The Sword of Islam: RFC Medieval Middle East

[embryodead]

I have often thought about something like this. i played a board game once where you had a general unit which gained experience. A higher level general could field larger armies. Perhaps something like this could be implemented. limiting units based on resources is not a good idea as it wouldn't allow you any options to increase the limit once all the resources available were used up. One based on general units, or somehow tied to the idea of supply lines might be better as then it would give you more options.

So if you had a general unit he could get promotions like cavalry tactics, melee tactics etc, which would allow you to increase the number of regiments of each type you could control.

Perhaps different civs's starting generals would have different starting promotions which would vary the way each civ s millitary was built.

Well, lets say the limits/regiments idea is down. In a way, the promotion thing is already represented by traits/UPs, such of those of Seljuks. It can be pushed further, although the GG idea sounds technically complicated. I don't know, all those detailed combat ideas sound like a good thing for TW, not Civ (see below).

Another broken aspect of the military in civ is the use of archers, which civ 5 attempted to fix by allowing you to attack from a distance (which I don't like). However, in real warfare archers were used for much more then just guarding cities.

Archers' role on offense is support, and you can't have that in Civ4, other than for guarding stacks (a drilled Marksman is nice as well, but only if you run out of other units...). Now, don't take this comment as rude - for real warfare, play Total War series. When it comes to combat, I'll take TW over Civ any day. Civ4 combat is simple unit vs. unit, win-lose system with a lot of modifiers, and you need actual battles to give specific units their histrical role. Civ5 scale is smaller, allowing support, but there's no battles still.

Also, every time I see a catapult defending against a horse warrior i cringe. I have always thought that you should have to attach melee units to siege units to work as guards and an unguarded siege unit should not have any defence (like a worker)

It's possible but it's a lot of coding with only benefit being realism, which isn't the point of Civ again (siege engines should be constructed on the site of the siege, not in cities 300 kilometers away etc.).

The graphics thing is a common complaint and Firaxis once fixed that in Civ3 by adding crew to siege units. That I can do easily, actually - it would look the same way the Timurid Siege Engineer does, i.e. 1 Catapult/Trebuchet + 1 plain crewman. Does that sound good?

also, I am curious why you changed the name of the mamluk UU? Is it because of what happens when you google Toassin?

No, though I laughed at this one I simply borrowed the unit from Broken Crescent Ayyubid roster, which was a mistake. Toassins were some ethnic subgroup, probably of imported Turkic or Caucasian stock, trained by Saladin as mamluk soldiers. The later Mamluks that ruled Egypt were mostly native Arabs and Turks.

 

[embryodead]

I think it only affects Fatamids, Ayyubids, and Mamluks.

This is correct (about Mansa Musa event).

 

[The Turk]

It's possible but it's a lot of coding with only benefit being realism, which isn't the point of Civ again (siege engines should be constructed on the site of the siege, not in cities 300 kilometers away etc.).

The graphics thing is a common complaint and Firaxis once fixed that in Civ3 by adding crew to siege units. That I can do easily, actually - it would look the same way the Timurid Siege Engineer does, i.e. 1 Catapult/Trebuchet + 1 plain crewman. Does that sound good?

Is it really that hard to have siege engines surrender if attacked? I thought it was just simple XML coding in the units folder? But if you could add units to siege weapons, I think that would be great! But you should make one for Orthodox/Latin, Muslim (except Timurid), Indian and Makurian unit, to go alongside a siege engine.

Another idea, is why not you have siege engines be built in cities, but then you have to press a button, to have them unload, which lets say takes a turn, or else they surrender if still packed. I understand this is a lot of coding, but for better siege realism, IMO it makes sense to do it.

Oh and yes, the BC crew really need to get their act together...

 

[Jusos2108]

The graphics thing is a common complaint and Firaxis once fixed that in Civ3 by adding crew to siege units. That I can do easily, actually - it would look the same way the Timurid Siege Engineer does, i.e. 1 Catapult/Trebuchet + 1 plain crewman. Does that sound good?

Sounds great!

 

[jammerculture]

I have never played TW so I don't have any comments on that. My comments were brainstorming suggestions based on your desire to change the way armies in the mod were built. I have no complaints with your mod, rather i think it's pretty much the coolest game ever built. I participate in these forums as a way of helping the modders accomplish their goals with the mods, if my ideas are helpful, good, if not oh well. I also have no coding experience at all so have no way of evaluating what is and isn't technically possible.

