TWC Wiki - User contributions [en]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2013-12-20T22:12:54Z

Aradan:

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>
{{Mod Information Table (no map)
|Platform=[[Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion]]
|Mod Type=Overhaul
|Era=Fourth Age of Middle-earth
|Mod Leader=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=27806 Aradan], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=61314 Éorl]
|Release Status=v2.6
|Forum=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 Here]
}}
== Introduction ==
The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==
* '''City Development & Diversification'''
Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''
When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''
In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''
Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''
Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''
The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''
If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''
Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''
A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''
The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''
All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==
As of the press release of the 22nd February 2006 (on SCC), the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr
The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''
Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''
The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''
The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''
The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[CountMRVHS]]''' - Writer

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer
*[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*[[Jarlaxe]] - Modeler, skinner

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==
Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===
http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''''Current version:''''' The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

::::''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====
The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====
The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2012-01-12T16:09:23Z

Aradan: /* Team */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>
{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==
The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==
* '''City Development & Diversification'''
Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''
When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''
In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''
Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''
Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''
The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''
If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''
Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''
A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''
The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''
All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==
As of the press release of the 22nd February 2006 (on SCC), the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr
The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''
Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''
The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''
The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''
The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[CountMRVHS]]''' - Writer

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer
*[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*[[Jarlaxe]] - Modeler, skinner

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==
Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===
http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''''Current version:''''' The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

::::''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====
The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====
The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

Aradan

2012-01-07T10:28:06Z

Aradan: /* TWC Profile */

Fatw

2010-12-20T12:52:40Z

Aradan: Protected "Fatw" ([edit=autoconfirmed] (indefinite) [move=autoconfirmed] (indefinite))

This page has been registered for use by the Fourth Age Total War

Norman Invasion

2010-09-30T00:15:45Z

Aradan: /* Pictures */

{{Mod_overview
|width=
|title=Norman Invasion
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Barbarian Invasion 1.6]]
|type=Complete Overhaul
|members=[[MasterofNone]], [[Aradan]], [[Keyser Soze]], [[Uranos]], [[Halie Satanus]]
|release=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=302419 ''Norman Invasion 1.3'']
|description=A mod based on the Norman invasion of England
}}

= Introduction =
Over two hundred years have passed since the Viking Age of Britain portrayed in Viking Invasion II, and the Dark Ages are coming to an end. Norman Invasion starts in the year AD 1066. William, Duke of Normandy, has landed his troops at Pevensey bay and King Harold II of England has just arrived at Hastings, fresh from victory at Stamford Bridge, to hurl the Normans back into the English Channel.

= Description =
As the player you can choose to take up the Fighting Man banner of Harold and defend your shores against the Norman dogs, or you can – if you really feel the need! – take up the Papal Banner of William “le Batard” and put the English firmly under the Norman yoke. You can also play as one of the three minor factions - the Welsh, Norse or Scots.

For those who have played Viking Invasion II, you will see that Ireland no longer features in Norman Invasion as that land was not invaded until after the period covered in this modification. Western Scandinavia has also disappeared from the map (it was no longer of significance to England’s immediate history after Harold’s victory against Harald Hardrada), but the Continent has been added and includes Normandy, Flanders and the Cotentin Peninsula. The map has also been significantly enlarged and the number of counties increased.

Historically, of course, William’s invasion of England was successful, though not without setbacks and rebellions. The English people were brought under a dreadful feudal burden in their own homeland, though some escaped to other lands such as Scotland, Scandinavia and places even further abroad. Even Wales and Scotland eventually succumbed to the Norman’s military machine.

But it doesn’t have to work out that way…In Norman Invasion “history” is now in your hands!

= Features =
[[Image:Normaninvasioncampaignmap.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Campaign Map View]]
*A map of Britain 20% larger than Viking Invasion II bringing the new total to 81 regions
*Earldoms and principalities together with a whole new system of titles
*In order for the English or Norman ruler to claim the crown of England he must not only conquer the capital but must also gather his respective assembly (Witenagemot or Curia Regis) to approve the coronation
*Political Systems now replace religion and represent the unease between the customary laws of Britain and the feudal law of the Normans, with a third hybrid political system called Marcher Law
*Normans can build one of three “lordships” (or systems of rule) - Local Lordships, Feudal Lordships or Marcher Lordships
*Unit balance and unit file generated by Aradan's new EDUmatic tool.
*Some settlements, built upon natural outcrops of rocks, are designated natural fortresses and are a lot harder for an enemy to breach
*Roma Surrectum's stunning new battlemap environments have been kindly granted and implemented to create better grass, more variety of trees and superior ground textures
*Churches now have the option to provide yearly, monthly or even daily almsgiving to the poor and needy to help boost happiness in a province
*Provincial Information, accessed via the open-book icon, has been expanded to include more history, geography and other interesting and useful details about each region
*Historic Royal Seats, when captured, create a public order boost across all the regions owned by the conqueror
*Over a dozen new music tracks have been added, including some culture-specific pieces, to further immerse the player in eleventh-century Britain
*The Norman culture has been added which includes a whole new French-accent voice bank for the Normans

= The Team =
Conceived, created, researched, mapped, built, written and managed by [[MasterOfNone]] with support in the following areas from the following people:
*[[Aradan]] - Traits, Ancillaries, Unit & Campaign Balance
*[[Halie Satanus]] - Model Tweaks, Loading Screens, Banners & Symbols
*[[Uranos]] - Map Tweaks & Unit Cards
*[[Keyser Soze]] - Research Assistance & Beta Testing

With elements kindly offered by:
*[[Chivalry: Total War]]
*[[1066]]
*[[Roma Surrectum]]
*[[Arthurian Total War]]

= History =

The core team behind [[Viking Invasion II]] was toying with the idea of a submod or continuation of it since Dominion of Britannia (VI2's official submod) was released, and in early June 2009 MasterOfNone conceived the idea of a mod based around the Norman Invasion.
The mod was based heavily on the VI2 resources, so five months from the moment of conception NI was released (one day before the battle of Hastings anniversary, Oct 13th). There have been 3 patches for it since.

= Pictures =
{|
|[[Image:Normaninvasionanglobanner.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Harold's "Fighting Man" banner]]
|[[Image:Normaninvasionwelsh.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Welsh looking down a valley]]
|[[Image:Normaninvasionbodyguard.jpg|335px|thumb|right|William's papal banner]]
|}

= External Links =

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 The Norman Invasion Mod forum on TWC]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]

Norman Invasion

2010-09-30T00:13:03Z

Aradan:

{{Mod_overview
|width=
|title=Norman Invasion
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Barbarian Invasion 1.6]]
|type=Complete Overhaul
|members=[[MasterofNone]], [[Aradan]], [[Keyser Soze]], [[Uranos]], [[Halie Satanus]]
|release=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=302419 ''Norman Invasion 1.3'']
|description=A mod based on the Norman invasion of England
}}

= Introduction =
Over two hundred years have passed since the Viking Age of Britain portrayed in Viking Invasion II, and the Dark Ages are coming to an end. Norman Invasion starts in the year AD 1066. William, Duke of Normandy, has landed his troops at Pevensey bay and King Harold II of England has just arrived at Hastings, fresh from victory at Stamford Bridge, to hurl the Normans back into the English Channel.

= Description =
As the player you can choose to take up the Fighting Man banner of Harold and defend your shores against the Norman dogs, or you can – if you really feel the need! – take up the Papal Banner of William “le Batard” and put the English firmly under the Norman yoke. You can also play as one of the three minor factions - the Welsh, Norse or Scots.

For those who have played Viking Invasion II, you will see that Ireland no longer features in Norman Invasion as that land was not invaded until after the period covered in this modification. Western Scandinavia has also disappeared from the map (it was no longer of significance to England’s immediate history after Harold’s victory against Harald Hardrada), but the Continent has been added and includes Normandy, Flanders and the Cotentin Peninsula. The map has also been significantly enlarged and the number of counties increased.

Historically, of course, William’s invasion of England was successful, though not without setbacks and rebellions. The English people were brought under a dreadful feudal burden in their own homeland, though some escaped to other lands such as Scotland, Scandinavia and places even further abroad. Even Wales and Scotland eventually succumbed to the Norman’s military machine.

But it doesn’t have to work out that way…In Norman Invasion “history” is now in your hands!

= Features =
[[Image:Normaninvasioncampaignmap.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Campaign Map View]]
*A map of Britain 20% larger than Viking Invasion II bringing the new total to 81 regions
*Earldoms and principalities together with a whole new system of titles
*In order for the English or Norman ruler to claim the crown of England he must not only conquer the capital but must also gather his respective assembly (Witenagemot or Curia Regis) to approve the coronation
*Political Systems now replace religion and represent the unease between the customary laws of Britain and the feudal law of the Normans, with a third hybrid political system called Marcher Law
*Normans can build one of three “lordships” (or systems of rule) - Local Lordships, Feudal Lordships or Marcher Lordships
*Unit balance and unit file generated by Aradan's new EDUmatic tool.
*Some settlements, built upon natural outcrops of rocks, are designated natural fortresses and are a lot harder for an enemy to breach
*Roma Surrectum's stunning new battlemap environments have been kindly granted and implemented to create better grass, more variety of trees and superior ground textures
*Churches now have the option to provide yearly, monthly or even daily almsgiving to the poor and needy to help boost happiness in a province
*Provincial Information, accessed via the open-book icon, has been expanded to include more history, geography and other interesting and useful details about each region
*Historic Royal Seats, when captured, create a public order boost across all the regions owned by the conqueror
*Over a dozen new music tracks have been added, including some culture-specific pieces, to further immerse the player in eleventh-century Britain
*The Norman culture has been added which includes a whole new French-accent voice bank for the Normans

= The Team =
Conceived, created, researched, mapped, built, written and managed by [[MasterOfNone]] with support in the following areas from the following people:
*[[Aradan]] - Traits, Ancillaries, Unit & Campaign Balance
*[[Halie Satanus]] - Model Tweaks, Loading Screens, Banners & Symbols
*[[Uranos]] - Map Tweaks & Unit Cards
*[[Keyser Soze]] - Research Assistance & Beta Testing

With elements kindly offered by:
*[[Chivalry: Total War]]
*[[1066]]
*[[Roma Surrectum]]
*[[Arthurian Total War]]

= History =

The core team behind [[Viking Invasion II]] was toying with the idea of a submod or continuation of it since Dominion of Britannia (VI2's official submod) was released, and in early June 2009 MasterOfNone conceived the idea of a mod based around the Norman Invasion.
The mod was based heavily on the VI2 resources, so five months from the moment of conception NI was released (one day before the battle of Hastings anniversary, Oct 13th). There have been 3 patches for it since.

= Pictures =
{|
|[[Image:Normaninvasionanglobanner.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Huscarls' Banner]]
|[[Image:Normaninvasionwelsh.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Welsh Troops]]
|[[Image:Normaninvasionbodyguard.jpg|335px|thumb|right|Norman Standard Bearer]]
|}

= External Links =

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 The Norman Invasion Mod forum on TWC]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]

Multi-Mod Sampler

2010-09-22T18:15:49Z

Aradan: /* Download */

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2017-41-18-76.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2017-37-06-32.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2017-36-24-76.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2017-29-09-51.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2017-24-39-53.jpg
=The Multi-Mod Sampler (MMS)=
(Version 1.1 for Rome Total War 1.5)

'''Now supported by NINE of the most popular and acclaimed mods for the Rome Total War engine... Arthurian Total War, Chivalry Total War, End of Days, Europa Barbarorum, Fourth Age Total War, Napoleonic Total War II, Rome Total Realism VII, Terrae Expugnandae, The Lord of the Rings Total War.'''

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2017-23-43-23.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2016-24-30-00.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2017-05-30-87.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2016-40-41-43.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/th_RomeTW2007-12-2016-28-43-35.jpg

==What Is A Mod?==

''Rome Total War'' has spawned many private modifications (or mods), from realism to the age of muskets - even into the realm of fantasy! Many of these mods fall by the wayside, but some go on to be considered as good as or even better than the original game...

In an effort to bring these successful mods more into the public eye, MMS has been created.
==Why MMS?==

Mods often have long download times, they may be incomplete or very unstable. MMS hand picks mods based on their reputation, stability and quality as well as trying to include a wide range of genres or time periods.

MMS allows you, the player, to experience selected units from top-of-the-range RTW/BI/Alexander mods. It also gives you information about the mod, its reputation/success and its web site or forums.

MMS:

*has a file size of about 20 Megs and so takes only a few minutes to download on the average connection speed
*works from within its own "mod folder" so will not overwrite any of your original game files

==How Does It Work?==

MMS introduces sample units from quality mods in the form of hireable mercenary units across the campaign map.

MMS mercenary units will also be available through the custom-battle screen, replacing the duplicated Roman units for the Scipii and Brutii factions, should you wish to pit them against one another or other RTW units!

The screenshots below will explain more...

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/mms_avail.jpg

Above you can see new mercenaries for hire in Germania: Arthurian Total War's Duguðe and Chivalry Total War's Feudal Knights. Note the abbreviated name prefixing each unit to identify to which mod it belongs

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/mms_unitinf.jpg

Above is a description of one of the Rome Total Realism (The Iberian Conflict) units

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/mms_about.jpg

Above you can see more information about the mod to which the unit belongs (Europa Barbarorum in this case). Note the URL to the mod's website where you can check for the latest release

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/mms_rep.jpg

Above you find text that will give you information about the reputation of the selected unit's mod

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/mms_battle-1.jpg

Here we can see a defeated army of Gauls routed by the musket balls of the Old French Guard from the Napoleonic Total War II mod!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e166/dubhdara/mms_advisor.jpg

For your convenience, the Advisor now lists show-cased mods, their mercenaries and where they can be recruited; a piece of text also has been added to the Army Details scroll to remind you to use the Advisor help button to access this information.

==Installation & Play==

Before running the MMS installer make sure you have a clean (unmodded) copy of RTW 1.5 installed on your PC. In the menu of RTW you can click on OPTIONS and you should then see the version number in the top right of the screen. If it is not 1.5 then you will need to grab the relevant patch from SEGA. If you have BI installed as well then you can use patch 1.6 as this will also upgrade your RTW to 1.5 (as well as BI to 1.6). Visit SEGA's support page to obtain these free patches here: http://www.sega.com/support/support.php?item=support_patches or visit the http://www.totalwar.com site's forums if you have any technical problems with patching.

