Wondering which mods you guys would recommend, I've been looking quite a bit at A Proper Empire, Imperial Splendor, The Rights of Man, and Darthmod (open to other suggestions as well).  I really don't like the vanilla (unmodded) game, but didn't like Rome TW or Medieval 2 unmodded either (and love them with the right mods).

I'm leaning toward the A Proper Empire (APE) mod since it sounds like it adds a lot the economic/strategic side and slows the game down quite a bit, and it kind of reminds me of Europa Barbarorum for Rome and Deus lo Vult for Medieval 2 which I also really enjoy- especially how they make it feel, at least for awhile, like every build order, army unit and battle REALLY count since you tend to be limited in both money and population. Not sure how APE (or TRoM/IS listed above) in regard to battle and campaign AI either, have heard Darth is the best AI wise but stays close to the vanilla game play which I haven't really liked much.

So far my favorite TW mods have been Europa Barbarorum (Rome TW), Deus lo Vult, Chivalry II, The Last Kingdom, and Broken Crescent (Medieval 2/Kingdoms), and Medieval 1 XL (but love Medieval 1 out of the box as well, unlike all the later TW games), if that is any help. 

Just asking because I hadn't paid any attention to ETW/NTW until now (only played with it unmodded so far), and don't want to go through playing around with each one seperately and having to try to uninstall them without ending up needing to uninstall/reinstall the whole game if I can keep from it, my gaming time has been limited lately but I'd like to get into this one.

I couldn't stand ETW when it first came out but the patches helped and then I tried The American Revolution mod and it's now my favorite TW game. The guts of the mod is the Darthmod but it adds an expanded American Revolution campaign with all factions playable. It also adds almost all factions playable in the grand campaign, hundreds of new, historically accurate units for all factions and improved campaign and battle AI. I've not tried any of the other mods you listed and connot comment on them but check-out the TAR mod before you decide. It even makes playing Spain and the Ottomans fun.

Originally Posted By Sir Slash (25 JUN 2012 9:04pm)

I couldn't stand ETW when it first came out but the patches helped and then I tried The American Revolution mod and it's now my favorite TW game....

Where is the American Revolution mod available from?

Originally Posted By Greybriar (25 JUN 2012 10:33pm)

Originally Posted By Sir Slash (25 JUN 2012 9:04pm)

I couldn't stand ETW when it first came out but the patches helped and then I tried The American Revolution mod and it's now my favorite TW game....

 

Where is the American Revolution mod available from?

Linky

Originally Posted By Martok (26 JUN 2012 12:36am)

 

Linky

Thanks, Martok.

Sorry about not posting a link. I assumed if you knew about the other mods then you would already know where to find it. It 's an older mod and the newer ones may have more to offer. If you do try one of the other mods, I'd like to hear your opinion of them.

Originally Posted By Sir Slash (25 JUN 2012 9:04pm)

I couldn't stand ETW when it first came out but the patches helped and then I tried The American Revolution mod and it's now my favorite TW game. The guts of the mod is the Darthmod but it adds an expanded American Revolution campaign with all factions playable. It also adds almost all factions playable in the grand campaign, hundreds of new, historically accurate units for all factions and improved campaign and battle AI. I've not tried any of the other mods you listed and connot comment on them but check-out the TAR mod before you decide. It even makes playing Spain and the Ottomans fun.

I didn't realize the American Revolution mod actually changed everything.   I thought it just added a new campaign map of the Americas or something..

The biggest surprise for me was the way it handles seige battles. None of the TAR units can scale the walls. Instead you must use arty to blast a hole in the walls or the gates. Walls and gates have number values and when they hit zero they come down. Kind of like MTW or RTW. This makes forts alot more valuable especially the huge ones. Your enemy can still starve you out but cannot assault your forts unless they have arty of sufficent size. However even the little horse arty can bring down a gate if hitting it often enough and at point blank range so you must cover them with infantry or other arty from defenders on the walls and from defenders sallying out of the gates. It can make for some exciting, unpredictable seige battles. I had no idea what was going on my first battle when none of my guys could climb the damned walls, they just kept running around them shooting at the defenders. Playing Spain is fun. They have some of the best infantry units available, but they're expensive and only available in Spain at the start. The Ottomans have some very powerful melee units if you can get them close enough to use and start with a big advantage in arty. England and France start with provinces in India-- next to each other. Can you see trouble brewing?

