Silven Total Improvement Mod
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Silven Total Improvement Mod (or STIM) tries to make Total War: Rome II as an overall more enjoyable game to play. Silven describes his mod as “an all-inclusive, comprehensive overhaul of Total War: Rome II” where “game play and balance are the first and foremost priorities.”
Contents
History
STIM began in the non-hosted Modifications forum with a version 1.0 release on September 14, 2013, which was eleven days after Rome II: Total War’s release. It remained in its state as a single thread until November 3, 2013, when it acquired a hosted mod forum of its own after STIM’s version 2.1 release.
Description
STIM follows the maxim that “realism will always come second to gameplay and balance.” While some mods will integrate the sometimes inconvenient historical truth, STIM instead primarily attempts to make a more enjoyable gameplay experience. Overall, this mod attempts to improve the parts of Rome II that do not make as much sense in a gameplay perspective, or else the feature will be removed as best it reasonably can.
Features
Some of STIM’s changes include:
Campaign Changes
STIM takes significant measures to make the AI a more powerful force on the campaign map. All the AI factions receive a food income bonus based on the campaign difficulty, which solves a common food shortage AI faction easily get but does allow the player to receive additional bonuses. Stim has also integrated a script that guarantees major AI factions are not destroyed by minor AI factions. In addition, the AI has larger or higher quality garrisons and spends less money on agents than they originally did.
STIM comes with four turns made up of four seasons per year. According, building construction and technology research times were increased from 33 to 100 percent longer. Agents were also made to be less effective. Tax rates and diplomacy is in a smoother progression than for vanilla. Some agent abilities, such as Army Harass and Incite Revolt, are made significantly less effective. It takes twenty-five percent more experience for an agent to level up; and an agent’s chances of success is reduced.
Armies and navies on the campaign map also received STIM’s attention. An all cavalry army now moves further than an army with infantry in it, which moves further than an army with an artillery piece in it. This is to compensate for the removed effects of Forced March and Double Time. Attrition from disease, desertion, and defending a siege has been reduced to twelve percent, and attrition for a besieging army is now at five percent. More soldiers in a unit are required to prevent disbandment, and fewer soldiers are replenished after battles. Marian reforms are now a slower process, and each faction can only have a certain number of the units with the highest stats.
Combat Changes
Morale has been reworked in STIM. The kill rate is reduced by more than half, which makes battles last longer with less casualties and requires players to make more tactical decisions in battle. Individual units are more cohesive and fight better if they are with the main body of troops. Units also tire faster and are more vulnerable to losing their will to fight due to being flanked or attacked from behind.
In addition, Every bonus a unit has is displayed for all units. The time required to hold victory points is significantly longer, allowing much longer battles. All Spear Infantry have Shield Screen or Hoplite Phalanx, and all Roman Infantry can use offensive/defensive testudo, shield walls, or shield screens. Some special abilities, such as Counter-Cavalry tactics, Flaming Spears, Killing Spree, and Use the Whip are removed.
In regards to specific kinds of units that have been changed, cavalry has been changed into a much more potent force with new charge values, which results in proper placement of spearmen essential in STIM. All missile units have increased range and decreased lethal accuracy levels. Also, flaming arrows are now more damaging than non-flaming arrows, and missiles are more effective against light armor and less effective against heavy armor. Transport ships are classed as their own naval category in STIM.
Silven Total Expansion Pack (STEP)
The Silven Total Expansion Pack, or STEP, is a work-in-progress satellite mod to STIM. In a completed state, the goal of STEP is to fill up any gaps a faction’s unit roster has. This mod is being made with the intention of being an optional additional download alongside STIM and is developed and balanced accordingly. Downloading STEP on its own or with a different overhaul mod may cause the game’s units to be unbalanced.
The Team
Silven – Mod Leader
