MAP REQUEST for scenario creation: the DARK AGES

[Red Threat]

I'm actually working on two middle ages scenario. I will use one only mod for both: Firaxis' Middle Ages conquest MOD with many changes.

The first will be "The Dark Ages": 420-1099 AD. The last age techs will cost so much as nobody will discover them. Vikings, Byzantines and Arabs will try to get a Dominion victory, the christian kingdoms will try to get a VP victory or a diplomatic victory building the Holy Roman Empire wonder.

The second will be "The High Middle Ages": 1099-1453 AD. I still don't know anything about the Victory conditions, but for both the scenarios my aim is making them very historically accurate.

 

[Red Threat]

SCENARIO PREVIEW

The battle of Poitiers


TIME RANGE: 420-1099 AD

Playable civs:

- The strongest civs (with special optional paths on the tech tree):

1. Byzantines
2. Arabs
3. Vikings

Their aim would be the domination victory. The Byzantines are already strong but their govenrment is very weak, so they must hurry up. Instead, Vikings and Arabs must develop their civ before starting the conquest.

- European civs (with the same optional path on the tech tree):

4. Franks
5. Ostrogoths
6. Visigoths
7. Vandals
8. Saxons
9. Longobards
10. Celts of Britannia

Their aim is destroy completely the remaining Western Roman Empire and then try to reach a diplomatic victory (building the "Holy Roman Empire" wonder).

These are the only civs which can build the UU and get the Golden Age.


Unplayable civs (* means that thay can use the christian path on the tech tree):

11. Burgundians *
12. Suebs/Alans *
13. Irish tribes (Scots)
14. Picts
15. Western Roman Empire
16. Huns and allies
17. Persian/Sassanid empire
18. Avars/Hungarians
19. Slavic peoples
20. Turk/Bulgarian tribes


The Western roman Empire is very weak, it will fall down and I've still not decided which tech path they will use, if christian or byzantine.

The Huns start with one only city which can build no units and MANY starting units, it is a sort of "disturbing" civ.

The other civs will be placed only in order to make the scenario historically accurate, they should not have great influence on the game.

The Settlers, except for Vikings, will be very expensive (shields and population). The High Ages techs will be EXTREMELY expensive. No cities on desert.

Thanks to R8XFT for his work on leaderheads.

 

[WildWeazel]

This looks like it has a lot of potential. By using one mod, do you mean having 2 games with the same rules but different starting setups?

The map could be done with BMP2BIC easily, even just drawing the remaining regions onto that picture by hand.

 

[Xen]

A) the Western Roman empire should have a chance to be able to build up, and deliver a punch; this should eb done by reflecting real life (history is alreay play balenced, we just have to interpret it); the government should have ridiculous unit upkeep costs, btu to balence that out, a unit which has none should eb the basic infantry for it (a germanic mercerany- it sounds weird to have a mercenary with no upkeep, btu have to work inside the limitations the game gives), ont he other hand, essentially a foot trooper the DOSE cost upkeep to build, thereofre spurring the player not to build them in large quantities, if at all, giving a historical feel to the W. Roman armies

B)they should follow the Byzantine tech path, considering that right up tot hier very downfall, the byzantines were the official heirs to the Roman empire.

 

[pinktilapia]

Great idea! So that we could jump from Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire to your Dark Age mod and then to High Middle Age! I love the map too, and if is extended to cover some more of Egypt, Arabia and Persia, I might be keen using it for RFRE as well.
Not to hijack your idea , but it would be great if we worked on a series of 3 mods using the same principles and with a certain time overlap (e.g. the fall in RFRE and the start of Dark Age) having the same buidlings, techs and units! One player could retrace the European history from 200BC to 1453AC.

 

[Red Threat]

@Weasel Op: yes, 2 games with different setup. About the High Middle Ages scenario, I'm thinking something like VP/Wonders/Capture the Flag (something placed in Jerusalem) victory conditions.

There is a problem, I can't use BMP2BIC and I don't know how to get it. So i need help.

@Xen: I will keep on great consideration your suggestions about the Western Roman Empire. Keep in mind that many regions of the Empire will be already occupied by the barbarians, differently from Firaxis Fall of Rome scenario.

@Pinktilkapia: Yes, I had a similar idea: create or change 3 mods and then many scenarios with a complete historical coverage, all historically accurate, for example:


1. Ancient Age Mod:

Scenario: The Age of Empires 1600 BC - 300 BC
Scenario: The Age of Rome 300 BC - 420 AD

Map used: Firaxis' Mediterrenan map

2. Middle Ages Mod:

Scenario: The Dark Ages 420 - 1099
Scenario: The High Middle Ages 1099 - 1453

Map used: Trip's Europe revisited (help!)

3. Modern Age Mod:

Scenario: The Age of Discoveries 1453 - 1822
Scenario: The Age of Revolutions and Imperialism 1822 - 1968
Scenario: Our days 1968 - ????

Map used: World map (the better I will find)


But this is only a project. I want to start with the Middle Ages, the most enjoying and easiest to create of all.

 

[Red Threat]

The map could be done with BMP2BIC easily, even just drawing the remaining regions onto that picture by hand.

Ok I downloaded Dr Alimentado Map Tweaker and it works well. Soon I will post the map I gonna use.


Now could someone help me to find host?!?!

 

[Red Threat]

Pinktilkapia, I've finished the map. You can find it here.

Soon I'll open a new thread with a better scenario preview.

 

[pinktilapia]

I saw it, it is a beauty, and I will consider using it, although I am afraid of the great empty spaces in Russia.