In fact there are submods you can install that lets you start even later, building gunpowder units right away, along with new units, and the ability to recruit units from other factions that you conquered. Look for the AOR:Colonies Expanded submod (disclaimer: I’m in no way affiliated with the creators of this mod. I just think it’s kickass.)
It’s pretty fun to rampage through France with stacks of English Longbowmen backed by Scottish pikes. Throws any semblance of balance out the window, of course, and there are some minor graphical glitches, but still, I’ve had loads of fun with it.
Maybe we should list the mods we’re using and how awesome they are. I think I want to get a mod and liven the game up again, but I don’t know what to get.
I’d be down for starting a new Doper game if we all had the same mods and everything installed.
I wish I could, but I’m at school and I don’t really have enough time to get in on that. Maybe come Christmas, if Spore hasn’t taken over the world by then.
Fortunately Spore totally sucks, so we all have plenty of time to mod MWII:TW.
If you’re looking for a good mod, I can’t recommend Stainless Steel enough. It’s also greatly improved by the total combat mod which is essentially a compilation of everything you need to go totally medieval on Europe, and Africa, and Asia’s ass. Essentially every facet of gameplay has been improved and features a balance of fun and realism that I’ve honestly never encountered before.
I’ll try to avoid waxing used car salesman on the matter. But if you’re cool, you’ll use those mods.
Hmm. Maybe we can be friends afterall. Cake sucks, though. Unless it’s delicious and moist.
I’m completely addicted to this game right now - currently playing as Venetians and it’s an absolute blast. Having already ousted the Sicilians from Italy’s boot, I’m content to let them putz around on their islands, and wanting no part of my capable militia armies they’ve been forced to push south into northern Africa, which should bog them down with the Islamic faction long enough to keep their attention elsewhere. After a short stint of infrastructure upgrades I begun a campaign in earnest, the first professional warriors are available and eager for blood, joining the ranks of the cheap, plentiful militiamen for which Venice is known.
Byzantine should have pressed their advantage when they had the chance, their mercy towards me misplaced. My troops blitzed down the Adriatic coastline and through their frontier settlements, drained by their expansionist wars with the Orthodox factions of mainland Asia; fat and vulnerable coastal settlements. By spear and crossbow their cities were exterminated by the thousand, rebellious civilians requiring expensive garrisons that I cannot afford. My generals arrived in Athens with a gloomy reputation of genocide, (which adds Dread points and intimidates the enemy and populace alike) sacked the settlement to bolster my homeland and have begun rebuilding a center of power there. My ultimate goal is to claim the chokepoint spanning the Mediterranean and Black seas (the aforementioned mod significantly improved the scale and tactical qualities of the campaign map.)
Once I’ve pinched off the northern Mediterranean coastline and its bloated trade cities, it will be time to rebuild the smoking ruins of the purged cities in my wake - to build trade and economic clout as the feudal era begins to develop, allowing heavier cavalry and more advanced troops.
So basically I’m bored at work and battlestories are amusing. Would anybody be interested in starting a SDMB hotseat campaign? With the expanded tactical abilities of the modifications it would be very interesting to see how different playstyles affect a single empire as it moves from reign to reign.
What we traditionally do is someone starts us off and then emails the save file to the next person. We split it up so you get the game until the king dies, then you pass it along. Post in the thread when control changes, post a narrative about trials and tribulations during that time, and share where you were planning on taking it if your king didn’t die.
Of course, we may have to all uninstall, reinstall, then affix the mods to make sure we’re all on the same page. I remember that **xtisme **had a bear of a time getting it all ironed out initially.
I’m useless right now, with regards to the game. I work 12 to 16 hours a week, 7 days a week until early November. If we can hang on until then to start up the game, I’d appreciate it. I’ll also happily start it when I can exploit the computer’s AI.
The new traits system is great - generals can get ill, carry wounds, be educated, and so on.
Loads of new factions.
New events, including telling you when faction leaders die and capitals fall.
Unique buildings! Loved seeing St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.
Love the city-specific titles; always fun to conquer a city and then get the Dukedom of it.
Gets rid of those traitorous crossbow spamming scumdogs, the Milanese.
More realistic generally; see the numbered popes and English throne passing to William not Rufus.
New supply system works well.
The Bad
The massive amount of factions means that when you click the ‘end turn’ button you might as well go read a book or something; it’s painfully slow.
Loading from quicksaves is also very slow.
I’m cripplingly short of cash, all the time. You’ll have to develop your economy a heck of a lot before you get going. Which, as stated above, takes ages.
Ew - disable that supply system! I generally like the additional realism of the mods, but the supply system (which makes long sieges nearly impossible) is a little too Serious Business for me.
Have you checked out the SS TotalCombat submod? Very nice, in my opinion, and makes the infantry battles dynamic and the cavalry fearsome.