Originally Posted By Sir Slash (26 JUN 2012 7:51am)

Sorry about not posting a link. I assumed if you knew about the other mods then you would already know where to find it. It 's an older mod and the newer ones may have more to offer. If you do try one of the other mods, I'd like to hear your opinion of them.

That's okay. I just bought Empire and Napoleon Total War - Game of the Year Edition last week and haven't gotten any mods yet. Thanks for mentioning TAR.

Your welcome Gen. Lee.

Modding this game is the best part. So many to choose from.

My current script file looks like this (I don't recommend adding all of these because it's a lifelong project adjusting them to be compatible):

mod "Custom_Battle_unit_unlocker2.pack";
mod "german_states_drth_mod.pack";
mod "7_years_war_battlepack_v1officer.pack";
mod "slmod_GC_DM.pack";
mod "Armada_TWC_dm.pack";
mod "SotDv05_mod.pack";
mod "UPRP_Full_Edition_1_1.pack";
mod "ETF.pack";
mod "gaz_prussian_mod.pack";
mod "proper_militia_v13.pack";
mod "tuca_music.pack";
mod "mod_NoTrails.pack";
mod "officer_cavalry_animations.pack";
mod "telescope_officer.pack";
mod "animation_mod.pack";
mod "CAPTAINCOX_LOADSCREENS_II_18thCENTURY_1280x1024.pack";
mod "LOAD_SCREENS_54_TWEAK_PATCH.pack";
mod "dm_scotland_mod.pack";
mod "mod_ui_historical_eventpics.pack";
mod "mod_ornamentum1_all.pack";
mod "bavaria_mod_drth.pack";
mod "hannover_mod_drth.pack";
mod "Drummer V1 Prussia.pack";
mod "mod_BSM_4_1_Full_Darthmod.pack";
mod "MuM.pack";
mod "Das_Oesterreichische_Heer.pack";
mod "Piedmont Savoy Retexture.pack";
mod "Italian_states_mod.pack";
mod "wurttemberg_mod.pack";
mod "wurttemberg_mod1.pack";
mod "Swedenaddunits.pack";
mod "Swedenretexture.pack";
mod "papal states retexture.pack";
mod "horse_mod.pack";
mod "potugal.pack";
mod "Prussian_mod.pack";
mod "westphalia_mod_drth.pack";
mod "dutchscotsreg.pack";
mod "Westphalia_retexture.pack";
mod "Genoa Retexture.pack";
mod "Aeiou.pack";
mod "Portugalaprilearly.pack";
mod "Austria backup.pack";
mod "Warcry_of_the_Republic.pack";
mod "france_new_mod.pack";
mod "Kurpinz Line.pack";
mod "Courlandrealistic.pack";
mod "Coldstream Guards.pack";
mod "Bavaria_retexture.pack";
mod "isil_mod_dm.pack";
mod "Bavaria Leibe Regiment.pack";
mod "brit_mod_drth.pack";
mod "España_units_dm.pack";
mod "conquistadores.pack";
mod "Knobloch.pack";
mod "royal_guard.pack";
mod "saxony_mod_drth.pack";
mod "tgotre_elite_units_mod.pack";
mod "Armee_Francaise.pack";
mod "french_bourbon_units_92.pack";
mod "french_mod2.pack";
mod "french_mod.pack";
mod "mod_prussia_realistic_db.pack";
mod "mod_prussia_realistic_db1.pack";
mod "mod_prussia_realistic_models.pack";
mod "mod_prussia_realistic_graphics.pack";
mod "british_mod.pack";
mod "mod_sir_caesar_KTKG.pack";
mod "LOAD_SCREEN_MENU_MOVIE_PATCH II.pack";
mod "LOAD_SCREEN_MENU_MOVIE_PATCH.pack";
mod "LOAD_SCREEN_TABLES_PATCH.pack";
mod "spain_mod.pack";
mod "NavalWarfareMod.pack";
mod "Gardes_Francaises.pack";
mod "realistic_flag_set_v12.pack";
mod "RegaliaFlags.pack";
mod "trom_flags.pack";
mod "flag_mod.pack";
mod "hannover_infantry.pack";
mod "highlanders.pack";
mod "hess_grenadiers.pack";
