posted 05-30-15 09:10 PM CT (US)
Total Conversion
Time period: 300AD – 1072AD (depending on region)
Migration threatens existing cultures
Religious and social changes as new cultures meet
Establishment of new states as people settle into new lands
Well they did deal increasingly with the expansion of Turkic and Mongolic peoples infringing on their lands. And it was one of the bloodiest periods in Chinese history. It was not a dark age as far as technology goes. But they were dark and troubling times even for the world’s greatest civilizations.
True, but again the constant warfare and incursions of new peoples into their borders fits nicely with the themes of the mod and these civilizations are necessary for the other civilizations—even if the label “Dark ages” doesn’t really apply to them.
Nomadic peasants are faster, carry more
Buildings that do not attack, and are not walls/gates can be
converted like sheep. So grabbing your enemies’ military
base is completely possible. But he is likely to grab it back if you don’t keep defenders nearby, or wall if off.
Light infantry don’t receive armor upgrades
Skirmisher, archer, and cavalry archer lines don’t receive armor upgrades
Cavalry archers and skirmishers are faster
Skirmishers have less range, less piercing armor and are a trash unit, not an anti-archer unit. But their speed makes them decent guerrilla warriors if micro managed.
Spearmen have shields and thus piercing armor and archers no longer have a bonus vs them. This makes the swordsman the best unit for countering them.
Cataphracts are available to multiple civs. They are slower than all other cavalry (except elephants) but have substantial melee and piercing armor.
Camels are less powerful and available to only Arabs and Moors (others civs used them but exclusively as pack animals and transports).
Elephants are available to multiple civs and have an attack bonus vs cavalry.
Mercenary units are available but differ by civs and have a high gold cost.
In the earliest age you are part of a tribe just trying to stay alive and increase your population. Populations are small and armies are smaller. Because you lack the technology and infrastructure to make resource gathering efficient, the bulk of the population has no time to train for war. War is carried out by bands of warriors. Only the elite can afford weapons and have the time to train with them. Only elite infantry swordsmen, elite cavalry, and some UUs are available. For established civs (Eastern and Western Romans, Chinese, Koreans, Persians, Indians) this can be thought of as either the pre-history of those same civilizations, or the beginnings of new colonies. Nomadic civilizations get super cheap, mobile yurt-based architecture with VERY low HPs.
With an increase in population, infrastructure, and to a lesser extent technology, you can now supplement the warrior class with loosely trained infantry spearmen, skirmishers, archers, and even cavalry. But these are merely peasants and should only be relied on to bolster the warrior-class armies or in times of necessity. Elite warriors still reign supreme, and the stirrup, barding armor, and breeding of larger faster war horses give cavalry the edge over levy infantry (in most cases). Defensive technology increases somewhat as does resource gathering and military technology. Lastly you can team-up with other civilizations for raiding--gaining access to one or two of their unit types.
Even more infrastructure and influence means that now trained armies can be raised and equipped by the state or local leaders (nobles, warlords, etc…). Light infantry spearmen and skirmisher get improved training. Archers light cavalry, and siege engineers become an intermediate class of warriors. Heavy spearmen are now trainable as well. Defenses and agriculture technologies improve somewhat. Your civilization is booming and ready to take over new lands. Infantry and light cavalry are better able to stand up to elite swordsmen and cavalry.
Your civilization has found a home. You are no longer migrating en mass, but instead, expanding from a centralized position. As a result, buildings are more permanent (more HPs) but cost more and take longer to build. Nomadic civilizations yurt architecture is replaced by permanent buildings. Additionally you can choose a culture to settle among, altering your tech tree and building graphics.
Light cavalry and cavalry archers take longer to train, cost more, or must be purchased as mercenaries. Defensive technology improves drastically. Stone walls and fortresses replace wooden ones. Infrastructure and troop training improves (faster train times). Cheap, quickly trained but slow loading crossbowmen become available (for a few Civs: Chinese, Celts, Khemers).
Note that depending on the civilization, goals, and play style, this may NOT be an age worth advancing to (Turks, Mongols, Goths, and Scythians could alternatively use those resources for offensive maneuvers). Other civilizations will race to this age to gain access to impressive defensive structures (Romans, Khmers, Indians, Chinese, Koreans, Slavs).
