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Where Rome : Total War had Europa Barbarorum, Medieval : Total War II shall have Mediæval Auctoriso, with the same aim as the Europa Barbarorum project.

Before I start, let it be said that this is in no way a slur or attack on the work of Creative Assembly. I respect all of them (more so as I’ll be studying games design at University next year) and their work that is of coarse on going. They however must sacrifice some historical aspects for the sake of game play. This is understandable but as EB has proved, historical accuracy can indeed be part and parcel of the package and be extremely enjoyable and educational in the least, I know myself became far more interested in history than I was when I bought Shogun.

BI had its Graal Knights, whilst fun for novelty value for a brief period was over all not appreciated by those who sought a more historically accurate gaming experience. EB created such a conversion for the original Rome and is a testament to a combined effort to create a historically accurate game, it also has succeeded in doing so without draining the fun away, in fact in many ways it added new elements of fun to the game.

Mediæval Auctoriso aims to create the same experience for the upcoming Total War release. In essence, to create a historically accurate environment whilst enhancing the game play itself, to remain accessible to the less experienced whilst increasing the difficult for the more advanced players, more over making sure the AI provides a decent challenge to all levels of gamers, whilst allowing the lesser experienced to learn new tactics to ward off their foes.

Of coarse, with Medieval II still some months away the project will, for now, be based on idea’s and research, along with going with what we hear from Creative Assembly along the way. This will be a long term project and as such requires a dedicated team who are willing to put time and effort into extensive research prior to the games release and such requires the following individuals :

Researchers
This job would require the individual to concentrate on a particular area of research set by the team leader (Me) and other members of the group. Their area’s of research would range from what countries owned what, what troops fought for who and so on. Basically it is broad, nobody would be stuck doing the same thing all the time, ideally we could set somebody an entire country to research which means they could research all sorts from troops, buildings, borders of the realm and so on.

Graphics Artists
Historical accuracy will also need to be portrayed in the look of units, building and so on. Skinners and general menu artists are required, though the majority of their time now would be helping in research, making preliminary sketches and working with those researching area’s specific to the visual atmosphere we hope to portray. Modding projects such as this live and die for those with graphical talents, and as such would be important to get on board early.

These people are paramount. If you would like to help please reply here or drop me (or another member) a line via PM. Projects on this scale require a team, I have discovered this in the past as some of you from a fair while back will know.

The Team

The team so far is as follows (expect this to be updated until an official thread is made) :

Team Leader - NagatsukaShumi (aka Sam)
Head of Research - TheSilverKnight (aka Chris)
Researcher - Hurin_Rules
Researcher - Ianofsmeg16
Researcher - Antiochius
Researcher - Alexander the Pretty Good

I advise those who wish join to either have MSN or gain access to it as discussions will be important now with research and when modding takes place. Hopefully we can gain our own sub forum here later on if we drum up enough support and we can always set up our own for discussion away from MSN and so on.

PS - I am aware an MTR exists, I say good luck to them too, the community benefited from both EB and RTR, hopefully this will be the same

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I, for one, wish to say that this is going to be a well-sized project and we are going to need all the help from all the enthusiastic modders we can find who wish to be a part of a great project such as this!

Also, as Sam said, if you need, you can PM either of us to gain our MSN addresses so we may further discuss the mod.

Feel free to do so at any time if you wish to ask privately for membership or to help, or do so here in this post.

Thank you, and wish us luck!

Best wishes,
TheSilverKnight (aka Chris)

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Good luck guys, I think that's a really good idea. My specialty is high medieval military history (esp. 11th-12th century), and I can read Latin, so if I can help you with translations, bibliography or just general knowledge about the Middle Ages, let me know.

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I too can read a fair amount of Latin, but we need all the help we can get. We'd appreciate your help when the time comes along and we begin to do serious research and modding (which, still, seems light years away).

Your knowledge of the middle ages and bibliography will certainly come in handy as well.

