Medieval's Rome: Total War mod input thread

[Kaidonni]

Medieval’s Rome: Total War

Concept
To use the original Medieval: Total War Viking Invasion engine to capture the spirit which Rome: Total War originally conveyed.

Overview
RTW was a great step forward for the Total War series, but it also had it’s shortcomings. Its engine has been further utilised for Medieval 2: Total War. Despite the glory the new engine has experienced, and all of the opportunities it has opened up, MTW:VI has not lost its own glory. The original MTW built on the success of Shogun: Total War’s engine, and was refined through MTW:VI.

MTW:VI still has so much potential, and to build a mod based on RTW is an appetising idea. It will be a great challenge, but it will be well worth it in the end. This mod essentially means using MTW:VI’s base engine to build an almost entirely new game. This is, using the correct terminology, a full conversion. A new map; new units; new characters; new events; new technology tree; new religions (for the most part – Judaism and Heretical Cults as religions will still feature, as they did when MTW first came out); new titles (absent in both RTW and at least the original release of M2:TW – only patches and expansions, i.e. time, will determine whether titles make it in there); and so on.

Proposed Features (WIP – subject to change at any time)
- 17 entirely new factions – play as the Republic of Rome and crush the Carthaginians and other enemies of Rome – or play as the Macedonians and rebuild Alexander's empire;
- Entirely new map covering Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia, complete with new regions;
- Length of game spanning from 295BC when the Romans defeated an alliance of Samnites, Etruscans and Gaul to 79AD when Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii and many other Roman towns;
- Entirely new technology tree with new art for all buildings and units, including unique technology tree paths for different factions – while the ‘civilised’ factions can build to the top levels, the ‘barbarian’ factions will be more limited;
- Entirely new portraits and names for all characters;
- Titles to reflect the era (including titles for the Romans such as Aedile, Quaestor, and Consul);
- A number of new religions (and two old ones – Judaism and Heretics), complete with agents to preach their ways;
- New region bonuses;
- The Seven Wonders of the World;
- Homelands/Auxilia-based recruitment system;
- Pre-Marian and Post-Marian eras - when it hits 107BC, the Romans can begin building legions;
- Recruitable historic characters such as Julius Caesar, Hannibal and Vercingetorix.

Faction List (WIP)
1. Republic of Rome
2. Carthage
3. Epirus
4. Greek Cities
5. Macedonia
6. Kingdom of Pergamum
7. Pontus
8. Seleucid Empire
9. Ptolemaic Empire
10. Armenia
11. Parthia
12. Germania
13. Britannia
14. Gaul
15. Iberia
16. Sarmatia
17. Rebels

Religions (WIP)
1. Hellenism
2. Roman Paganism (the Di Indigetes and De Novensides)
3. Celtic Paganism
4. Zoroastrianism
5. Judaism
6. Heretical Cults

Cultures (WIP)
NB: Based on architecture, character portraits and unit/settlement pieces.
1. Roman and Hellenic - shared (Republic of Rome, Epirus, Greek Cities, Macedonia, Kingdom of Pergamum, Seleucid Empire);
2. Eastern (Carthage, Pontus, Armenia, Parthia);
3. Barbarian (Gaul, Germania, Britannia, Iberia, Sarmatia);
4. Egyptian (Ptolemaic Empire)? *Possibly Eastern instead if hardcode limits do not allow a complete fourth culture set

Seven Wonders of the World (WIP)
NB: The exact mechanisms for these wonders are speculative – I do not know to what extent I will be able to implement benefits provided by them with MTW:VI’s engine.
1. The Statue of Zeus
2. The Mausoleum at Harlicarnassus
3. The Temple of Artemis
4. The Colossus at Rhodes
5. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon – increased farming output
6. The Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza
7. The Pharos Lighthouse

*****

The above has been updated as of 22/2/2007.

I want to limit the number of factions, since as there is a fine balance to be had between number of factions and a 107-province-limit, while spanning all of Northern Europe, covering parts of Northern Africa, and going as far east as the Caspian Sea.

For sea regions...I want to limit how many of them that are present on the map, perhaps making ships more costly to balance things out.