Das Heilige Römische Reich

Description

This mod focuses on a much more accurate representation of High Medieval Europe, with a special focus on the Holy Roman Empire that had been splitted into 9 factions with the emperor as scripted super-faction. It was formerly known as "The Empire: Total War."

Info

Recent version: 0.8a Beta
Timeframe: 1080 to 1250, 4 turns per year (680 turns)
Map: 199 provinces from Norway to Tunis and Scotland to Jerusalem
Factions: 29 playable factions in the current version (planned: 30)
New graphics: Most units from Vanilla have been replaced, new strat models, faction banners etc

Features

This mods biggest features is the HRE script which creates a "super-faction" by making one of the imperial faction leaders emperor. It includes the following:

Antipopes
Imperial Tax
Imperial Elections
Romzug and Papal Coronation
Imperial Ban
Counter Kings and Civil Wars
Auto-Wars and Auto-Alliances

Another major feature is a set of more than 300 worldly and clerical titles that can be appointed according to possession of provinces, and as part of the offices held by members of the various royal courts. Most worldly titles, as well as some offices can become hereditary during the game in the way that they will be acquired by the sons of former holders when those die.

These titles are also used to give factions a kind of unique constitution. The family members of Venice, for example, can acquire republican offices, the Pope can give curia offices to his generals, while the King of Denmark can appoint jarls in his realms, and so on. As part of this, dHRR also has found a way to manipulate and individualize the way the engine chooses faction heirs, with the result that it will usually happen the way it would have in the respective historical counterpart of each faction.

Another important change from Vanilla M2TW is the system used for recruitment, unit stats and -costs. In dHRR the procedere needed to recruit various units was simplyfied in the way that most units are available from other buildings than barracks, while specific barracks for archers and cavalry have been completly removed; additonally the majority of mercenaries is available in settlements too. In return costs for recruitment and upkeep of high-end units is seriously raised, so that the player will need much more planning ahead to expand his empire. The AI at this point is helped out by a strong money-script, while balanced settings in AI priorities help it to raise both accurate and strong armies.

Nearly all Vanilla units have been replaced by creating unique units, specificly designed to represent European military from the 11th and 12th Century, and by incorporating selected material from other mods. Those Vanilla models and skins that remained have been given new names and roles.