Napoleonic Europe Reloaded: Testing the Waters

[Hikaro Takayama]

Well, due to some recent events in real life, as well as some general frustrations, I've been a bit too burned out to work on the FF mod or any of my units right now. As a matter of fact, I'm even considering abandoning my FF mod playtest story due to lack of interest.

That said, however, a few things have managed to spark my interest with the somewhat limited free time I've got. You see, I've beat all the Conquests except for the Napoleonic Europe and WWII Pacifac ones, and after playing the Napoleonic scenario, I realized right off that (a) there are some HUGE balance issues in the mod: to whit, unless you play as France, Russia or the Ottoman Empire, you have almost no chance of winning under the rules they have set up. Furthermore, is the frustrating inability to build settlers, especially since the AI continues to raze cities as if they could just spam out settlers to fill the gaps.

Finally, to round out my list of gripes with the scenario is the general lack of graphics for the various units. Obviously, not a whole lot of time went into this scenario.

Then I read Unscratched Foot's Story "Yupo Frag and the Barn Burner vs Farmer Brown" on Apollyton, where he basically covers a story using a modded Napoleonic Europe scenario, and I liked some of the ideas he had.

What I've started to do (with a lot of help from Steph's American Conquest and Cossacks conversions) is to balance the mod and give even the little guys (like Prussia, Austria, Spain and Britan) a decent shot. Mind you this is still in the early stages, but I'm slowly working on it.

What I've done so far is this:

I've updated the graphics for the British Redcoats (since the Nap Guard infantry graphics already looks like what the Royal Life Guards still wear to this day, they keep the original graphics) using the Conversion from Cossacks, so that they actually look like British Redcoats.

I've updated the graphics for the Prussian Fusillier and Cuirassieur using the German Fusillier and Dragoon from American Conquests (after fixing some sound and other bugs, the fixed versions of which I'll post after adding some smoke to the gun attacks)

In addition, to make it a bit more fair, when Advanced tactics is researched, Prussia gets its own sort of elite infantry. This unit uses the German Grenadier from Cossacks, which I call the "Hessian Rifleman." You see, the Hessians (from a certain region in Prussia, I can't remember exactly where) were one of the first military units to be fully armed with rifles (another being the various long-rifle regiments in the US), and they were trained so that they could easily kill a man with a single shot at 200 yarts (at a time when musket battles took place at 50 yards, due to the extreme inaccuracy of the smoothbore musket), and thus Hessians were often hired by other European powers as mercenaries (like in a certain War of Independance, where they were needed to counter the riflemen employed by the rebel forces). The main disadvantage of the early rifles was that they took almost twice as long to load as a smoothbore musket, but the crack rifleman using the extreme (for that time, anyways) accuracy of their guns could more than make up for lack of quantity in shots. To reflect all this, the unit costs the same amount as the Russian Guard Infantry, and has the same attack and defense. There are a few differences: first of all, it does not have the HP bonus, but it does have the stealth attack ability to symbolize how these guys could pick off officers from the back rank.

For Austria, I've updated the Grenzer using the Austrian Fusillier conversion from Cossacks, as well as added an elite unit for them. I don't know why Firaxis didn't include this unit, since they were famous throughout Europe at the time and saved Austria's bacon more than once. What I'm referring to are the Austrian Grenadiers. I've added the Austrian Grenadier from Steph's Cossacks conversion library, and again, given the same cost and stats as the Russian Guard Infantry without the bonus HP. The special ability I gave this guy is the ability to Bombard enemy units, since the Grenadiers (as their name suggests) used an early form of hand grenades (as well as other explosives) to demolish enemy fortifications (and hopefully the troops in them).

