SP Musket Era 1632 - A Thirty Years' War mod WIP

[Palos]

​

A great war has begun in 1618 in the lands of the Holy Roman Empire. This is going to be the last war of religion and the most brutal and atrocious event yet to be seen in Europe.

Earlier in 1608  a number of German states formed the Protestant Union, fearing that the Habsburg dynasty and its Catholic allies would attempt to deny further their rights and even engage in war against them. As a response the Catholic League was formed one year later, under the leadership of Emperor Ferdinand II.

By the year 1630 the Catholic armies are undefeated in almost all the battles. The emperor, Ferdinand II, can count on two great generals of the age: the experienced Johann Tserclaes, count of Tilly, who has been in wars for almost sixty years; the other one is the ambitious and ruthless Albrecht von Wallenstein, duke of Friedland, who demands as payment only the right to plunder the conquered lands.

The Swedes are joining the war in 1630. In the following year a miracle happens. The Swedish king, Gustavus II Adolphus defeats the Catholic forces in the Battle of Breitenfeld. Tilly’s aura of invincibility vanishes.

“The Lion of the North” has some important allies, like Saxony and Brandenburg but one surprising fact is that France, a Catholic nation, is supporting unofficially this alliance with sums of money and some troops.
The Catholic League is a force to be reckon with. The main territories featured will be those of Austria (the Habsburg domain), Bavaria and Palatinate (these two under the rule of Duke Maximilian).



Team:
Palos, Gallus Domesticus (co-modder, advisor).



The mod will start in the first months of 1632, prior to the Battle of Rain  and the death of Tilly (April).
The map will include present Germany, Austria, Czech Republic.


Factions – the major states:

Catholic League (Austria, Bavaria, Palatinate)
Kingdom of Sweden 
Electorate of Saxony
Margraviate of Brandenburg
Kingdom of France

Small factions:
Duchy of Brunswick-Luneburg
Landgraviate of Hessen-Kassel
Duchy of Wurttemberg

Features:
- nothing complicated in terms of coding for the first version, seek only to replace the factions and unit trees from the native
- historical accuracy
- historical commanders
- all kind of contemporary weapons (rapiers, heavy cavalry swords, matchlock/wheellock/flintlock muskets, pikes, spears). Different models for each category. 
- buffcoats, cuirasses, jerkins, heavy cavalry (reiters) armor, plummed hats
- foreign mercenary troops – English, Scots, Spanish 
- 17th century music (will see about the copyrights)

In general the unit trees are the same: infantry (pikes), arquebusiers (muskets), dragoons, buffcoat cavalry, heavy cavalry (reiters). I’ll add some special troops like the Finnish cavalry for Sweden. The quality of these generic units is different for each nation: the Swedish arquebusiers will be probably the best among ranged infantry while Pappenheim’s reiters the best heavy cavalry.
                       

Unit Trees

Swedish troops

隐藏

             
                                                                                                                  Swedish Ensign
                                                                                                                /
                                                  Swedish Pikeman--Swedish Heavy Pikeman--Swedish Life Guard
                                                /
Swedish Recruit--Swedish Militiaman--Swedish Horseman--Swedish Cavalryman--Swedish Cuirassier
                    \                                                        \                                    \
                    \                                                        Hackapells                        Swedish Cornet
                      \                                               
                      Swedish Musketeer--Swedish Veteran Musketeer--Swedish Jager
                                                \
                                                Swedish Dragoon--Swedish Mounted Jager

Catholic League troops

隐藏

                                                                                                                      Imperial Ensign
                                                                                                                    /
                                                Imperial Pikeman--Imperial Armoured Pikeman--Imperial Sergeant
                                              / 
Imperial Recruit--Imperial Militiaman--Imperial Light Rider--Imperial Cavalryman--Imperial Black Reiter
                    \                                                      \                                    \
                    \                                                      Croatians                          Imperial Cornet
                      \
                      Imperial Musketeer--Imperial Veteran Musketeer
                                            \
                                              Imperial Dragoon--Imperial Arquebusier

