Ask a Developer: Romani Faction Team

[Zaknafien]

Salve, Quirites!

Since the EB II forum is a little lacking in exciting news lately due to the release of EB 1.0 with all its fanfare, I figured I would put a thread in here to spice it up a little, and maybe some of my fellows on the team will join me in a similar gambit.

Basically, the premise is you get to ask us a question about EB II, or make a comment, or tell us an idea of something you'd like to see implemented for our faction in the next version of EB.

I promise to respond or youll get your money back. My response may be cryptic and sarcastic, or, a lengthy dissertation on the issue at hand, or something else entirely, but I guarantee a response.

Have at it!

[Gurkhal]

This is probably a very narrow question and tied to my specific intressts, but I'll ask it anyway in order to be first with a question!

What deities will there be temples to for the Romans? Seeing as the Romans did "import" many deities, who at the start of the mod (?) wasn't part of the public cults, but later become adopted into it I figured it might not at all points be obvious.

[Zaknafien]

Well, as far as actual buildings go, we're limited. I would actually like to change the way we portray the Romani religion, as this was an extremely important part of their culture and deserves to be portrayed accuratley. The Romans were a devout and superstitious people, after all.

I want to get away from the idea of a "Temple to Mars" building in a province, and just have a strucutre that covers all aspects of the Romani religious lifestyle, explaining how they worshipped their deities and spirits. This is all dependant on what's possible in M2TW of course.

Barring actual buildings, you can bet that the wide array of Roman religious intrests will be at least portrayed through an in-depth trait system. A general who spends time in the east may become a follower of Mithras, for example, initiated into the rites of the soldiers' cult. Eastern Mysticism is an important factor in the later Republic, and we'll see in future versions of EB traits that detail cults like Magna Mater, etc.

[Gurkhal]

Sounds great

[Charge]

Good thread Zaknafien
I would ask you few questions.
1. Will legionary models/textures be different (cloth, armour,etc)
2. What are reforms conditions ? (same as EB1, or different?)

[Zaknafien]

1. Sure, they will be in much higher in poly count and therefore super uber looking. As far as clothing and equipment, probably no change unless new scholarship comes to light. The Augustan legionaries were just redesigned. If you mean the cohors reformata, then yes, there are changes being made.


2. Too early to tell

[Charge]

Eeehh, are we going to see clones?

[Zaknafien]

Definately NO clones. I think I misunderstood your question, if you mean, will there be different looking legionaries within the cohort, then yes, absolutely.

[russia almighty]

A suggestion : You guys probably can simulate migrations of peoples by having a free peoples faction or something .

[CountArach]

1. Will we see Segmentata Legionaires?
2. Will you go to great lengths to ensure that the AI uses the 'Checkerboard' formation?
3. Will there be more reforms, such as Roman naval reforms that give them the Corvus naval units?
4. Will the new skins mean that there will be different coloured clothes for the pre-Marian Roman units?
5. Do you have any plans for trying to force the Romans to expand more historically early on? I am not sure M2 allows you to do.

I'll add more as I think of them.

[Zaknafien]

1. Only for Bartix Imitation Legionaries
2. I dunno, they use it now every battle I play.
3. Perhaps
4. Yes
5. Sure, sounds like a good idea to me

[Cybvep]

1. Will you be able to force the AI to build more accurate Roman armies?
2. What about animations? The system is different than the one from RTW, right? It would suxx to see the Romans fighting in Hollywood-like individual style...

[Caveira]

no checkboard formation please, you can't simulate the checkboard formation in TW. Just give them a 3-4 line formation please!

[Zaknafien]

1. Will you be able to force the AI to build more accurate Roman armies?
2. What about animations? The system is different than the one from RTW, right? It would suxx to see the Romans fighting in Hollywood-like individual style...

Actually up to and possibly including the Marian era Rmoan legionaries did fight in a very individual style. But, yes, hopefully with some of the new animations being worked out we will see some more cohesive units for the Romans.

And also yes, hopefully by restricting the numbers of specific units availible in M2, we can make them have more accurate armies.

[Charge]

About animations. I won't believe that romans fought only with quick-stabs. Not often but swing should be too!

[Zaknafien]

Agreed, the gladius hispaniensis was as much a cutting sword as a thrusting one. The Macedonians in paticular were noted for their revulsion at the wounds such a weapon caused.