 

[The Turk]

Does anybody else have the problem where your science and civic advisor screen takes forever to open up? Does anybody know how to make it so that once you click on the icons it opens up, without much delay? The same goes with when you contact another civ, it takes forever for the LH to pop up!

PS. Its not only with SoI, I have the problem with other mods as well...

 

[Jusos2108]

It's not the mods, it's your PC.

 

[The Turk]

It's not the mods, it's your PC.

so how do I fix it? How can I make the advisor screens pop up faster? So on your computer this does not happen?

 

[blizzrd]

so how do I fix it? How can I make the advisor screens pop up faster? So on your computer this does not happen?

Definitely not the game, I'd say it is your computer too. But as it hasn't ever happened to me, I can't unfortunately offer you a solution.

If your operating specs are borderline close to the minimum, that might be the issue perhaps? But if your computer is operating well above the minimum requirements, I don't have a good suggestion as to what the problem might be.

 

[MessageMan]

Another idea, is why not you have siege engines be built in cities, but then you have to press a button, to have them unload, which lets say takes a turn, or else they surrender if still packed. I understand this is a lot of coding, but for better siege realism, IMO it makes sense to do it.

It doesn't take a year to unpack a siege engine.

 

[The Turk]

It doesn't take a year to unpack a siege engine.

Lets say it does not take up a turn then

 

[embryodead]

so how do I fix it? How can I make the advisor screens pop up faster? So on your computer this does not happen?

Try turning all your graphics settings to Medium or Low. On High I have at least 1 s. delay when opening advisor screens, on Medium/Low it's instant.

 

[embryodead]

Is it really that hard to have siege engines surrender if attacked? I thought it was just simple XML coding in the units folder?

No, making unit capturable doesn't stop it from being able to fight - it will still defend (see AND etc.). To make it automatically capturable you'd have to reduce strength to 0 - but then it can't attack either.

Finally, if you code new mechanics so it can both attack and not defend, you have to code the AI to understand how to properly use the new siege engines. It's been discussed here and there and I still haven't seen a mod that has done it, while the current system simply works.

But if you could add units to siege weapons, I think that would be great! But you should make one for Orthodox/Latin, Muslim (except Timurid), Indian and Makurian unit, to go alongside a siege engine.

Crews can be ethnic, sure. It looks good so far, I just have to select units for the crews.

Another idea, is why not you have siege engines be built in cities, but then you have to press a button, to have them unload, which lets say takes a turn, or else they surrender if still packed. I understand this is a lot of coding, but for better siege realism, IMO it makes sense to do it.

The way I see it is that it's hours of UI & AI coding just to force the player to press another button.

Oh and yes, the BC crew really need to get their act together...

If you refer to the Toassin Mamluk, it was my mistake, not theirs, i.e. I used Ayyubid mamluk unit as Mamluk mamluk unit...

 

[jammerculture]

maybe the unit created in the city is a siege engineer, when defending it'll be just some dude getting mauled by a horseman, but when it attacks a city then the graphic changes to a catapult, or trebuchet.

or maybe we just get over it and enjoy the game lol

 

[keldath]

hello,
i just started to play soi, and i just love it.

wonderful job in this mod, its amazing.


****
something odd:
i got a message that said that mansa munsa did some pilgrimage to mecca (makah),
and as a result - i got a 100% to inflation! that totally crippled my game - im struggling for money and barley learns anything i had to put all my cities on wealth in order to get a tech.

anyways - the mod is awesome.

 

[AnotherPacifist]

Mansa Musa is the killer of all native Egyptian civs' economy.
You basically have to build up your economy from scratch, especially if you go for the Ayyubid UHV which requires an extended empire.

 

[keldath]

i see, its a tough thing to do ....

 

[rrosen]

What difference is there between caliph and sultan? I think research is more expensive as caliph, but will the ai get bonuses, are barbarians harder, are there health/happiness differences?

 

[The Turk]

What difference is there between caliph and sultan? I think research is more expensive as caliph, but will the ai get bonuses, are barbarians harder, are there health/happiness differences?

I'm pretty sure barbarians are more numerous and that AI get handicap bonuses, also there is a research penelty against the player.

 

[Jusos2108]

Edead, any reasons why you wouldn't make Makuria respawn as the Sennar Sultanate?