Hello! I have some questions...

[KatzMotel]

Hiya! I just have a couple of questions about this mod...

First of all, and I guess most importantly, how easy will it be able to install it? I really need to keep the normal RTW v1.5, since I play it online with a friend. Seeing as M2TW is out, how likely is it that the project will be abandoned before v1.0?

And here are the much less important ones. Basically, the main reason I want to get this mod is because of the units in general looking better... and the fact that the Egyptian side doesn't look so awful. However, since I can't view any of the Roman units on the unit page of the site for some reason, I can't tell what they look like. Since I read that most (or all) of the later units are apparently dressed in lorica hamata (which I guess makes sense, since segmentata apparently only was beginning to put into use circa 20BC), are any of the earlier elite foot units dressed in anything other than chain mail? I have baaad memories of the blurry, crappy mail textures from the vanilla version of the game.

Also, is the battle AI any less braindead? Some of the things it does at current really leave you scratching your head- 90% of the time, it charges the general's cavalry unit into me before any of the other units have even bothered to engage me.

And finally, do the Hellenic sides have some sort of decent melee unit which doesn't always fight in the phalanx formation?

And I guess that's it. Sorry for being a nuisance, but I guess I might as well ask these now rather than later.

[Fondor_Yards]

Hiya! I just have a couple of questions about this mod...

First of all, and I guess most importantly, how easy will it be able to install it? I really need to keep the normal RTW v1.5, since I play it online with a friend. Seeing as M2TW is out, how likely is it that the project will be abandoned before v1.0?

And here are the much less important ones. Basically, the main reason I want to get this mod is because of the units in general looking better... and the fact that the Egyptian side doesn't look so awful. However, since I can't view any of the Roman units on the unit page of the site for some reason, I can't tell what they look like. Since I read that most (or all) of the later units are apparently dressed in lorica hamata (which I guess makes sense, since segmentata apparently only was beginning to put into use circa 20BC), are any of the earlier elite foot units dressed in anything other than chain mail? I have baaad memories of the blurry, crappy mail textures from the vanilla version of the game.

Also, is the battle AI any less braindead? Some of the things it does at current really leave you scratching your head- 90% of the time, it charges the general's cavalry unit into me before any of the other units have even bothered to engage me.

And finally, do the Hellenic sides have some sort of decent melee unit which doesn't always fight in the phalanx formation?

And I guess that's it. Sorry for being a nuisance, but I guess I might as well ask these now rather than later.

Install is easy, just point it in the right folder and click the mouse.

You don't need to make another RTW version, since EB doesn't install to the main folder but to the mod folder, so you can play both normal rtw and eb on the same version *not at the same time heh that be crazy*. But it is a good idea to make another verison as a back-up just incase something goes wrong.

EB won't be abandoned. They will make 1.0 *even if it takes the next 19 years*, and then they will work on EB 2 *eb for m2tw*.

As for earlier foot units, they are armoured in different things. Camillian triarii wear muscled broze cuirass, compaired to the pectorale or shirt of Principes and Hastati. Also the EB team made their own new mail textures, so no vanilla crap here.

As for battles, I think they are improved. Not like your suddenly fighting a real general, but better. The EB formations help the ai organize it's army better.

It depends on what you mean by phalanx. Do by phalanx you mean a tightly packed group of men*which is most heavy infantry*? Or do you mean the phalanx a la vanilla phalanx *which is what you mean, no?* Here's a list of what I know. Might have missed some. Heh I'm bored enough to tell you what each unit is, isn't that sad?

All Hellenic Factions:
Peltastai *Elite skirmisher*
Thureophoroi *peltastai but with spears and better defence*
Hoplitai *old style hoplites, but still very strong use sword/spear*

Seleucids:
Babylonian Heavy Infantry *good heavy inf spear/mace*
Pheraspidai *royal infantry, use javelins/sword*
Hypaspistai *elite royal infantry, use swords/spears*
Thorakitai *thureophoroi but better*
Thorakitai Argyraspidai *thorakitai mixed with hypaspistai to make uper troops of doom, spear/javelins

Epeiros:
Illyrian Thorakitai *thureophoroi but better*
Agrianikoi Pelekephoroi *Illyrians, fast but very deadly, axe/javelins*
Lucanian Spearmen *greeks living in italy, spear/javelins*

Ptolemiacs:
Galatikoi Kleruchoi *Galatians imported to Eygpt since you can't trust those silly natives, very good fight with sword and shield*
Ethiopiai Agema *Ethiopians from the south, big ass axes*