I've also added a unique Cavalry for Spain (called the Caballero), which has the same stats as the base cavalry, but +1 HP to symbolize how tough Spanish horses and Riders were. I used the Spanish Dragoon graphics from Cossacks. I have plans to add an "elite" infantry for Spain called the "Geurillista" to symbolize the Spanish resistance fighters that ran the French out. They have the same stats as the Turkish Janissaries, but without the HP bonus, and the ability to treat all terrain as roads. I'm planning on using (maybe) Utahjazz7's Villista for the graphics. I'll also be replacing the current graphics for the Solado with one of the Spanish Fusillier graphics from Steph's Conversion Libraries.

In addition, I've used Steph's "Generic 18th Century Fusillier" to replace the generic Musket Infantry for the minor, non-playable civs.

Plans I have in the works include:

Making settlers available as "Colonists" but expensive as all get-out, Adding 1 unique infantry and/or cavalry for each of the Minor, non-playable civs, increasing the map size (vertically) so that I can more fully accomodate the North-African coast and add some more civs/fun to the mod.

I'm also planning on adding a few more cities for Naples and possibly making it playable (with the full 3 unique units). I'm also adding the Republic of Malta (the world's oldest Republic and still existing today) on several of the Mediterranean Islands, the Caliphate of Morrocco (Morroccan mercenaries played some role in the Napoleonic wars) as well as have a cluster of Barb camps around Tunisia spawning Privateers, Riders and some mideastern variant of the Musket infantry to symbolize the Barbary Pirates. I don't know why they weren't included in that scenario, since those pirates held all of Europe in fear during the 1790's and early 1800's, and every nation they demanded tribute from paid.... except for one. The US, in our first anti-terrorism operation in the Mid-East/North Africa, sent a task force of our super-heavy Constitution class frigates over and proceded to sink or capture every last one of their pirate ships and just to make sure that the Pirates were shut down for good, landed 2000 Marine Corps rifleman, and captured the fort of Tripoli (thus the "to the shores of Tripoli" line in the Marine Corps Anthem), rasing the "Stars and Stripes" over territory in the Old World for the first time.

Speaking of American Frigates, I'm planning on adding an up-for grabs wonder availible with the tech that allows building of Ships of the Line. This wonder is called the "War of 1812" and produces a Constitution class Frigate every 8 turns, symbolizing the fact of how depredations on American shipping by both France and England (with more on the English part) getting the US ticked off enough to declare war on the most culpable party (thus indirectly aiding that party's enemies).

Also, one of the concepts that I'm borrowing directly from Unscratched Foot is the addition of pre-built wonders in ever civ (not just England) at the tune of two for playable civs, and one for non-playable civs.

What I'm adding for England's second wonder is either the Tower of London (which will create a Royal Guard every 8 turns) in London (duh!) or the Gathering of the Clans in Edinburgh that will create a Highlander every 8 turns.

For France, I MAY add three wonders (since with the current improvements to the more minor civs, they can easily get smashed in a dog-pile). First one I'd add would be the Notre Dame Cathedral (with bonuses akin to the Sistine Chapel), and something like the Lorvue (sp) to generate an Imperial Guard every 8 turns. As for the third, I really haven't decided, since I still have to check to see what (if any) balancing issues exist.

For Prussia, I'll be adding JS Bach's Cathedral (If I remeber correctly, Bach was around prior to this time period), with the standard effects and either The German Confederation or Brandenburg Gate that will produce either a Hessian Rifleman or a Fusilier every 8 turns.

Austria's wonders haven't been decided upon as of yet.

Naples will have the Vatican City, which will produce Napolitan Guards (Naples Unique Elite Infantry) every 8 turns.

Denmark will have the War College, which will produce an Army every 10-12 turns (making Denmark able to last a wee bit longer)

Spain will have the Alahmbra (or some such) to make people happy, as well as something to generate either Solados or Guerillistas every 8 turns.

I'll be adding the Order of Maltese Knights to Malta, which will produce a Maltese Knight every 8 turns (the "Knights" of Malta, by this time, used guns, of course).

Everything else is still kind of up in the air, though, largely pending on future support or interest.

So what do you think? Good Idea or Bad Idea?