Swordsman (1) ->
Peasant Spearman (2) ->
Heavy Spearman (3)
Bowman (2) ->
Skirmisher (2) ->
Cavalry Skirmisher (2) ->
Cavalry Archer (1) ->
Elephant Archer (2)
Crossbowman (4)
Elite Cavalry (1) ->
Scout Cavalry (2) ->
Elephant (2)
Dismounted cavalry (1): gain cavalry armor bonuses but are slow and expensive. Used only by cavalry armies if they really need an anti-spear unit.
Battering Ram (2) ->
Bucket Onager (3) ->
Sling Onager (4)
Scorpion (3) ->
Traction Trebuchet (3)
Tower shield: Slows spearmen and heavy spearmen, but increases adds armor (+0/+2)
Shield wall: Slows infantry but increases armor (+0/+2)
Overhand thrust: Increase spear attack
Recurve bow (2) ->
Thumb ring (2 or 3): increases archer (but not skirmisher or crossbowman) firing rate.
Sidearm (3?): Decreases archer and skirmisher minimum range to 0/
Stirrup: Increases cavalry and cavalry archer (but not elephant or chariot) attack rate.
Parthian shot: Increases cavalry firing rate.
Heavy horse?: Increases elite cavalry and heavy cavalry archer HPs.
Husbandry: Increase cavalry speed.
Cavalry charge: Increase elite cavalry attack, adds trample damage.
Brickwork: Increases building HPs.
Watermill: increases woodcutting speed
Ard (1) ->
Elite cavalry armor: Mail coat (2) ->
Light cavalry armor: Mail vest (2 or 3) ->
Swordsmen armor: Mail shirt (1) ->
Heavy spearmen armor: Mail shirt (1) ->
Light infantry armor: Mail vest (4) (affects light spearmen, crossbowmen, and some UUs)
Cavalry barding (2): Very expensive upgrade that turns Elite cavalry into Cataphracts
Light Cavalry Barding: increases armor for light cavalry, changes graphics to “Elite light cavalry” unit
Melee attack upgrades: Carburization (1) ->
Under this set of armor technologies they type of armor (lamelar, scale, chain) is irrelevant. Lighter units might use leather or iron, but the protection is tied to the length and coverage of the armor, not the material or style.
Elite cavalry armor: Iron lamelar (1) ->
Light cavalry armor: Leather lamelar (2) ->
Swordsmen armor: Iron lamelar (1) ->
Heavy spearmen armor: Iron lamelar (1) ->
Cavalry barding: Leather lamelar (1) ->
Under this alternative set of armor technologies, the heavy units are assumed to have more extensive armor (regardless of type) compared to lighter units. Heavy units also start with leather armor.
Navy: (needs work)
Defensive structures: (needs work)
Wonders (needs work)
Religion: (needs work)
Infantry, archery, and light cavalry civ.
UU = Mubarizun: Very powerful Champion (infantry maybe?).
UT = Mamelukes: Takes a long time, but gives access to cheap home-grown (not mercenary) cavalry archers.
Strength and weaknesses:
No heavy cavalry. Do not get cavalry archer upgrade.
Mercenary cavalry archers (Turkish Mamelukes)
Strong foot archers, good infantry.
Good light cavalry.
Advanced technology, seigecraft, and defenses.
Get Camels?
Raid with:
Moors: Improve skirmishers and cavalry skirmishers. Add slingers.
Settle Among:
Arabs
Persians: Add catphracts and catphract archers. Gain Persian Techs. Weakens light spearmen and swordsmen?
Infantry, archery, and light cavalry civ.
UU = Slingers: High attack and accuracy. Medium cost, but very fast training time. But only medium range. Will be outclassed by fully upgraded archers, but can be cranked out quickly for defense or rushing in early ages.
UT =
Strength and weaknesses:
Weaker heavy cavalry.
Do not get cavalry archer upgrade.
Mercenary cavalry archers (Turkish Mamelukes)
Strong foot archers and skirmishers (plus slingers).
Good infantry.
Good cavalry.
Advanced technology, seigecraft, and defenses.
Get Camels
Raid with:
Arabs: Better Spearmen? Add Mubarizun?
Settle Among:
Berbers
Iberians: Add heavy cavalry. Improve Heavy Infantry. Lose Slingers?
Cataphract and defensive civ.
UU1 = Greek fire ship (4): same as in game, but slightly better.
UU2 = Greek fire tower (4): short range anti-ship and siege tower.
UU3 = Varangian Guard (4 with "welcome Varangians"): Super heavy infantry with attack bonus versus other infantry. Has hero mode enabled so they stay at the back of the formation, regenerate, and cannot be converted.