Running the installer is simple, the only thing you need to do is to make sure the path to which you install it is correct. In most cases it will the default path (C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War) bu do check your PC to make sure that is where you RomeTW.exe file is located.

===Download===
You can download MMS here: http://files.filefront.com/mms+v1+1exe/;9373007;/fileinfo.html
OR here: http://www.writers-and-publishers.com/mods/mms_v1-1.exe

Play proceeds largely as normal, but note that in custom battles the Scipii and Brutii units have been replaced with MMS units (this will not affect your campaign) so that you can have MMS unit armies.

==Other Information==

MMS units are only basically balanced and their performance in battle should not be viewed relative to other units; clearly they are intended for use in their parent mod. Also, it should be borne in mind, that some units may have attributes unavailable or impractical for MMS to include such as BI features, officers, etc.

For more screenshots of MMS please visit [http://www.chamber-of-records.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1940 this link:]

'''CREDITS:'''
*Aradan - Unit Balance
*Arakorn - Installer Bitmaps
*Dol Guldur - Concept, Initial Coding/Design & Promotion
*Makanyane - Coding, Maintenance, Build, Icon and Installer

'''UNITS:''' used with kind permission of their respective modification teams:
*Arthurian Total War
*Chivalry Total War
*End of Days
*Europa Barbarorum
*Fourth Age Total War
*Napoleonic Total War II
*Rome Total Realism VII
*Terrae Expugnandae
*The Lord of the Rings Total War

===Terms of Use===

You may '''not''' distribute MMS units outside of MMS. All such units and associated work remain the property of their respective mods and/or creators.

[[Category: RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_%28Released%29]]

Aradan

2010-09-11T20:19:53Z

Aradan: /* Released Modifications */

Aradan

2010-09-11T20:18:56Z

Aradan: /* Released Modifications */

Aradan

2010-09-11T20:18:13Z

Aradan: /* Released Modifications */

Aradan

2010-09-11T20:17:30Z

Aradan: /* To-Be-Released Modifications */

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-09-11T20:16:22Z

Aradan: /* Factions */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the press release of the 22nd February 2006 (on SCC), the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr
The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''
Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''
The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''
The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''
The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]]''' - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''''Current version:''''' The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

::::''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-09-11T20:15:48Z

Aradan: /* Team */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr
The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''
Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''
The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''
The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''
The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]]''' - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''''Current version:''''' The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

::::''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

Roma Surrectum

2010-09-10T15:01:47Z

Aradan: /* RS-II Modding Crew */

[[Image:RS2 main.gif|center|alt=main]]

{{mod3|mod=Roma Surrectum II|image=[[Image:RS-II-tag.jpg|270px]]|platform=[[Rome: Total War|RTW 1.5]]|era=217BC|leader=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=9998 dvk901]|mod-folder=Overwrites vanilla game files|release=Released|map=[[Image:Rs2sig1.png|278px|]]}}

==Overview==
Roma Surrectum II is a total modification of Rome- Total War, and the most recent piece of work by the [[Roma Surrectum]] team. It begins in 217 B.C (or A.U.C 536), with Hannibal in Italy during the second Punic War. The campaign map covers the whole Mediterranean, much of Northern Europe, North Africa, and the East. From Iberia to Persia, and Egypt to Scandinavia, there are 19 playable factions from all over the ancient world.

The mod is well known for its legion system- giving the Roman faction 28 unique recruitable legions. RS-II offers a fun and mesmerizing gameplay and promises RTW players utmost satisfaction. For new players a difficulty of M/M or M/H (Campaign/Battle) is recommended while experienced players can start with H/H difficulty to get the full nail-biting experience of the mod.

==Features==
===Factions===
The following factions are included in Roma Surrectum II:
[[Image:RS-II Factions.png|center|alt=main]]

Unplayable factions are:
*Slave
*Free barbarians/Roman rebels
----

===Campaign Map===
The map has been totally redone, using NASA satellite data for realism. All the campaign map textures are new, and are trying to imitate more closely reality with darker tones than the bright Roma Surrectum I map.
[[Image:RS-II-Campaign-map.gif|center|alt=main]]

===Intriguing Features===
*Can work for Steam users
*A completely redesigned environment
*Brand new and in some cases custom made faction music
*28 unique legions
*Brand new models and skins for all factions as well as new factions
*Unique campaigns tailored to each specific faction
*An immersive yet understandable building tree
*Several new battle-map buildings
*New Traits and ancillaries, including Roman leadership tree envisioned by Calvin (R.I.P)
*Two Roman Rebellions
*A redesigned campaign map
*New banners and UI
*Regional resistance script that generates enemy armies after conquering a key enemy city
*Free People Faction to simulate independent kingdoms
*Diversified "barbarian" factions to highlight their uniqueness
*Diverse Areas of Recruitment
*Large mercenary pool
*Presence of Historical characters
*AUC (Ab Urbe Condita) system of year-keeping to prevent the 66BC CTD
*Non-adoptable characters capable of forming new family trees
*Greater Population control through buildings
*Standalone Launcher
*Faction Intro movies - Available in Separate Download
*Custom victory conditions for each faction for improved AI and a more difficult game
*Modesty patch for those who do not wish to see a completely naked unit

----

===Legions of Rome===
[[Image:RS-II-Legio.gif|left|100px|alt=main]]
The most defining feature of Roma Surrectum has always been the legions. Now there are a total of 28 unique legions, each with their own area of recruitment, appearance, and standards. Because each legion has its own particular Area of Recruitment (AOR), is unique to itself, and can only be recruited after the Marian Reforms, people often ask that one question: How/When can I recruit the legions? Rest assured, this is a simple guideline to to facilitate you in recruiting the legions. Each RS-II Legion has it's name according to history, numbers and standards, can be recruited in the respective historical area they served. Each has an ordinary cohort and a first cohort. They wear equipment ranging from the old Iorica Hamata, to the shiny Iorica Segmentata, with numerous different kinds of helmets, scabbards and belts.

The 28 legions are divided into two categories: the '''Hamata legions''' and the '''Segmentata legions''' with the Hamata being representative of the legions that existed in the latter days of the Republic and the Segmentata legions being representative of the legions that were levied after the establishment of the Principate.

*'''The Hamata legions'''
{|
| [[Image:RSII-Legio I Germanica.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio I Germanica]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio II Augusta.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio II Augusta]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio III Augusta.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio III Augusta]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio III Gallica.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio III Gallica]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio V Alaudae.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio V Alaudae]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio VI Ferrata.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio VI Ferrata]]
|}
{|
| [[Image:RSII-Legio VII Claudia Pia Fidelis.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio VII Claudia Pia Fidelis]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio VIII Augusta.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio VIII Augusta]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio IX Hispana.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio IX Hispana]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio X Gemina Pia.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio X Gemina Pia]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XIII Gemina.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XIII Gemina]]
|}

----

*'''The Segmentata Legions'''
{|
| [[Image:RSII-Legio I Minerva Pia Fidelis.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio I Minerva Pia Fidelis]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio I Adiutrix.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio I Adiutrix]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio III Cyrenaica.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio III Cyrenaica]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio IIII Scythica.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio IV Scythica]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio IIII Flavia Felix.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio IV Flavia Felix]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio V Macedonia.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio V Macedonia]]
|}
{|
| [[Image:RSII-Legio VI Victrix Pia Fidelis.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio VI Victrix Pia Fidelis]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio X Fretensis.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio X Fretensis]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XII Fulminata.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XII Fulminata]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XV Apollinaris.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XV Apollinaris]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XVI Flavia Firma.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XVI Flavia Firma]]
|}
{|
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XX Valeria Victrix.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XX Valeria Victrix]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XXI Rapax.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XXI Rapax]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XXII Deiotariana.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XXII Deiotariana]]
| [[Image:RSII-Legio XXII Primigenia.jpg|thumb|upright|190px|Legio XXII Primigenia]]
|}

----

====Legion's Recruitment====
[[Image:RSII-testudo.gif|200px|left]]
RS-II involves a tactical way to recruit Legions. You can:-

# Initiate the Marian Reforms by building an imperial palace in Akragas (located in Sicily). This allows you to recruit non-named and non-numbered legions.
# To set the basework for recruiting numbered and named legions, you must build a Supply of Army Rations in the city you wish to recruit from
# To be able to recruit the Hamata or "Republican" legions, you must build a Roman Fortress in the city you wish to recruit from.
# To be able to recruit the Segmentata or "Imperial" legions, you must build a Curia Hostilia in the city you wish to recruit from.
# To be able to recruit early Praetorian legions, you must build the Praetorian Guard Training Ground in Rome.
# To be able to recruit late Praetorian legions, you must build the Castra Praetoria in Rome.

----

===Other Features===
<div style="text-align: center;">
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/8076/divider3.png
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
====RS-II Launcher====
</div>
Roma Surrectum II is using a launcher which makes it easy to choose among the numerous options available at start. This launcher is the only way to start RS II, and requires a relatively recent version of .net framework to work. The launcher starts automatically when double-clicking on the shortcut created by the installer.

<div style="text-align: center;">
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/8829/divider1.png
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
====Script Usage====
</div>
Roma Surrectum II uses a background script which must be activated each time a campaign is started or loaded from a save. This script includes numerous events like the different Roman rebellions, armies spawning, and the Roman AI recruitment. To activate the script, click on a city, when the advisor pops up, click on the "Show Me How" button to activate the script. If the "Show Me How" button is grayed out, then simply click the advisor to activate the script. Each time the script is activated, a denarius will be added to your treasury. To verify script activation, check to see that your treasury has gone up a single denarius.
Caveat: The script will not activate even if you do click on the "Show me how" button on the advisor if you failed to exit the game upon switching campaigns. To ensure proper script activation, quit from Rome Total War and re-launch RSII via the launcher before starting a new campaign.

<div style="text-align: center;">
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/6298/divider5.png
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
====Roman Rebellions====
</div>
Roman history has had its fair share of rebellions, whether from allied cities of Rome or even her own generals. In Roma Surrectum II there are two large rebellions that faces the Roman Faction. These are NOT pre-set rebellions that will occur on a certain year but rather triggered rebellions based on the diplomatic, military, and territorial powers of the Roman Faction.

The First Rebellion occurs at the very beginning of the game. Set during the height of the Second Punic War when Hannibal is in Italy and marching towards the gates of Rome, this rebellion is meant to simulate a political what-if situation in the precarious region of southern Italy. In this time, southern Italian cities are still a relatively new addition to the Republic. The news of Hannibal's presence in Italy and his many victories against Roman armies were a hopeful sign to the southern Italian cities of possible liberation from the oppression of the Romans. Following the Roman's defeat at Cannae, the most powerful city-state in the region: Capua, defected from Rome. Capua's defection led to the further defection of several other Italian city-states. They were more hopeful in Hannibal's military prowess than they were fearful of Rome's wrath. In Roma Surrectum II, the mod simulates this defection. Lose too many battles and southern Italy will revolt. Will Roman valor carry the day, or will you crumble to the combined armies of Hannibal and his newfound Italian allies?

The Second Rebellion occurs towards the end of your campaign. Namely, it occurs when you reach 85 settlements. This is a simulation of a combination of the Republican Civil War of Julius Caesar, the Civil War of Octavian, as well as the tumultuous civil war of the Year of the Four Emperors. Entire provinces will be lost, large swathes of land will turn themselves to the Roman Rebels Faction, and your armies will be near decimated if the rebellion is big enough. This is the defining moment of any Roman player's mettle. Do you retreat towards a base of operation and slowly rebuild? Will you trade space and lives for time? Will you mount an all out assault against Rome and the feared Praetorian legions in the hopes of regaining your homeland? Will you ultimately regain control of your empire or die trying? Conversely, if the rebellion allows you Italy, will you crush the rebels beneath your boots? Or will a few ambitious men overthrow your hold of power and sweep away all that you have worked for? And all while fighting the rebellion, the external enemies of Rome are eyeing her weakness and are all preparing to take advantage of a rich divided empire.

<div style="text-align: center;">
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/5866/divider4.png
</div>

<div style="text-align: center;">
====Misc Details====
</div>
The date is no longer recorded in the standard B.C. format, but rather in the form Ab Urbe Condita, which means "from the founding of the city". ('the city' being Rome)
0 AUC is 753 BC, so the start date of 217 BC is 536 AUC. Rome- Total War's user interface has been totally redone, with a unique campaign and battlemap interface for each culture.

The economic system has been totally revamped, making it much more realistic and requiring more micromanagement from the player. An explanation can be found [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=285478 here].

The battlemap environment has been changed to have far more vegetation and more realistic elevation, making for a much more challenging experience for the player. An explanation and screenshots can be found [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=252973 here] and [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=298815 here].

----
====Bloom Effect====
RS-II has incorporated this 3d-effect to enhance the bloody battlefields of RTW. Bloom effect is basically is a computer graphics effect used in computer games, demos and high dynamic range rendering (HDR) to reproduce an imaging artifact of real-world cameras. The effect produces fringes (or feathers) of light around very bright objects in an image.
Here is a sample pic to show 3D-bloom in effect. Notice before and after that the terrain looks more beautiful in Bloom and it's not just a brightness effect.

[[Image:RS-II-Bloom-Effect.gif|center|550px]]

==RS-II Video Previews==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oM07-E7JjU Teaser Trailer#1]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNC5qzj4p6w Teaser Trailer#2]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st9OZ0H_rj4 Teaser Trailer#3]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vna3aCtD4uw Campaign Map]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB_BVvD4IO4 Sparta vs Parthia]

==Screenshots==
{|
| [[Image:RSII-Screeny1.jpg|thumb|upright|250px]]
| [[Image:RSII-Screeny2.jpg|thumb|upright|250px]]
| [[Image:RSII-Screeny3.jpg|thumb|upright|250px]]
| [[Image:RSII-Screeny4.jpg|thumb|upright|250px]]
| [[Image:RSII-Screeny5.jpg|thumb|upright|250px]]
|}
For more Screenshots visit the RS-II's official [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=382277 screenshot thread].

==Performance==
<div style="text-align: center;">
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/851/divider011.png
</div>
Roma Surrectum II uses beautiful and high quality models and skins. As such, the mod is more taxing on the computer than vanilla RTW was. Also, despite the graphical improvement, Rome Total War as an engine is six years old. Its age simply does not allow it to take advantage of the improved hardware that have been developed in the intervening years. In fact, a single core processor running at 3.2Ghz will actually show better performance than a Twelve-core with HyperThreading capability running at 2.8Ghz simply because Rome Total War can only function on ONE core. This also unfortunately means that many of the optimizing features of newer model graphics cards are unrecognized by the game and will largely be ignored, making graphics card memory the most important factor in game performance. Finally, because Rome Total War is running on one core only, a large portion of your RAM will be left to side idle because they're simply not accessed.