Saxon (and possibly Brandenburg, in a similar German fashion) troops

隐藏

                                           
                                                                                                        Saxon Ensign
                                                                                                      /
                                            Saxon Pikeman--Saxon Heavy Pikeman--Saxon Halberdier
                                          /
Saxon Recruit--Saxon Militiaman--Saxon Light Rider--Saxon Cavalryman--Saxon Reiter
                  \                                                                                  \
                  Saxon Musketeer--Saxon Veteran Musketeer                    Saxon Cornet
                                          \
                                          Saxon Dragoon--Saxon Arquebusier

French troops

隐藏

                                                                                                            French Ensign
                                                                                                          /
                                              French Pikeman--French Veteran Pikeman--French Guard
                                            /
French Recruit--French Militiaman--French Light Cavalryman--French Cavalryman--French Cuirassier
                  \                                                                                                \
                  French Musketeer--French Veteran Musketeer                                French Cornet
                                          \
                                            French Dragoon--French Royal Musketeer/or Guard

Brunswick, Hessen-Kassel, Wurttemberg troops – Small German factions

隐藏

             
                          Pikeman-- Veteran Pikeman
                        /
Recruit-- Militiaman-- Light Rider-- Cavalryman
          \
            Musketeer-- Veteran Musketeer
                          \
                          Dragoon

Notes:
- the troop trees are subjected to changes.
- even if the name is identical, the same unit types from different nations will not have the same stats.
- there are two more units that need to be added: the Finnish Hackapells (light/medium cavalry? for Sweden) and Croatians (Imperial light cavalry, mostly Hungarians and Slavs). Just need to figure the best way to do it.
- I'll try to make many variations (different textures) based on a limited number of clothing and armor patterns
- need to configure the Spanish, Scottish and English mercenary trees (and maybe the German mercenary troops, resembling the Saxons). Some Cossack troops would be ideal.
- the Scots will have also sword and buckler infantry (useless against firearms) and maybe archers. The same goes for the Croatians and Cossacks.
- I'm not sure if the Tercio system will be implemented. From what I know the Germans were not using it while the Swedish army was being reformed at that moment.
- Ensign - Infantry officer -
                                      - few of them, hope it works
- Cornet - Cavalry officer -


Bandits

- the good old looter > bandit > brigand
- highwayman - Both on foot and on horse + armed and dangerous
- marauder - top bandit unit, from light to medium armoured, deserter
Note: all the bandit types except looters will have some kind of firearms





Work in progress. Alpha (at least) coming (pretty) soon.

 

[Knight_Henry]

Looking like a fantastic start man! Loving the Rapier and Gauche, can't wait to see and play!

 

[Deyshawn]

Very Nice.

 

[Gallus Domesticus]

Palos! I didn't know you were making a mod!!
I could let you use my Tercio script if you want, I'm sure the 1630s was the high point for Tercios where everyone used them.
Can I possibly join as a casual co-modder? What I mean is I won't interfere with your ideas/plans but I could sometimes help make some helmets and weapons and let you use my scripts and such.
What do you think?

 

[Rujasu]

I don't know much about modelling, but isn't 706 polygons a little high for a rapier? (not that I could make a better one, it looks cool)

 

[Palos]

@ Knight_Henry, Deyshawn - Thanks

I could let you use my Tercio script if you want, I'm sure the 1630s was the high point for Tercios where everyone used them.
Can I possibly join as a casual co-modder? What I mean is I won't interfere with your ideas/plans but I could sometimes help make some helmets and weapons and let you use my scripts and such.
What do you think?

Thanks for your offer, Gallus, your help is most welcomed. You could give me a few advices regarding the map and Tercio formation. I was going to add that this mod is similar with yours.

I don't know much about modelling, but isn't 706 polygons a little high for a rapier? (not that I could make a better one, it looks cool)

Indeed, that rapier is made from an old item. For example the quillon/crossguard has around 200 polys, almost the same for the knuckle guard. The whole item should have no more than 400 450 polys I guess. Anyway the model is not a final one.

 

[Gallus Domesticus]

Thanks for your offer, Gallus, your help is most welcomed. You could give me a few advices regarding the map and Tercio formation. I was going to add that this mod is similar with yours.