[antisocialmunky]

1) How are we going to deal with frontal cavalry charges with the Romani? Right now, pretty much any cavalry can roadkill a rank of infantry that are not pikes.
2) Are we going to use the armour system for Camillian -> Polybian and Marian -> Imperial?

If we can use the armour system, we could armour units by their area with scale in the east and chain mail in the west.

IE using the Western Set of Upgrades present in M2TW For Romans:
Camillian Unit start at Leather(Camillian Standard)
Polybian Unit start at Light Chain Mail(Polybian Standard)
Marian Legionaires start at Heavy Chainmail(Marian Standard).
Eastern provinces upgrade Marian Legions to Partial Plate(Marian Scale varient)
Imperial Legionaires start at Full Plate (Imperial Legionaire skin)

You could make a Segmenta Legionaire Fan-Service-Variant or another Eastern Armoured variant for another Imperial Legionaire type with Advanced Plate

If you guys tie the armour line of buildings to reform markers and use a script to destroy them when Romans don't own the province, then you could probably do this fairly easily since M2TW doesn't just add the arbitrary +1-3 or RTW and instead specify a 'type' of max armour. This could then be abstracted out to other faction's reforms too.

And the best thing is that you get around 4 units for 2 unit slots.

[Zaknafien]

1. I imagine the entire stat system will be rebuilt from the ground up like in EB I
2. NO.

[I Am Herenow]

1. Which Roman units' numbers would you like to limit the most, and which would you like to have available in abundance?
2. Is it true you're abolishing merchants, priests and princesses?
3. What will you use Guilds for?
4. Does Kingdoms have a Famine disaster now? Will you use it?

[azzbaz]

1.Can u give germanic/celtic/barbaric factions more fortified settlements later on in the game. Giving them like battlements, trenches, stakes etc. I already know you've got the celtic oppidum but something to represent the germanic burgaz/hillfort. I refuse to believe that they just had primitive fence palisades when ive read of some spectacular fortified retreats in Germany like Biskupin and Mattium in modern day Metze Niedenstein.
2.Also if your able to put ballistae and catapults on walls would be sweet too since it was quite common at this time for advanced cities to have these defences
Just little things but it all makes it a little better.

[Megalos]

1. Will we see Roman civil wars?

[Zaknafien]

whew, alot of questions today.

1. the expensive ones, obviously. (i.e., elites).
2. Not decided . Not really a Roman faction question is it?
3. Again, not decided. Id like to see one become the Senate and one become the Centuriate Assembly, maybe.

4. I dont know

5 & 6. Not Roman Questions.

7. Hopefully, yes.

[Charge]

7. Hopefully, yes.

What? So you going to make another roman faction?

Or other ways...?

[Caveira]

Are Triarii going to have gladius as secondary weapon (better vs infantry)? I hate how they don't have it in 1.0

[CaesarAugustus]

Will we be able to choose our faction leaders again or will there be a dynasty of Senators who are the "leaders" of Rome like in M2TW?

[Garbarsardar]

1. How are you going to deal with the "only part of the unit engaging" bug?
2. How are you going to deal with the unit cohesion problems?
3. How are you going to deal with the cavalry charge bug?
4. How are you going to deal with the passive AI in sieges?
5. How are you going to deal with the inability of properly deploying troops as defender on a siege?

I know that the answer depends more on CA than on the EB team. However and since I am sure that you will engage in a major undertaking with all the seriousness that characterised EB, have you considered those bugs?

Since currently we have no word from CA about those (and other issues) how far are you willing to go in EB2 knowing that those will probably not be addressed?

[Bellum]

That's something I've been wondering about, too. The M2 engine doesn't really seem worth any real time playing on, because the battles suck the fun out of everything. EB + 10 (or whatever) factions would be nice, though. And non-clone armies.

[Zaknafien]

Charge--No "other" Roman faction. Scripting in M2 is wonderful.

Caveria-- I would think so, yes.

Caesar Augustus--I dont know. Potentially Rome will be a faction sans family tree, like the Teutonics in their campaign on Kingdoms.

Garb--man, those questions are too technical for me, I'm just a Masters student in Roman history :)

[Garbarsardar]

Garb--man, those questions are too technical for me, I'm just a Masters student in Roman history :)

What do I know? I'm just a psychopharmacologist

Actually you are right, but I couldn't think of any better questions because in terms of historical representation (within the confines of the particular engine) EB was always more that one could ask for...

[Gaias]

Do you have any plans on using the Council of Nobles? If so, what would be the most likely use for it?