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Difference between revisions of "Stainless Steel"

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m (Team and Credits)
m (Text replacement - "{{Mod Information Table (no map)" to "{{Mod Information Table")
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{{mod5
+
[[File:Ssbanner.png|center]]
|mod=Stainless Steel
+
{{Mod Information Table
|image=[[Image:SS63mainlogo.jpg]]
+
|Platform=[[Medieval 2: Total War|M2TW]] and [[Kingdoms]]
|platform=[[Medieval 2: Total War|M2TW]] and [[Kingdoms]]
+
|Mod Type=Total Conversion
|era=Medieval
+
|Era=Medieval
|leader=[[gracul]]
+
|Mod Leader=[[gracul]]
|formerleader=[[King Kong]]
+
|Release Status=Version 6.4
|mod-folder=In mod-folder
+
|Forum=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=314 Here]
|release=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=377824 Version 6.3]}}
+
}}
 
==Overview==
 
==Overview==
 
Stainless Steel was first started as a mod for [[Medieval 2: Total War]] ([http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=110425 v4.1] and lower), but it switched over to [[Kingdoms]] after the expansion was released.
 
Stainless Steel was first started as a mod for [[Medieval 2: Total War]] ([http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=110425 v4.1] and lower), but it switched over to [[Kingdoms]] after the expansion was released.
Line 16: Line 16:
 
==Features==
 
==Features==
 
===Stainless Steel 6.4 Features===
 
===Stainless Steel 6.4 Features===
Section to be updated after the upcoming release
+
 
 +
====The Campaign====
 +
[[image:Ss64factionselection.jpg|right|470px|]]
 +
*Rebalanced victory conditions.
 +
*Rebalanced building bonuses.
 +
*Guild's HQ's now always offer a faction wide bonus.
 +
*Rebalanced existing missions and added more missions.
 +
*New building, place-able in locations with long rivers.
 +
*Removed Ireland.
 +
*Added a new region below Kiev (Ireland is now 2 regions).
 +
*AI factions tend to stick to their Royal Blood for many generations.
 +
*Alberi di Famiglia Regal implemented.
 +
*New Faction Economy scripts.
 +
*Knight's Templar & Kingdom of Jerusalem have been combined into Crusader States (with mixed units).
 +
*Mongols are finally pagan.
 +
*1TPY Early Era campaign.
 +
*Slave faction are now a lot more active - including the ability to use merchants, spies and assassins.
 +
*New troubadours event.
 +
 
 +
====The Campaign Map====
 +
[[image:Ss61mpoverview.jpg|right|470px|]]
 +
* Completely new and huge campaign map, covering most of Europe and the beginning of Persia.
 +
* New ground types and custom climates.
 +
* Maximum width the engine allows of 510 movement tiles.
 +
* Mountains, hills and map outlines are based on satellite data.
 +
* Work of art coastlines instead of the square 'vanilla' ones.
 +
* Maximum amount of almost 200 historically medieval settlements. (A few had to sacrifice historical accuracy for better game balance)
 +
* Every Region has its own resources, including new valuable resources in the "outbacks" of the map
 +
* Resources are now better balanced, a couple of new resources were also added.
 +
* All resources were moved away from roads, to ensure merchants' peaceful life.
 +
* AI friendly map, the AIs' armies should no longer get stuck.
 +
* Narrow mountain passages were widened enough for agents to freely pass, while armies will still get blocked.
 +
* Missing ports added.
 +
* Rebels spawning on inaccessible terrain fixed and Rebel ships spawning in small lakes fixed.
 +
* Agart's great city & castle models.
 +
 
