Anno Domini beta : test it and feed back here!!

[Blue Monkey]

and yes, a different icon for Cholan culture would be great!

Kadagam description for tomorrow; use the placeholder icon for now, I have quite a few images to sort through to find one that works at icon size.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

A quick update to say that I'm nearly there in terms of completing the mod to a large extent. I've about half-a-dozen civilizations' civilopedia entries to do; I've one unit to finish off, then render; two others that are rendered, but need converting to units; Egypt needs another tech/building and Persia needs a couple of techs/buildings to be sorted out.

However - that's all there is to do - so I'm going to finish this off first before I upload. It really does make sense to do it this way; I'll try and make this over the next couple of days, but I'm at work quite a bit, so time is limited. I do want it to be all ready for you guys to play at the weekend.

If any other suitable units by other unit creators appear between now and then, I'll add them. The chakra thrower was a welcome addition!

 

[Gen. Rommel]

So this will be a close-to-completed version or did I understand that wrong? If that is the case, I am most intrigued to play this in it's near final stage!

 

[Blue Monkey]

Errata: The Asokan city list has IVaranasi instead of Varanasi.

Playing as the Harappans, and dominating the world, in 380 AD I encountered this load error:

Game play notes: When played by the AI the Harappans seem to be the one of the three Indian civs that does consistently best, and in a really aggressive fashion. It may just be my style of play, and getting used to the quirks of a new mod, but that's my experience playing the three as well. Hopefully some other playtesters will try out these civs, with the others in play by the AI, so that we can compare experiences.

 

[Quinzy]

Haraapa got massive and violent in one of my games too, against the Hyksos. So I marched a bee-line right to their capital, hand in hand with the Iceni. (I was in the West, Iceni to the North, and Haraapa to the East) I took 4-5 cities and slit the empire in two, giving the North for the Iceni to kill and I took the south.

 

[CC-2224]

In the game I played, Haraapa got steamrolled early on by the Gauls who had an enormous number of Gallic Swordsman.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Hi everyone. Sorry for the no-show over the past few days. Basically, I caught a nasty 'flu bug and have spent the last three days mainly in bed. I'm not usually a poorly person, so it's been dull and frustrating. Still, I'm on the mend now and can soon start making the necessary amendments to the mod. Due to the illness, I'd say we're looking at a day or two before I'm ready to upload. Sorry again, but here's a look at some new Indian units - from left to right, there's a replacement for the tribesman, a replacement for the Huskarl and the Chola UU:

Now, in order to whet your appetite, here's the change list for the new version:

• New civs: Brigantia, Chola and Nabataea
• Serbia replaces the Slavs; it retains the Slavs' advantages and adds a couple of its own (which is in progress, but include improved churches and a wonder connected to St Sava)
• The civilopedia has been completely overhauled; you can now see at a glance whether or not your civ can build a particular unit, building or research a particular tech, or opt for a particular government
• The civilopedia has had some sections updated, such as the victory description and the various specialists' details
• Lots of new units added, all fan-made, but more in flavour with the various civilizations
• Era one governments revisited and tweaked
• Mathematician's house added; small wonder with science benefits
• Hipparchus' star catalogue now is the "Great library" wonder and requires the mathematician's house
• Great library itself now grants a free library in all cities
• All civilizations' civilopedia entry added
• Obelisk's effects changed - now produces one happy face (Egypt)
• Quarry made specific to Egypt and is available with toolworking - access to stone required
• Vizier added in era four for Egypt; acts as a courthouse plus 50% tax output, but creates one unhappy face
• Isthmian games added for Corinth, Milon of Kroton wonder changed to Cleitomachus of Thebes - same effects, but uniquely available to Corinth
• St. Paul's letters to the Corinthians added for Corinth in era four; creates two happy faces in every city
• Some buildings removed to make space for civ-specific ones: Temple of Solomon, well, Newgrange, Bayeux tapestry; they will return in future versions, the wonders being civ-specific
• The temple of Artemis becomes the temple of Aphrodite, uniquely for Corinth; it creates a temple in every city
• Corinth can now opt for a trade victory
• New trade victory movie starring Jasmine de Launay
• Pikeman/Med Inf stats tweaked; pikeman=1 extra attack; med inf=1 extra defence; both have +1 hit point
• Great lighthouse doesn't go obsolete (Athens)
• Weaver becomes a Scottish building; +1 happy & +25% production; former weaver (Carthage) renamed to cotton trader
• Ares' new terrain added
• Aqueduct is no longer a pre-requisite for any building
• Furniture maker now requires timber in city square
• Sawmill and gold merchant added to buildings needed for the trade victory
• Kadagam is the unique building for the Chola; it requires access to stone and is a coastal installation; it acts as a free barracks and a whaler
• Macedonia gets the Macedonian academy in era one; this creates a Macedonian peltast every 15 turns and acts as a courthouse
• Royal tomb added for Macedonia (era four); +50 tax output for the city and +1 happy citizens in all cities
• Brigantian farm comes in with clientship (era one) for Brigantia; it needs access to wheat and allows size two city and acts as a courthouse, with effects never expiring; though some cities don't build it because they don't need to (automatically go to size two city)
• Groans of the Britons switched to Brigantia; the Iceni get the Icknield Way instead, which is a building that increases tax and science in its city by 50% as well as removing people pollution and reducing building pollution; it needs a chariot maker though, and they can only be built in Iceni cities with timber in the city limits
• Araby added for Nabataea; this is an extra bazaar/marketplace/bank that can be built at the start of the game
• Walls of Petra added for Nabataea; walls in all cities, double defence against barbarians and it has hidden palace effects
• Spice route is switched to Nabataea; it's their route into the trade victory
• Emperor's libary added for Persia in era one; wonder doubling research in its city and creating two happy faces there
• Spiral minaret moved to era three (Persia)
• Brigantia gets the armoury (era one); needs tar in the city limits, but reduces war weariness and acts as a free barracks
• Per ankh (Egypt) becomes an era three courthouse + 1 happy face for cities with tar in the city radius
• Al-Ahzar makes an entrance for Egypt in era four, doubling research in its city and making one citizen happy in all cities
• All the "missing" specialists have been added - e.g. Rome did not have a taxman; extra specialists brought in
• New culture advisor!

