The Hardcore Fantasy Battle campaign - An Expansion for Beginning of the End Times

[Reiksfart]

Anyone feel like writing a bunch of unit descriptions? Can be pulled out of army books for the most part, but would like some variation with each of the seven giant variants etc.
Also need unit description pics for new units.

Also have lots of other little jobs I'd like some help with, such as sprite generation for new units and re-textured units, but that has to wait until the test campaign is uploaded.

[GreatSword]

Sure, pm me and I'll send you my work email, I should have some time to do it this weekend, I'll be working nights

[Reiksfart]

Thanks Greatsword. PM'd.

I will send you the file before the weekend. Just tidying it up first, removing unused code and will move everything into each factions sections.

Progress report: I've been playtesting campaign with both Slaanesh and Khorne and been having a damn difficult time of it on medium-medium. Once I have finished adding the new cost/upkeep formula I'll start an AAR.

Waiting for Pietrak to reply, he hasn't been about the a while, then will send off the latest battle test version for him to give feedback and suggestions. Soon after that I can release the campaign test for the volunteers. -For anyone who doesn't know, Pietrak has been the main battle tester for most of this year, and without his great feedback and knowledge on tabletop this wouldn't be half as good as it was. Gave me lots of great ideas which have improved everything immensely.

Main work to finish at the moment:

Finish music.
Sounds.
Sprites for new units and re-textured units.
Finish sky textures.
Add in and test cost/upkeep formula and priority system (working on now)
Fix some models - example: Some giants need lower neck rigged to torso or a gap appears. Couple of vamp models still need changing to incorporate magic.
Figure out a way to fix the ReallyBadAI reinforcement crash issue - Even if it means removing some scripts. I won't pretend to know what to change to fix them, I'm hoping Germanicus will return one day to do that.
Plus a load more which I can't think of at the moment.

[Ichon]

Nice to see this getting near to public testing, its great you've been able to keep dedicated this long. I'm having trouble finding time to mod lately and those few times I do it takes me 2 out of 3 chances to build the motivation.

[Reiksfart]

I've hardly been dedicated to it the entire time, which has why it has taken so long. Campaign script really burned me out, it felt never ending. Once I could actually play a campaign that gave me more motivation, and even after a crash which showed I'd missed some of the script and needed a couple more days of work (not all day...), I kept at it.

[boatie]

I have been feeling burnt out with Total War and I have started to really hate CA for their latest games and attitudes, however, this submod will bring me back, so keep up your effort Reiksfart!!!

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

I have to echo what was said above, I find it hard to even play Total War games these days, having played them since Shogun 1 ... so god knows how you stay motivated to trawl through script and code and such! But we love you for it haha

[Reiksfart]

I think I've taken to modding so seriously because it keeps my brain active. I retired in '07 and moved to the Philippines and have endless free time, and working on something creative is just what was needed. Too easy to fall in to the trap of super cheap beer, get fat and bored, which a lot of expats end up being in this part of the world. Gym and no beer keeps me from getting fat, and modding makes sure I never get bored at home. Already have tons of ideas for another version of this submod for the mod in your sig Marcus, when they release next version.

Kislev campaign seems rather boring in the first 20 turns. I've just reached about that point where two scripted khorne armies besiege praag (?). Of course, lost the battle 100% losses to 60% AI loss at the walls, I only had a basic infantry full stack with a Marshall and a Boyar general. Before that though the campaign felt empty, too easy and did not have the urgency there is in some other factions campaigns. So I definitely need to add in some random events for Kislev in early game. Suggestions on a postcard.

[Ichon]

Norsca more of a factor for Kislev?

[Reiksfart]

If we had a roster that was diverse and interesting for Norsca. I spent so long on the campaign script so there was no more 'oh no, not another boring stack of this to fight'. Hard to make interesting armies with only half a dozen Norscan infantry. Want to stay away from chaos type armies anyway before turn 20, when it starts hotting up for Kislev because of chaos- My kislev campaign started to fall apart by about turn 30 after failing to take back Praag from Khorne, losing another to a scripted Norscan army and the Dark elves re-taking their city with a whole stack. The name of the submod really fits, and this is only on medium/medium difficulty.

[Kahvipannu]

My kislev campaign started to fall apart by about turn 30 after failing to take back Praag from Khorne, losing another to a scripted Norscan army and the Dark elves re-taking their city with a whole stack. The name of the submod really fits, and this is only on medium/medium difficulty.