UT = Justinian compensation. Cheaper military units. Justinian often short changed his troops and made them “donate” their pay to the empire if they died.
Strength and weaknesses:
Good heavy cavalry and heavy spearmen.
Only mercenary light cavalry archers
Poor foot archers.
No light infantry.
No heavy swordsmen, just dismounted cavalry.
Mercenary Varangian guard (houscarls)
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
Eastern Romans
???
???
Light infantry and monk civ.
UU = Woad raider (1): Elite light infantry, fast but doesn’t benefit from armor upgrades.
UU2 = Chairiot (1): Poor mans heavy cavalry that is outclassed by heavy cavalry after Age 1 (these WERE still in use among some Pictish and Breton tribes according to some sources).
UT = Arthurian Legend: Gain Arthurian Knights. I know the cavalry aspect is probably wrong, but who can resist giving the Sub-Romans this option?
Strength and weaknesses:
Faster spearmen.
Bonuses for skirmisher cavalry?
Faster skirmishers?
Cheaper, more accurate (but otherwise weak) archers.
Weak cavalry.
Excellent tower defenses (Duns and Booches).
Also get cheap wooden hill forts.
Weak crossbows (only if Picts are included in this civ).
Weak siege craft?
Excellent monks (pre- or post-Christianization).
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
Celts
Franks: Improve Light cavalry. Improve heavy spearmen. Add heavy cavalry? Lose light infantry and skirmisher speed bonuses? Lose woad raiders?
Sub-Romans: Light spearmen gain large shields (slower but better piercing armor). Lose Woad Raiders? Gain Arthurian legend UT?
Welcome Ostmen: Must be settled among Celts. Add Mercenary heavy swordsmen, heavy spearmen, and houscarls.
Defensive and crossbow civ.
UU = ??
UT = ChuKoNu (4): Increases castle and tower attack rate.
Strength and weaknesses:
Cheaper crossbows.
Easily heavy spearmen and crossbow combination.
No skirmishers.
Good cavalry.
Only mercenary light cavalry archers.
Food and villager bonuses from AoK?
Excellent walls and towers.
Solid siege craft.
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
Chinese
Infantry civ that becomes a heavy cavalry civ.
UU = Throwing axeman (1): fast, (low) ranged , light infantry, bonus vs other infantry.
UT = Paladins: improves heavy cavalry in some way?
Strength and weaknesses:
Good mix of cavalry and infantry.
Poor archers.
No cavalry archers.
Only moderately good fortifications.
Raid with:
Huns: Add light cavalry archers and torch cavalry.
Settle Among:
Franks
Gallo-Romans: Light heavy cavalry. Add technologies? Add stone fortifications? Weakens throwing axemen.
Subjugate Gepids: Must be settled among Gallo-Romans. Improve heavy cavalry.
Semi-nomadic Infantry and Cavalry civ.
UU = Gadraught (1): Light infantry with poor accuracy (swings and misses at times) but massive attack and bonuses vs buildings.
UT =
Strength and weaknesses:
Excellent heavy and light infantry and cavalry.
Okay archers.
No cavalry archer.
No fortifications until Age 4.
Forts are cheap but weak wagon forts.
Raid with:
Huns: Add light cavalry archers and torch cavalry.
Franks: Add throwing axemen.
Slavs: Add light axemen. Improve skirmishers.
Scythians: Add catphracts, catphract archers, and light cavalry archers.
Settle among:
Iberians: Gain stone fortifications. Improve cavalry skirmishers. (Visigoths)
Romans: Gain stone fortifications. Gain roman towers and defensive technologies. (Ostrogoths)
Berbers: Improve ship hit points. Improve skirmishers and cavalry skirmishers. (Vandals)
Defensive archer civ.
UU = Steel Longbowman (1): elite archer with range comparable to a recurve bowman but higher attack damage.
UU2 = Chariot archer (1): poor man’s cavalry archer. Slow turning, but accurate and fast firing.
UU3 = Scythed Chariot (1): shock cavalry. Rapidly does damage the longer it is next to a unit (like a fire ship but with trample damage).
UT = Bamboo Longbow (2): increases archer range and attack
UT2 = Wootz steel (4): increases melee damage
Strength and weaknesses:
No cavalry archers.
Weak heavy cavalry?
No heavy infantry.
Light infantry bonuses?
Good fortifications.
Cheaper archers.
Elephants.
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
Northern Indians: Add catphracts. Weaken chariots.
Southern Indians: Faster light spears and light swordsmen.