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Can I help with reasech on Western Europe?

I alread have Chris' msn, so we can communicate over that...

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Yes! Of course you can help, Ian You can specialise in history of the Gaelic factions, I assume (being from the Isle of Man and all, you Celtic islander, you ? Help will be especially needed for lesser important countries game-speaking.

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well, i do have experience with Gaelic Factions, so yeah I could help in any way shape or form i can

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Hurin and Ian and now both added to the team

It is pleasing to see some interest already, keep it coming guys

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Nagatsuka, pm me or add me to msn, and tell me what kind of info you would like.

Glad to be abord!

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Just a quick note -

We will be releasing information further as concepts come along in the mod. For now, as you know the game is not realeased, and we are not able to know what we are capable, but research is well underway.

Any support you guys wish to offer will be welcome!

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I would like to welcome Antiochius to the team asm the third researcher.

The team now consists of five people though more are welcome to join, infact I insist you do

Just to let you know, work has indeed begun and we are all hard at work.

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Just to let everyone know, we now have forums up!! Join in on the discussions and feel free to offer your help!

Here's the link to the forums -

http://mediauctoriso.proboards61.com/index.cgi

Cheers

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Cripes, that was quick. The game has only been official for two months, won't be released till the end of the year, yet already a full scale mod to make it more accurate is underway.

Well, if it turns out the rumours of elephants with cannons mounted on them are true, i hope you do a good job!

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Rest assured we'll be taking those cannons off of our cuddly grey friends and letting them get back to what they do best, stomping on people!

We will hopefully be able to release some information soon, as regards what factions we'll be using for MA so watch this space.

Also, the invite to members is still well and truly open, we do need some with modding experience, especially in modelling to apply, though bare in mind you'd be researching until the release of the demo, for obvious reasons.

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EB was started fairly early, too.

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Yeah, it was relatively early, however we will benefit from having all research pretty much done upon release.

Its nice to see theres an intertests in the project

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Whats the name mean? Id think Medium Aveum Bellum would be a could name

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The name means "Authentic Medieval". I think it fits for the mod. Then again, the name was consulted upon privately, and I came up with the name, so...

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If you're looking to do an accurate MTW2 you fellows should contact WesW. Him and the others who've contributed to the MedMod for MTW have tons of info available on the subject.

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Rome: Total Realism (started at TWC), Europa Barbarum (started at the Org)
Medieval: Total Realism(started at TWC), Mediæval Auctoriso (started at the Org)

I am starting to see a trend; the Org members can come up with more original names

On the graphical department M2:TW is alot more demanding, especially with CA raising the bar much higher with their already good looking skins, so the artists are key for "selling" your mod. My advice is to try getting some known experienced modellers and skinners on the team. Talent attracts talent and at the moment M:TR is winning that race. And by moving to your own forum so soon is IMO not that wise if you are still the underdog. If you cannot get modellers try to aim for something more unique and more focused, like the Hundred Years War or the Reconquisita (the Wars of the Roses are taken! ) The Crusades mod by caius brittanica is relatively pretty small, but can also be completed sooner and to me it looks more interesting than the huge mods.

Good luck with it!

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I whole heartedly agree DJ, I have always found it an issue finding any help with planned projects bar one or two, so its nice to have so many researchers on board, but now the real task of finding modellers especially is going to set in. In September I'll be starting up my games deisgn course at Uni so I may learn a moderate level of modelling however we really do need somebody with experience, even though their input will be limited to researching with the rest of us for the time being. I am confident there are some we have who can edit text and script however models are what a realism modification will live or die on.

I think, following your suggestions, releasing the mod in stages would be beneficial rather than shortening its span, along the same lines as Chivalry as in release one being an early campaign, two high etc for lightening the work load somewhat at each given time. I do agree on smaller scope being more interesting than larger and I certainly have plans to hopefully release several "mini" campaigns with the mod at some point so people can play out certain era's of history, but of coarse grand plans come to naught without modellers.