Therefore, don't expect your brand new Alienware to be the beast it really is when it comes to running RSII. But a more modern computer will still see some degree of performance increase over an older computer.

While the units may look like they are demanding the most resources, it is in fact the vegetation that is the largest resource hog. Grass and trees are far more numerous than units.

The settings in the option menu still function as they do in vanilla, but we have added a few of our own in the launcher so you can have fewer trees on the battlemap without reducing their quality. The model can also be swapped between two options. However, it is the sprite distance which is changed by this option. It would also seem that running the program on compatibility XP SP3 with vista or 7 could remove a few crashes on the battle-map if you have some.

===Running RS-II on Steam===
Running RSII through Steam is a hassle but not impossible. Several Beta Testers have successfully ran the game through Steam and have imparted their knowledge to the rest of the team so that Steam users are able to enjoy the game as well. To run RSII on Steam, it involves adding some extra lines of code to your game library and a bit off a different installation. For more info on how to do it please see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=386559 here].

==RS-II Modding Crew==
*Project Leaders
#[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=9998 dvk901]
#[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=11611 tone]

*Unit/Building models
#Bebe
#Burninator
#MihaiV (siege units and strat map character)
#pacco
#tone
#MonkWarrior (Carnyx animation).

*Unit/Building textures
#Argent Usher(horses)
#Bebe
#[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=2230 Dr Hobo]
#Leif Erikson
#pacco
#tone

*Unit Cards
#Leif Erikson
#Pacco
#Tone

*Banners
#pacco

*Map
#Northern ranger for Conversion from Mundus Magnus
#[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=35985 apple] (coastlines)
#[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=48924 Paedric] (coastlines)
#[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=23386 Squid] (battlemap coding)
#dvk901 (battle map coding, battle map environment "water")
#tone (battle map coding, battle map environment "ground textures, grass textures, vegetation")
#Marcel (textures), pacco (strat map settlements)
#Gotthard (battlemap coding).

*User Interface
#Tzar

*Launcher
#PatricianS
#Paedric.

*Scripting
#Tone
#MihaiV
#Salvor Hardin
#Mr Blackadder
#HouseofHam

*Traits and Ancillaries
#Calvin
#dvk901
#tone
#Sqυιd
#Suppanut
#Gez

*Battlemap Statistics
#[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=27806 Aradan]
#Faridus
#tone
#Galvanized Iron (multiplayer)
#Paedric (multiplayer)

*Music
#Apple
#Arn
#Garv
#Elendil
#[www.marios-aristopoulos.com Marios Aristopoulos] (rgex570)

*Coding
#dvk901
#Roman_Man#3 (units)
#tone
#Alavaria
#apple (music and victory conditions)

*Historical research
#Keravnos
#Mulattothrasher
#Swhunter
#Cherryfunk
#Rory O'kane
#Pseudocaesar
#[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=30301 MarcusTullius]

*Unit and Building Descriptions
#Mulattotrasher
#Macky
#Arnspac
#Jean=A=Luc
#Philip_II
#Bull3tpr00f
#rory o'kane
#dvk901
#Keravnos
#SonOfAlexander
#Bob bobinson
#legio
#MacScottish
#Ketchup
#Louis XI
#The Sloth
#Paedric
#Gotthard
#MarcusTullius

*Other Contributors

MarcusTullius (beta testing organisation, PR), apple (beta testing organisation), lolgast (building pictures), [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=6467 Brusilov] (screenshots, previews, general help and support), Gotthard (new temple theory, economic theory, environmental research), Elendil of Numenor (Custom Battle pictures and setup), Visarion (Dacian names and suggestions), LT1956 (use of his forts and technical advice), DimeBagHo (idea of 'recruitable mercs' that led to the pairing of the Legions and many other units in RS2), Naxzul666 (movies), Roman_Man#3, [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=24190 aja5191], RTR team (technical infrastructure (SVN hosting/administration) and friendly support), daschewy (help with Steam), bladerunner900 (final installer)

==Releases==
The mod was officially released on 5th September, 2010 and it's official link can be found [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=386559 here]

==See Also==
*[http://twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=251 Roma Surrectum Hosted Mod Forum]

[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:19:50Z

Aradan: /* Releases */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr
The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''
Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''
The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''
The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''
The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''''Current version:''''' The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

::::''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:19:31Z

Aradan: /* Latest Release: The New Shadow */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr
The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''
Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''
The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''
The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''
The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''''Current version:''''' The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

::::''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:16:38Z

Aradan:

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr
The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''
Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''
The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''
The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''
The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:15:07Z

Aradan: /* Factions */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr
The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''
Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''
The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''
The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''
The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:14:28Z

Aradan:

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are listed all the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:12:48Z

Aradan: /* Releases */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:12:31Z

Aradan: /* The New Shadow (Latest Release) */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== Latest Release: The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:11:51Z

Aradan: /* Releases */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow (Latest Release) ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:11:37Z

Aradan: /* The New Shadow (Latest Release) */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow (Latest Release) ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:11:17Z

Aradan: /* Older Releases */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow (Latest Release) ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:11:02Z

Aradan: /* Older Releases */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow (Latest Release) ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T19:09:57Z

Aradan: /* Releases */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow (Latest Release) ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

==== Current version ====

The current (fully updated and supported) version of The New Shadow is '''TNS 2.6 Full''', and (optionally) '''TNS Wars of Men''' + '''Wars of Men Fix'''.

''* The New Shadow 2.6 is also available in an unsupported RTW 1.5 Version (without BI).''

See [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 here] for information, download links, and installation instructions for all available downloads.

=== Older Releases ===

==== Forth Eorlingas ====

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

==== Corsair Invasion ====

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

==== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ====

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-26T18:52:51Z

Aradan: /* Team */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[cedric37]] - 2d artist
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''Current version:''' [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=341736 FATW TNS 2.6 Full] or alternatively [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/fatw_tns_2_0_basic_full_b.exe TNS 2.0 b] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_TNS_patch_2.6.exe TNS 2.6 Patch] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_TNS_WoM.exe TNS Wars of Men (optional)] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/TNS_2.6_WoM_fix_updated.rar TNS 2.6/Wars of Men Fix] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/The_New_Shadow_Musicpack.exe TNS Music Pack].

The New Shadow is also available in a [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_RTW.rar RTW 1.5 Version] (without BI). After installing the RTW 1/5 version, the Musicpack and the 2.6/WoM fix should be applied. You can read about the RTW version [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1449 here].

'''''Release Threads (read carefully):'''''

'''Full Build:''' [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=341736 FATW TNS 2.6 Full]

or alternatively

'''Main Build:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19 FATW TNS 2.0b]

'''Musicpack:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19 TNS Musicpack] (middle of post)

'''Latest Patch:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1451 TNS 2.6]

'''Special Edition (Optional):''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1450 TNS WoM]

'''Hotfix:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1078 2.6/WoM Fix]

'''Special Version:''' [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3356 RTW Version]

=== Forth Eorlingas ===

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

=== Corsair Invasion ===

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

=== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ===

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

SPQR Total War

2010-07-26T17:27:11Z

Aradan:

''This article is about the mod by lt1956. If you are looking for the faction, go here: [[Senate]].''

{{mod|mod=SPQR Total War|modscreenshot=SPQR6.jpg |platform=[[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War - v1.5]]|era=Roman Republic and Empire|leader=[[Lt1956]] }}

{{Mod_overview
|width=
|title=
|compatibility=
|type=
|members=
|release=
|description=
}}

= Introduction =

SPQR is a total modification for R:TW. The changes encompass all areas of gameplay with added focus on the Roman military machine and the system of recruitment and training of both pre-Marian units and Legions.

Special care has been given to the battlefield experience which features the longest battle times of probably any existing mod making tactics an essential component of the game.

Definitely not for people accustomed to blitzkrieg tactics both on the battle map and the campaign map.

= Description =

SPQR introduces a new meaning to Rome in the Rome: Total War. This is a major modification with a focus on the Roman faction, introducing features as legions, a revamped battlefield gameplay and a depth to the roman faction that can only be seen in movies like Spartacus.

= Features =

= The Team =

= History =

= AAR =
[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=61627 SPQR-For the Senate and People of Rome(My adventure/Campaign novel]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=140185 Senatvs Povlvsqve Romanvs]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=164192 Protectors of the North]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=167505 Hispania]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=190718 The Chronicle's of Lucius Julius- an AAR by Templar Knight]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189321 The Battle of Lugar: a mini aar by Templar Knight]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=228405 The Balance of Vengeance and Honor]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=75579 Chronicles of the Empire]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=163878 A New Hope Roman AAR]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=54527 My AAR (very long too)]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=154953 New campaign stories - The Might of Rome]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=52390 The Siege and Fall of Mediolenium]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=134303 Roma Victor!]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=135141 Roman AAR (again :))]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=99222 SPQR: Rome Arises to Empire]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=192944 Alternative Accounts of Rome]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=193392 Thrace: The Forgotten Tribe]

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=151359 Greek Campaign]

==Interview with Lt1956==
'''Interview taken on February 21, 2010'''

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, we want the gory details! What interests you, what brought you to TWC in the first place?

Well I was always a fan of the Roman Period and when CA released RTW I was interested, but actually I was distracted and didn’t buy the game for many months. I knew by the pictures and reviews that the Game was Arcade and unrealistic, so I went looking for a mod. I found TWC and specifically Rome Total Realism, this was back then when one guy worked on it named Gaius Julius Caesar. His vision was different from mine, he set the game up for large settings and 1 turn recruitment, and I found the only way to get epic long battles was to do my own mod. I started work on the Code and a few skins and models to add to my mod and that’s how it all began. Of course the mod was finished many times, and then CA would release a patch the fixed one thing and broke 2 working things before. lol Hence why I wonder about there motives with modders.

Eventually as more ideas and abilities came up on TWC, the more that needed to be added. But now we are at a point where we know everything that can be done with this engine and what we cant do. So if its not done its because it cant be, so that’s why this is the last version of SPQR, there really isn’t anything t to add except units or a new faction and map. I am interested in all Military and Political History, and my personal history was involved in such. All other information is classified. Sorry lol

2. As everyone should know, you are the creator of SPQR-TW, a major modification for Rome Total War. Tell us about this mod, how does it differ from the vanilla game?

Well SPQR was originally made to enhance RTW into the Game I wished it were out of the box. Better looking skins, Better Battlefield and Campaign AI, Better Balance in Battles and above all Realistically LONG battles where you have the time to move units before the battle is over. SPQR is different in so many ways it’s a whole new game, just as RTR and EB are. If you want a challenge and in my opinion the most realistic and longest battles then SPQR is for you. The battles are Epic with 10,000 Men in battle being common, truly a TOTAL WAR scenario.

3. Can you tell us why you chose to focus on the Roman Senate in making your mod, what was your inspiration for this kind of project? Are you a fan of the Roman time frame in particular?

I chose to focus only on Rome and as you can tell the Engine that CA uses cannot be balanced for all factions. If you make them all balanced you will have no challenge for any faction. What I did is take seriously the Word ROME in total war and made my Mod around Roman War Machine. My inspiration was based off of old roman movies like Spartacus, Fall of the Roman Empire, Cleopatra, Masada etc.

Yes I am a fan of the Roman period reading the classics like Caesars Commentaries, etc. I always marveled over the Roman War Machine and their Engineering skills, still impressive to this day and as some British engineers found out, they couldn’t even duplicate the Bridge Caesar built!

4. What would you say is the easiest and most enjoyable aspect of modding a Total War game, or just modding in general?

Wow that’s a hard one, you really need to learn all you can before you can mod with ease, then there is balance issues etc. I guess it would be skinning, it’s the easiest if you know how and have the material to work with to make new skins. Its fast and you know if you made mistakes right away.

5. On the flip side now, which in your opinion is the least enjoyable or most difficult part of modding a game?

Scripting and Code balancing, Basically one mistake can cost you and you have to do little changes at a time and to make sure what you do works, sure there are programs to help, but I do it the old fashion way and therefore need to be methodical in my approach, SPQR is basically Bug Free and that’s saying a lot considering how much was changed by one imperfect person.

6. SPQR version 7 is the current release, do you plan to add anything more to the mod in the future? Perhaps another patch or incorporating some popular submods? Or do you consider your work done and SPQR a complete and finished product?

SPQR 7.0 is a finished Product in itself, basically there is an add on that Sulla made and I helped on which is a Mini-Mod for SPQR, which IMO really adds to the game, its almost an official SPQR 7.1 Also in the future I hope to have a new map, but that is down the road and there is no date on a release for it. But if there is a new map it would probably be in a new version of the add on. SPQR 7 is finished there really isn’t anything to add, the RTW engine is limited and we cant add good stuff like Food or Sea Battles.

7. Have you ever thought about modding another TW game? Using Medieval II or even Empire as a base?

Not really, there are a lot of good M2TW mods out there, and it was VERY hard for me to mod SPQR by myself. A lot of help was given in the Model, and Skin departments from people like Ferres & AoA. When I first did SPQR we all worked and shared together, now it seems no one really likes to share outside his or her mod team. This is a shame as in the beginning we all added to each other’s mods. I try to keep a free share program to this day where I can.

8. Do you have any other projects in the pipeline at the moment? Working on something behind the scenes? Is it true that "a modder never sleeps", always working on a new project or making the last one better?

Modders do Sleep, and they really need to know when to Quit and say its finished. Yes there are additions that can be made when you think there are no more. One was when I found a great way to have the AI factions stay in place so the Roman player can fight ALL the factions without only a couple Super Powers being the only ones left. Also adding more units and possibly down the road a new faction like Judea and a new Map. I worked on some other games also, modding for myself and others, but I wont tell you which games and which popular mods they are. Just suffice to say that others enjoy them and that’s all that is important, I am not into ego and glory.

9. Do you have any advice for the many budding modders out there? Some guidance to help them along their way?

Don’t ever steal another’s work and always get permission to use things. Learn all you can using the tutorials, sometimes we can tell you simple things, but other times your best friend is the Tutorials. Also finish your work, don’t start something and not finish it. If you do it in a mod you will do it in real life and that can cause you problems down the road. Above all have fun and make the mod for YOU, others will like it also, there are always people that will play the same way as you. Don’t try to please everyone it wont happen.