Heavy archer and Heavy Cavalry archer civ.
UU = Dismounted Samurai archer (4): heavy foot archer with good armor and no minimum range.
UU2 = Samurai (4): Heavy cavalry archer with good armor and no minimal range.
Possibly a unique Naganata spearman?
UT = Feudalize: makes samurai available. Weakens other infantry.
Strength and weaknesses:
Good heavy cavalry archers.
No light cavalry archers.
Decent archers and infantry.
Decent fortifications.
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
Japanese
Koreans: ???
Elephant civilization.
UU = Ballista elephant (3): Ballista with tons of hit points and no minimum range, but weak to spears.
UT =
Strength and weaknesses:
Ballista Elephants are the most powerful unit in the game.
No heavy infantry.
Solid archers, light spearmen, and light swordsmen.
Excellent elephants.
No heavy cavalry.
No cavalry archers.
Excellent fortifications.
Excellent siege craft (scorpion bonuses?)
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
???
Cavalry civilization?
UU: Hrwang -but what type of unit are they?
UT =
Strength and weaknesses:
This civ is a tough one. They just sound like China with more archers and fewer crossbows. Maybe more horses and less infantry.
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
???
Nomadic cavalry archer civ.
UU: War drummer (1): Fast moving monk used for healing only, that keeps up with their cavalry. Note that the cavalry archer line will replace the mangudia.
UT =
Strength and weaknesses:
Nomadic
No walls or fortifications until age 4
Poor infantry
Excellent cavalry
Cataracts are slower and have fewer hit points.
Cheap home-grown cavalry archers.
More accurate cavalry archers – best in the game.
Weak siege weapons?
Raid with:
Turks: Add heavy cavalry.
Scythians: Improve catphracts and catphract archers.
Settle among:
Chinese: Add heavy infantry. Weaken light cavalry archers.
Infantry and naval civ.
UU1 = Berserker (1): Light infantry with no armor, trample damage, low accuracy and high attack. This unit can be sent like an explosive to cut a swath through the enemy, but will likely die in the process (unless he is lucky).
UU2 = Houscarl (3): Extremely heavy infantry with a slow but very powerful attack.
UU3 = Longship (3): Same as in game.
Strength and weaknesses:
Excellent infantry.
Multiple infantry types that do not require much in the way of upgrades (so you can mix and match depending on the situation).
Good archers and skirmishers.
Good spearmen.
Lose heavy cavalry after the first period (the Norse fought on horseback during the earlier Vendel period).
Terrible cavalry (unless you settle among Slavs or Franks)
No cavalry archers.
Only moderately good fortifications.
Faster ships.
Weak siege craft.
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
Norse
Celts: Faster spearmen and skirmishers?
Franks: Add Norman charger (heavy cavalry). Add crossbowmen. Improve light cavalry. Add cavalry skirmishers. Lose houscarls. Lose berserkers. Lose attack bonus versus monks and monasteries.
Slavs: Improve light cavalry. Add heavy cavalry.
Anglo-Saxons: ???
Cataphract and defensive civ.
UU: Zhayedan (1): Elite rear guard "immortal" cataphracts. Has hero mode enabled so they stay at the back of the formation, regenerate, and cannot be converted.
UT =
Strength and weaknesses:
Excellent technology.
Excellent fortifications.
Excellent heavy cavalry.
Only mercenary light cavalry archers.
Poor infantry (unarmored spearmen and dismounted cavalry)
Elephants.
Solid siege craft.
Expensive units are required to be good (like AoK Koreans)
Raid with:
???
Settle among:
???
Fealty to Turks: Improve swordsmen? Improve light cavalry. Cheaper cavalry archers (no longer mercenaries). Weakens catphract and catphract archers.
Fealty to Arabs: Improve swordsmen. Improve light and heavy spearmen. Improve light cavalry. Weakens catphracts and catphract archers. Changes religion to Islam.
Infantry and artillery civ.
UU: Legionnaire (1): Medium level heavy swordsman (easier to mass than Elite heavy swordsmen).
Strength and weaknesses:
Excellent UU infantry.
Good cavalry.
Excellent siege craft/artillery.
Excellent fortifications--stone wall and fortification bonuses.
Excellent technologies.
Only mercenary light cavalry archers.
Poor spearmen? Or no spearmen? Sub-Romans used spears though?
Poor archers.
Expensive units are required to be good (like AoK Koreans)
Raid with:
Huns: Add light cavalry archers. Weakens legionnaires.