 +
====The Battle Map & Unit Balance====
 +
[[image:SS6xBattle.jpg|right|470px|]]
 +
*Davide.cool grass mod implemented.
 +
*Water now looks a whole lot better!
 +
*Smoother steppes modification by wolfslayer implemented.
 +
*New war horn sounds by wolfslayer implemented (hand picked by me).
 +
*Ambient sound files for Muslim temples by wolfslayer implemented.
 +
*Magus' Crimson Tide implemented (the no-dirt version).
 +
*Award winning BAI by Germanicu5.
 +
*Swagger's Skymod included.
 +
*Knights Templar units from Lord_Calidor's KT mod implemented.
 +
*BftB units by Caesar Clivus implemented.
 +
*For God and St. George mods by AWellesley.
 +
*Lord Condormanius's Mailed Knights.
 +
*Polish Units by MADTAO included.
 +
*Rusichi mod units implemented.
 +
*Real Recruitment's AoR (Area of Recruitment) system included.
 +
*RR's system nearly fully integrated. (please refer to RR/RC OCT 30 post for more detailed changes)
 +
 
 +
====Traits & Ancilliaries====
 +
*Rebalanced merchant traits for 1TPY.
 +
*As merchants get older, they lose movement points.
 +
*Generals are now a lot easier to educate in settlements with schools etc.
 +
*Faction Leaders can now acquire a set of traits affecting all settlements and generals.
 +
 
 +
====General Changes====
 +
*Auto border-less mode - ALT+TAB in and out of the game without any loading.
 +
*New, epic loading screens.
 +
*New music by Kevin MacLeod, Jon Sayles & Bill Hudak, vanilla MTW2 music was also brought back. (now we have 141 music files + vanilla music, compared to 89 in 6.1 and no vanilla music, that's a hell lot!)
 +
*New main menu background & splash screen by Y2day.
 +
*Faction selection crash fixed.
 +
*All factions accessible in custom battle and hotseat.
 +
*External campaign chooser - for easy hotseat and CTD reduction.
 +
*External launcher application - taking care of things the user would normally do.
 +
*CBUR with most of its features implemented.
 +
*Riczu trade carts removed.
 +
*Parts of Awellesley's 1100AD mod integrated.
 +
*SSTC by Chimaeira implemented.
 +
*Real Horses by Argent Usher implemented.
 +
*CBUR and Unit Card improvement projects by Agis Tournas implemented.
 +
*Animations updates.
 +
*Y2day's faction shields & banners.
 +
*New quotes.
 +
*Proper character aging.
 +
*Byzantine and Kievan Rus unit cards by akvilonn.
 +
*Tax auto-manage should now work properly.
 +
*Added Patriarchs for Orthodox factions.
 +
*All factions now have their one-liner pre-battle speeches activated (more speeches for existing factions, and no more mute Norway, Kwarzemian Empire, etc. generals)
 +
*Unbelievable amount of fixes, both big and small, too many to mention them all.
  
 
===Stainless Steel 4.1 Features===
 
===Stainless Steel 4.1 Features===
Line 72: Line 156:
  
 
====The Mercenaries====
 
====The Mercenaries====
[[image:Stainless_steel_mercsaracens.jpg|right|300px| Screen shot of Mercenary Saracens]]
+
[[image:Ss41mercs.jpg|right|]]
 
*New mercenaries for the Early and High Medieval Period:
 
*New mercenaries for the Early and High Medieval Period:
 
*New and more varied mercenary pools
 
*New and more varied mercenary pools
Line 85: Line 169:
 
*This was done without changing any unit costs
 
*This was done without changing any unit costs
 
====New Traits, Ancillaries, Titles and RPG elements====
 
====New Traits, Ancillaries, Titles and RPG elements====
 +
[[image:Ss41rpgelements.jpg|right|300px|]]
 
*Titles for all Cities and Castles and for both Islamic and Catholic/Orthodox factions and with important bonuses in various settlements.
 
*Titles for all Cities and Castles and for both Islamic and Catholic/Orthodox factions and with important bonuses in various settlements.
 
