Am I missing something?

[Graphic]

I just got RTW Gold. When I try to start a new campaign, I can only select one of the three Roman factions. Ummm, wtf? I thought you could play as Carthage, Egypt, Greeks, etc. You can only play as the Romans? I honestly don't believe it. Something has to be wrong.

I come from Medieval and if I'm going from 20 factions to 3, I'm going to be quite pissed.

[Thon]

you unlock the others by defeating them in the campaign, and/or winning a campaign. even then a few like Macedon still arn't unlocked for some bizzare reason. the easier way is to edit one of the files, i can't remember which because it's been so long.

do a search in the forum, and you'll find what you're looking for

[Shadow]

You need to complete the game as one of the roman factions first to unlock the rest.

But if u want the fast way out you can edit the game in one of the folders

[Quillan]

In the Imperial Campaign, by default, when you first start you can only play one of the three roman families. Any unlockable faction you personally eliminate from the game becomes playable from that point on, and winning a campaign - even a short campaign - allows you to play all the unlockable factions. Again, by default, the Gauls, Britons, Germans, Dacians, Scythians, Greek City States, Seleucids, Parthia, Egypt and Carthage are playable. Armenia, Numidia, Spain, and Macedonia are not. I can't remember if Thrace and Pontus are playable or not. There's a file that lists them in individual sections: one is unlocked, one is unlockable, and one is unplayable. You can move the names into the "unlocked" section to make them playable.

NOTE WELL: do NOT move SPQR into the playable section. The game crashes if you try to play the senate.

[econ21]

Detailed instructions for unlocking the factions are given at the beginning of frogbeastegg's guide, which is highly recommended for new RTW players:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=38382

[Ciaran]

If you want to play the unplayable factions in 1.5, this is your link:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...834#post994834

Heed Quillians advice about the Senate though, it was never meant to be playable and trying to do so will cause all kinds of trouble (quoting Jerome Gadsky, one of the CA guys who, despite all, post occasionally in this forum)

[Avicenna]

Don't try the rebels, either.

[Celt Centurion]

In the Imperial Campaign, by default, when you first start you can only play one of the three roman families. Any unlockable faction you personally eliminate from the game becomes playable from that point on, and winning a campaign - even a short campaign - allows you to play all the unlockable factions. Again, by default, the Gauls, Britons, Germans, Dacians, Scythians, Greek City States, Seleucids, Parthia, Egypt and Carthage are playable. Armenia, Numidia, Spain, and Macedonia are not. I can't remember if Thrace and Pontus are playable or not. There's a file that lists them in individual sections: one is unlocked, one is unlockable, and one is unplayable. You can move the names into the "unlocked" section to make them playable.

NOTE WELL: do NOT move SPQR into the playable section. The game crashes if you try to play the senate.

I have eliminated Pontus. They are apparently unlockable. I wanted to play as them too.

Strength and Honor,

Celt Centurion

[The Spartan (Returns)]

NOTE WELL: do NOT move SPQR into the playable section. The game crashes if you try to play the senate.

acually YOU can play as SPQR as long as you dont look in the senate tab. but the game crashes randomly while playing them.

[Grey_Fox]

To mod them to be available is quite simple.

Go to my computer > local disk > program files > activision > rome - total war > data > world > maps > campaign > imperial campaign > descr_strat

You'll see this:

campaign imperial_campaign
playable
romans_julii
romans_brutii
romans_scipii
end
unlockable
egypt
seleucid
carthage
parthia
gauls
germans
britons
greek_cities
end
nonplayable
macedon
pontus
armenia
dacia
numidia
scythia
spain
thrace
romans_senate
slave
end


Simply change this to:


campaign imperial_campaign
playable
romans_julii
romans_brutii
romans_scipii
egypt
seleucid
carthage
parthia
gauls
germans
britons
greek_cities
macedon
pontus
armenia
dacia
numidia
scythia
spain
thrace
romans_senate
slave
end
unlockable
end
nonplayable
end

Just don't click on the faction info (or was it senate) tab if you play as the Senate as the game will crash.

[orangat]

What possible reason could CA have for putting perfectly playable factions like Macedon/Pontus/Numidia etc into the unplayable category??

[Ignoramus]

What possible reason could CA have for putting perfectly playable factions like Macedon/Pontus/Numidia etc into the unplayable category??

To annoy us? Who knows?

[Celt Centurion]

Grey Fox,

Thank you for putting such a detailed set of instructions on making other factions playable. I went and made the changes a few moments ago. There seems to be a problem which I'm sure you would know what to do.

The only factions playable now are Julii and Brutii. (not the problem) I thought, "Well, go beat the other factions, and they will become playable as well.

