Hey Everyone! KaneKaiser here!

So I will just note that the delay on the world map hit a bit of an issue. Called the max resolution for a TGA file. Crazy I know. Anyways. If you ever want to experience what it would be like to crash your game because TGA can't contain your map! Here you go!

At the very least the purpose originally was to help out with editors and modders for the maps and sort. And point out that people should never be doing their map at this scale to begin with. 65535×32767 is the TGA file's max. I am also trying to remember a reply from Pann a month back but all well.

The roadmap will be cleared sometime this week and "should" be posted. By the end of the week, it should be more clear on who we have on our mod team for current (Of course we are happy to have people contact me to apply to help as well.)

Hey everyone! KaneKaiser here!

I want to inform everyone that I and the team appreciate your excitement and worries. Both accounts we are trying to take into. By sometime next week I plan to have a video of a roadmap set for our plans for this mod. (We're trying to get everything formatted on what we are working on)

And I should have a video pretty soon. (Before the 5th of July) Which I have to clarify this will of the world map that I made. This is to show more of the potential of engine at 88k x 44k (Most amount that current Earth Data offers). People shouldn't be using it at this scale. But this is just to show what this is capable of. I will make sure to have toggle_fow on for the people that care for the brightness.

If you have any questions. Feel free to ask. However, I will be answering whether we can, something might be around for the time being, or if something might be a bit more complicated (i.e. adding land to Dutch lands - Get it, trust me; that would awesome) then I won't make any promises, but the team will at least look into it.

I also want to put these posts both for YouTube and Reddit so more people can put their two cents to this.

So:
- Before the 5th of July - World Map
- Before the 11th of July - Roadmap on M2EX Plans/Ideas

First test of the M2EX Expanded Campaign - 16 minutes of me struggling to find places. I already fixed place like Venice and Paris in terms of making them islands. Also some of the rivers have been fixed. Working on the heights map more too

Alright so after finishing up my finals this week in college. I decided to focus on the scripting even more as I finished changing the emblems and all the visual needs for Janus's campaign.

I thought that since I am making this into a narrative I should do some things in a relative historical/alt history idea.

So the first one was Wladyslaw's Death. I decided to put him and the rest of the Hermans in the HRE, because Poland at this time was a duchy under Wladyslaw. Which we can witness this for most factions in the area (because turns take a span of a month in this campaign) Everyone hears it except for the Apache and Aztecs. Mongols don't care for it so they don't get the event but the death and all still happens. Then Boleslaw's rise/rebellion. Killing off Boleslaw Herman then I attempted to have a custom last name for him which did not work. (Probably will make a custom faction for him as a horde or something). I will probably make a choice for the HRE player to accept the money or refuse it to something to crush the rebellion. But the army is strong. Not overpowered, but enough where you will be surprised at how early this is in your campaign. Which honestly I feel like is golden for where the HRE was in real like. To cause the more likelihood of cities rebelling, I made Halych into a city. Basically copying what Plock has.

The manner of how faction receive this information is through events and there are different tiers.

Immediate factions: HRE and Janus - Very personal and bias from the person telling the situation on what is happening in the area. Janus getting a letter from his cousin and Emperor Henry getting a letter from Fredrich Piast.

First tier factions: Factions such as the Pope or Hungary will get personalized letters and concerns on the conflict from the person

Second tier factions: Factions like England France that get formal Letters from a court advisor but nothing important.

Third Tier factions: Factions that hear it through rumors: Factions like Ireland, Portugal and etc won't really hear it through letter. Just through like rumors and such from merchants.

Fourth Tier: Mongols - You hear it 2 years after the fact because of the silk road

Fifth Tier: Factions that see it to their benefit against Janus - i.e. Baghdad being the big one (Still other factions)

Now when it comes to ancillaries. I added two custom ones so far. One on the two Bodyguards of Janus and another on his crown when he renames the city of Basra. (Turn 10) Which I remove the Emir of Basra title that he does start with. Which in this. You get a whole narrative of how Janus sees his city, how treats his people, recalling old events, how he communicates to his knights, and how comes up with Złotygród

Pictures if you are curious:
Wladyslaw's death and Boleslaw's Rebellion-

Janus

Proof

Janus - Boleslaw's Rebellion

https://preview.redd.it/kkmzevzls31h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1948ca56031bbfb11b6b101e5154b0186560313b