*Army attrition and supply system demands much more tactical decisions and religion is much more important (Byg's Reality traits)
 
*Army attrition and supply system demands much more tactical decisions and religion is much more important (Byg's Reality traits)
Line 92: Line 177:
 
*New Knights Templar Titles
 
*New Knights Templar Titles
 
====Much more interesting Historical and Game Events====
 
====Much more interesting Historical and Game Events====
*Events for Orders, Inquisitions, Cultur, Battles...
+
[[image:Ss41comingofage.jpg|right|300px|]]
 +
*Events for Orders, Inquisitions, Culture, Battles...
 
*Events when a princess comes of age or when a monarch dies; many different portraits of beautiful and less beautiful princesses
 
*Events when a princess comes of age or when a monarch dies; many different portraits of beautiful and less beautiful princesses
 
*Including New Era Events which affect unit & mercenary recruitment
 
*Including New Era Events which affect unit & mercenary recruitment
Line 103: Line 189:
 
*Imam's required Piety to call a Jihad raised
 
*Imam's required Piety to call a Jihad raised
 
====Settlement and Unit Recruitment Changes====
 
====Settlement and Unit Recruitment Changes====
 +
[[image:Ss41aztecs.jpg|right|300px|]]
 
*Important medieval Cities like Constantinople, Kiev, Rome and Paris more powerful
 
*Important medieval Cities like Constantinople, Kiev, Rome and Paris more powerful
 
*More logical and rebalanced recruitment, for example cities can build more ships & artillery than castles.
 
*More logical and rebalanced recruitment, for example cities can build more ships & artillery than castles.
Line 114: Line 201:
 
* Conquering the Aztecs is much harder
 
* Conquering the Aztecs is much harder
 
====Battles====
 
====Battles====
 +
[[image:Ss41graphics.jpg|right|600px|]]
 
*10 new Custom Battle Maps
 
*10 new Custom Battle Maps
 
*Darth Mod 1.4B battle AI and physics
 
*Darth Mod 1.4B battle AI and physics
Line 131: Line 219:
 
* Historical accurate faction banners and banners for special units (Kings Banner 2.0)
 
* Historical accurate faction banners and banners for special units (Kings Banner 2.0)
 
* More spectacular Sky variations and little more blood (improved Horsearcher's skymod)
 
* More spectacular Sky variations and little more blood (improved Horsearcher's skymod)
 
  
 
== Team and Credits==
 
== Team and Credits==
=== Version 6.3 ===
+
=== Version 6.4 ===
 
*[[gracul]] -  Leader
 
*[[gracul]] -  Leader
 
 
*[[King Kong]] - SS 6.1
 
*[[King Kong]] - SS 6.1
 
*[[Point Blank]] - RR/RC, lots of things
 
*[[Point Blank]] - RR/RC, lots of things
 
*[[Byg]] - support and BGR
 
*[[Byg]] - support and BGR
*[[Caesar Clivus]] - support and CBUR
+
*[[Caesar Clivus]] - forum handling, support and CBUR
 
*[[Rozanov]] - coding and ideas
 
*[[Rozanov]] - coding and ideas
 
*[[Germanicu5]] - coding and ideas, BAI
 
*[[Germanicu5]] - coding and ideas, BAI
 
*[[y2day]] - art & graphics
 
*[[y2day]] - art & graphics
 
*[[Awellesley]] - units & support
 
*[[Awellesley]] - units & support
 +
*[[Bane_tw]] - forum handling and bug fixing
 +
*[[Ishan]] - forum handling and bug fixing
 +
*[[cedric37]] - art & ui graphics
  
 
Beta testers:
 
Beta testers:
*Smikis
+
*[[Smikis]]
*Bane_tw
+
*[[Navajo Joe]]
*sancco
+
*[[sancco]]
*TheColdTruth
+
*[[TheColdTruth]]
*Zanze
+
*[[Zanze]]
*CamilleBonparte
+
*[[CamilleBonparte]]
*adecoy95
+
*[[adecoy95]]
*nonnob3
+
*[[nonnob3]]
*PedroL
+
*[[PedroL]]
*Navajo Joe
+
 
  
 
Other contributors:
 