So, (here's the problem) I clicked on Brutii with the intention of going East to make Thrace, Scythia, and Pontus open, and after selecting which campaign, difficulty level and so forth, hit the arrow on the right to begin, and was taken back to the menu where I choose "imperial campaign, custom battle, historical battle," (whatever). I'm sure you recognize it. I keep trying to proceed with the imperial campaign, but it keeps taking me back to that screen.

There were two factions I left as unplayable though, The Senate, and Rebels. I did not see a problem with leaving them unplayable as it would keep me out of trouble later.

Anyway, it will not start a new campaign now at all, and would that previous paragraph be the reason? Another possibility would be; "Should I delete the saved games?" The saved games are working fine.

With the exception of leaving the senate and rebels as unplayable, my screen read verbatim what yours did.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Strength and Honor.

Respectfully,

Celt Centurion

To mod them to be available is quite simple.

Go to my computer > local disk > program files > activision > rome - total war > data > world > maps > campaign > imperial campaign > descr_strat

You'll see this:

campaign imperial_campaign
playable
romans_julii
romans_brutii
romans_scipii
end
unlockable
egypt
seleucid
carthage
parthia
gauls
germans
britons
greek_cities
end
nonplayable
macedon
pontus
armenia
dacia
numidia
scythia
spain
thrace
romans_senate
slave
end


Simply change this to:


campaign imperial_campaign
playable
romans_julii
romans_brutii
romans_scipii
egypt
seleucid
carthage
parthia
gauls
germans
britons
greek_cities
macedon
pontus
armenia
dacia
numidia
scythia
spain
thrace
romans_senate
slave
end
unlockable
end
nonplayable
end

Just don't click on the faction info (or was it senate) tab if you play as the Senate as the game will crash.

[Grey_Fox]

Alright, for BI just go to my computer > local disk > program files > activision > rome - total war > bi > data > world > maps > campaign > barbarian_invasion > descr_strat

Then make the same changes made above, moving factions from the unplayable list to the playable. However factions that come into being after the game starts (the Romano British is the only one I can think of at the moment) cannot be chosen.

The only reason I can think of regarding your problems in starting a campaign is that you made a mistake someplace along the line. Could you please post the relevant section of your descr_strat please?

[roman pleb]

Celt Centurion, which version are you playing with?

[Celt Centurion]

Greetings Grey Fox,

It's the Rome Total War I'm having problems with, not BI. I have since re-modded it to verbatim, letter for letter what yours read, then went to "file" and saved. Then I backed out, and the Julii and Brutii discs were the only ones showing. I have tried both, and as I said earlier, I pushed for start the Imperial Campaign, and it directed me to where the same screen showing

Prologue
Imperial Campaign
Custom Battle
Historical battle,

and so forth, but stops there The arrow on the right is not there, and pretty much the only thing I'm able to do with it is play the Prologue up to the Second Mission to take Bovianum, and then it does a CTD. I can also play saved games, but sooner or later, I'd like to start a new campaign. It's ok. I am a man of tremendous patience.

I even tried taking it all back to where it was before I attempted to mod it, and nothing changed at all. So, I will look for your next suggestion, as well as check the personal message which I assume you sent, and I am sure that we will get this rascal figured out.

Strength and Honor,

Celt Centurion

Alright, for BI just go to my computer > local disk > program files > activision > rome - total war > bi > data > world > maps > campaign > barbarian_invasion > descr_strat

Then make the same changes made above, moving factions from the unplayable list to the playable. However factions that come into being after the game starts (the Romano British is the only one I can think of at the moment) cannot be chosen.

The only reason I can think of regarding your problems in starting a campaign is that you made a mistake someplace along the line. Could you please post the relevant section of your descr_strat please?

[Celt Centurion]

Greetings Roman Pleb,

I installed Rome Total War about 20 months ago, Christmas 2004. About 5 or 6 months later, I put in the 1.2 patch mainly to eliminate the "dragging and freezing" effect when one side or the other was using fire arrows. Then, in Christmas of 2005, about 8 months ago, I put in Barbarian Invasion, but as far as I know, the only problem I have with that are my Generals robbing me blind. I have not tried playing it since attempting to put in the RTW mod yesterday. I might go check it in a few minutes after answering another message.

So, I don't know what the patch number was for BI being installed, but between that and 1.2, those are all. I tried to get the Alexander Mod into it, but it did not seem to take, and I surely have not seen it anywhere in the files.

I'm sure that we will be able to get this fixed in a few days.

Strength and Honor,

Celt Centurion

Celt Centurion, which version are you playing with?

[x-dANGEr]

What possible reason could CA have for putting perfectly playable factions like Macedon/Pontus/Numidia etc into the unplayable category??

Well, let's see...