I'll send you the tercio script when you need it. I'm still trying to perfect it, though, and there are still a few occassional problems that I'm trying to fix.
A tip for the map is that it's possible to adjust the map's size with wings3d by exporting and importing from the map editor. It's way easier to trace a small map from satellite image than it is to start with a huge map and trace one section at a time(because there is a zoom limit for the map editor. So you could start with a dense and small map, trace it, and then expand it to a large and less dense map for the game.
And to trace maps I stick pieces of wet paper on the computer screen to mark points on the satellite map and then draw it out with the map editor. It's much more accurate that way.

 

[Palos]

And to trace maps I stick pieces of wet paper on the computer screen to mark points on the satellite map and then draw it out with the map editor. It's much more accurate that way.

It seems like a high-tec method  . You know the drill all right, the map from the Britannia 1080 mod is great.

 

[Dennis The Great]

This gonna be great

i like the idea and i love musketeers Nice weapons made, please make many different models

Dennis

 

[scr-master]

sounds cool

 

[FrisianDude]

I notice your trees split in three after "militiaman" is that possible? I thought two branches from one unit was maximum?

 

[CinuzIta]

yes!!! i was prayin' for a mod located in the 16xx

i'm really lovin' you, man!!

good job with the rapier!

 

[Palos]

I notice your trees split in three after "militiaman" is that possible? I thought two branches from one unit was maximum?

You are correct, my thought exactly before writing down the troops. Noboby mentioned anything; I guess now everything is in order.

 

[janlulhannes]

Very Nice.

indeed.

 

[FrisianDude]

You are correct, my thought exactly before writing down the troops. Noboby mentioned anything; I guess now everything is in order.

Seems to be yeah, though, maybe you could test it with three first? It probably won't even compile, but three upgrade possibilites would be quite nice.

Edit; never mind about the testing, upgrade3 isn't defined, so it's not possible.

 

[Juhnimus]

Hi, here is something about Hakkapeliitta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakkapeliitta. I already know who i serve when mod is ready, im from finland .

 

[Palos]

The problem about Hakkapeliitta is the lack of reliable info. Some are saying that they were light cavalry with very little armor, counting only on their courage and brutal behaviour (as they appear in Age of Empires III) while others believe these men appeared as medium cavalry.
In this mod they are going to resemble the (slightly) better equipped buffcoat cavalry (medium). Also Gustav Horn (a Finn) is going to be included as a lord.

 

[Bloid]

I suggest you leave the native gunsmoke as is; the thicker smoke in, say, The Eagle and Radiant Cross strains my PC.

 

[Rubberduck]

The problem about Hakkapeliitta is the lack of reliable info. Some are saying that they were light cavalry with very little armor, counting only on their courage and brutal behaviour (as they appear in Age of Empires III) while others believe these men appeared as medium cavalry.
In this mod they are going to resemble the (slightly) better equipped buffcoat cavalry (medium). Also Gustav Horn (a Finn) is going to be included as a lord.

Maybe you should include them as separate troop, since they were recruited by "ratsutila" system. Meaning, landowner who equipped cavalryman was exempted (is that the word?) from taxation. Infantry was recruited by Rote-system, where, for example village, selected one man in ten, and equipped him. Anyhoo, maybe like three levels of troops, representing one fresh from Finland, and later more experienced and maybe little better equipped from loot?

 

[Juhnimus]

The problem about Hakkapeliitta is the lack of reliable info. Some are saying that they were light cavalry with very little armor, counting only on their courage and brutal behaviour (as they appear in Age of Empires III) while others believe these men appeared as medium cavalry.
In this mod they are going to resemble the (slightly) better equipped buffcoat cavalry (medium). Also Gustav Horn (a Finn) is going to be included as a lord.

Maybe you should include them as separate troop, since they were recruited by "ratsutila" system. Meaning, landowner who equipped cavalryman was exempted (is that the word?) from taxation. Infantry was recruited by Rote-system, where, for example village, selected one man in ten, and equipped him. Anyhoo, maybe like three levels of troops, representing one fresh from Finland, and later more experienced and maybe little better equipped from loot?

When landowner equipped a man he had to buy armor and wepons what was same as other cavarlymans cause it was their uniform and style, so them were equipped with good armors and wepons. Hakkapeliitta is know for that they never looted, killed civilians or raped anyone.