Other contributors:
 +
*(HG)LordKoal, (HG)Super, (HG)Iliturgitano, (HG)Xaviar, (HG)Carlos, (HG)Adrics, CeltiberoThormes, penyetta, garcy170 (Spanish translation)
 +
*Fred Putz (German translation)
 +
*warman222 (new combo&death animations)
 +
*Baraban (textures & model fixes)
 +
*KDK (ui graphics)
 +
*beikon & gord69 (Steam help)
 +
*Fair Prince (SSNOP, SSHCP, SSTAIP)
 +
*newt (No Waiting)
 
*[[Savage]] - CAI
 
*[[Savage]] - CAI
 
*[[Caralampio]]
 
*[[Caralampio]]
Line 190: Line 287:
 
*[[Lord Calidor]] - KT mod
 
*[[Lord Calidor]] - KT mod
 
*[[Quark]] (wherever you are right now)
 
*[[Quark]] (wherever you are right now)
<!--Other credit versions removed, refered to forum topic--><!--
 
=== Version 6.2 ===
 
Leader: gracul
 
 
Thanks:
 
* King Kong
 
* wolfslayer
 
* Quark
 
* Rozanov
 
* caralampio
 
* Byg
 
* Santiago de Pola
 
* agart (strat model castles)
 
* Soupdragon (watchtower)
 
* Loose Cannon (beta tester)
 
* Point Blank (rr/rc)
 
* ziher (darker nights)
 
* y2day (unit info cards, faction symbols, splash screen)
 
* Horsearcher(skymod)
 
* Ketchup (text writer)
 
* Argent Usher (real horse)
 
* Csatádi (hungarian map)
 
* gewehr36 (pagan mongols)
 
* many other people that suggested features/reported bugs/delivered small fixes.
 
 
=== Version 6.0 and 6.1 ===
 
Leader: King Kong
 
 
Thanks:
 
First of all, I want to thank Quark for his intense help, support and great ideas in the last months.
 
* Akvilonn (Unit info cards)
 
* Alletun (Faction symbols)
 
* Apkairan (Loading screens)
 
* B.A.L.T.S team (Unit models & textures)
 
* Burrek (Unit textures)
 
* Byg (Army Supply system)
 
* Danova (Unit models & textures)
 
* Dearmad & Pnutmaster (Traits & Ancillaries)
 
* Disgruntled Goat (Unit textures)
 
* Doge Cristoforo (Beta Tester)
 
* Echad (for his great support)
 
* finneys (Historical character names)
 
* hellfire15 (Beta Tester)
 
* Horsearcher (Sky textures)
 
* Ice Beast (Unit stats tables)
 
* IZ Master (Beta Tester)
 
* Joe Dreck (Banners)
 
* Kalos (Unit textures)
 
* Lusted (Battle & Campaign AI)
 
* Point Blank (Unit stats & balance)
 
* Quark (Traits & Ancillaries, Wonders, Events, Beta Tester and great supporter)
 
* Rex Cobalt (Unit textures)
 
* Riczu74 (Trade ship & Siege models)
 
* Rozanov (Beta Tester)
 
* Salty (Shield textures)
 
* Seleukosart (Intro video)
 
* shenryyr (Beta Tester)
 
* Sher Khan (Unit cards)
 
* Nikola Aleksic (aka Sir Nicholas Altman) (Beta Tester)
 
* Skaven (Unit cards, extraordinary efforts)
 
* Tommyknocker (Campaign map)
 
* trashing_mad (Heavy Hussars)
 
* Tyre (Unit textures)
 
* wolfslayer (Beta Tester and contributions)
 
* Xeryx (For great efforts and work, Beta tester)
 
* Ziher (Shield textures)
 
for the 6.1 patch:
 
* Quark (for the help with character traits and scripts)
 
* Point Blank (for his great Real Recruitment)
 
* Byg (For his help in implementing BygIII)
 
* gracul (for his patient help with the new installer)
 
 
=== Version 5.x ===
 
Leader: King Kong
 
  
Thanks:
 