mod "mm653_naval_crew_v2_0.pack";
mod "EmpireTacWar_301109.pack";
mod "dismounted_dragoons.pack";
mod "british_hussars.pack";
mod "austrian_textures.pack";
mod "KOSJ_Grenadiers_Bearskin_MOD.pack";
mod "Sweden Grenadiers.pack";
mod "british_lancers.pack";
mod "Spongebob_mod.pack";
mod "ethiopian_regiment.pack";
mod "queens_hussars.pack";
mod "Hessian_mod.pack";
mod "highland_emigrants.pack";
mod "SirDCC_RED_austrian_hungarian_grenadiers_mod.pack";
mod "queens_dragoons.pack";
mod "SvenskaArmen1_5.pack";
mod "queens_rangers.pack";
mod "rhode_island.pack";
mod "mod_Remo_spain_linemen_textures.pack";
mod "virginia_dragoons_mod.pack";
mod "us_guard_cavalry_mod.pack";
mod "ui_artillerymod_ui.pack";
mod "us_irish_mod.pack";
mod "mod_Remo_ARrtext_USLINE.pack";
mod "Artillery-Naval Mod.pack";
mod "ermod.pack";
mod "EW1.pack";
mod "EW.pack";
mod "csog.pack";
mod "Bavarian Grenadiers.pack";
mod "alt_brit_line.pack";
mod "Scotland Work.pack";
mod "continental_line_red_mod.pack";
mod "us_retexture_mod.pack";
mod "ottoman_realizm_twt_mod.pack";
mod "american_mod2.pack";
mod "minorfaction06_mod.pack";
mod "mm653_textures_v5_2.pack";
mod "mm653_textures_v4_3.pack";
mod "mod_Remo_unitedp_linemen_textures.pack";
mod "mod_Remo_britain_redcoats_textures.pack";
mod "Custom_Battle_unit_unlocker.pack";
mod "mod_Remo_Rtext_ottomanfull.pack";
mod "american_mod.pack";
mod "lego_retexture_britain.pack";
mod "aum_mod_dm.pack";
mod "darthmod.pack";
mod "mod_artillerymod.pack";
mod "Jingles_Officers_mod.pack";
mod "TGOTRE_db.pack";
mod "TGOTRE_CE_db.pack";
mod "TGOTRE_graphics.pack";
mod "TGOTRE_officers.pack";
mod "mod_Remo_russiaptg_textures.pack";
mod "superior_us_infantry_mod.pack";
mod "mod_aykis16_battalion_flags.pack";
mod "spainall_dbfix_mod.pack";
mod "expat_infantry_mod.pack";
mod "Line_infantry_mod.pack";
mod "trom_core_part_2.pack";
mod "complete_sweden_retext.pack";
mod "PsychoV.pack";
mod "mod_trasibulos_naval_flag_conversion.pack";
mod "equipment_tweak_mod.pack";
mod "lego_retexture.pack";
mod "Minor factions enhanced.pack";
mod "mod_proper_build_times.pack";
mod "mod_proper_experience.pack";
mod "mod_proper_firing_drills.pack";
mod "mod_proper_movement.pack";
mod "mod_proper_recruitment.pack";
mod "mod_proper_special_forces_units.pack";
mod "mod_proper_startup.pack";
mod "mod_proper_technologies.pack";
mod "mod_proper_units.pack";
mod "mod_proper_variables.pack";
mod "mod_proper_weapon_ranges.pack";
mod "mod_sinuhet_formations.pack";
mod "mod_waronmars_pipmod.pack";
mod "7_years_war_battlepack_v1full.pack";
mod "Period Portraits.pack";
mod "familytreemod.pack";
mod "gloria_db.pack";
mod "gloria_models.pack";
mod "mod_ancillaries.pack";
mod "mod_campaigntextures.pack";
mod "mod_sounds_sfx2.pack";
mod "IMPERIUM_GLOBALE.pack";
mod "IMPERIUM_GLOBALE_SPECIAL_EDITION.pack";
mod "vive_le_roi_music.pack";
mod "Rebel Fleet A.pack";
mod "Primergy_Grassmod.pack";
mod "44DLC4free.pack";
mod "ATM_v12a.pack";
mod "ATM_addon.pack";
mod "Atmospheric battle FX.pack";
mod "GDsRealismsoundpack.pack";
mod "mod_DiggyPoPmuskets.pack";
mod "the_great_spirit.pack";

^  Wow, that's quite a list.  Can I ask what the net effect is of all those changes? 