10. Have you ever written any tutorials or guides on modding? Being the sole creator of a mod is quite a feat, you must be overflowing with knowledge, why not share it with others?

Well, to be honest I was beat to it, I helped in some of the info in tutorials by posting in threads info on what does what etc, but then so did a lot of others. There are some very talented writers out there and they went to it and produced most of the tutorials. So there really isn’t anything to add as most has been posted.

11. Have you ever worked on any other mod other than SPQR? Were you part of a team in another major project? Where can the fans find more of your wonderful work?

I was on EB modding team before they released, later I left to focus on SPQR mod, I did share a few things and believe they still may be in that mod, but then a lot of things overlap in other mods.

12. Where do you hang out on TWC? When you're not creating the next best mod I mean. What parts of TWC do you enjoy the most?

SPQR forum, Sometimes the political mud pit. But for the most part I stay in SPQR forum, I don’t have a lot of time for socializing.

13. Do you think modding is an important part of Total War games, that it extends the life and longevity and in the end provides more profit for CA?

Absolutely! I would like to see CA help the modders more than they have. I feel they do things that don’t really help us, and one has to wonder if it’s on purpose or not. In the end Mods extend the life of the game and give them revenue by having people who would have NEVER bought the game to do so to play a mod! I fear though with the ETW series that CA will find out the hard way that their newer games will provide less than they did before in revenue. I personally have not bought their ETW version and will not, I also don’t like being forced on Steam for this type of game.

14. Have you ever thought of becoming a game developer or something of the sort? You've obviously got talent, why not profit from it and do something you enjoy?

This Mod and others is a Hobby, nothing more. Game Design is important and based on a lot of games coming out, they are in sore need of concept design, but in the gaming industry now its all about console games and quick cash, they know the kids will buy a game that gives you 10 hours of play and pay $60 for it. That would never have happened 10 years ago with PC games, you needed at least 40 hours for a $40 game. Mods are more important now since most of the games out of the box are ruined, hopefully more games will release tools to allow players to make a better game.

15. Last question, is there anything else you would like to add? Where can the fans contact you if they have a modding or unrelated question?

Well I can be reached on TWC SPQR Mod Forum. As for what else I would like to add, I feel the gaming industry has been going downhill for a while now, Games that have a few hours of gameplay costing $60 is a scam. This is a good opportunity for new players to pick up the OLD games and play the mods for them. They will find not only are they cheaper but you get hundreds of hours of gameplay out of them. Today’s Games focus on Graphics and action, and they sacrifice Gameplay and Story.

==Releases==
*Current Release : SPQR v7 Patch
*Skin fix Patch for 2 units
*Previous Release : SPQR v6.4 6-18-2007

= Included Mods =
*Previous Release : Units Add-on V1.05
*Previous Release : Units Add-on Patch V1.1
*Future Release : Units Add-on V1.3
*Campaign Map based on the RS1.5 map
*Legate Ancillaries Add-on for SPQR V7.0

==Some useful threads for SPQR V7.0==
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=219124 FAQ & Installation, troubleshooting - Read the first four Posts before you reply ]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=136160 Garnier's Killsheet and Legion Tracking V2.0]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=114148 Guide for upgrading to imperial legions ]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=243275 SPQR help guide]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=213012 SPQR guide : How to survive the first fifteen turns. ]

==External Links==
Visit [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=32 SPQR Total War forum] at TWC

[[Category: RTW Mods]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_%28Released%29]]

Aradan

2010-07-18T12:07:12Z

Aradan: /* Released Modifications */

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-18T11:56:49Z

Aradan: /* Team */

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these members (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some past team members:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''Current version:''' [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=341736 FATW TNS 2.6 Full] or alternatively [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/fatw_tns_2_0_basic_full_b.exe TNS 2.0 b] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_TNS_patch_2.6.exe TNS 2.6 Patch] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_TNS_WoM.exe TNS Wars of Men (optional)] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/TNS_2.6_WoM_fix_updated.rar TNS 2.6/Wars of Men Fix] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/The_New_Shadow_Musicpack.exe TNS Music Pack].

The New Shadow is also available in a [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_RTW.rar RTW 1.5 Version] (without BI). After installing the RTW 1/5 version, the Musicpack and the 2.6/WoM fix should be applied. You can read about the RTW version [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1449 here].

'''''Release Threads (read carefully):'''''

'''Full Build:''' [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=341736 FATW TNS 2.6 Full]

or alternatively

'''Main Build:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19 FATW TNS 2.0b]

'''Musicpack:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19 TNS Musicpack] (middle of post)

'''Latest Patch:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1451 TNS 2.6]

'''Special Edition (Optional):''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1450 TNS WoM]

'''Hotfix:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1078 2.6/WoM Fix]

'''Special Version:''' [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3356 RTW Version]

=== Forth Eorlingas ===

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

=== Corsair Invasion ===

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

=== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ===

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-18T11:39:51Z

Aradan:

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]] (alternative [[Rome: Total War|Rome: Total War 1.5]] version also provided)
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these persons (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some old members that have been on the team:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''Current version:''' [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=341736 FATW TNS 2.6 Full] or alternatively [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/fatw_tns_2_0_basic_full_b.exe TNS 2.0 b] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_TNS_patch_2.6.exe TNS 2.6 Patch] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_TNS_WoM.exe TNS Wars of Men (optional)] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/TNS_2.6_WoM_fix_updated.rar TNS 2.6/Wars of Men Fix] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/The_New_Shadow_Musicpack.exe TNS Music Pack].

The New Shadow is also available in a [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_RTW.rar RTW 1.5 Version] (without BI). After installing the RTW 1/5 version, the Musicpack and the 2.6/WoM fix should be applied. You can read about the RTW version [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1449 here].

'''''Release Threads (read carefully):'''''

'''Full Build:''' [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=341736 FATW TNS 2.6 Full]

or alternatively

'''Main Build:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19 FATW TNS 2.0b]

'''Musicpack:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19 TNS Musicpack] (middle of post)

'''Latest Patch:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1451 TNS 2.6]

'''Special Edition (Optional):''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1450 TNS WoM]

'''Hotfix:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1078 2.6/WoM Fix]

'''Special Version:''' [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3356 RTW Version]

=== Forth Eorlingas ===

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

=== Corsair Invasion ===

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

=== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ===

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

The Fourth Age: Total War

2010-07-18T11:33:23Z

Aradan:

<div style="text-align: center;">[[File:FATW_logo.png]]</div>

{{Mod_overview
|width=35em
|title=The Fourth Age: Total War
|compatibility=[[Barbarian Invasion|Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion 1.6]]
|type=Fantasy, Full conversion
|members=[[Aradan]], [[Éorl]]
|release= Released (The New Shadow 2.6), see [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=365719 Link]
|description= Set in the early Fourth Age of Middle-earth FATW stays true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence and maintaining the high quality standards that have earned its team multiple awards. A must-have if you love Tolkien's world.
}}
== Introduction ==

The Fourth Age: Total War is a full-conversion modification for [[Barbarian Invasion|BI 1.6]]. With an aim to staying true to the works and spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, whilst also aspiring to original creative excellence, the Fourth Age: Total War is set to be a must-have for anyone who loves the setting and peoples of Tolkien's mythic world.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, approximately 200 years after the events of the War of the Ring (the trilogy), it is based solely on the books and other official writings and not upon the movies.

== Features ==

* '''City Development & Diversification'''

Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.

* '''Wonder-capture'''

When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.

* '''Marvels'''

In addition to Wonders there are also Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!

* '''Unique Cities'''

Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.

* '''Landmark Features'''

Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love are represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.

* '''MEZoRS'''

The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.

* '''Assimilation Units'''

If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.

* '''Settlers & Population Dispersion'''

Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.

* '''Factional Fertility'''

A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.

* '''Seven Cultures'''

The cultures represented visibly in the Mod will be the Dúnedanic, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradrian, Elven and Dwarven cultures, some of which will have subcultures. We have incorporated the extra culture slot to provide you with an enhancement and complement to these cultures.

* '''Advanced Unit Balance'''

All of the Mod's units have been balanced using a quite sophisticated and complex system that takes into account all sorts of attributes -ranging from unit class, weapons, armour and shield to special characteristics based on culture, role specialisation and availability- and translates them into statistics and costs. The system is constantly being improved with any new discoveries, such as the pioneering auto-resolve balance system, to ensure you enjoy the best balance out there, both on the campaign- and the battle-map.

==Factions==

As of the [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 Press release of the 22nd February 2006], the FATW team has aimed at making 9 factions:

*'''The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor'''

The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was reforged by King Elessar Envinyatar Telcontar after the Fall of Barad-dûr. The Men of the Reunited Kingdom have highly-trained, well-equipped infantry and a large variety of special units, though their cavalry is very limited.

*'''The Kingdom of Adûnabâr

The Kingdom of Adûnabâr has declared its independence from the Reunited Kingdom, and the two realms are now in open civil war. Under the evil influence of Herumor, the Lord Black, the new king and his loyal lords have grabbed all land east of the Anduin and made Mordor into a fortress. And rumour has it that an old evil has worked its way back into the Black Land.

*'''The Kingdom of Rohan'''

Rohan was originally a Gondorian province called Calenardhon but after Eorl, the first King of the Mark, assisted Cirion of Gondor in battle he was awarded the plains north of the White Mountains. The Rohirrim are famous for Middle-earth's best cavalry, but they lack in infantry units.

*'''The Empire of Harad'''

The Haradrim are many in number, and have long lusted after the lands of Gondor. Their units are balanced, they have a strong fleet thanks to the feared Corsairs, and on the battlefield their Mûmakil cause great terror to their enemies.

*'''The Chiefdom of Rhûn'''

The Easterlings are the only faction capable of hording. Only the Haradrim and the Orcs can field larger armies than them, and they have a good mix of troops, with strong infantry such as the bloodlusting berserkers and the wains their chieftains ride - a fearsome sight.

*'''The Chiefdom of Dunland'''

The Dunlendings have been the enemies of Rohan since the Mark's foundation, but their hatred was renewed under Saruman's influence and they took up arms and attacked the Rohirrim during the War of the Ring. The Dunlendings are Barbarians with little cavalry and few bowmen, but their infantry consists of good pikemen, strong hillmen and efficient skirmishers.

*'''The Kingdom of Dale'''*
The Kingdom of Dale lies betwen the Celduin and Carnen with its heartland on the edge and north of the Long Lake. It is famed for its trade in toys among other things. Despite this, it boasts fearsome warriors - in particular its Dragon-slaying archers who carry great bows of yew. Tall and proud, the Men of Dale use longswords and wear fine mail, although they lack cavalry.

*'''The Kingdom of the Elves'''*
The Elves are the Eldar, the Firstborn, created by Ilúvatar when the world was young. Excepting wounds from battle, they are immortal, though most now have departed Middle-earth across the Sea. Those who are left, though few in numbers, are master warriors, and have the best archers available.

*'''The Kingdom of the Dwarves'''*
The Dwarves are a tough race. Unlike the Men and Elves they were created not by Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith; many Dwarves take his trade as their own. They have no cavalry, but heavy axemen and strong infantry of other kinds. They also have a large variety of siege weapons and employ mercenaries to good effect where needed with their gold.

* Faction not yet available in campaign.

== Team ==

The development team consists of these persons (in alphabetical order):

*'''[[Aradan]]''' - Team leader, coding manager, build manager, researcher and balancer
*'''[[Éorl]]''' - Team leader, skinner, environments mapper
*'''[[Jarlaxe]]''' - Modeler, skinner

Some old members that have been on the team:

*[[Palantir]] - Team leader, Coding Manager and former assistant Faction Design Manager. Also known as [[MasterOfNone]] at [[TWC]] and [[Dol Guldur]] at the [[Org]]
*[[-apocalypsis-]] - Team leader and Faction Design Manager
*[[Arakorn-eir]] - Audio Manager and co-webmaster
*[[Jones King]] (a.k.a. Cronus) - Co-webmaster, 2d-artist and composer
*[[Balbor]] - Team leader and graphics manager
*[[Spraehbuer]] - 2d-artist, skinner and the man behind the interface
*[[Tittils]] - Map Manager
*[[Professor420]] - Former Art Director
*[[Tb0ne]] - Former Art Director
*[[Lusted]]
*[[fatsheep]] - Founder
*[[Astaldo]] - Designer and Writer
*[[Xerex]] - Coder, Balancer

== History & the founding of FATW ==

''Originally written [http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=15105&view=findpost&p=160389 here] by [[fatsheep]].''

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

== Releases ==

Here are the releases by the FATW team.

=== The New Shadow ===

http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/36/4a_tns_box.jpg

The New Shadow’ is a provincial campaign taking place on a map that is roughly half that of the full map of Middle-earth. Players can choose between six factions: The Reunited Kingdom, The Kingdom of Rohan, The Empire of Harad, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, The Kingdom of Adûnabâr, and The Chiefdom of Dunland. In addition there are three new factions playable in custom battles: The Kingdom of the Elves, The Kingdom of the Dwarves, and The Kingdom of Dale. You will be treated to a whole host of new features including a new alignment, over 50 new units (more Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, & Trolls), a complete overhaul of the unit & faction balance systems, new animations, new traits and ancillaries, new music, and much more.

'''Current version:''' [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=341736 FATW TNS 2.6 Full] or alternatively [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/fatw_tns_2_0_basic_full_b.exe TNS 2.0 b] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_TNS_patch_2.6.exe TNS 2.6 Patch] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_TNS_WoM.exe TNS Wars of Men (optional)] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/TNS_2.6_WoM_fix_updated.rar TNS 2.6/Wars of Men Fix] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/The_New_Shadow_Musicpack.exe TNS Music Pack].

The New Shadow is also available in a [http://www.thefourthage.org/downloads/FATW_RTW.rar RTW 1.5 Version] (without BI). After installing the RTW 1/5 version, the Musicpack and the 2.6/WoM fix should be applied. You can read about the RTW version [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1449 here].