* Alletun for making beautiful symbols and designs for my mod
 
* Student for his help and research on the Knights Templar
 
* Disgruntled Goat for his outstanding unit textures
 
* Yuiis, shaeffer, numerosdecimus, M2_Junky for their great contributions
 
* Byg for his Reality traits
 
* Horsearcher, Ziher, Plasticfigurine, Salty, Headlock for their graphical improvements
 
* Burrek for his unique European textures
 
* Joe Dreck for his Kings Banner mod
 
* Dearmad and Pnutmaster for BBB 2.1
 
* Unspoken Knight for his config file entries
 
* Lusted for his great battle and campaign AI
 
* Tyre for some of his new textures
 
* My beta testers Ceasar Clivius, Kalos, wonkuruben, delra, Rozanov, Pachinko and numerosdecimus
 
* Quark for being a great help in many occasions
 
* All others who have contrbuted in the forum with their ideas, suggestions and their (bug) reports!
 
-->
 
 
=== Version 4.1 ===
 
=== Version 4.1 ===
Leader: King Kong
+
Leader: [[King Kong]]
  
 
Thanks:
 
Thanks:
* Alletun for making beautiful symbols and designs for my mod
+
*[[Alletun]] for making beautiful symbols and designs for my mod
* Student for his help and research on the Knights Templar
+
*[[Student]] for his help and research on the Knights Templar
* Disgruntled Goat for his outstanding unit textures
+
*[[Disgruntled Goat]] for his outstanding unit textures
* Darth Vader for his battle AI and physics
+
*[[Darth Vader]] for his battle AI and physics
* Grand Viz for his Ultimate AI
+
*[[Grand Viz]] for his Ultimate AI
* Yuiis, shaeffer, numerosdecimus, M2_Junky for their great contributions
+
*[[Yuiis]], [[shaeffer]], [[numerosdecimus]], [[M2_Junky]] for their great contributions
* Byg for his Reality traits
+
*[[Byg]] for his Reality traits
* Horsearcher, Ziher, Plasticfigurine, Salty, Headlock for their graphical improvements
+
*[[Horsearcher]], [[Ziher]], [[Plasticfigurine]], [[Salty]], [[Headlock]] for their graphical improvements
* Burrek for his unique European textures
+
*[[Burrek]] for his unique European textures
* Joe Dreck for his Kings Banner mod
+
*[[Joe Dreck]] for his Kings Banner mod
* Dearmad and Pnutmaster for BBB
+
*[[Dearmad]] and [[Pnutmaster]] for BBB
* All others who contributed in the Stainless Steel forum
+
*All others who contributed in the Stainless Steel forum
 
for the help with the 4.1 patch:
 
for the help with the 4.1 patch:
* Lusted, Klink and DrJambo for their battle AI
+
*[[Lusted]], [[Klink]] and [[DrJambo]] for their battle AI
* Quark and shaeffer for being a great help
+
*[[Quark]] and [[shaeffer]] for being a great help
* Nerazzurri for the Movies fix and the Stainless Steel icon.
+
*[[Nerazzurri]] for the Movies fix and the Stainless Steel icon.
* Tyre for some of his new skins
+
*[[Tyre]] for some of his new skins
* All others for their feedback and bug reports
+
*All others for their feedback and bug reports
<!--
 
=== Version 3.x ===
 
*[[King Kong]] - leader / creator
 
*[[Alletun]] - symbols and graphics
 
*[[Student]] - help and research on the Knights Templar
 
*[[Burrek]] and [[Whitewolf]] - new unit textures
 
*[[Horsearcher]], [[ziher]], [[Plasticfigurine]], [[Headlock]] - various graphical improvements
 
-->
 
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
A full list of credits for all release versions can be found in this [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=410270 forum topic]
 
A full list of credits for all release versions can be found in this [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=410270 forum topic]
Line 319: Line 317:
  
 
==Releases==
 
==Releases==
 +
Version 6.4 released in [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=417435 this thread] on the 10th of January 2011.
 +
 
Version 6.3 released in [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=377824 this thread] on the 3rd of August 2010
 
Version 6.3 released in [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=377824 this thread] on the 3rd of August 2010
  
Line 330: Line 330:
  
 
Version 2.2 was released in [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=80216 this thread] in January 2007.
 
