Mods for MTW2 and Kingdoms
Lets start a thread about MTW2/Kingdom mods as we have some info but it is scattered in all kind of threads. I have not tried too many but I offer opinions on the few I tried and will expand the opening post as I try more. Feel free to add your opinion on these or on any other mod you tried.
For now I just briefly mention the two most popular ones LTC and Stainless Steal, basically both are great and I agree with the short description I read somewhere here: LTC as MTW2 should be; SS as MTW2 could be. LTC feels like a correct, patched version of MTW2; whereas SS feels like an expansion pack with many new factions, new units and lots of new provinces. None of them is considerably more difficult than the vanilla game though in each the strategic AI feels better. SS also has many new features like loyalty traits and foraging for armies. I would suggest everyone to upgrade the vanilla game to LTC right at the start, and when you want new factions etc, switch to SS.
LTC: Lusted has a link to it in his sig.
SS: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=314
The long road. First of all it has an incredibly beautiful menu background image. I dont know who did it but it is very well done! Second, perhaps more importantly this is a very challenging version but IMO suggested only for the hardcore fans. Both recruitment and building costs are greatly (insanely) increased and building times are increased too (though turn number is increased too). This no doubt makes the game very challenging but IMO it also makes it rather boring. You will building dirt roads and grain exchange in the first half of the game and running around with the same milita army for long, long time. It also has new provinces nd might even have new units, though I never got to that stage.
All in all greatest challenge but only for the hard core fans.
tLR: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=315
Pro Doe et Rege. My favourite so far. It brings the game to a new level. It is more difficult than the vanilla or LTC but this diffiulty is not achieved by an insanely increased building cost/times as in the LR (though building costs are increased compared to the vanilla). It has new provines most of them like in SS and some new factions (though not as many as SS). However the novelty of this mod is twofold: (i) it has a unique (at least in MTW2) auxiliary/levy recruitment system and it has a reworked castle/city system. With these two system the game completely feels different from the vanilla, lot more "realistic" (if it means anything) and lot more challenging (though houserules are still welcome).
The auxiliary/levy recruitment system means that you can train your elite troops only in your home provinces. When you conquer a new province the first level of barrack give you no training abilities (!), the second gives you only levy troops specific to that area (so you will get cuman tribesmen around the blacksea, byz spearmen in Greece, kurdish troops in anatolia, etc.), and only the third level of barracks might give you some of your troops (but not the elite ones). So even if you upgrade to the highest level you wont be able to train your elite troops outside of your core provinces. Also, it means that it will take a reasonably long time (though ofc it depends how far away are you from your core provinces) to tech up to be able to train anything at all. Needless to say it slows down expansion and you have to plan carefully oyur invasion to provide reserve/garrison troops and not just one elite stack (if you can afford it ofc.).
Also, you are not restricted in unit types that much at the start (i.e. you dont have to fight with militia armies in the firts half of the game), but your access to elite troops are highly limited (i.e. you have be careful with them, though ofc it depends on the factions as well).
This is a very nice system, I love it. I know that RTW mods have similar systems (EB) but this is the first mod in MTW2, that I know, which has it.
The reworked castle/city system means that there is no difference in recruitment abilities (most of the time) but there is a huge difference in recruitment slots allowed. Castles of have lot more (4-6) compared to cities (1-2, or 3 at huge). So castles are the natural training centers. Also, castles have free upkeep slots (5!) for elite troops (!). The two thing combined together means that now it actually makes sense to have castles at strategic locations, both as traning centers and garrisoning elite troops. The upkeep of 5 elite troops can be quite a lot, so you can save a lot if you garrison them in castles. A few castles close together means that you can garrison an elite stack without paying a single florin upkeep! However, if you move out it will cost you a lot so this favours a defensive style with carefully planned offensives.
All in all, I love both kind of major changes and I strongly recommend this mod to everyone how wants a new and challenging game.
PDER: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=437
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Originally Posted by Joh
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