MTW Pocket Mod: Factions

[caravel]

Some ideas I have thought up as of right now:

Sorry, YourLordandConqueror, I completely missed this post!

1) Cambyses II mentioned that the Trebizond faction would be identical to the Nicaean one. I think this could be solved by simply by changing the unit rosters, so that one has a more western feel and the other a more eastern feel. On a side note, I suggest using the original Byzantine faction for Trebizond, and the new one for Nicaea.

If we were to add Trebizond, why the use the original Byzantine faction for them and not for Nicaea? Could you define "eastern feel"?

2) Just using the Genoese Sailors for the Italians could solve the Archer problem. They could have the following stats: 2 Charge, 2 Attack, 0 Defense, 1 Armor, 2 Morale. This could also help the AI, as it seems confused as to whether to build the sailors or vanilla archers (who I think should be called foresters, as they wear a uniform almost identical to a woodsman, with an actual “professional” archer available to catholic factions later). They could even be renamed “Italian Light Infantry” (and obviously the Italian Infantry would become something else).

Most western european archers were foresters and hunters anyway, hence the "peasant tunic" look, so your idea is a good one.

3) Make the Gothic units (Sergeants, Foot Knights, Knights) into an Imperial line for the HRE.

How would three types of units constitute a royal line? Also since gothic armoured units belong near the end of the late era, they could not be added in early.

There is also an unused "Gothic Men at Arms" info pic which could perhaps be used for the third level (late) of men at arms.

Turn the badly named “Lancers” into “Gothic Knights”.

Lancers are currently the "Knights of Calatrava", an order type Knight trainable only in Castile. This is not that much of a problem as I do have another unit icon (Late Ghulam Bodyguards) which is a knight in Gothic Armour that I can use if necessary. The info pic will have to be a duplicate of Gothic Knights, Lancers or Late Royal Knights though.

There is also an unused "Gothic Men at Arms" info pic which could be used for the third level (late) of men at arms. (I believe CA initially intended to add Feudal, Chivalric and Gothic levels for the three eras but it didn't happen.)

The Imperial units could be available from High to Late, have high building requirements, and be the cream of the crop. I have the following suggestions for unit stats for the units: “Imperial Guard” (Gothic Sergeants) – 60 man unit, Elite, Disciplined, good speed (they use gothic armor, which supposedly was very light and durable, compared to conventional armor of the day), 2 Charge, 3-4 Attack, 5 Defense, 4-6 Armor, 4 Morale, Bonus attacking Cavalry, AP attack. “Imperial Men-At-Arms” (Gothic Foot Knights) – 60 man unit, Elite, Disciplined, decent speed, 4 Charge, 4-6 Attack, 5-6 Defense, 4-7 Armor, 6-8 Morale, AP attack. “Imperial Knights” (Gothic Knights) – 60 man unit, Elite, Disciplined, Elite, Impetuous, Bodyguard, good speed, 6 Charge, 4-6 Attack, 6-8 Defense, 6-10 Armor, 8 Morale, AP attack, dismounts into “Imperial Guard”.

The naming is a concern to me. Firstly there were no "Imperial" units as the HRE was neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire (how many times have you heard that one?) but more so a confederation of Germanic (eastern Franks) states. "Gothic" is simply a style of armour.

4) Why NOT include the Scots? I think the English need a thorn in their side, and the Scots could do it. They don’t have to be very strong, just annoying. If you want, make them unplayable. But if you do make them playable, a few unit suggestions: Scottish Pikemen (Robert the Bruce used these BEFORE the Late period), Highland Rabble (or some other suitable name: An excellent way to make use of the peasant unit, with of course better stats). You could even convert some units from the Viking campaign for use within the normal campaign. On the plus side, there is already a pre-made Scottish faction!

Yes, there is a pre made faction but like any other it's too early. The units from VI would be wrong for the 1087 - 1453 campaign. The clansmen are also wrong in that they wear kilts, a 16th century garment. Other types of units would be needed.

5) If I can import the map from MTW2, then we would need some graphics (units, shields, colors, etc.) for the Mali and Ghanaian Empires. I still think that it should be done, considering the importance of Timbuktu. Anyway, any volunteers? (I think we could give them the Sahara; yes I know, very ahistorical, but come on, why not? I'd love to see Africans overrun Europe).

Unfortunately ahistorical means it's not going into the Pocket Mod, sorry. Timbutu is simply too far south to be on the map, and extending the current map would not be possible as the engine does not allow enough extra provinces.

I have other plans for the Sahara already. I would support your ideas regarding the extension of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and the removal of the existing Sahara province. Particularly Morocco, roughly equivalent in the game to the kingdom of Fes, doesn't actually cover Marrakech at all.

6) On the previous subject, the expanded map plus the addition of the Ghanaian or Mali Empires might curb the Spaniards from using the North African coast as a Crusade “Gateway”.

The removal of Cyrenacia and the cutting in half of North Africa should curb the Spanish expansion.

7) On Crusades and Jihads: Is there anyway to change the Zealousness of a province? I’ve seen far to many Jihads die before reaching the objective province.

In the vanilla game Inquisitors and Grand Inquisitors increase the zeal of Catholic provinces, and Imams do the same for Muslim ones. Orthodox have no equivalent. In the Pocket mod I have altered to this to Imams and Cardinals increasing zeal. The zeal increase factor is also much less, as per Noir's recommendations. Zeal is not the core issue with failed Jihads, it is troop quality within the Jihad.

8) On the “Islamic” UM and MS, why not give them to the Sicilians too, if not exclusively? This could reflect the fact that the Sicilians had quite the mixed culture.

Possible.

9) On the Criteria for factions, it was hastily thought up. Sorry if it was confusing or self-contradictory.

10) You don't really need to add the Tuetonic Order to add the Lithuanians: They would be effectively fighting 2 German factions. Just leave it as is. It also wouldn't make sense to have the Tuetonic Order conquer the HRE and the Russian steppes, as they are apt to do in XL and BKB.

Historically I can't imagine a Grand Duchy of Lithuania without a Teutonic Order. It would just be wrong adding one without the other, like adding Byzantines without Turks or English without French.

Don’t worry, I will be back every now and then to harass you with more insane, loony, useless, and vexatious ideas. I will never go away, unless of course a final version of the Pocket Mod is ever produced.

Keep the ideas coming, but try to remember that i cam trying to be as historically accurate as possible.