Koinon Hellenon:
Thorakitai *thureophoroi but better*
Spartiates Hoplitai *Spartans, may not be as good as the old days, but still kick ass, sword/spear*
Lucanian Spearmen *greeks living in italy, spear/javelins*
Massiloi Hoplitai *like other hoplitai, but from gaul so they use celtic longsword, slightly better then normal ones, sword/spear*

Baktria:
Pheraspidai *royal infantry, use javelins/sword*
Thorakitai *thureophoroi but better*
Baktrioi Agema *baktria's copy cat hypaspistai, and just about as deadly, sword/spear*

Makedonia:
Pheraspidai *royal infantry, use javelins/sword*
Hypaspistai *elite royal infantry, use swords/spears*
Thorakitai *thureophoroi but better*
Agrianikoi Pelekephoroi *Illyrians, fast but very deadly, axe/javelins*

Sorry about the long post, hope it helps. And welcome to the forums!

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Indeed, many of the Roman units have little to no body armor.

[Caratacos]

The battle AI is much improved... the comp can actually pull off flanking maneuvers with some skill. I've had a few custom battles where i've had units tied-down and watched as they were flanked and routed-- which was surprisingly pleasant to see.

[MSB]

Seen as all other questions have been answered:
You can still play RTW with EB installed. Just use your original shortcut that was installed first off to get to vanilla and use the EB desktop shortcut to get to EB - simple.

[KatzMotel]

As for earlier foot units, they are armoured in different things. Camillian triarii wear muscled broze cuirass, compaired to the pectorale or shirt of Principes and Hastati. Also the EB team made their own new mail textures, so no vanilla crap here.

That's me sold. Muscled cuirasses are awesome. On a (semi-)related note, the Macedonian unit skins look ace!

As for battles, I think they are improved. Not like your suddenly fighting a real general, but better. The EB formations help the ai organize it's army better.

No more 'sorted double line... CHARGE' mentality? :o Haha, I learnt today I could repel pretty much any army if I got a load of the basic pikemen, put them in a kind of arc, added a few light cavalry units behind them and just... sat there. :P 1600 kills for me, 60 for AI? Yessums.

Indeed, many of the Roman units have little to no body armor.

Meh, so long as they have a single élite infantry and élite cavalry unit armoured like I wouldn't believe, that's all I need. :P

Install is easy, just point it in the right folder and click the mouse.

You're talking to someone who has messed up 'just add boiling water' meals before.

You can still play RTW with EB installed. Just use your original shortcut that was installed first off to get to vanilla and use the EB desktop shortcut to get to EB - simple.

Goodo. The 'play' button on the menu that comes up when the autorun thing kicks in will still work correctly too, right? I'm horrifically lazy, you see... and the easier it is to get to the land of flaming piggies, the better. :(


So... I'll need RTW v1.5, yes? >_> Cuz that's the version I have. 1.6 for BI, and something.something for Alexander. Hey, did they ever sort the camera problems with Alexander?

Thanks all. :)

[Bonny]

The info maybe a little outdated for some things but most things are are afaik still in the game.

here are the countdown to open beta previews for


formations / Unit Animation
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=53591

Senatus Populusque Romanus (previewing most of the roman factional units)
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=53849

[Fondor_Yards]

That's me sold. Muscled cuirasses are awesome.

Meh, so long as they have a single élite infantry and élite cavalry unit armoured like I wouldn't believe, that's all I need. :P

So... I'll need RTW v1.5, yes? >_> Cuz that's the version I have. 1.6 for BI, and something.something for Alexander. Hey, did they ever sort the camera problems with Alexander?

Thanks all. :)

While I wouldn't really call them elite cavalry, their heavy cav *both Equites and General guard* have muscled cuirass as well..

Yes, the current build runs off 1.5.

[KatzMotel]

So I'll definitely be able to still play the old version both off and online with EB installed alongside it? Otherwise, I might set myself on fire.

I'm sorry for all the questions- it's just that I'm useless with these sort of things, and if anything was to go wrong, I'd be very sad. :(

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

EB doesn't save over any of the original files (with exception of the appearce of the load bar) and the vanilla game is still playable.

[KatzMotel]

Awesome! So I won't get screamed at if I try to play vanilla online. Just so I can make a backup, what is the name of the file which gets overwritten?

Anyway, thanks to everybody for being patient and answering my questions. With any luck, I'll have EB installed tomorrow. ^_^