Goths: Add light goth infantry. Weakens legionnaires.
Settle among:
Romans
Britons: Add Scythian catphracts and catphract archers. Weakens stone wall and fortification bonuses.
Gauls: Improve swordsmen and heavy swordsmen. Weakens legionnaires. Weakens stone wall and fortification bonuses.
Infantry civ.
UU1 = Gehirdman (2): Heavy elite spearman with higher and faster attack than normal heavy spearmen.
UU2 = Seaxman (1): Super cheap infantry swordsmen (good trash units for combating spearmen in Age 2).
Houscarl is obtainable with diplomacy.
Strength and weaknesses:
Poor cavalry. –might change with diplomacy (Continental Germans)
No cavalry archers.
Only moderately good archers.
Excellent infantry.
Gehirdmen are excellent vs cavalry and other infantry.
Weak fortifications and fortresses.
Weak seigecraft?
Super cheap Seaxmen make for a decent infantry flood option early on.
Raid with:
Franks:
Goths:
Angles and Jutes:
Settle among:
Teutons: Add weakish heavy cavalry. Add tower bonus.
Sub-Romans: Must have raided with Angles and Jutes. Weakens light cavalry. Add gehirdman. Light spearmen can be produced faster and cheaper.
Franks: Lose seaxman. Add heavy cavalry. Improve light cavalry.
Welcome Norse: Lose gehirdman. Add houscarl.
Nomadic Cataphract and Cavalry archer civ.
UU = Alano war dog (1). Fast quick attacking but low hit point “cavalry.”
Strength and weaknesses:
Nomadic.
Get Cataphract upgrade for free, and in age 1.
Excellent cavalry.
Cheap home-grown cavalry archers.
Poor fortifications until age 4.
Poor siege craft?
Raid with:
Goths: Add gothic light swordsman. Improve light spearmen. Improve heavy swordsmen.
Slavs: Add light axeman. Improve skirmishers.
Huns: Add torch cavalry.
Settle among:
Slavs: Add light axeman. Improve skirmishers. Add slav fortifications and techs.
??? Did they ever settle among anyone else and maintain power?
Defensive civ.
UU: Light axeman (1): Light infantry with attack bonus vs infantry.
Strength and weaknesses:
Excellent fortifications
Decent siege craft.
Skirmishers regenerate (their real unique unit)
All light infantry regenerate? Probably too powerful.
Decent light cavalry.
Only mercenary light cavalry archers (without diplomacy).
Can get either Houscarls or Light cavalry archers with diplomacy.
Only moderately good heavy cavalry (without diplomacy).
Raid with:
Turks: Add light cavalry archer, heavy cavalry archers, improve light cavalry, improve heavy cavalry.
Goths: Improve heavy cavalry. Add light goth infantry.
Settle among:
Slavs
Fealty to Turks: Add light cavalry archer, heavy cavalry archers, improve light cavalry, improve heavy cavalry. Lowers skirmisher regeneration rate.
Fealty to Norse: Add houscarl. Weaken fortifications.
Nomadic cavalry archer civ.
UU1 = Tarkan (1): Light cavalry with attack bonus vs buildings.
UU2: War wagons (3): Slow cavalry archer with substantial piercing armor that attack short range with multiple arrows.
Strength and weaknesses:
Nomadic.
No walls and Poor fortresses until Age 4.
Excellent light cavalry.
Home-grown light cavalry archers.
Decent heavy cavalry.
Can get Gothic or Slavic UUs with Diplomacy.
Decent siege craft.
Raid with:
Goths: Improve heavy swordsmen and light spearmen. Add light gothic swordsman. Add skirmishers. Improve transport ship hit points.
Slavs: Add light axeman. Add regenerating skirmishers? Improve light and heavy spearmen.
Scythians: Upgrade to catphract and catphract archer. ???
Arabs: Improve swordsmen and light and heavy spearmen. Improve foot archers.
Settle among:
Persians: Gain Persian technologies and fortifications. Add elephants. Add light spearmen. Add light swordsmen. Add heavy spearmen. Improve foot archers.
Indians:
Slavs: Gain slav technologies and fortifications. Add light axemen. Add regenerating skirmishers. Add heavy and light spearmen.
This is still very much a work in progress, but I wanted to get people's thoughts on it and suggestions
When all else fails, I often refer to DBAOL and Total War forums for ideas on military composition.
[This message has been edited by Dave3377 (edited 07-24-2017 @ 06:20 PM).]
so a change would be nice.