection. They are still excellent at holding positions against infantry.

Archers
Armoured and armed simply and economically these soldiers should not go unwatched when the fight nears but are good for thinning out enemy formations.

Siege Archers
These men are armed with fearsome, large bows of incredible draw weight and are used mainly in sieges, when firing rate is not as important as piercing armour.

CAVALRY
Ethed Chariots
These chariots are drawn by armoured ethed and crewed by swordsmen.

[professorspatula]

It is nice to see a bit of originality and a good concept, although you have given yourself - and your team - a massive task to undertake. You will require dozens of new models, and some new animations, new textures, plus a massive new map et al. At this stage surely posting suggested unit lineups and historical battles is a bit pointless until you have actually got the means to carry out the proposals. A project like this will require literally hundreds of hours of work (before testing), whereas typing out a unit list takes just a few minutes. Amazingly you are hoping others will be able to produce the majority of the work, for your own idea and project. I hope if you manage to assemble a group of willing modellers and skinners etc that they are given a creative freedom of their own otherwise there's very little in it for themselves. Keeping them motivated is perhaps amongst your hardest tasks. Generally, those who can model can pick and choose what mod they want to work on, which puts them in a powerful position if you can't do that yourself.

That said, good luck with your mod. I personally would suggest aiming for a smaller project for now, rather than the entire thing. Perhaps setting the mod on just one of the major land masses, and having just a few factions involved would be a more realistic goal for now. You'd require much less work, and importantly - fewer new models and a much easier to make map. With less of a workload for your modding team, they have smaller target to aim for, which is more likely to keep them motivated. That way you'd have a much greater chance of getting something playable released that if the public like, will mean you can go on to make the rest of world - possibly with an increased number of willing modders to help. Like it or not, you are competing with every other mod out there, and getting something complete released that the public want to play is a priortiy. Anyway, I hope the mod gets past the basic 'feature-list' stage which is sadly where many mods get stuck at, before being forgotten entirely.

[Lord Winter]

Looks good thou you might want to add more calvary to both factions.

[Ilsamir Lord]

professorspatula - Thank you for the wish of luck, and what you say is true, there will be a lot of work. However, given the amount of interest I have recieved in the short time the thread has been up, and that I already have a mapper, two part time modellers, two skinners and two concept artists, I think the mod will be successful. If there is truly not enough interest to complete the whole world map idea then I will reduce it accordingly.

Destroyer of Hope - those two factions are island nations, horses are not native to there regions, though they will probably be able to recruit horse units if they conquer regions with horses.