Also, I might as well ask this here: 

Do any of you guys know of a mod that fixes (or at least ameliorates) the gods-awful campaign AI in ETW? 

I've long wanted to like Empire so badly, but I always get turned off by the AI's Chronic Backstabbing Disorder and its "Black Knight"-type tendency to fight to the death, no matter how ridiculous the odds against it are.  When things constantly occur like a close ally of 100 turns suddenly attacking me (and for usually stupid reasons) when it has almost no chance of victory, and/or a nation down to its last province and no military left tells me to stick it after I offer a generous peace treaty -- particularly if it attacked me first -- I invariably get disgusted and quit the game. 

Is there any mod that eliminates or at least reduces these phenomena? 

Thanks very much for the replies so far!

SirSlash, American Revolution looks really nice, especially the redoing of fort sieges (truly horrible in vanilla).  How much does it update/fix of the actual Empire (whole world) campaign?  Also, does it eventually turn into hordes of armies everywhere, where you wind up having to play whack a mole with the AI, or do battles tend to be less frequent and more decisive (such as in Deus lo Vult for Medieval 2, if you ever happened to play it)? 

That really looks like a good one, so far I'm leaning toward it.

I've never been picky like this with the older games, usually I just install all the mods I have any interest in and play with them to see, but it seems like w/ Empire you can only install and play one at a time, and some of the installlations aren't too simple if you add any submods.

Is there a good link for this that works? The ones I've tried in this thread don't. One of them just downloads a partial file.

I'm a torrent noob, but I tried that and it worked.

Campaign AI wasn't changed alot. The finicky behavior is still there but as most cities have native garrison units, there 's fewer huge armies manning every minor power. Fleets have much more movement per turn and an enablable mod allows for 4 turns per year instead of 2. All factions start with frigates or lower and any faction that posseses a shipyard can build ships-of-the-line. So now that Courland Battlefleet can become a reality. The biggest change is in the battle AI which is much better than vanilla with larger deployment zones and larger units. Also the unit morale was changed to allow units to not rout so easyily. Battles are longer and with more firepower involved. This extends to naval battles as well with a more realistic movement of the ships. The mod was a breeze to install and runs from the desktop so far without a hitch. I'm a sucker for new units, and the new ones in TAR add alot to the game.

Does it enhance the regular Empire campaign as well, or just let you run it in vanilla?  Sorry for the probably redundant question, couldn't find a clear answer on their forum (quickly)

Nevermind my blabbering, I might as well d/l it and try it out.  Sounds easy to install/uninstall.  I miss having a mod folder or multiple RTW installations to just mod away at.

Edit: at 1.8 Gigs this is by far the most gigantic ETW mod I have seen yet- the others (APE, The Rights of Man, etc) have been a few hundered megs at most.

Originally Posted By Martok (27 JUN 2012 10:04am)

^  Wow, that's quite a list.  Can I ask what the net effect is of all those changes? 

  

A lifelong work in progress.

Yes, the mod enhances the grand campaign as well. The mod calls it, The Thirteen Colonies Campaign and all mod chances apply to it as well. In addition a whole host of mods chances can be enabled or disabled as you like. You can even play the vanilla campaign with TAR changes added. In the TAR Thirteen Colonies camp, you can also play as the Thirteen Colonies, New Spain, Lousiana, and many other European powers too.

Are there any mods out there that truly affect the strategic game? Most mods just fiddle around the edges on the strategic layer.

Been playing with The American Revolution mod so far... it's really a nice mod, but so far as I can tell this game's battle AI is possibly the worst CA has put out yet, even more so than the abysmal AI of Rome TW.  Battles simply aren't fun at all, several which should have likely been losses for me have (again, like Rome) been Heroic Victories instead, because the AI just waddles its infantry around, and sends the cavalry charging face first into lines of muskets. 

I may try out A Proper Empire next, and if that doesn't improve things then I guess Darthmod is my only hope, even though the strategic side sounds a lot less fun to me.

Is Napoleon (vanilla or modded) this bad as well?

After seeing that mod list, I now know what Mr. Szmania does with all his free time.