Things I would like to do and/or have done but would like some feedback...

[caravel]

* -Greek Fire Launcher (Byz. exclusive unit): Somewhat long range, somewhat accurate, catapult, which would use exclusively the burning projectile graphic. Projectiles explode on impact, like naphta grenades. Chances of spontaneously blowing up (like bombards), from the very first shot.

This has been done in the XL mod. You just need to rename it and change the projectile type. You may need to define a new projectile for this in the projectile stats, which isn't too difficult. One may already exist but I'm not sure.

* -Muwahid foot soldiers/muratibin infantry: Switching tech requirements. In vanilla it´s easier to rise hundreds of almohad urban militia (with good attack, good defense, and ARMOR), than to tech up to mwahids. It should be the other way around (also, make swordsmith and/or armory prerrequisits for urban militia)

(this shouldnt be too hard, right? just switching the requirements)

Agree entirely. To be honest AUM need much toning down, but I do think that the requirments for Muwahid and Murabitin need to be the same. In my mod (in the MTW main forum) I have changed Muwahid Foot Soldiers to an Almohad only unit (Muwahid = Al-Muwahhidun = "Almohad" (Castilian corruption of the world), Al-Muwahhidun Infantry and increased the unit size to that of a full spear unit, and changed the unit type label so that the AI now uses them as spear units. They also now have a valour bonus in Algeria. Murabitin Infantry I have renamed similarly. They are now Al-Murabitun (Almoravid) Infantry.

*-Varangian guard: Changed unit size from 60 to 40, made it avaiable through all ages. Already did this, to give the byzantines a permanent pseudo-foot knight. but to keep them from being too awesome. I would like to tweak them further, however, and turn them into something akin to the berserkers in Viking invasion: small groups of units (maybe 20) but very deadly and likely to fight to the last man. Maybe switch them to berserkers straight off. Also, I´d like to link them to the royal residence instead of the palace

I'm not so sure about that. Berserkers are half clothed semi fictional loons, with hardly any armour. The Varangian Guard are an elite fighting force with scandinavian origins. They are axe wielders and well armoured. Reducing the unit size is ok, but personally I would leave them as they are.

*Royal residence: Related to above, in a way: I would like to make the royal residence a only one-by-faction building, and thus restrict the building of "elite" units (such as royal knights, siphani, and varangians, if I pull off the above idea)

(would like to do this, but not really sure on the how

The Royal Palace? The problem with that, is that you'd only have one building capable of training emissaries, and historically knights originated from many provinces not just where the king resided.

*-Unit maintenance: Trebizond archers lowered to regular archer maintenance price, spanish javelinmen from 37 to 22. Mainly because I think their current maintenance prices are unfairly high. Trebizond archers already have a high production price (which "pays" their "good attack" and "discipline", as they are rarely an asset except in desperate cases where someone slipped behind your lines. Otherwise they´re just regular archers, have the regular archer bow, and deal no more damage whatsoever, despite the "compound bow" claims), and spanish javelinmen cant do anything else than throwing their javelins and running away. They dont even have the strong charge the jobaggy do. So I think it´s fitting to lower the price to the one the guerrilla unit they are supposed to be should have.

(already did this, but I would like feedback, such as other ways to "balance" them, -if you feel that they need to be balanced, I guess. But any feedback will be appretiated)

Trebizond Archers have a nasty sting and the AI sends them into melee moreso than any other archer I can think of, I think it's right that they should cost a little more, than regular archers. In reality they are a type of skirmisher. They really need a different unit graphic to the one they use, as that is the western european archer model.

*-Ships: make the dhows a non-fighter "tradeline keeper" ship, built in two turns, and very, very, cheap. As it is now it is far better to build dhows than galleys. They would represent troop transports and trade vessels (or trade vessel escorts, if you like), with no real combat capacity when matched against "real" warships. Make it generic to all factions, too.

(I would like to do this, but I am not sure how)

I wouldn't make dhows available to all factions as they are strictly arabian/muslim ships. I'm not sure about making a ship that can't attack either, whether it can be done and whether the AI can cope with that is another matter.

Also, is it just me or some "better" versions of ships (such as the baggala opposed to the dhow) are cheaper than they should be?

In terms of support costs you mean? Some of the better ships seem to cost less in support costs.

*-Constantinople: Shouldn´t this map be a bridge battle? at the very least, when invaded from Trebizond and Nicaea? I mean, there´s the Bosphorous channel to cross, historically it was a fortress city/region, and if you´re attacking Constantinople things are going rather too bleak for the byzantines anyway.

How can this be done? I know some people have changed in mods the battle settings of places

I believe it was originally intended to have it's own map but that was commented out of the startpos file. I'm not sure why. Realistically it should be handled somewhat similar to how the XL mod does it. Extend Nicaea as far as the cost of Bosphorous and separate asia from Europe with a real sea without a landbridge. The part od the province on the European side would be Constantinople proper.