'''''Release Threads (read carefully):'''''

'''Full Build:''' [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=341736 FATW TNS 2.6 Full]

or alternatively

'''Main Build:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19 FATW TNS 2.0b]

'''Musicpack:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19 TNS Musicpack] (middle of post)

'''Latest Patch:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1451 TNS 2.6]

'''Special Edition (Optional):''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1450 TNS WoM]

'''Hotfix:''' [http://www.modrealms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1078 2.6/WoM Fix]

'''Special Version:''' [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3356 RTW Version]

=== Forth Eorlingas ===

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5535/fortheorlingas4smallkp6.jpg

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2755#2755 The Fourth Age: Total War - Forth Eorlingas] with [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6745#6745 Patch 1.9].

The Forth Eorlingas-expansion pack adds two new factions to the old Corsair Invasion mini-campaign; The Kingdom of Rohan and The Chiefdom of Dunland. The other playable factions are The Reunited Kingdom (of Gondor and Arnor), The Empire of Harad, and The Chiefdom of Rhûn. It has an expanded map, now including roughly half of western Middle-earth, with five wonders; The Stone of Erech, The Ruins of Osgiliath, Edhellond, The Treegarth of Orthanc, and The Argonath, 3 unique cities Minas Tirith, Helm’s Deep, and Edoras, and three Marvels (wonder-like structures): The Sea-ward Tower (Tirith Aear), The White Tree of Gondor, and The Gardens of Ithilien.

=== Corsair Invasion ===

The Corsair Invasion is the first release with a campaign map by the Fourth Age: Total War. It includes three factions; The Reunited Kingdom, The Chiefdom of Rhûn, and the Empire of Harad, and two factions for custom battles; The Kingdom of Rohan and the Chiefdom of Dunland. The map consists of the lands of Gondor and Northern Harad, with some of the territories eastern of Mordor, where the hordes of the Easterlings are.

[http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1281#1281 Corsair Invasion 1.0] and [http://www.thefourthage.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1928#1928 patch 1.2].

=== Demo: Battle of the Crossings of Poros ===

The first release was finally released, a year delayed, but with a historical battle; the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. It also has four playable factions in Custom battles; Dunland, Gondor, Harad and Rohan.

*[http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=14927&view=findpost&p=156784 Version 1.1]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.thefourthage.org/ Official homepage]

*[http://www.modrealms.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Official forums]
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 TWC forums]

[[Category:RTW Mods]]
[[Category:RTW_Mods_(Released)]]
[[Category:BI_Mods_%28Released%29]]
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[Category:RTW Mods]]

File:FATW logo.png

2010-07-18T11:14:56Z

Aradan: Logo of the Fourth Age: Total War mod team

Logo of the Fourth Age: Total War mod team

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:31:26Z

Aradan: Quick-adding category "RTW Modding Tutorials" (using HotCat)

== Introduction ==

Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. In this guide a single, generic entry will be used as an example, broken to its separate lines and then each line analysed individually, and then broken down to its entries if necessary, as well.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

== EDU Breakdown ==

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* '''sea_faring:''' unit can board ships
::* '''hide_forest''', '''hide_improved_forest''', '''hide_long_grass''', '''hide_anywhere:''' defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* '''can_sap:''' unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* '''frighten_foot''', '''frighten_mounted:''' unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* '''can_run_amok:''' unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* '''general_unit:''' unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* '''general_unit_upgrade:''' unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* '''cantabrian_circle:''' unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* '''no_custom:''' unit is not available in custom battles
::* '''command:''' unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* '''mercenary_unit:''' unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* '''hardy''', '''very_hardy:''' level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* '''warcry:''' no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* '''druid:''' replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* '''power_charge:''' increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* '''can_swim''' (BI only)''':''' unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* '''is_peasant''' (BI only)''':''' halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* '''can_horde''' (BI only)''':''' unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* '''legionary_name''' (BI only)''':''' assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* '''ap:''' armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* '''bp:''' body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* '''prec:''' Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* '''thrown:''' Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* '''launching:''' attack may throw target men into the air.
::* '''area:''' attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* '''long_pike:''' Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* '''short_pike:''' Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* '''spear_bonus_x''' (BI only)''':''' 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* '''light_spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* '''spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

== Useful Formulae ==

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.
DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

== Related Information ==

==== Balancing skeleton types ====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

==== Balancing auto-resolve ====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

==== Naval combat ====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

==== Creating 1-soldier units ====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

[[Category:RTW Modding Tutorials]]

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:31:03Z

Aradan: Removed category "Http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Category:RTW Modding Tutorials" (using HotCat)

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:30:53Z

Aradan: Quick-adding category "http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Category:RTW Modding Tutorials" (redirect http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Category:RTW Modding Tutorials resolved (using [[TWC

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:28:47Z

Aradan: /* Related Information */

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:28:09Z

Aradan:

== Introduction ==

Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. In this guide a single, generic entry will be used as an example, broken to its separate lines and then each line analysed individually, and then broken down to its entries if necessary, as well.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

== EDU Breakdown ==

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* '''sea_faring:''' unit can board ships
::* '''hide_forest''', '''hide_improved_forest''', '''hide_long_grass''', '''hide_anywhere:''' defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* '''can_sap:''' unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* '''frighten_foot''', '''frighten_mounted:''' unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* '''can_run_amok:''' unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* '''general_unit:''' unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* '''general_unit_upgrade:''' unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* '''cantabrian_circle:''' unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* '''no_custom:''' unit is not available in custom battles
::* '''command:''' unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* '''mercenary_unit:''' unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* '''hardy''', '''very_hardy:''' level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* '''warcry:''' no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* '''druid:''' replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* '''power_charge:''' increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* '''can_swim''' (BI only)''':''' unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* '''is_peasant''' (BI only)''':''' halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* '''can_horde''' (BI only)''':''' unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* '''legionary_name''' (BI only)''':''' assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* '''ap:''' armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* '''bp:''' body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* '''prec:''' Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* '''thrown:''' Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* '''launching:''' attack may throw target men into the air.
::* '''area:''' attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* '''long_pike:''' Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* '''short_pike:''' Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* '''spear_bonus_x''' (BI only)''':''' 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* '''light_spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* '''spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

== Useful Formulae ==

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.
DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

== Related Information ==

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:27:36Z

Aradan:

== Introduction ==

Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. In this guide a single, generic entry will be used as an example, broken to its separate lines and then each line analysed individually, and then broken down to its entries if necessary, as well.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

== EDU Breakdown ==

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* '''sea_faring:''' unit can board ships
::* '''hide_forest''', '''hide_improved_forest''', '''hide_long_grass''', '''hide_anywhere:''' defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* '''can_sap:''' unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* '''frighten_foot''', '''frighten_mounted:''' unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* '''can_run_amok:''' unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* '''general_unit:''' unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* '''general_unit_upgrade:''' unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* '''cantabrian_circle:''' unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* '''no_custom:''' unit is not available in custom battles
::* '''command:''' unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* '''mercenary_unit:''' unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* '''hardy''', '''very_hardy:''' level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* '''warcry:''' no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* '''druid:''' replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* '''power_charge:''' increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* '''can_swim''' (BI only)''':''' unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* '''is_peasant''' (BI only)''':''' halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* '''can_horde''' (BI only)''':''' unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* '''legionary_name''' (BI only)''':''' assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* '''ap:''' armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* '''bp:''' body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* '''prec:''' Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* '''thrown:''' Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* '''launching:''' attack may throw target men into the air.
::* '''area:''' attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* '''long_pike:''' Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* '''short_pike:''' Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* '''spear_bonus_x''' (BI only)''':''' 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* '''light_spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* '''spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

== Useful Formulae ==

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.
DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

== Related Information ==

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:27:04Z

Aradan: /* Introduction */

== Introduction ==

Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. In this guide a single, generic entry will be used as an example, broken to its separate lines and then each line analysed individually, and then broken down to its entries if necessary, as well.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

== EDU Breakdown ==

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* '''sea_faring:''' unit can board ships
::* '''hide_forest''', '''hide_improved_forest''', '''hide_long_grass''', '''hide_anywhere:''' defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* '''can_sap:''' unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* '''frighten_foot''', '''frighten_mounted:''' unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* '''can_run_amok:''' unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* '''general_unit:''' unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* '''general_unit_upgrade:''' unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* '''cantabrian_circle:''' unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* '''no_custom:''' unit is not available in custom battles
::* '''command:''' unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* '''mercenary_unit:''' unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* '''hardy''', '''very_hardy:''' level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* '''warcry:''' no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* '''druid:''' replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* '''power_charge:''' increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* '''can_swim''' (BI only)''':''' unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* '''is_peasant''' (BI only)''':''' halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* '''can_horde''' (BI only)''':''' unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* '''legionary_name''' (BI only)''':''' assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* '''ap:''' armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* '''bp:''' body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* '''prec:''' Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* '''thrown:''' Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* '''launching:''' attack may throw target men into the air.
::* '''area:''' attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* '''long_pike:''' Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* '''short_pike:''' Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* '''spear_bonus_x''' (BI only)''':''' 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* '''light_spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* '''spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

== Useful Formulae ==

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.
DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

== Related Information ==

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:26:45Z

Aradan: /* Introduction */

= Introduction =

Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. In this guide a single, generic entry will be used as an example, broken to its separate lines and then each line analysed individually, and then broken down to its entries if necessary, as well.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

== EDU Breakdown ==

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* '''sea_faring:''' unit can board ships
::* '''hide_forest''', '''hide_improved_forest''', '''hide_long_grass''', '''hide_anywhere:''' defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* '''can_sap:''' unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* '''frighten_foot''', '''frighten_mounted:''' unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* '''can_run_amok:''' unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* '''general_unit:''' unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* '''general_unit_upgrade:''' unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* '''cantabrian_circle:''' unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* '''no_custom:''' unit is not available in custom battles
::* '''command:''' unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* '''mercenary_unit:''' unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* '''hardy''', '''very_hardy:''' level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* '''warcry:''' no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* '''druid:''' replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* '''power_charge:''' increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* '''can_swim''' (BI only)''':''' unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* '''is_peasant''' (BI only)''':''' halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* '''can_horde''' (BI only)''':''' unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* '''legionary_name''' (BI only)''':''' assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* '''ap:''' armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* '''bp:''' body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* '''prec:''' Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* '''thrown:''' Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* '''launching:''' attack may throw target men into the air.
::* '''area:''' attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* '''long_pike:''' Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* '''short_pike:''' Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* '''spear_bonus_x''' (BI only)''':''' 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* '''light_spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* '''spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

== Useful Formulae ==

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.
DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

== Related Information ==

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:26:28Z

Aradan: /* EDU Breakdown */

== Introduction ==

Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. In this guide a single, generic entry will be used as an example, broken to its separate lines and then each line analysed individually, and then broken down to its entries if necessary, as well.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

== EDU Breakdown ==

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* '''sea_faring:''' unit can board ships
::* '''hide_forest''', '''hide_improved_forest''', '''hide_long_grass''', '''hide_anywhere:''' defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* '''can_sap:''' unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* '''frighten_foot''', '''frighten_mounted:''' unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* '''can_run_amok:''' unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* '''general_unit:''' unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* '''general_unit_upgrade:''' unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* '''cantabrian_circle:''' unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* '''no_custom:''' unit is not available in custom battles
::* '''command:''' unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* '''mercenary_unit:''' unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* '''hardy''', '''very_hardy:''' level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* '''warcry:''' no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* '''druid:''' replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* '''power_charge:''' increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* '''can_swim''' (BI only)''':''' unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* '''is_peasant''' (BI only)''':''' halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* '''can_horde''' (BI only)''':''' unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* '''legionary_name''' (BI only)''':''' assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* '''ap:''' armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* '''bp:''' body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* '''prec:''' Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* '''thrown:''' Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* '''launching:''' attack may throw target men into the air.
::* '''area:''' attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* '''long_pike:''' Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* '''short_pike:''' Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* '''spear_bonus_x''' (BI only)''':''' 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* '''light_spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* '''spear:''' Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

== Useful Formulae ==

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.
DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

== Related Information ==

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:22:23Z

Aradan: /* EDU Breakdown */

== Introduction ==

Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. In this guide a single, generic entry will be used as an example, broken to its separate lines and then each line analysed individually, and then broken down to its entries if necessary, as well.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

== EDU Breakdown ==

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* '''sea_faring''': unit can board ships
::* '''hide_forest''', '''hide_improved_forest''', '''hide_long_grass''', '''hide_anywhere''': defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* '''can_sap''': unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* '''frighten_foot''', '''frighten_mounted''': unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* '''can_run_amok''': unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* '''general_unit''': unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* '''general_unit_upgrade''': unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* '''cantabrian_circle''': unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* '''no_custom''': unit is not available in custom battles
::* '''command''': unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* '''mercenary_unit''': unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* '''hardy''', '''very_hardy''': level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* '''warcry''': no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* '''druid''': replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* '''power_charge''': increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* '''can_swim''' (BI only): unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* '''is_peasant''' (BI only): halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* '''can_horde''' (BI only): unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* '''legionary_name''' (BI only): assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* ap: armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* bp: body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* prec: Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* thrown: Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* launching: attack may throw target men into the air.
::* area: attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* long_pike: Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* short_pike: Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* spear_bonus_x (BI only): 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* light_spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

== Useful Formulae ==

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.
DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

== Related Information ==

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Aradan

2010-07-10T15:18:55Z

Aradan:

Complete EDU Guide (RTW)

2010-07-10T15:17:29Z

Aradan: Created page with '== Introduction == Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344 The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entri...'

== Introduction ==

Discussion thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. In this guide a single, generic entry will be used as an example, broken to its separate lines and then each line analysed individually, and then broken down to its entries if necessary, as well.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

== EDU Breakdown ==

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* sea_faring: unit can board ships
::* hide_forest, hide_improved_forest, hide_long_grass, hide_anywhere: defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* can_sap: unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* frighten_foot, frighten_mounted: unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* can_run_amok: unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* general_unit: unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* general_unit_upgrade: unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* cantabrian_circle: unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* no_custom: unit is not available in custom battles
::* command: unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* mercenary_unit: unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* hardy, very_hardy: level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* warcry: no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* druid: replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* power_charge: increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* can_swim (BI only): unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* is_peasant (BI only): halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* can_horde (BI only): unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* legionary_name (BI only): assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* ap: armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* bp: body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* prec: Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* thrown: Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* launching: attack may throw target men into the air.
::* area: attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* long_pike: Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* short_pike: Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* spear_bonus_x (BI only): 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* light_spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

== Useful Formulae ==

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.
DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

== Related Information ==

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Aradan

2010-07-10T15:10:04Z

Aradan: /* Tutorials and Tools */

{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 17em; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;" align="right"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: large;" | Aradan
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:AradanAvatar.jpg]] ''Flame Imperishable
|-
! Current Ranks:
| [[Administrator]]
|-
! Titles:
| [[Opifex]], [[Divus]]
|}

== Modder Profile ==

=== History ===

:Aradan is the current Mod Leader and the Coding & Build Manager of [[The Fourth Age: Total War]], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] and [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II]. He started modding in spring 2007, as a [[beta tester]] for [[The Fourth Age: Total War | FATW]], but gradually worked himself up and became a [[developer]] of the mod soon after. He has been part of several teams and a prominent figure of the [[RTW]] modding community since then.