The HRE on the Matter:

Will eventually change to a yes or no to support the area

Fredreich's Letter to Henry

Boleslaw's Army

https://preview.redd.it/4rvtmjlys31h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e410317119ca7ec34425d567015aa712443873d

https://preview.redd.it/3w8bwr98t31h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7301b614962b0ac76d469d35f768acd92fe997c

It is very strong because this is a nation making its country. The point is for this rebellion to be hard. Will probably call the country in the future to the "Kingdom of Polska" and just remove the Apache to achieve this. Now I got the authority for Boleslaw as a rebel faction? Beats me. Sorta just happened.

Other factions hearing this:

England - Wladyslaw's Death

England - Boleslaw's Rebellion

Rumors with Portugal - Wladyslaw's Death

Rumors with Portugal - Boleslaw's Rebellion

Baghdad - Rumor

Baghdad - After a year - More personal

Hungary's PoV:

Personal on the information

Janus's ancillaries and changes over time:

Starts out with this

Also starts with these two fine gents

Then some time later, you get this event:

The Narrative Story

The change

Which overall replaces the crown/title and add/removes some traits from the narrative is told in the event. Now I do this because is the roleplay campaign though - I will note in the read me if they do not want to read the events that happen and just play Janus how they want to. Then just do not add the campaign_script file.

So I just want to end this: Anyone got any thoughts on this matter?

Hey! After stopping for like 3 hours with complications with the whole..... Learning to convert DDS files and .Texture files. I finally got it working. That and basically pulling an all nighter. So. I will probably make some changes to the UI, but the more important part is that I figured out how to change the UI for flags and banners now.

In Game UI

I need to remove that grey outline on that shield. Maybe simplify it.

BANNNERS!!!! England Lion

Couple French Flags

More direct French Flag

https://preview.redd.it/vm3wiktnsb0h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=833b2ac92acc543862a0d39bb5da21735d4dd826

Direct English Flag

A mixture on everything. Of Polish, English, and French

Overall, this has been a fantastic project for myself so far. What I still need to work on is to rework the faction emblem on the symbols (not too hard). Then I need to work on the script events. And remake the family lists because of the date - Then I should have everything ready for me to record for the roleplay series! :D If y'all got any questions on anything I am happy to answer!

I just learned how to change the flags in the menu. Not in game just yet but it is progress! Note that I am fully just guessing here. But I have been doing alot more better than my attempts in the past! Older and hoping better. I just made a simple change to the flag to indicate that this is Janus's country. Not Poland's.

The pictures shown are in Total War Vanilla Beyond: In battle, campaign selection, custom battle selection.

I noticed my mistake of using a couple pngs instead of a tga file. It was really weird in the screen seeing old poland with new poland. Also used Antioch's picture from the Crusades to show the special unit. (mainly cause templars and hospitallers are your main forces) I will say I did have to use AI for the redesign of the flag as I am better narrative wise and I hate AI in the use of narrative. But for my artistic skills. They are outmatched by a 5 year old. But learned to use a bit of Gimp and to properly add shadow, desaturate, Use transparency, and remove parts of a picture. (Cause AI can't do that.)

For the people looking at my progress, I can't wait to show you more of my process with Janus's Campaign. Turning this roleplay to a roleplay submod.

In battle - Bottom right

Hovered over

Without glow

With glow

Not selected

Without glow

With Glow

Without Glow

With Glow

Edit: I got in the campaign now too (2 hours later)

Diplomacy Screen

Pope Screen

Edit to my edit: A hour later - Changed the rules and description and Mini-map

Short game

Long Game

Just some things that I am doing:

I am recording this now as an episode. However, I started to mod more things into this. For instance adding in events:

https://preview.redd.it/k5mly7i0230h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=414daf3b6d52740037665bb121e49a769b75478c

https://preview.redd.it/gvv4h4k1230h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c47b039466558a7b1fc32a22f85bb414ecac11f

https://preview.redd.it/hn3y47q2230h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02fd9e58443dbb72ac17e87c8e9d93d1c63d6825

https://preview.redd.it/loby4hc3230h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25b36a12eee5d3fa1c06792a88c9d8f473d1a9f2