[The Unknown Guy]

(Just came out of Parasitology class, making two quick notes

"I'm not so sure about that. Berserkers are half clothed semi fictional loons, with hardly any armour. The Varangian Guard are an elite fighting force with scandinavian origins. They are axe wielders and well armoured. Reducing the unit size is ok, but personally I would leave them as they are."
I also think it´s right that they cost 275. What annoys me is paying a support of 52 instead of 37, as both regular archers, and desert archers, do. Specially because 3/4 of the time I make a point of not letting enemy troops near them (This is more a personal vendetta against the "unfair" maintenance than a real modding issue, I know :p)

The idea of making the VG "berserkish" (as in the in-game berserkers) units of small size was based on making them something distinct from regular Byzantine Infantry (and I agree with your pocket mod idea of making them a regular infantry sized unit and making armored spearmen avaiable to the Byzantines as a general defensive unit instead), and as for the historical context it was based on some note I read about a while ago, where it was stated that the whole thing was started when an emperor facing home-problems asked an indebted Russian Prince for help, who told him to hire some rampaging horde which was around in his territory. The "official" story is that they were rather vicious in combat, and apparently quite loyal. (Hence, again, the small size of the unit. A sort-of royal bodyguard unit, the Byzantine equivalent of Viking huscarles in a Royal-knight sized unit)

"The Royal Palace? The problem with that, is that you'd only have one building capable of training emissaries, and historically knights originated from many provinces not just where the king resided."
I meant the Royal residence, namely, the one which allows you to train royal knights. I just realized that it´s also a building requirement for regular knights. What I meant is leaving extra units of royal knights (and the building of varangians) as an "elite unit training" which you would only be able to do in "your capital" (so-to-speak), as opposed to regular knights and men-at-arms.

"I wouldn't make dhows available to all factions as they are strictly arabian/muslim ships. I'm not sure about making a ship that can't attack either, whether it can be done and whether the AI can cope with that is another matter."

I made a typo, meant to say "dromons", but anyway, you´re right, I dont know if the AI would be able to cope with it. Still, I don´t like a ship that has the same attack as regular galleys and far more speed, and (like in your pocket mod), I do see a need for a fast fleet building system. Maybe it would be better to beef up all other ships instead...

"Trebizond Archers have a nasty sting and the AI sends them into melee moreso than any other archer I can think of, I think it's right that they should cost a little more, than regular archers. In reality they are a type of skirmisher. They really need a different unit graphic to the one they use, as that is the western european archer model."

[caravel]

I meant the Royal residence, namely, the one which allows you to train royal knights. I just realized that it´s also a building requirement for regular knights. What I meant is leaving extra units of royal knights (and the building of varangians) as an "elite unit training" which you would only be able to do in "your capital" (so-to-speak), as opposed to regular knights and men-at-arms.

Hmmmm I see your point. This would cetainly make a hell of a lot of sense. I can't remember off hand if you can make a unique building (Rythmic will know this). At present the units involved are part of a tech tree as follows:

Royal Palace (For Emissaries)
|
Royal Court (For Royal Knights, Ghulam Bodyguards)
|
Royal Court2 (For Feudal Knights)
|
Royal Court3 (For Chivalric Knights)
|
Royal Court4 (For specialist Knights only trainable by HRE and Italian IIRC)

To do what you want to do, assuming you can make unique buildings (which I think you can), I would alter the tech tree to something like this:


Royal Palace (For Emissaries)
|
Royal Court (For Royal Knights, Ghulam Bodyguards) - Unique


Royal Palace (For Emissaries)
|
Royal Court2 (For Feudal Knights)
|
Royal Court3 (For Chivalric Knights)
|
Royal Court4 (For specialist Knights only trainable by HRE and Italian IIRC)


With my own particular mod I have already altered the tech tree in this way:

Royal Palace (For Emissaries)
|
Royal Court (For Royal Knights, Knights, Ghulam Bodyguards)
|
Royal Court2 (For Chivalric Knights)
|
Royal Court3 (For Lancers (All Catholic Factions))
|
Royal Court4 (For specialist Knights only trainable by HRE and Italian IIRC)


To achieve the same end I would have to make the following alterations:


Royal Palace (For Emissaries, For Royal Knights, Ghulam Bodyguards) - Unique, possibly more costly and increased build time.


Royal Court (Knights) - Probably renamed to something non Royal. This would be lowest form of estate/court.
|
Royal Court2 (For Chivalric Knights)
|
Royal Court3 (For Lancers (All Catholic Factions))
|
Royal Court4 (For specialist Knights only trainable by HRE and Italian IIRC)


The Unknown Guy, I'm liking your ideas.