Version 2.2 was released in [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=80216 this thread] in January 2007.
 
==See Also==
 
 
[[Stainless Steel (form)|Stainless Steel - Mod Registration Form]]
 
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
Line 340: Line 336:
  
  
[[Category:TWC_Hosted_Modifications]]
+
[[Category:M2TW Mods (Released)]]
[[Category:Medieval 2: Total War Modifications (Released)]]
+
[[Category:M2TW Mods (Hosted)]]

Revision as of 05:33, 15 May 2019

Ssbanner.png
Stainless Steel
Platform M2TW and Kingdoms
Mod Type Total Conversion
EraMedieval
Mod Leader gracul
Release Status Version 6.4
Forum / Thread Here

Overview

Stainless Steel was first started as a mod for Medieval 2: Total War (v4.1 and lower), but it switched over to Kingdoms after the expansion was released. It combines bug fixes, many small mods, changes to AI and AI armies, more provinces, graphical improvements and many other campaign and battle map changes in a package aimed at providing a much greater challenge and more enjoyable gameplay.
It is one of the most popular mods for Medieval 2, but is surpassed in popularity by Third Age: Total War.
Stainless Steel mostly keeps the same setting as the original Medieval 2 campaign, though it expands the map east and north while removing America.

Features

Stainless Steel 6.4 Features

The Campaign

Ss64factionselection.jpg
  • Rebalanced victory conditions.
  • Rebalanced building bonuses.
  • Guild's HQ's now always offer a faction wide bonus.
  • Rebalanced existing missions and added more missions.
  • New building, place-able in locations with long rivers.
  • Removed Ireland.
  • Added a new region below Kiev (Ireland is now 2 regions).
  • AI factions tend to stick to their Royal Blood for many generations.
  • Alberi di Famiglia Regal implemented.
  • New Faction Economy scripts.
  • Knight's Templar & Kingdom of Jerusalem have been combined into Crusader States (with mixed units).
  • Mongols are finally pagan.
  • 1TPY Early Era campaign.
  • Slave faction are now a lot more active - including the ability to use merchants, spies and assassins.
  • New troubadours event.

The Campaign Map

Ss61mpoverview.jpg
  • Completely new and huge campaign map, covering most of Europe and the beginning of Persia.
  • New ground types and custom climates.
  • Maximum width the engine allows of 510 movement tiles.
  • Mountains, hills and map outlines are based on satellite data.
  • Work of art coastlines instead of the square 'vanilla' ones.
  • Maximum amount of almost 200 historically medieval settlements. (A few had to sacrifice historical accuracy for better game balance)
  • Every Region has its own resources, including new valuable resources in the "outbacks" of the map
  • Resources are now better balanced, a couple of new resources were also added.
  • All resources were moved away from roads, to ensure merchants' peaceful life.
  • AI friendly map, the AIs' armies should no longer get stuck.
  • Narrow mountain passages were widened enough for agents to freely pass, while armies will still get blocked.
  • Missing ports added.
  • Rebels spawning on inaccessible terrain fixed and Rebel ships spawning in small lakes fixed.
  • Agart's great city & castle models.

