[WIP]Byzantium: Beyond the Golden Gate

[Ajidica]

Byzantium: Beyond the Golden Gate​

​

For Warlords, latest patch.
The focus of this mod is the Apogee of Byzantium (660AD-1071AD),the rise and decline of the Arab Caliphates, and to a lesser extent the rise of Charlemagne.
The Civs are:
Byzantium
Abbasid Caliphate
Fatimid Caliphate
Ummayad Spain
Visigoths
Lombards
Avars
Northern French
Saxons
Slavs
Bulgars
Northern Slavs
Armenia
Dutchy of Aquinae
The Avars are AI playable only and the Northern Slavs are a minor nation.

THE MAP IS FINNALY WORKING!!!!
Please download and offer comments. Screenshots to come soon.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=8489

Screenshots to come later.

 

[Ajidica]

Reserved for future use.

 

[Shqype]

Perhaps you might consider making your "Slavs" instead "Bulgarians," since the Slavs first started to come into the Balkans at the start of your mod, and it was the Bulgarians which first gathered in numbers to create a significant state.

Might I also suggest adding the Illyrians to the mod? Although the Greeks eventually started calling them Albanians from the Illyrian "Albani" tribe, they provided resistance to the invading Slavs, and various chieftains even participated with the Byzantine empire.

 

[woodelf]

I'd suggest skipping Warlords and going to BtS, but this looks like a good start.

 

[Ajidica]

@ Woodelf: The last time I tried modding BTs, it was a disaster. BTS adds nothing except some new leaders. I don't like the espionage system, for the time period it is unrealistic.
@ Shqype: The reason the Bulgars and Slavs are different is even though they were basicly the same for most of the mod, I don't want to make them too powerful. I'll try and get a pic up with the location of the civs on it. About the Illyrians, I thought that was simply a name for a territory. Can you give me some examples of their events, and I'll see if I want to include them. ( I might, although the source I am using doesn't include them at all.)

 

[Agent327]

There is currently a major bug involving the map. It will hang the game during loading. That means there is an error in the WBS file. I am no good at editing a WBS file. If someone could please fix it, I would be very grateful.

Got the same problem with some scenarios I wanted to upgrade from Warlords to BTS: I ended up starting from scratch with a new map.*

BTW, I suggest adding a link to this thread from the DL page.

* Just remembered someone answered a Q from me concerning WBS file bugs. Have to check my PMs.

 

[Agent327]

@ Woodelf: The last time I tried modding BTs, it was a disaster. BTS adds nothing except some new leaders. I don't like the espionage system, for the time period it is unrealistic.

I disagree: the Mongols for example made extensive use of spies prior to invading.

On the Faulty WBS-file: I'm sorry, but I've deleted the A to my Q. There is however a tool to compare WBS files. (Perhaps you should check the Utilities & Tools section or ask your question there; I'm sure you'll get an answer.)

 

[Ajidica]

The Mongols came ove 3 centuries after the mod is over. Also, I know that the error is in spelling. If I refrence a bad .dds for a flag, would that cause the map to not load? I also don't want a new map, becasue the one I am using is the only Europe map without scandanavia and it has alot of mesapotamia.

 

[Agent327]

The Mongols are just an example; if you think the Byzantines didn't employ spies or got spied on, think again! But enough o' that: what map exactly did you use? (I used a similar Europe map for The Crusades! - but then again: that isn't a mod...)

About the bad flag .dds: I don't think so - but a good flag .dds would be better, no?

 

[Ajidica]

I agree that some of the effects are authentic, it is just that the AI (from my experiance) devotes too much commerce to it. Also, some effects are OP in the hands of a human. I might also be biased against BTS becasue my last experiance modding it was a disater.
The map I used was originally for vannilla civ, but I converted it to warlords, it ran fine, but when I added some more civs and it kept working. I redid all the units, so it wouldent load because of the warrior issue. Then when i tried to fix that, it still wouldn't work. The map is called Roman Empire. I don't remember who made it, but I'll try and find it. Is your CRUSADES! map for BTS? If so, are there any things I need to do to make it work for Warlords?
Here is the link to the map I used:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=186688

 

[Agent327]

I agree that some of the effects are authentic, it is just that the AI (from my experiance) devotes too much commerce to it. Also, some effects are OP in the hands of a human. I might also be biased against BTS becasue my last experiance modding it was a disater.

I agree the BTS AI really likes Spying (in the RTW 1936 scenario it was really annoying, because there was a limit on the number of Spies allowed, so the smaller civs kept building & sending them - perhaps an idea?).

The map I used was originally for vannilla civ, but I converted it to warlords, it ran fine, but when I added some more civs and it kept working. I redid all the units, so it wouldent load because of the warrior issue. Then when i tried to fix that, it still wouldn't work. The map is called Roman Empire. I don't remember who made it, but I'll try and find it. Is your CRUSADES! map for BTS? If so, are there any things I need to do to make it work for Warlords?

I used a 18civ Europe map (uploaded by kmarx) and yes, it's for BTS. I had some trouble myself upgrading from Warlords to BTS, so I wouldn't really know about backgrading. I do know - from the Medieval mods - there should be ready made Europe/Middle East maps ready to go, as it were. (Curiously, there still aren't enough good maps out there, but every once and again, a new one appears. As I don't do maps myself - just use and edit them - I appreciate that.)

I'm not sure if I can be of any further assistance, but I wouldn't wanna see you just quit!

PS: Rather busy myself reworking 50 AD for BTS at the moment...

 

[Ajidica]

Actully, if you could possibly trim down a Europe Map by removing everything north of mainland Denmark, that would be really nice, because then I can add the Kevian Rus again. I'll start from scratch trying to get the map working. I can't get much work done for the next week because it is finals next week.
EDIT: I looked at your Crusades map, but unfortunaley, it goes too far north, and the middle east feels too far away. Neat map though, if worst is worst, I'll cut it down or make it work.

 

[Agent327]

Ermm... all I really do with maps is find them and edit them a bit (wouldn't know how to "trim" a map or anything). I hope you do well at your exams (good luck on that!) and success!

PS: Sorry you couldn't use the Crusades-map...

 

[Ajidica]

I can use the Crusades map, it is just that the middle east and Asia Minor are too far away from Europe, and then the mod feels more like a Medieval Europe mod than a specific mod. Could you please take a look at the map to see if I am doing anything wrong? Here is the map:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/105551/RomanEmpire.zip

 

[Agent327]

I'll have a look at it as soon as I've uploaded my 50 AD update!

 

[Agent327]

Well, I tried to have a look, but all I got was a "Failed to read..." message.

Do you want me to send you the Europe maps I DLed so far? (I noticed I got rather a lot BTS-compatibles...)

 

[Ajidica]

Did the fail to read message occur when you were starting up the map in game? Since it apears this map isn't working, do you know of any Europe maps that have a good sized middle east?

 

[Agent327]

Errr... no, before: the map never showed up in the list - and I tried several possible locations. You can check for alternative maps in the Maps & Downloads section, but I'll zip you the ones I got 1st thing tomorrow (as I'm not home right now and can't get at 'em).

 

[Ajidica]

Thats fine. I'll restart the map, making sure I am doing it right. I'll try and remember my new #1 rule when modmaking: If you make a change and it doesn't work, don't go on ahead and hope it fixes itself.

 

[Agent327]

Well, good for you! (Although I don't see how something can fix itself; if I implement a change that doesn't work, I usually go back and leave it out for the time being...)

PS: So... you won't be needing those maps, I take it?