=== Released Modifications ===

:Released mods he has worked on:

::*[[The Fourth Age: Total War]] (current leader, general coding, campaign and unit balance, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[[MasterOfNone]] and [[Makanyane]]'s [[Multi-Mod Sampler]] (unit balance)
::*[[MasterOfNone]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=148651 Gods and Fighting Men] (balance, ancs/traits and advice coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=205811 Sicilia] (coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1262 300 Warlords of Sparta] (coding, balancing)
::*[[Rome Total Realism]] (Fate of Empires) (coding/general advice)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1398 Aristeia: Total War] (ancillaries, coding advice)

=== To-Be-Released Modifications ===

:Unreleased (yet) mods he was worked/is working on:

::*[[Roma Surrectum]] (RS2)
::*[[Europa Barbarorum]] (EB2)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=99 Hegemonia: City-States]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=390 Inca: Total War]

=== Tutorials and Tools ===

:Tutorials and guides released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344 Complete EDU (export_descr_unit) Guide].
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=163043 Editing Character Names]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=175743 Beginner's Modding Manual for RTW]

:Tools released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=311674 EDU-matic (automatic EDU balancer/generator for RTW/M2TW)]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=282716 Regional Lordship Titles System Generator]

== TWC Profile ==

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=27806 Link to forum profile]

*Joined TWC on June 10, 2007.
*Joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 12, 2008.
*Awarded the title of [[Opifex]] on September 9, 2008.
*Became a site [[Administrator]] on September 25, 2008, holding the Modders Representative and [[CA]] Liaison offices.
*Awarded RTW Best Modder, Best Coder, Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2008.
*Awarded Favourite non-moderator Staff Member, Most Helpful Staff Member, Most Helpful Member in the TWC Site Awards 2009.
*Resigned as an [[Administrator]] on January 30, 2010.
*Awarded RTW Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2009, runner up for Best Modder, Best Coder and M2TW Best Tool.
*Resigned from the [[Consilium Belli]] on February 27, 2010.
*Re-joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 27, 2010.
*Awarded the title of [[Divus]] on June 7, 2010.
*Re-joined the Hexagon Council as a site [[Administrator]] on June 18, 2010.

Currently holding the office of [http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Content_Staff Content] Manager of TWC's administration

[[Category:People]][[Category:Opifex]][[Category:Famous Modders]][[Category:Divus]]

== Complete EDU Guide ==

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== EDU Breakdown ===
</div>

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. Here we will use a single, generic entry as an example, break it to its separate lines and then analyse each line individually, and then break it down to its entries when needed.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* sea_faring: unit can board ships
::* hide_forest, hide_improved_forest, hide_long_grass, hide_anywhere: defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* can_sap: unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* frighten_foot, frighten_mounted: unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* can_run_amok: unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* general_unit: unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* general_unit_upgrade: unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* cantabrian_circle: unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* no_custom: unit is not available in custom battles
::* command: unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* mercenary_unit: unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* hardy, very_hardy: level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* warcry: no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* druid: replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* power_charge: increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* can_swim (BI only): unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* is_peasant (BI only): halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* can_horde (BI only): unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* legionary_name (BI only): assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* ap: armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* bp: body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* prec: Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* thrown: Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* launching: attack may throw target men into the air.
::* area: attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* long_pike: Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* short_pike: Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* spear_bonus_x (BI only): 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* light_spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Useful Formulae ===
</div>

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.

DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Related Information ===
</div>

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Aradan

2010-07-10T15:08:04Z

Aradan: /* Complete EDU Guide */

{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 17em; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;" align="right"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: large;" | Aradan
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:AradanAvatar.jpg]] ''Flame Imperishable
|-
! Current Ranks:
| [[Administrator]]
|-
! Titles:
| [[Opifex]], [[Divus]]
|}

== Modder Profile ==

=== History ===

:Aradan is the current Mod Leader and the Coding & Build Manager of [[The Fourth Age: Total War]], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] and [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II]. He started modding in spring 2007, as a [[beta tester]] for [[The Fourth Age: Total War | FATW]], but gradually worked himself up and became a [[developer]] of the mod soon after. He has been part of several teams and a prominent figure of the [[RTW]] modding community since then.

=== Released Modifications ===

:Released mods he has worked on:

::*[[The Fourth Age: Total War]] (current leader, general coding, campaign and unit balance, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[[MasterOfNone]] and [[Makanyane]]'s [[Multi-Mod Sampler]] (unit balance)
::*[[MasterOfNone]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=148651 Gods and Fighting Men] (balance, ancs/traits and advice coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=205811 Sicilia] (coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1262 300 Warlords of Sparta] (coding, balancing)
::*[[Rome Total Realism]] (Fate of Empires) (coding/general advice)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1398 Aristeia: Total War] (ancillaries, coding advice)

=== To-Be-Released Modifications ===

:Unreleased (yet) mods he was worked/is working on:

::*[[Roma Surrectum]] (RS2)
::*[[Europa Barbarorum]] (EB2)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=99 Hegemonia: City-States]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=390 Inca: Total War]

=== Tutorials and Tools ===

:Tutorials and guides released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344 Complete EDU (export_descr_units) Guide].
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=163043 Editing Character Names]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=175743 Beginner's Modding Manual for RTW]

:Tools released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=311674 EDU-matic (automatic EDU balancer/generator for RTW/M2TW)]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=282716 Regional Lordship Titles System Generator]

== TWC Profile ==

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=27806 Link to forum profile]

*Joined TWC on June 10, 2007.
*Joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 12, 2008.
*Awarded the title of [[Opifex]] on September 9, 2008.
*Became a site [[Administrator]] on September 25, 2008, holding the Modders Representative and [[CA]] Liaison offices.
*Awarded RTW Best Modder, Best Coder, Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2008.
*Awarded Favourite non-moderator Staff Member, Most Helpful Staff Member, Most Helpful Member in the TWC Site Awards 2009.
*Resigned as an [[Administrator]] on January 30, 2010.
*Awarded RTW Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2009, runner up for Best Modder, Best Coder and M2TW Best Tool.
*Resigned from the [[Consilium Belli]] on February 27, 2010.
*Re-joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 27, 2010.
*Awarded the title of [[Divus]] on June 7, 2010.
*Re-joined the Hexagon Council as a site [[Administrator]] on June 18, 2010.

Currently holding the office of [http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Content_Staff Content] Manager of TWC's administration

[[Category:People]][[Category:Opifex]][[Category:Famous Modders]][[Category:Divus]]

== Complete EDU Guide ==

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== EDU Breakdown ===
</div>

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. Here we will use a single, generic entry as an example, break it to its separate lines and then analyse each line individually, and then break it down to its entries when needed.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of ''export_descr_buildings.txt'', the starting armies of ''descr_strat.txt'' and the armies of ''descr_battle.txt'' for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the ''export_units.txt'' entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in ''descr_formations_ai.txt'' and ''descr_formations.txt'', as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see ''descr_mount.txt'').
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in ''descr_model_battle.txt''.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in ''descr_mount.txt'' in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_animals.txt'', but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_engines.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References ''descr_ship.txt''. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* sea_faring: unit can board ships
::* hide_forest, hide_improved_forest, hide_long_grass, hide_anywhere: defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* can_sap: unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* frighten_foot, frighten_mounted: unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* can_run_amok: unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* general_unit: unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* general_unit_upgrade: unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* cantabrian_circle: unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* no_custom: unit is not available in custom battles
::* command: unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* mercenary_unit: unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in ''descr_mercenaries.txt'').
::* hardy, very_hardy: level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* warcry: no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* druid: replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* power_charge: increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* can_swim (BI only): unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* is_peasant (BI only): halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* can_horde (BI only): unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* legionary_name (BI only): assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in ''descr_projectile_new.txt''.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see ''descr_projectile_new.txt'') Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: ''descr_sounds_weapons.txt'').
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* ap: armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* bp: body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* prec: Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* thrown: Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* launching: attack may throw target men into the air.
::* area: attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* long_pike: Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* short_pike: Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* spear_bonus_x (BI only): 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* light_spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in ''export_descr_buildings.txt''). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Useful Formulae ===
</div>

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.

DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Related Information ===
</div>

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in ''descr_model_battle.txt'')
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in ''descr_mount.txt''
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Aradan

2010-07-10T15:04:18Z

Aradan: /* Balancing skeleton types */

{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 17em; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;" align="right"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: large;" | Aradan
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:AradanAvatar.jpg]] ''Flame Imperishable
|-
! Current Ranks:
| [[Administrator]]
|-
! Titles:
| [[Opifex]], [[Divus]]
|}

== Modder Profile ==

=== History ===

:Aradan is the current Mod Leader and the Coding & Build Manager of [[The Fourth Age: Total War]], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] and [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II]. He started modding in spring 2007, as a [[beta tester]] for [[The Fourth Age: Total War | FATW]], but gradually worked himself up and became a [[developer]] of the mod soon after. He has been part of several teams and a prominent figure of the [[RTW]] modding community since then.

=== Released Modifications ===

:Released mods he has worked on:

::*[[The Fourth Age: Total War]] (current leader, general coding, campaign and unit balance, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[[MasterOfNone]] and [[Makanyane]]'s [[Multi-Mod Sampler]] (unit balance)
::*[[MasterOfNone]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=148651 Gods and Fighting Men] (balance, ancs/traits and advice coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=205811 Sicilia] (coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1262 300 Warlords of Sparta] (coding, balancing)
::*[[Rome Total Realism]] (Fate of Empires) (coding/general advice)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1398 Aristeia: Total War] (ancillaries, coding advice)

=== To-Be-Released Modifications ===

:Unreleased (yet) mods he was worked/is working on:

::*[[Roma Surrectum]] (RS2)
::*[[Europa Barbarorum]] (EB2)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=99 Hegemonia: City-States]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=390 Inca: Total War]

=== Tutorials and Tools ===

:Tutorials and guides released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344 Complete EDU (export_descr_units) Guide].
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=163043 Editing Character Names]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=175743 Beginner's Modding Manual for RTW]

:Tools released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=311674 EDU-matic (automatic EDU balancer/generator for RTW/M2TW)]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=282716 Regional Lordship Titles System Generator]

== TWC Profile ==

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=27806 Link to forum profile]

*Joined TWC on June 10, 2007.
*Joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 12, 2008.
*Awarded the title of [[Opifex]] on September 9, 2008.
*Became a site [[Administrator]] on September 25, 2008, holding the Modders Representative and [[CA]] Liaison offices.
*Awarded RTW Best Modder, Best Coder, Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2008.
*Awarded Favourite non-moderator Staff Member, Most Helpful Staff Member, Most Helpful Member in the TWC Site Awards 2009.
*Resigned as an [[Administrator]] on January 30, 2010.
*Awarded RTW Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2009, runner up for Best Modder, Best Coder and M2TW Best Tool.
*Resigned from the [[Consilium Belli]] on February 27, 2010.
*Re-joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 27, 2010.
*Awarded the title of [[Divus]] on June 7, 2010.
*Re-joined the Hexagon Council as a site [[Administrator]] on June 18, 2010.

Currently holding the office of [http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Content_Staff Content] Manager of TWC's administration

[[Category:People]][[Category:Opifex]][[Category:Famous Modders]][[Category:Divus]]

== Complete EDU Guide ==

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== EDU Breakdown ===
</div>

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. Here we will use a single, generic entry as an example, break it to its separate lines and then analyse each line individually, and then break it down to its entries when needed.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of export_descr_buildings.txt, the starting armies of descr_strat.txt and the armies of descr_battle.txt for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the export_units.txt entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in by descr_formations_ai.txt and descr_formations.txt, as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in by descr_formations_ai.txt and descr_formations.txt, as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in descr_model_battle.txt. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see descr_mount.txt).
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in descr_model_battle.txt.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in the descr_mount.txt in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References descr_animals.txt, but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References descr_engines.txt. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References descr_ship.txt. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* sea_faring: unit can board ships
::* hide_forest, hide_improved_forest, hide_long_grass, hide_anywhere: defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* can_sap: unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* frighten_foot, frighten_mounted: unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* can_run_amok: unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* general_unit: unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* general_unit_upgrade: unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* cantabrian_circle: unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* no_custom: unit is not available in custom battles
::* command: unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* mercenary_unit: unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in descr_mercenaries.txt).
::* hardy, very_hardy: level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* warcry: no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* druid: replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* power_charge: increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* can_swim (BI only): unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* is_peasant (BI only): halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* can_horde (BI only): unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* legionary_name (BI only): assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in the descr_projectile_new.txt.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see descr_projectile_new.txt) Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: descr_sounds_weapons.txt).
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* ap: armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* bp: body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* prec: Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* thrown: Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* launching: attack may throw target men into the air.
::* area: attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* long_pike: Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* short_pike: Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* spear_bonus_x (BI only): 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* light_spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in export_descr_buildings.txt). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Useful Formulae ===
</div>

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.

DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Related Information ===
</div>

===== Balancing skeleton types =====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in descr_model_battle.txt)
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in descr_mount.txt.
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in descr_mount.txt
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security. (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Aradan

2010-07-10T15:03:55Z

Aradan: /* Creating 1-soldier units */

{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 17em; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;" align="right"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: large;" | Aradan
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:AradanAvatar.jpg]] ''Flame Imperishable
|-
! Current Ranks:
| [[Administrator]]
|-
! Titles:
| [[Opifex]], [[Divus]]
|}

== Modder Profile ==

=== History ===

:Aradan is the current Mod Leader and the Coding & Build Manager of [[The Fourth Age: Total War]], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] and [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II]. He started modding in spring 2007, as a [[beta tester]] for [[The Fourth Age: Total War | FATW]], but gradually worked himself up and became a [[developer]] of the mod soon after. He has been part of several teams and a prominent figure of the [[RTW]] modding community since then.

