Ok, I've been playing all this time with only Carl's bugfixer 1.13/1.14, but since he's taken up with other things and it doesn't look like anything is coming out soon, I'm in the mood to check out some other people's work.
I downloaded Stainless Steel 3.2 last night. It's interesting. The big change I noticed was that everyone gets really, really bloody and casualties are significantly higher. I'm not sure I like it, though. I did appreciate the new provinces and it seems that he reskinned some things, but I think I'm looking for something a bit more revised.
Unfortunately, it is very hard to find a *completed* modification when you don't know what you are looking for. I'm finding many threads that just died for whatever reason, or threads that have nice concepts but nothing to download.
When I played RTW, I used the Total Realism Platinum Edition. It did a wonderful job of taking a game that had gotten a bit stale to me, and reviving it, rebalancing it, and making an amazing new game out of it.
What I'd really like to see is a mod that lets me spend much more time in the gunpowder eras, and from a much earlier time in the game. I prefer to play on a 1tpy ratio, and of course then you never get to gunpowder until the game is already over.
If something like that isn't available, what mods do something like RTRPE? I'm looking for something focused on historical accuracy, that maybe limits the number of seige weapons the AI builds, and doesn't get all goofy with over the top effects. I certainly like flavored units, so that the endless armies of Spear Militia vs. Spear militia go away, but I don't want to see anything like "Dwarven Axemen" or "Dragonriders". :)
Let me know what you think. Oh, and if it's not done and ready to play, don't bother telling me about it. I've spent hours lately looking at stuff that's not done. It's done when it's done, and when it's done I'll take a look.
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