I was hoping possibly you could help me in the search for modellers if possible? Any help from someone of your stature would be appreciated highly.

Ah yes, help from WesW and the like would be appreciated if they have the time too, I shall be sure to look at who would be helpful, again help form DJ there would be excellent as I have been off the modding scene since MTW's original era of dominance.

Thanks for all the kind words!

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Will there be any difference in factions to include? If so, which will you include?

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Assuming there is some kind of "provincial campaign" feature in MTW2, we will have three "eras" - Early, High, and Late, essentially. Dates and names may change, but the concept will be the same. Some people will want to jump right in to the 1300's, and we want to give them that option.

That also allows us to release beta content ala Chivalry: Total War.

We're also hoping for 30 faction slots, as hinted by a CA rep on the .com boards. This will obviously give us more room to work with. They will probably be scattered across the three eras to liven up different areas - and we may look east.

Current vanilla factions will change. Unified Spain will not stand. Names will be changed to protect the innocent. Etc, etc, etc.

Unhappy about the Aztecs? There's a possibility they will be eliminated. Just a possibility.

Essentially, we can't give you a list yet.

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Depending on how many factions the game engine can handle, new factions will be designed in under-populated areas...such as Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, North Africa, etc. No information is being released on factions yet, however. But stay tuned to this space for future info about factions!

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To add my two cents here, the faction list will be ready soon for "beta release" to the public, partly because we want to get them mostly confirmed and secondly because we would like to hear your input too on whether you think we've missed anybody important out or added somebody who doesn't merit a starting place.

Debate amongst everyone here is encouraged as long as it is backed up with evidence, no "So and so because they pwn and cos i wn b them!!!!11!!!1!11" please.

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Are you looking for unit suggestions for the factions you decide upon? Obviously as yet we have no idea what units CA intend to include, though I do expect most of the units we saw in MTW.
On a personal note, I was really disappointed with the Mongol units of MTW. The release of VI added Steppe Heavies but they did nothing to improve on an already poor offering.
Some units worth considering.....
Mongol heavy cav
Mongol horse archers
Qipchaq light cav
Khwarazmian cav
Uighur light cav
Kerait cav
Bulgar infantry
Bulgar archers
Chinese seige craft (catapult) and engineers
Moslem Trebuchets and engineers

..........Orda

Edit: And of course Mongol Mangudai.....how could I forget them?

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Hi Orda, I was always disappointed with the role the Mongols played in the original MTW and I can assure you they will be addressed in MA.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated and all help is welcome, as I've probably said we'd like to get all the research done in advance of the game so we know what we are doing and delve straight into modding.

On a side note we are still looking for a skinner or modeller, infact a few, these are VITAL. Any help is greatly appreciated!

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Hey guys! we'd like for you to discuss what factions you would like to see in MA, i'm sure theirs a list somewhere of the vanilla playable factions already, but we would love to know what changes you'd like to see there. And anywhere in fact, this mod is going to be mae for the people, so the peoiple shall have a say in waht happens!

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Here's the list of the 21 factions in the game:

-England
-France
-Scotland
-Holy Roman Empire
-Denmark
-Spain
-Portugal
-Milan
-Venice
-Papal States
-Sicily
-Poland
-Russia
-Hungary
-Byzantium
-The Turks
-Egypt
-The Moors
-The Mongols
-The Tumurids
-The Aztecs

There was already a great deal of discussion about the factions in this thread.

I suspect that the Papal States will be unplayable, much like the Senate in vanilla RTW.

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Hi Keba.

Thanks for the list. We know there was already a thread to discuss it, but we'd like to see what factions people would like to see, as a conversation starter and an indication of public opinion. We already have our own idea's, but we'd like to know what you guys think.

Also, expect an announcement of sorts to arrive soon.

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