=== Released Modifications ===

:Released mods he has worked on:

::*[[The Fourth Age: Total War]] (current leader, general coding, campaign and unit balance, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[[MasterOfNone]] and [[Makanyane]]'s [[Multi-Mod Sampler]] (unit balance)
::*[[MasterOfNone]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=148651 Gods and Fighting Men] (balance, ancs/traits and advice coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=205811 Sicilia] (coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1262 300 Warlords of Sparta] (coding, balancing)
::*[[Rome Total Realism]] (Fate of Empires) (coding/general advice)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1398 Aristeia: Total War] (ancillaries, coding advice)

=== To-Be-Released Modifications ===

:Unreleased (yet) mods he was worked/is working on:

::*[[Roma Surrectum]] (RS2)
::*[[Europa Barbarorum]] (EB2)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=99 Hegemonia: City-States]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=390 Inca: Total War]

=== Tutorials and Tools ===

:Tutorials and guides released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344 Complete EDU (export_descr_units) Guide].
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=163043 Editing Character Names]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=175743 Beginner's Modding Manual for RTW]

:Tools released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=311674 EDU-matic (automatic EDU balancer/generator for RTW/M2TW)]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=282716 Regional Lordship Titles System Generator]

== TWC Profile ==

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=27806 Link to forum profile]

*Joined TWC on June 10, 2007.
*Joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 12, 2008.
*Awarded the title of [[Opifex]] on September 9, 2008.
*Became a site [[Administrator]] on September 25, 2008, holding the Modders Representative and [[CA]] Liaison offices.
*Awarded RTW Best Modder, Best Coder, Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2008.
*Awarded Favourite non-moderator Staff Member, Most Helpful Staff Member, Most Helpful Member in the TWC Site Awards 2009.
*Resigned as an [[Administrator]] on January 30, 2010.
*Awarded RTW Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2009, runner up for Best Modder, Best Coder and M2TW Best Tool.
*Resigned from the [[Consilium Belli]] on February 27, 2010.
*Re-joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 27, 2010.
*Awarded the title of [[Divus]] on June 7, 2010.
*Re-joined the Hexagon Council as a site [[Administrator]] on June 18, 2010.

Currently holding the office of [http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Content_Staff Content] Manager of TWC's administration

[[Category:People]][[Category:Opifex]][[Category:Famous Modders]][[Category:Divus]]

== Complete EDU Guide ==

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== EDU Breakdown ===
</div>

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. Here we will use a single, generic entry as an example, break it to its separate lines and then analyse each line individually, and then break it down to its entries when needed.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of export_descr_buildings.txt, the starting armies of descr_strat.txt and the armies of descr_battle.txt for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the export_units.txt entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in by descr_formations_ai.txt and descr_formations.txt, as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in by descr_formations_ai.txt and descr_formations.txt, as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in descr_model_battle.txt. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see descr_mount.txt).
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in descr_model_battle.txt.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in the descr_mount.txt in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References descr_animals.txt, but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References descr_engines.txt. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References descr_ship.txt. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* sea_faring: unit can board ships
::* hide_forest, hide_improved_forest, hide_long_grass, hide_anywhere: defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* can_sap: unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* frighten_foot, frighten_mounted: unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* can_run_amok: unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* general_unit: unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* general_unit_upgrade: unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* cantabrian_circle: unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* no_custom: unit is not available in custom battles
::* command: unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* mercenary_unit: unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in descr_mercenaries.txt).
::* hardy, very_hardy: level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* warcry: no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* druid: replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* power_charge: increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* can_swim (BI only): unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* is_peasant (BI only): halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* can_horde (BI only): unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* legionary_name (BI only): assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in the descr_projectile_new.txt.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see descr_projectile_new.txt) Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: descr_sounds_weapons.txt).
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* ap: armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* bp: body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* prec: Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* thrown: Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* launching: attack may throw target men into the air.
::* area: attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* long_pike: Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* short_pike: Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* spear_bonus_x (BI only): 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* light_spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in export_descr_buildings.txt). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Useful Formulae ===
</div>

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.

DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Related Information ===
</div>

==== Balancing skeleton types ====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in descr_model_battle.txt)
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in descr_mount.txt.
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in descr_mount.txt
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security. (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.

Aradan

2010-07-10T15:00:55Z

Aradan: /* Creating 1-soldier units */

{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 17em; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;" align="right"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: large;" | Aradan
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:AradanAvatar.jpg]] ''Flame Imperishable
|-
! Current Ranks:
| [[Administrator]]
|-
! Titles:
| [[Opifex]], [[Divus]]
|}

== Modder Profile ==

=== History ===

:Aradan is the current Mod Leader and the Coding & Build Manager of [[The Fourth Age: Total War]], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] and [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II]. He started modding in spring 2007, as a [[beta tester]] for [[The Fourth Age: Total War | FATW]], but gradually worked himself up and became a [[developer]] of the mod soon after. He has been part of several teams and a prominent figure of the [[RTW]] modding community since then.

=== Released Modifications ===

:Released mods he has worked on:

::*[[The Fourth Age: Total War]] (current leader, general coding, campaign and unit balance, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1322 Norman Invasion] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1036 Viking Invasion II] (current leader, campaign and unit balance, trait and ancillary coding, campaign scripting, general testing and tweaking, and more)
::*[[MasterOfNone]] and [[Makanyane]]'s [[Multi-Mod Sampler]] (unit balance)
::*[[MasterOfNone]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=148651 Gods and Fighting Men] (balance, ancs/traits and advice coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=205811 Sicilia] (coding)
::*[[Halie Satanus]]'s [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1262 300 Warlords of Sparta] (coding, balancing)
::*[[Rome Total Realism]] (Fate of Empires) (coding/general advice)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1398 Aristeia: Total War] (ancillaries, coding advice)

=== To-Be-Released Modifications ===

:Unreleased (yet) mods he was worked/is working on:

::*[[Roma Surrectum]] (RS2)
::*[[Europa Barbarorum]] (EB2)
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=99 Hegemonia: City-States]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=390 Inca: Total War]

=== Tutorials and Tools ===

:Tutorials and guides released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111344 Complete EDU (export_descr_units) Guide].
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=163043 Editing Character Names]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=175743 Beginner's Modding Manual for RTW]

:Tools released so far:

::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=311674 EDU-matic (automatic EDU balancer/generator for RTW/M2TW)]
::*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=282716 Regional Lordship Titles System Generator]

== TWC Profile ==

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=27806 Link to forum profile]

*Joined TWC on June 10, 2007.
*Joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 12, 2008.
*Awarded the title of [[Opifex]] on September 9, 2008.
*Became a site [[Administrator]] on September 25, 2008, holding the Modders Representative and [[CA]] Liaison offices.
*Awarded RTW Best Modder, Best Coder, Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2008.
*Awarded Favourite non-moderator Staff Member, Most Helpful Staff Member, Most Helpful Member in the TWC Site Awards 2009.
*Resigned as an [[Administrator]] on January 30, 2010.
*Awarded RTW Best Mentor, Best Scholar in TWC Modding Awards 2009, runner up for Best Modder, Best Coder and M2TW Best Tool.
*Resigned from the [[Consilium Belli]] on February 27, 2010.
*Re-joined the [[Consilium Belli]] on April 27, 2010.
*Awarded the title of [[Divus]] on June 7, 2010.
*Re-joined the Hexagon Council as a site [[Administrator]] on June 18, 2010.

Currently holding the office of [http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Content_Staff Content] Manager of TWC's administration

[[Category:People]][[Category:Opifex]][[Category:Famous Modders]][[Category:Divus]]

== Complete EDU Guide ==

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== EDU Breakdown ===
</div>

The file contains the entries for all the units in the game; the limit is 500 entries maximum. The order the units are arranged in is not specified, but the format each entry is coded in, is of course strictly specified. Here we will use a single, generic entry as an example, break it to its separate lines and then analyse each line individually, and then break it down to its entries when needed.
Note that certain lines may be missing depending on the type of the unit.

''type unit_type
:: The type name which is referenced in the recruitment lines of export_descr_buildings.txt, the starting armies of descr_strat.txt and the armies of descr_battle.txt for historical battles.

''dictionary unit_dictionary_tag
:: References the export_units.txt entries for the on-screen name, description and short description of the unit. Also references the unit and unit info card names in the UI folder.

''category unit_category
:: Internal unit category for nature of unit (references sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles along with class entry) It is also used (along with other factors including class) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with class occasionaly) in by descr_formations_ai.txt and descr_formations.txt, as labels for unit placement. Can be infantry, cavalry, siege, handler or ship. In the custom-battle selection screen infantry units will appear first, then cavalry and then siege.

''class unit_class
:: References sound files and triggers bracketed category mouseover text in battles (along with category entry) It is also used (along with other factors including category) by the AI during campaign mode in order to decide which units to train. Also used (along with category) in by descr_formations_ai.txt and descr_formations.txt, as labels for unit placement. Can be light, heavy, spearmen or missile. Also "skirmish", but it is not used at all in vanilla (will be tested and updated). In the custom-battle selection screen light units will appear first, followed by spearmen, then heavy and finally missile (after being sorted by category) and then units are sorted by EDU order of appearence.

''voice_type voice
:: References the sound bank category for the unit's voice.

''soldier unit_model, soldiers, extras, mass (,radius,height)

:: Details of unit models.

::* [unit_model] : Unit's model type as referenced in descr_model_battle.txt. Note that the skeleton scale and its associated animations in the DMB file both significantly affect the combat effectiveness and thus value of the unit. This is done mainly in three ways:
::::# the unit model's scale improves combat effectiveness as it gets bigger. A way to balance this (though not perfectly safe) is through the hidden parametre 'height' that lies in the soldier line. [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
::::# the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]
::* [soldiers] : Number of unit's soldiers in medium unit-size settings. Can't be lower than 6 or higher than 60. General units have a max of 31 men.
::* [extras] : Number of animals attached to unit again in medium unit-size settings.
::* [mass] : Collision mass of the unit. Units with big mass values can "push" their enemies harder and break through enemy lines easier and also hold against enemy pushing better. The mass ratio is not fixed, in that a 1-mass soldier will push a 0.1-mass enemy much easier than a 10-mass soldier would push a 1-mass enemy. In the case of mounted units this stat is of no importance, as it is the mount's mass that's taken into account (see descr_mount.txt).
::* [radius](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute radius of the unit. The default value is 0.4. It's the area surrounding each single soldier that he "occupies" as the engine perceives it (not visually that is). Small radius makes a unit fight better, in that it allows soldiers to fight more closely to each other, resulting in more men of the small-radius unit fighting against fewer of the enemy one's.
::* [height](may not be visible) : Hidden attribute height of the unit. The default value is 1.7. It represents the height of the unit's soldiers (again not visually). Little is known concerning the exact way that height functions, but it is known that the higher it's value, the weaker the unit.

''officer officer_model(s)
:: Unit officers' model type as referenced in descr_model_battle.txt.Up to three officer lines may exist per unit, but note that officers may not be assigned to elephants or chariots.

''mount mount
:: Type of mount used (if any) by the unit. The mount's stats are in the descr_mount.txt in the data folder. Mounted units with ridden mounts (horsemen) get an average of +8 against all infantry, varying from case to case according to specific stats of units each time.

''animal animal
:: Type of animal used (if any) by the unit. References descr_animals.txt, but here it's coded in plural form. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''engine engine
:: Type of engine used (if any) by the unit. References descr_engines.txt. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''ship ship
:: Type of ship used (if any) by the unit. References descr_ship.txt. Only one of animal, ship and engine lines may be used at a time.

''mount_effect mount_effect(s)
:: Unit's bonuses against mounted units (if any). There can be bonuses against horses, elephants, chariots and camels.The bonus may be against an entire class of mounts (eg elephants) in which case it's applied versus all of the types of the class or against only a specific type (eg 4amount mumak), but type-bonus stacks with class-bonus. They are applied directly and stack with any other bonuses, like ones derived from spear attributes. Note that these are modifiers to the unit's attack and that they will be applied to a secondary weapon too if one exists, but they do not affect missile weapons at all. Max number of valid mount effects is 3, extra will be ignored.

''attributes unit_attribute(s)
:: The unit's attributes. The complete list is:

::* sea_faring: unit can board ships
::* hide_forest, hide_improved_forest, hide_long_grass, hide_anywhere: defines where the unit can hide. If absent, it means that the unit won't be able to hide at all. "hide_anywhere" includes all the others and "hide_improved_forest" of course includes "hide_forest".
::* can_sap: unit can dig tunnels under walls during assaults using sap points
::* frighten_foot, frighten_mounted: unit causes fear to certain nearby units of the specified type. Both combined means the unit frightens all enemy (generals included).
::* can_run_amok: unit may go out of control when riders lose control of animals (usually when the unit's casualty ratio is high and the morale low or when being attacked with fire)
::* general_unit: unit can be used for a named character's bodyguard (note that this now also sets the bodyguard for recruitable generals of which there can be multiple instances of this attribute in the same faction though the first instance will always be the family-member bodyguard). Note also that the AI will never recruit units with the general_unit attribute.
::* general_unit_upgrade: unit can be used as upgraded bodyguard for named characters, after the Marius' reforms are triggered. A unit with this attribute must be listed in the file after the regular bodyguard unit.
::* cantabrian_circle: unit has this special ability. It has no coded effects, but they stem naturally from the game's combat engine. The formation reduces accuracy of the unit, but makes it harder to get shot at and also the constant barrage of arrows slighlty reduces target's morale.
::* no_custom: unit is not available in custom battles
::* command: unit carries a legionary eagle, and gives morale bonus to nearby units (not the unit itself)
::* mercenary_unit: unit is a mercenary unit available for hire to all factions in certain regions. It also prevents a unit from replenishing losses after battle, forces it to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all its faction owners and the text-tag 'Varies' instead of the unit recruitment cost on the unit info card. In Alexander mercenaries can be faction-specific (availability set in descr_mercenaries.txt).
::* hardy, very_hardy: level of a unit's hardiness. Hardiness reduces the speed at which stamina is depleted and also increases its regeneration rate.
::* warcry: no longer hardcoded to barbarians in 1.5/1.6. Gives the unit an attack bonus of 10. The ability takes 10 secs (unit can't move or execute other action) to be activated and remains active for 30 more seconds. If the unit enters melee at some point during that time, the bonus will be applied only for the remaining of those 30 seconds. (eg if the unit warcrys, then runs for 7 secs and then engages in melee, the bonus will be applied for 23 secs only). Also gives a momentary boost to morale, evident in the case of berserkers.
::* druid: replaces 'chant' of RTW gives nearby units (not the unit itself) morale bonus.
::* power_charge: increases the time during which a unit is 'charging' (as opposed to being 'in melee'), therefore extending the period during which the unit receives its charge-bonus.
::* can_swim (BI only): unit can swim rivers in battle mode (or walk in the case of some units).
::* is_peasant (BI only): halves the effect the unit has in maintaining public order. 120 men will be counted as 60 etc.
::* can_horde (BI only): unit can be part of a horde when one is created.
::* legionary_name (BI only): assign a legionary name (based on region) and number to the recruited unit. The legionary element of the name is hardcoded.