Man, I love the sound of that

A bit far fetched, but maybe an attacking force of DE in the south before turn 20... Or night gobbos at east?

[thy.gromovnik]

How about some undead? Last time i checked, you cannot go wrong with zi undead.

Kidding aside, i remember from the old Dark Omen game that you (as Morgan Bernhardt and your mercenary army) went to Kislev to stop the necromancer from obtaining the Hand of Nagash, an evil and powerful artifact. Maybe some undead stacks can appear as an search party and if you fail to eliminate them they unearth the artifact? Old Manfred von Carstein would love to have something like that above his mantelpiece i think.

Don't know how would that fit in the timeline this mod follows though...

[Ichon]

Night Goblins in the east would probably be better for the timeline than undead and more interesting opponents as well since the match up vs Undead would favor Kislev I think.

[Reiksfart]

I'm going to have to make some kind of change to the way the dark elves recruit. Been testing them, and can't keep up because of the lack of recruiting during winter. Spend half the time unable to do anything but hope don't get attacked. Wasn't so bad before in vanilla CoW, when a single army can fight and win multiple battles, but now, especially when fighting high elves, even if you win your army is in no state to win against anything else. Frustration and futility trying to rebuild the army, let alone creating new ones.

I'll probably just remove the no recruiting during winter. Doesn't make much sense that the dark elves would only send a small contingent to wage war and send new troops from across the ocean. They'd have armies waiting in the Arks along the shore. Will have to do similar for the high elves too. Will keep the port requirement though.

I'm thinking about some Skaven events for a few factions, including Kislev. We don't have many units and I hate the look of them, but only throwing in a handful of random scripted armies over the map will ensure it doesn't get old.

[paradamed]

I dont think the Skaven look that bad. It would be cool to create diversity and to use different strategies having to fight Skaven. May I suggest some Night Goblins attacks including giants, for example.

[Kahvipannu]

About DE, is there anykind of way to add buildings, that make sense, to some specific inland settlements, which would allow them to recruit some units? Like HE can recruit units at settlements which have elven-district...

[Reiksfart]

About DE, is there anykind of way to add buildings, that make sense, to some specific inland settlements, which would allow them to recruit some units? Like HE can recruit units at settlements which have elven-district...

Anything can make sense in warhammer if a little info is written about it. No ideas though. I don't like restrictions like their recruitment if it negatively effects gameplay. If it needs changing I'll change it. All the challenge in this submod is coming from the battles rather than annoyances on the campaign map.


I have completely changed the Border Princes roster. I had started out making lots of Tilean and Estalian mercs, since the majority of their armies are supposed to be mercs. Change of plan though. What makes even more sense for a faction which relies upon mercenaries is to use the Dogs of War army book:

Dogs of War Pikemen- Tilean- Light armour, pike, hand weapon
Dogs of War Crossbowmen- Tilean- Light armour, hand weapon, Crossbow
Dogs of War Duellists- Hand weapon and pistol
Dogs of War Cavaliers- Heavy armour, lance, Hand weapon, shield, Barded warhorse
Dogs of War Stradiots - Crossbow, Hand weapon, warhorse
Dogs of War Mercenary Dwarfs- Heavy armour, shield, hand weapon
Dogs of War Norse Marauders- Light armour, two hand weapons
Dogs of War Halflings- Bows, hand weapons
Dogs of War Ogre Mercenaries-
Dogs of War Mercenary Elves - Light armour, shield, Hand weapon, bow
Dogs of War Ogre Maneaters-
Dogs of War Espringals- Bolt throwers
Dogs of War Mercenary Light cannons-
Dogs of War Hireling Wizards-
Dogs of War Mercenary Giants
City militia - Light armour, shield, spear

Only unit I can't really add is the Halfling Hotpot artillery. Can make the model, but no animations for it.

[Shi Huangdi]

Only unit I can't really add is the Halfling Hotpot artillery. Can make the model, but no animations for it.

Why not adapt the ballista animations? You could make the pot sort of like a slingshot that fires a blob of food, and you could use the animations for the ballista bowstring and just leave out the parts that aren't needed.

[Mesn]

Only unit I can't really add is the Halfling Hotpot artillery. Can make the model, but no animations for it.

The model has long been ready, but no one to do the animation.

[Reiksfart]

Any chance of uploading the hotpot for me to take a look at and see if I can rig it?