Here is the culture advisor:

Once this is all ready in the next day or two, I'll upload it to 3ddownloads. Once again, sorry for the delay, but I promise you it was unavoidable.

Any comments?

 

[RedAlert]

The new graphics are awe-some! (Especially the Chola leader )
I think I'll play another game come the next upload.
Oh, and get well soon!

 

[Stormrage]

I`m happy

 

[CC-2224]

The new graphics look awesome! I can't wait to try out the Cholans.

 

[Partizanac]

Superb!!!!! first of all let me say I'm very happy you got over your flue, secondly I'm very happy Serbia is in tha game, very, very happy...

Thanks a bunch dude!!!

• Serbia replaces the Slavs; it retains the Slavs' advantages and adds a couple of its own (which is in progress, but include improved churches and a wonder connected to St Sava)
• Lots of new units added, all fan-made, but more in flavour with the various civilizations

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

 

[Stormrage]

But surely Serbia would go in one of the optional .biqs later, its not an ancient civ..

 

[Gen. Rommel]

I agree with Stormrage on that one...adding Serbia seems a bit too specific, as if one were to add Slovenia, Croatia, or one of the other Slavic nations existent today.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

I agree with Stormrage on that one...adding Serbia seems a bit too specific, as if one were to add Slovenia, Croatia, or one of the other Slavic nations existent today.

Florence is also similarly specific; I chose Serbia partly because of Partizanac, but also because I wanted to add some Serbian stuff into the mod. It's there now; other BIQs can and will be made containing other civilizations - I think it'll make more sense when you download and play it.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Superb!!!!! first of all let me say I'm very happy you got over your flue, secondly I'm very happy Serbia is in tha game, very, very happy...

Thanks a bunch dude!!!

No problem. I'm glad you're pleased with it....and you'll need to update your signature!

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

I don't know...what are you pondering?

 

[Gen. Rommel]

You're probably right, and it is your decision to make, ultimately. I just wanted to state it though.

 

[Virote_Considon]

Well, Florence is in the game, and they're hardly an "ancient" civ, so the Kingdom of Serbia fits right in, IMO.

EDIT: Crosspost(s) with Rob and Rommel

 

[Partizanac]

Well no offense, but Serbs as a people are older than Croats, Slovenians, Bulgars etc.

Serbs are one of the oldest people in the Balkans. And I've done some research and believe it or not but Croats are a tribe of Serbs. Croatia was formed by King Tomislav who was a Serbian Duke of Dalmatian Croatia or (dux Croatorum) under a rule of Vlastimirovic family. When Bulgars conquered Serbia, Tomislav seized an opportunity and declared an independence and became a first king of Croatia (Rex Croatorum)

So thats why I think all the Croats, Bosnians, Montenegrins and Macedons(FYROM) are my Serbian brothers. Now I know Storm doesn't agree on this, but everyone has an opinion!

The fact is that Anno Domini is not about playing as a country but as a People (civilization), and Serbia belongs there... but I can agree that Serbs in this mod should stay Slavs or the other way around, its up to Rob!

 

[Stormrage]

Well, there are opinions, and there is history. Croatian history is written differently from Serbian history, however it suited the current political situations in both countries.

I think they should remain as Slavs, since this mod starts way back before there were any other "nations" except the Illyrians in our parts of the Balkans (Serbia and Croatia). I think Serbia has a rightful place in MEM, but not in AD, atleast not the basic .biq.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Well, there are opinions, and there is history. Croatian history is written differently from Serbian history, however it suited the current political situations in both countries.

I think they should remain as Slavs, since this mod starts way back before there were any other "nations" except the Illyrians in our parts of the Balkans (Serbia and Croatia). I think Serbia has a rightful place in MEM, but not in AD, atleast not the basic .biq.

...and I thought you were happy .

Sorry if it offends anyone, but Serbia will stay in the basic BIQ. There is a full range of early-late civs in the "classic" version. It's all about different gameplay options; you'll find that Serbia is unique. It's not just Florence who are another "late" civ; the Chola would be considered to be "late" also; there's some ancient civs, classical civs and late civs, all in the melting pot of a mod YOU are about to play .

Don't forget that the other BIQs will be there to specialise eras and geographical areas. With all the work Ogedei's been doing, I'm tempted to go Oriental in the next BIQ.