''formation hor-cl-spacing, ver-cl-spacing, hor-ls-spacing, ver-ls-spacing, ranks, formation(s)
:: The details of the unit's default formation.

::* [horizontal close spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [vertical close spacing] : Front to back distance between soldiers in close formation in metres
::* [horizontal loose spacing] : Side-to-side distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [vertical loose spacing] : Front-to-back distance between soldiers in loose formation in metres
::* [ranks] : Default number of the unit's ranks (depth of its formation)
::* [formation(s)] : Available formations of the unit. Can be one or two of the following: square (normal), wedge (attack bonus), phalanx (unbeatable from the front, very weak from sides and rear), testudo (weak in melee, good against missiles), horde (good vs missiles, bad in melee), schiltrom (BI only - immobile, but excellent vs mounts) and shield_wall (BI only - melee bonus from the front, weak from rear and sides). Note that certain formations are used only for certain unit types (eg wedge only for cavalry).

''stat_health hp, hp_extra
:: Details of the unit's hitpoints.

::* [hp] : Hit points of the regular soldiers of the unit. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.
::* [hp_extra] : Hit points of animals of the unit. Note that ridden horses are not assigned separate hitpoints. Max value is 15, as everything higher will still be considered 15.Note that this value, even though being ignored during battle-map mode for non-animal units, it is actually taken into account for auto-resolve for all units. See below at Related Information.

''stat_pri atk, chrg, msl_type, msl_rng, msl_ammo, wpn_type, wpn_tech, dmg_type, snd_type, min_delay, lethality
:: The unit's offensive stats.

::* [attack] : Attack rating of the unit's primary weapon (if unit has missiles, those are its primary weapons). Note that 'Easy' difficulty level gives the AI a -4 attack; 'Medium' offers no advantages/penalties; 'Hard' grants the AI a +4 attack bonus and 'Very Hard' grants the AI a +7 attack bonus. Max value for attack is 63. Anything higher will still be considered 63.
::* [charge] : Charge bonus of the primary weapon, added to the unit's attack when charging. As charge is slowed down and unit gets into 'proper' melee, the bonus stops being applied. Min value is 1 and max charge bonus value is 63, as everything higher will be considered 63. Missile units should have this equal to their desired secondary weapon charge bonus, as to not confuse players, since the charge bonus used by the engine will be the one of the melee weapon, while the one displayed on the unit card will be the missile weapon's.
::* [missile_type] : Missile type used by the unit. Can be one of the projectiles defined in the descr_projectile_new.txt.
::* [missile_range] : Max range of the unit's missile weapon. The max limit is determined by the specific missile type's velocity and min_angle, max_angle. Anything higher than this max value will be reduced to it. (see descr_projectile_new.txt) Min value is 20 (javelins).
::* [missile_ammo] : Ammunition per unit's soldier. Minimum value is 2 (0 is of course acceptable as well).
::* [weapon_type] : Unit's weapon type. Can be: melee, thrown, missile or siege_missile.
::* [weapon_tech] : Unit weapon's tech type. Can be: simple, other, blade, archery or siege.
::* [damage_type] : probably unused
::* [sound_type] : Sound type when the unit's weapon hits. Can be one of: none, knife, mace, club, axe, sword, or spear (ref: descr_sounds_weapons.txt).
::* [min_delay] : Minimum delay between weapon attacks, measured in 1/10 of seconds. It is the minimum time allowed between the beginning of an attacking animation and the beginning of the next one. It only applies to foot melee skeletons.
::* [lethality] : Percentile chance of a soldier to kill an enemy (assuming his strike has found its target). The higher the lethality, the more the kills and the less the knock-downs/knock-backs during a battle. Greatly affects the speed at which melee battles are resolved, since higher lethality means less missed hits and greater casualties in short time. It is not used in ranged combat.

''stat_pri_attr wpn_attributes
:: Attributes of the unit's primary weapon. The complete list is:

::* ap: armour piercing. Attacks take into account only half of the defender's armour value (not defence or shield). Results are rounded up.
::* bp: body piercing. Missile can pass through men and hit those behind.
::* prec: Missile weapon is only thrown just before charging into combat, though a unit may expend all its ammo if on 'fire at will' mode and the human player has not targeted an enemy unit.
::* thrown: Missiles have a big bonus against elephant and chariot units, as they get stronger with every HP of the target. Also, the delay between volleys is reduced by 20%. Only missile units should use this and only for their missile weapons!
::* launching: attack may throw target men into the air.
::* area: attack affects an area (and everyone within it), not just one man.
::* long_pike: Use very long pikes. Phalanx capable units only. Removed in BI.
::* short_pike: Use shorter than normal spears. Can be used with phalanx ability or without it. The unit is still considered as infantry (and not spearmen). Grants a bonus of 8 versus mounted units, but due to the qualities of the formation (spacing, cohesion, etc) it seems that it roughly gets an extra -1 versus everyone. It also seems that short_pike overrides light_spear and spear, so that when the two are combined spear/light_spear is ignored, though due to it's own qualities it does slightly affect combat, depending on the units involved. Additionally, short_pike is required for units using the 'schiltrom' formation, because when in schiltrom and without short_pike, the soldiers will very rarely attack enemies.
::* spear_bonus_x (BI only): 'x' may be any even number between 4 and 12 inclusive. Must be accompanied by spear or light_spear attributes, otherwise it has no effect. It offers a bonus to attack vs mounts which stacks with the default bonuses of these two attributes.
::* light_spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to defence vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to defence vs. infantry. Offers less pushing power than spear.
::* spear: Gives default bonus of +8 to attack vs cavalry, and penalty of -4 to attack vs. infantry. Offers more pushing power than light_spear. Units with "spear" attribute tend to lose cohesion and break lines (due to the extreme pushing power) with undesired results, so use is advised only with cohesive formations/attributes like short_pike, shield_wall, phalanx etc.

''stat_sec same as stat_pri
''stat_sec_attr same as stat_pri_attr
:: Same for the unit's secondary weapon as the primary (c.f.). Certain units like elephants, handlers, chariots and siege-machines use this line for the stats of the animals/engines. Let it be noted that the upgrades of the secondary weapon are bugged, in that only the primary weapon tech is taken into account when upgraded. Any change applied to it will also be applied to the secondary weapon, regardless of the weapon_tech of the latter. Also, units with secondary weapons will use that to charge, and once in proper melee will switch back to their primary (units classified as spearmen will keep using their sec if enemy gets very close).

''stat_pri_armour armour, def_skill, shield, sound
:: The unit's defensive stats.

::* [armour] : Unit's armour value. Taken into account in all occasions (soldier attacked from any direction, melee and ranged). It measures the amount of protection a soldier's armour offers. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [def_skill] : Unit's defensive skill, taken into account only in melee and only against attacks from the front or the right side. It doesn't affect defence against missiles. It represents a soldier's ability to parry(rather than block) and dodge strikes. Max value is 63 and everything higher will be considered 63.
::* [shield] : Unit's shield value, taken into account against both ranged and melee attacks, but only when they come from the front or the left side. Against missiles from the front it offers twice the protection it's value suggests. Measures the blocking capabilities of a unit's shield. Max value is 31 and everything higher will be considered 31.
::* [sound] : Sound played when unit gets hit. Can be: flesh, leather, or metal.

''stat_sec_armour same as stat_pri_armour(no shield)
:: Same as stat_pri_armour. The stats of the unit's animals' or vehicles' defences. Note that ridden horses do not have a separate defence, and that if a vehicle/animal's defence skill is set to 0, its HP are considered to be 1. Of course there is no shield entry.

''stat_heat heat_penalty
:: Fatigue penalties applied to the unit due to heat. It measures how fast will its fatigue be depleted and how slowly it will regenerate. Ranges from -2 to 5, with 5 issuing the greatest penalty for the unit. The hotter the climate (aka the greater the climate_heat value of the map), where the battle takes place, the more important it becomes. In mild climates (low climate_heat of the map), it makes little to no difference.

''stat_ground scrub_mdf, sand_mdf, forest_mdf, snow_mdf
:: Combat modifiers applied to unit only when it fights on the respective specified ground type. Positive numbers are bonuses, negative are penalties. They range from 8 to -8 and they have a 1 to 1 point relationship with attack.

::* [scrub_modifier] : self-explanatory (it's quite tricky to know for sure when you are fighting on scrub)
::* [sand_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [forest_modifier] : self-explanatory
::* [snow_modifier] : self-explanatory

''stat_mental morale,discipline,training
:: Details of the unit's mentality.

::* [morale] : Unit's morale or else how easy is for a unit to lose heart and flee the battle. The greater the value, the less likely the unit will rout. Note that morale bonuses from buildings in campaign mode are bugged and do not work. The following tags are attached by hardcode to morale values: 1-2 -> 'Poor morale', 8-11 -> 'Good morale', 12+ -> 'Excellent morale'
::* [discipline] : Unit's discipline level, which determines the amount of morale lost when morale shocks occur (death of general, flanked, etc). Can be low, normal, disciplined, impetuous or berserker. Disciplined units are harder to lose morale. Berserker units can (obviously) go berserk and impetuous units may charge without orders.
::* [training] : Unit's training level, which affects how tidy its formation is. Can be untrained, trained or highly_trained. Untrained units will have the most disorderly formations.

''stat_charge_dist charge_distance
:: Determines the distance from target at which a unit will begin charging (start it's charging animation that is) in metres.

''stat_fire_delay fire_delay
:: The extra delay, over that imposed by animation, between the unit's volleys. Vanilla has them all 0. According to findings like Darth's, setting values like -50000 or 5000 depending on unit type improves combat function and solves the foot-missile-bug, but these haven't been confirmed by FATW or by any other major mod. Testing suggests that setting this value to anything else than 0, breaks cavalry charges, as it causes the riders to not always lower their spears when charging, even when the charge is made properly.

''stat_food ?, another_?
:: Unused

''stat_cost turns,recruit,upkeep,wpn_upg,arm_upg,cb_cost
:: Details of a units recruitment stats.

::* [turns] : Amount of turns needed to train the unit. Max value is 244, anything higher will be ingored.
::* [recruit] : Cost to train the unit. Also affects the retraining cost.
::* [upkeep] : Price paid every turn for the upkeep of the unit.
::* [weapon_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's weapons (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [armour_upgrade] : Cost to upgrade the unit's armour (both campaign and custom battles). Affects the retraining cost.
::* [custom_battle_cost] : Cost to include the unit in your army in custom battles.

''ownership faction(s)
:: Factions that can recruit the unit in custom battles (assuming no_custom attribute absent) and in campaign (assuming a recruitment line exists in export_descr_buildings.txt). Also allows for unit to be open to bribery to the specific factions.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Useful Formulae ===
</div>

Chance_to_kill (melee):
DLF * const1 * lethality * 1.1 ^ ( ATK - DEF + MDF )

Chance_to_kill (missile): [not 100% tested, but a very good approximation]
const2 * (ATK - DEF - RNG/10 + MDF + DLF*10)

ATK is (missile)attack, DEF is the sum of all applicable defences, MDF is the sum of all applicable bonuses and penalties, RNG is firing range.

DLF is the difficulty lever factor. It's 0.7 for Easy, 1 for Medium, 1.5 for Hard and 2 for Very Hard. This factor is what produces the AI combat bonuses for Hard/Very Hard and the AI combat penalty for Easy.

<div style="text-align: center;">
=== Related Information ===
</div>

==== Balancing skeleton types ====

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

* fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
* fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
* fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.41
* fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
* fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

Mounted skeletons seem to be fairly balanced as they are.

===== Balancing auto-resolve =====

The second value of stat_health can be used to improve the balance of auto-resolve. Certain units like chariots are currently overpowered in it, while others, like mounted and missile units, are underpowered. Here follow some rough suggestions on how to assign sec hp values in order to balance auto-resolve more evenly:

* Animal units stay as they are.
* All other units get 5 sec hps.
* Units with 2 or more prim hps get -1 sec hp for each extra prim one.
* Missile units with low-medium missile attack get +1 sec hp.
* Missile units with medium-high missile attack get +2 sec hps.
* Mounted units with low-medium charge get +1 sec hp.
* Mounted units with medium-high charge get +2 sec hps.

===== Naval combat =====

In naval battles many of the attributes of the EDU entry of a ship are ignored. Those that do have an effect are:

* Soldier (crew) numbers
* Primary hitpoints
* Primary attack
* Primary defence

Note that shield or defence skill seem to count less than armour, with shield being the least important of the three, just like it happens with regular units.

===== Creating 1-soldier units =====

All credit for this discovery goes to Bardo, of LotR:TW - Original post [http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1906726&postcount=82 here]

Here follows the way to create units with 1 single soldier for every unit-size setting. This can be useful to create heroes, monsters or unique characters, without the need to add "bodyguards" for them. What you need to do, briefly:

# Create an elephant-type unit, with the mount being the lone soldier (ie using the lone character's model in descr_model_battle.txt)
# Create a small, invisible model to use for the 'soldiers' and put it 'inside the mount', in descr_mount.txt.
# Give only 2 riders to the mount in descr_mount.txt
# Make the unit have 20 soldiers and 1 mount in the 'soldier' line of the EDU
# Assign the "general_unit" attribute to the unit
# Create and assign a trait to the lone characters that will heavily decrease their Influence and Personal Security. (-50 will do)

This will work only in Campaign and not in Custom Battles. The number displayed on the unit card when in strat-map mode will vary according to the unit-size settings, but when in battle-map mode, the unit will have just 1 mount (ie the unique soldier - the mount/soldier's riders will be invisible). The only drawbacks are that these characters will be vulnerable to assassination attempts and that they will be able to assault walls, just like elephants.