The Battle Map & Unit Balance

SS6xBattle.jpg
  • Davide.cool grass mod implemented.
  • Water now looks a whole lot better!
  • Smoother steppes modification by wolfslayer implemented.
  • New war horn sounds by wolfslayer implemented (hand picked by me).
  • Ambient sound files for Muslim temples by wolfslayer implemented.
  • Magus' Crimson Tide implemented (the no-dirt version).
  • Award winning BAI by Germanicu5.
  • Swagger's Skymod included.
  • Knights Templar units from Lord_Calidor's KT mod implemented.
  • BftB units by Caesar Clivus implemented.
  • For God and St. George mods by AWellesley.
  • Lord Condormanius's Mailed Knights.
  • Polish Units by MADTAO included.
  • Rusichi mod units implemented.
  • Real Recruitment's AoR (Area of Recruitment) system included.
  • RR's system nearly fully integrated. (please refer to RR/RC OCT 30 post for more detailed changes)

Traits & Ancilliaries

  • Rebalanced merchant traits for 1TPY.
  • As merchants get older, they lose movement points.
  • Generals are now a lot easier to educate in settlements with schools etc.
  • Faction Leaders can now acquire a set of traits affecting all settlements and generals.

General Changes

  • Auto border-less mode - ALT+TAB in and out of the game without any loading.
  • New, epic loading screens.
  • New music by Kevin MacLeod, Jon Sayles & Bill Hudak, vanilla MTW2 music was also brought back. (now we have 141 music files + vanilla music, compared to 89 in 6.1 and no vanilla music, that's a hell lot!)
  • New main menu background & splash screen by Y2day.
  • Faction selection crash fixed.
  • All factions accessible in custom battle and hotseat.
  • External campaign chooser - for easy hotseat and CTD reduction.
  • External launcher application - taking care of things the user would normally do.
  • CBUR with most of its features implemented.
  • Riczu trade carts removed.
  • Parts of Awellesley's 1100AD mod integrated.
  • SSTC by Chimaeira implemented.
  • Real Horses by Argent Usher implemented.
  • CBUR and Unit Card improvement projects by Agis Tournas implemented.
  • Animations updates.
  • Y2day's faction shields & banners.
  • New quotes.
  • Proper character aging.
  • Byzantine and Kievan Rus unit cards by akvilonn.
  • Tax auto-manage should now work properly.
  • Added Patriarchs for Orthodox factions.
  • All factions now have their one-liner pre-battle speeches activated (more speeches for existing factions, and no more mute Norway, Kwarzemian Empire, etc. generals)
  • Unbelievable amount of fixes, both big and small, too many to mention them all.

Stainless Steel 4.1 Features

The Campaign

The whole game pace is slightly lowered. The default game length is about 350 turns (1.5 years per turn). However, you have also the option to play the game with the original game length of 225 turns. Population limits for settlement upgrades raised, building times and costs slightly increased. Heavy Infantry units are recruitbale later, therefore every faction gets an additional light infantry unit.

The Campaign Map

SS41campaignmapdetail.jpg
  • Campaign Map completely resized and reworked
  • Slight Map Extension to the north and east
  • More space between settlements in order to have more field battles
  • Many new details like smoother forests, new rivers, mountains, isles, trade routes
  • Slightly changed borders of all regions in order to make them less noticeable
  • About 50 New Provinces, well spreaded and historically correct (Exeter, Bari, Oporto, Arta, Barcelona, Belgrade, Balearic Isles, Bryansk, Lyon, Athens, Munster, Ancona, Isle of Lesvos, Warsaw, Diyarbakir, Salzburg, Kirov, Melilla, Salamanca, Groningen, Clermont, Thebes, Mecca, Basra, Astrakhan, Tortosa, El-Oued, Sinop, Norrkoeping, Benghazi, ...)
  • Every Region has its own ressources, including new valuable resources in the "outbacks" of the map.
  • Some ressources deleted to make others more valuable

The Campaign AI

Stainless Steel 4.x uses GrandViz Ultimate AI, specifically Ultimate AI 1.5. The Ultimate AI Mod is a complete redesign of the vanilla campaign AI, providing a more challenging and diplomatically active AI opponent. It also includes a lot of balance tweaks to settlement mechanics, economy (tax, trade, costs), population growth, religion and public order.

