Playing EB with Barbarian Invasion engine

[goolasso]

Is it possible to play EB with BI.exe instead of Rome total war 1.5?

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

It is indeed possible. There are problems, easily circumvented. There is a discussion here:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=75667

[goolasso]

It is indeed possible. There are problems, easily circumvented. There is a discussion here:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=75667

OK, thanks.

[Sgian Dubh]

But what is the advantage of doing so?

Can someone elaborate on this for a newbie?

[Gazius]

MUCH improved AI. Naval invasions up the wazoo. All around improves the game.

Downside: No official EB support when it breaks.

[Sgian Dubh]

So two followup questions:

1) How do I do this? I am guessing I modify the short cut in some way?

2) Improved AI? You mean on the strategy map? Because I thought the EB contained major re-working of the battle map AI.

Thanks for your help

[bovi]

1. Read Marcus' initial reply.
2. Yes, fleet invasions are indeed on the campaign map. EB has not changed AI, but BI has.

[Brightblade]

Since playing EB with BI.exe I have never looked back. They AI actually uses ships to invade your territories. Can get annoying when the Romans go to Athens and besiege it with 3 Triarii units 4 turns into the game. :)

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Hi,

So two followup questions:

That's good, another way of keeping my posts per day above TA's.

1) How do I do this? I am guessing I modify the short cut in some way?

You are correct! The guide can be found here.

2) Improved AI? You mean on the strategy map? Because I thought the EB contained major re-working of the battle map AI.

Yes, the improved AI is mostly on the campaign map. The battle map AI is slightly improved, yet not by much more than it would be in EB running on 1.5. Sadly AI is hardcoded meaning that it cannot be directly changed, only indirectly. EB has tried to, quite successfully, mod the battlefield AI indirectly through the use of highly advanced formations which force the AI into using certain methods. Even so this has it's limitations so the AI will never be perfect, no matter what the genius' of EB do. Good luck, cheers!

[d'Arthez]

1) How do I do this? I am guessing I modify the short cut in some way?

Just edit the shortcut. "RomeTW.exe" needs to be replaced by "RomeTW-BI.exe"

2) Improved AI? You mean on the strategy map? Because I thought the EB contained major re-working of the battle map AI.

Yes, on the strategy map. Naval invasions add much to the game.

[Tiberius Nero]

The battle AI is also much better; the AI on a basic level plays coherently at least (i.e. doesn't charge spearmen with cavalry from the front, tries to flank you, moves units to the woods to apprehend ambushers, more or less keeps formation, etc). Still you won't be likely to lose, but hey.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

I played the BI version for about a hundred years. The only AI boat I ever saw was a single Sweboz ship. Though it was cool, they tried to invade Scotland with it.

[Sgian Dubh]

Thanks to all and apologies for missing the link in the very first post.....

[Dooz]

Oh there's definately a difference. Playing as Romani, I had just kicked off the Carthies from Sicily. I also had Syracus, and rebel Messana was under siege. The Carthies landed three seperate forces, each consisting of 3 units within a matter of a year. I didn't want to break my siege so I didn't attack them seperately and immediately. The forces merged as they landed and at the end of the year, there was a formidable army hanging around Lilyb to be kicked off by my battered 8 stack legion. Twas nice.

Oh and, regarding battle AI, I lost my first battle in a long time last night. Trying to gain a triumph for Scipio Africanus, I besieged Bononia with a completely depleted legion. Needless to say, their full army of maniacs, including the naked ones, sallied and gave me a hard time. The odds were 1:2 but I thought I stood a fair chance, playing on Medium after all. Nope. Got my ass handed to me. He returned to Rome, shamed with his first defeat after a marvelous career. Bad timing too, it was his last few months as Consul.

[skuzzy]

Apparently I'm the only one who can not get this working. This makes me sad.

[Lord Gruffles]

Since playing EB with BI.exe I have never looked back. They AI actually uses ships to invade your territories. Can get annoying when the Romans go to Athens and besiege it with 3 Triarii units 4 turns into the game. :)

LOL!

Reminds me of my KH campaign. Rome kept sending half beaten up armies to Crete. Was funny/borderline annoying. But hey, it kept me honest as I had to make sure I kept a decent garrison there.

EB with BI is the way to go if you have it. The AI is just over-all more aggressive (not just with it's naval invasions)

[Dooz]

Apparently I'm the only one who can not get this working. This makes me sad.

Aww, skuzzy, don't be sad. Just try and reinsall, and follow Oleo's instructions here exactly. That's how I did it and there are no problems. There's no reason it shouldn't work. You just have to reinstall, or check to see if you did anything at all different from what he posted.

[skuzzy]

I've sadly tried every set of his instructions to a tee, the closest I've gotten is it loading in Provincial campaign but data/terrain/aerial_map/tree_models/* will not load!



This is what it comes out looking like

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

You could do what I did: Start a new campaign, save, exit, make a new shortcut, add the "-BI" to the shortcut, use the new shortcut, and load your game.

Dispite how backwards that is, it just seemed easier to me. Of course if you like to start new campaigns all the time, you'll want to figure it out...

[Sgian Dubh]

OKay,

I got it working - BUT I cannot use the custom battle.

I can select factions, configure armies, but when I click the final time to start the battle, it jumps me back to the intitial faction selection screen.

I can run the campaign just fine.

This was an absolutely clean re-installation.

So if I want a custome battle, I have to use the RTW.exe - then it all works just fine.

[Foot]

OKay,

I got it working - BUT I cannot use the custom battle.

I can select factions, configure armies, but when I click the final time to start the battle, it jumps me back to the intitial faction selection screen.

I can run the campaign just fine.

This was an absolutely clean re-installation.

So if I want a custome battle, I have to use the RTW.exe - then it all works just fine.

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=75667

Read that for full instructions on getting custom battles to work with bi.exe

Foot

[Oleo]

OKay,

I got it working - BUT I cannot use the custom battle.

I can select factions, configure armies, but when I click the final time to start the battle, it jumps me back to the intitial faction selection screen.

I can run the campaign just fine.

This was an absolutely clean re-installation.

So if I want a custome battle, I have to use the RTW.exe - then it all works just fine.

This link will get you to the exact post with a way that should work:

here