Macedonia got Alexander.. But that is not the real reason. I think it hasn't as all their experiences are the same. But, on the other hand, look at the playable Factions..

Egypt: Easy.
Carthage: Very Hard.
Seleucid: Very Hard.
Germania: Moderate.
etc..

In short, I think they scripted the campaign in some way, that all Romans and Numidia along with Spain attack Carthage, and so on.. But haven't had the time to do that for the factions you posted, and by that making them exciting rather than boring.

[Grey_Fox]

Ok Celt, here's the thing. What's typed here isn't exactly the same as is in the file since the posts here are compressed so there is no margin like there is in the file itself. When you click 'reply with quote' with my orignial post, you'll see what it should look like (I hope that makes sense). It should work (at least it does for me) but to make sure could you please copy/paste your descr_strat onto a post for here?

If you need to know how, just hold the left mouser button at the top of the page and drag down until the relevent parts are highlighted and then hold the control button and hit C. Then open a post and hit control V and the while thing will be copied into the post for you. Apoplogies if you already knew this.

I can't remember where I got the idea that you needed help with modding BI, but then again it was something like 1 am when I posted that...

[Celt Centurion]

Thanks for wiring back Grey Fox,

I did not know that I could send it here this way, but here it is. Did I put it in correctly?

Celt Centurion

; Custom campaign script generated by Romans Campaign Map Editor

campaign imperial_campaign
playable
romans_julii
romans_brutii
romans_scipi
egypt
seleucid
carthage
parthia
gauls
germans
britons
greek_cities
macedon
pontus
armenia
dacia
numidia
scythia
spain
thrace
romans_senate
slave
end
unlockable
end
unplayable
end


start_date -270 summer
end_date 14 summer

brigand_spawn_value 10
pirate_spawn_value 28

Ok Celt, here's the thing. What's typed here isn't exactly the same as is in the file since the posts here are compressed so there is no margin like there is in the file itself. When you click 'reply with quote' with my orignial post, you'll see what it should look like (I hope that makes sense). It should work (at least it does for me) but to make sure could you please copy/paste your descr_strat onto a post for here?

If you need to know how, just hold the left mouser button at the top of the page and drag down until the relevent parts are highlighted and then hold the control button and hit C. Then open a post and hit control V and the while thing will be copied into the post for you. Apoplogies if you already knew this.

I can't remember where I got the idea that you needed help with modding BI, but then again it was something like 1 am when I posted that...

[Grey_Fox]

It looks about right...

[roman pleb]

Hey Celt, I also have 1.5 like you and this method mentioned above wouldn't work for me either, so what i did was move all the factions in the nonplayable section(Pontus, Numidia, etc.) into the unlockable section. I then beat a short campaign as the Brutii and there all the factions were, ready for me to start a campaign with them. So you should definitely give this a try mate.

[Celt Centurion]

I thought so too. Do you have any other suggestions? I see that Roman Pleb sent one which I will try.

Another idea that I thought might work is to uninstall and start over, but that would be as a last resort.

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion

It looks about right...

[Celt Centurion]

I've printed this out to take to that file so maybe I won't foul it up. Thanks Roman Pleb.

Strength and Honor
Celt Centurion

Hey Celt, I also have 1.5 like you and this method mentioned above wouldn't work for me either, so what i did was move all the factions in the nonplayable section(Pontus, Numidia, etc.) into the unlockable section. I then beat a short campaign as the Brutii and there all the factions were, ready for me to start a campaign with them. So you should definitely give this a try mate.

[Vacuity]

Rather than mess around trying to do it yourself, why not use a ready-made mod?
The Completed Factions MOD has maps, descriptions and everything you might wish to make your campaign selection screen pretty. You can find the mod here.

It's worth noting that in one of the patches CA introduced a need for factions to have associated maps and suchlike in order for you to successfully start a campaign with them, which prevents people from quickly hacking the campaign description to make everything playable.

As to *why* CA made some of the factions unplayable, my guess is it's because they didn't have the time to give every faction exciting unique units and "character". For example neither Pontus nor Thrace are particularly interesting in their unit roster, Numidia also has a very weak and limited line-up. I am not sure this argument holds with Spain, but there are quite a few barbarian factions already playable so they may have simply selected what they thought were the most interesting of the barbarian factions.
At the end of the day they know that people who *want* to play as Thrace will find a way to play as Thrace, but they don't want people playing with the less interesting factions, giving up and not buying the next product(s), do they?

For those wanting to play as any of the factions in BI (including emergent factions) the BI Make all factions playable mod is an excellent choice, as it has some clever scripting that allows you to play emergent factions as and when they emerge in the game. You can find it here.

The questions about unlocking factions come up so often, shouldn't there be a sticky made linking to mods like these? Just an idea...

Vac