The New Factions

Kievan Rus
Ss41kievrus.jpg
Crown of Aragon
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Order of the Knights Templar
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The Mercenaries

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  • New mercenaries for the Early and High Medieval Period:
  • New and more varied mercenary pools
  • Greater mercenary variety
  • Mercenaries have more experience
  • Less mercenary missile units
  • Regions have more of mercenary special units

Improved and challenging AI Armies

  • Proper Mix of Infantry, Missiles, Cavalry and Artillery.
  • AI produces more Elite and Heavy units.
  • This was done without changing any unit costs

New Traits, Ancillaries, Titles and RPG elements

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  • Titles for all Cities and Castles and for both Islamic and Catholic/Orthodox factions and with important bonuses in various settlements.
  • Army attrition and supply system demands much more tactical decisions and religion is much more important (Byg's Reality traits)
  • Countless new Traits, Transferable Titles, Ancillaries (Blood, Broads, & Bastards 2.x)
  • Patriarch titles for Orthodox Factions available
  • Many broken Character Traits and Ancillaries fixed
  • New Knights Templar Titles

Much more interesting Historical and Game Events

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  • Events for Orders, Inquisitions, Culture, Battles...
  • Events when a princess comes of age or when a monarch dies; many different portraits of beautiful and less beautiful princesses
  • Including New Era Events which affect unit & mercenary recruitment
  • Events who inform about the fall of any faction's capital cities.

Agents and Characters

  • Historically accurate Character Names (CNP 3.0)
  • Reasonable limits for assassins, spies and priests
  • Agents rebalanced
  • Captains are less likely to rebel
  • Imam's required Piety to call a Jihad raised

Settlement and Unit Recruitment Changes

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  • Important medieval Cities like Constantinople, Kiev, Rome and Paris more powerful
  • More logical and rebalanced recruitment, for example cities can build more ships & artillery than castles.
  • Early/Late Generals rarely recruitable in castles/citadels
  • Income, city growth and distance to capital punishment rebalanced
  • More balanced money script to support AI Factions
  • Byzantium can build Highways
  • Added many missing and additional units such as Dismounted Gothic Knights, English Armored Sergeants, Dismounted Broken Lances, Hussars, Greek Arquebusiers, Desert Raiders and more
  • Rebalanced and fixed guild triggers
  • Historically more accurate Faction Names
  • Conquering the Aztecs is much harder

Battles

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  • 10 new Custom Battle Maps
  • Darth Mod 1.4B battle AI and physics
  • More balanced units stats and costs
  • Longer Lasting Battles due to slightly higher morale
  • More realistic battle map movement

Graphics

  • Completely new Faction Symbols & Menu Designs by Alletun
  • 20 new epic loading screens
  • New Symbols for the battle map
  • New unique Shield textures for all catholic factions
  • New unique Unit Textures for all European Early & High units (Burrek)
  • New unique Unit Textures for all Feudal & Mailed Knights (Knights&Knaves)
  • New unique unit textures for all Order Knights armor upgrades
  • High quality unit textures & banners for Byzantium (DG's One Faction At A Time)
  • New unit textures and banners for Hungary (Magyar Mod + own additions and improvements)
  • Historical accurate faction banners and banners for special units (Kings Banner 2.0)
  • More spectacular Sky variations and little more blood (improved Horsearcher's skymod)

Team and Credits

Version 6.4

Beta testers:


Other contributors:

Version 4.1

Leader: King Kong

Thanks:

for the help with the 4.1 patch:


A full list of credits for all release versions can be found in this forum topic

History

Stainless steel 2.0 has been included on the free DVD supplied with a UK gaming magazine.

Releases

Version 6.4 released in this thread on the 10th of January 2011.

Version 6.3 released in this thread on the 3rd of August 2010

Version 6.0/6.1 released in this thread in April 2008

Version 5.0/5.1 released in this thread in October 2007.

Version 4.0/4.1 released in this thread in July 2007.

Version 3.2 was released for the M2TW official patch 1.2 in this thread in May 2007.

Version 2.2 was released in this thread in January 2007.

External Links

Stainless Steel at TWC