[Hrafnkell]

I think it's a great idea. I'd like to see a Napoleonic scenario that is both playable and more realistic than the Firaxis version, which I agree has all the faults you listed. I used to play Avalon Hill's "War and Peace" religiously with my buddies and I miss the era. It's a shame Civ doesn't have better leader rules. This era cries out for them.

[Snorken]

It sounds like a good idea! But winning as the British in Firaxis version really ain't that hard... It's quite easy actually... By the tenth turn (or something like that) i had taken Denmark and by the 89th turn i had taken all of France (i could have taken it faster if i'd wanted to)...

[Hrafnkell]

I had a decent game as the Austrians and was holding my own (even captured part of Italy from the Frenchies) but it was only warlord difficulty and I got bored by the lack of depth and flavor the scenario offered and didn't finish it.

[RedAlert]

I do remember seeing improved Napoleonic and WWII in the pacific conquests done before, but quite a while ageo. Not to say that this would not be a most welcome project. I like your ideas, and this sounds like it will be a great scenario.

I just thought I'd say I've also been working on a Napoleonic era scenario of my own (but not the same as yours) - '1812: Napoleon in Russia' (on hold right now because I'm busy with other projects. If that goes down well, I'm even considering doing more area-specific Napoleonic era scenarios when I have the time. I find this area of history very interesting, and I think your plan is a great idea. So I'll definately be lurking around, and perhaps I can learn a thing or two

Good luck!

[Hikaro Takayama]

Well, I'm glad you like the depth I'm adding. As for not being that difficult, I just lost while playing as the British on Monarch level, mainly because of the stupid AI-human trading penalties so I couldn't get a dogpile on France long enough for me to be able to land the four transports full of Life Guards and Household Cavalry needed to even attempt to take (and hold) 1 French or even Danish city. Once I did get enough troops for an "Operation Overlord" invasion, It was too little, too late, and I just barely lost.

I started a test game with the changes I just mentioned (but I'd given the Grenadiers and Hessian Riflemen +1HP and higher cost than the Russian Guard infantry), and I was playing as Prussia (my ancestors' homeland), and due to a rather bizarre set of events, I was on good terms with Russia and Austria and had a military alliance against Denmark with Austria, and a MPP with Netherlands. After Austria and I had settled up with Denmark (I'd taken all their cities except Oslo), Russia and the Ottomans declared on France. Soon after (while hordes of Russian units poured through my territory and took Brussels,) France attacked the Netherlands and I was at war with them. Denmark declared on me, but two transports full of veteran and elite Cuirassiers took care of Oslo, so I started sending my Cuirassiers and Hessian Riflemen after France. Shortly thereafter, Spain and Austria declare on France. To make a long (well, not that long) story short, after that dogpile formed, the Russians and Spanish either took or razed about half of France, the Ottomans took Turin, The Austrians took Milan, and I took Nancy, Belfort, Paris and Bolougne, ending France's existance as a nation. That's when I decided to drop the +1 HP on the Grenadiers and Hessian Riflemen, since all I had to do was have my 6.4.1 cuirassiers attack (and retreat), weakening their Imperial guards, then I'd have the Hessians snipe off the weakened units, taking the French cities a bit too easily.

As for why I have wonders that produce each civ's unique units is to kind of symbolize that even after countries were defeated in those times, often their special infantry were incorporated into the conquering nation's army. A good example of this is the Austro-Hungarian Empire Captured territory from Russia where a certain group of Cossacks lived, so the Cossacks swore loyalty to the Hapsburg crown, and the Cossacks were in the Austro-Hungarian army up until the empire collapsed at the end of WWI.

Keep in mind, though that this is a kind of back-burner project, but since I've basically got the Prussians and Austrians done (for now), I'll be adding the smoke FX to the gun attacks of the units, and posting them, along with pedia icons and units_32 icons in my Cossacks/American Conquests unit fixes thread.