Currently having issues trying to figure out how cause the HRE to lose the settlements in Halych and Plock. Or to spawn rebel armies. But hey! Making progress! I added in turmoil

https://preview.redd.it/0plu69ax530h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08c8634c8102c9d2f67bacd9cbf0b61cb3a82113

https://preview.redd.it/xvjjscpx530h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=583eac37d904d6ef541b92358e86c6b748e51067

https://preview.redd.it/khpk7r3y530h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb9047c6774ef2486fc07f8a947b03b628f1d7a1

Also yes, I played 2 campaigns with Janus before going through this. I decided to hit some groundrules for myself. I character_reset to realistic movement in 6 months time in real life which is comparable to a horse (Walk there and x 1/5 to = total time). I personally fight *Every* Battle. I wait 2 turns before instantly upgrading all the buildings because its been a year. (listen you are just adding to what is already there) As for walls. I wait out the whole 4 turns or so (2 years.) When I take a region, I must wait for it to upgrade before I can rename it. To rename it, Janus must personally go to the town. Why all of this? For the sake of vanilla realism in a narrative sense. I am doing all of this because the more I think about it I am doing a reverse and better Alexander and idk how to feel on it.

Alright, so I got a recent itch to roleplay and make a reasonable explanation for my custom character from Poland. And wanted to start in Basra, Iraq (Wanted it near Persia). I wanted something Vanillia. So this is with the Vanillia Total Beyond Mod instead of Stainless Steel. Looking at the names provided I made Janus Jagiello. I wanted templars and all the HQs in the region. So I went with a full backstory.

The Backstory RP:

Janus Jagiełło is the third nephew of Władysław I Herman (Polish ruler, 1079-1102). Not in line for the throne. Not really important. His parents were courtiers who hated what was happening at court. Aka, the Sieciech political dysfunction, the Zbigniew/Bolesław succession mess, and especially Władysław's eventual decision to bend the knee to the HRE and turn Poland into a German vassal duchy.

By 1096, 13-year-old Janus has had enough. (Before you question me on age remember that the Children's Crusade was a thing - Granted that 14 years old or higher) He leaves Krakow with his tutor and walks south through Hungary into Byzantine territory, joining the assembling First Crusade in November 1096. His Polish noble title means nothing to Greeks or Crusaders, so he repositions himself as just "a Crusader Non-Combatant" which gets him through Byzantine and Hungarian territory without being seen as a foreign noble worth shaking down. Obvious questions to why a Polish peasant wants to join the First Crusade. But he made it to Constantinople.

The Crusade Years (1096-1099)

He's 13 years old and soon turning 14 in March of 1097. He's not commanding anything. But the veterans of the Crusade are bored during long sieges and marches, and a respectable young kid who keeps his mouth shut and is willing to learn becomes a kind of mascot/morale figure. They train him in swordsmanship and their thoughts of the world during their way through Nicaea, Dorylaeum, and Antioch. His tutor handles his actual education, such as geography, languages, statecraft, using the Crusade itself as a classroom.

He's at Antioch in 1098 when he "found" the Holy Lance in the middle of the chaos. And the Crusader breakout defeats Kerbogha's relief army. He's at Jerusalem in 1099 when the city falls.

The Excalibur Moment

Here's where it gets weird. (Roleplay justification: I wanted to give him Excalibur as an ancillary, but I also wanted a story for it.)

Before the Crusade, the legendary sword in the stone has been making the rounds across Christendom. No one can pull it out. Some bishop or papal advisor decides the rock should travel with the Crusade. I mean whoever takes Jerusalem will be the one God meant to wield it. Knights try along the way. Nobles try. Bohemond tries. Godfrey tries. Nothing.

During the Jerusalem siege, the 16-year-old Polish kid who's been carrying ceremonial relics and being a non-combatant for ranking commanders, Janus Jagiello, is told to give the rock a try. Probably as a joke. Probably to amuse the troops during a tense moment.

It comes out of the stone in his hand.

He didn't expect it. He was as shocked as everyone watching. But the morale impact on the Crusader army is catastrophic but in the good direction. Suddenly they have undeniable evidence that God has chosen one of them, and it's not Bohemond or Godfrey, it's this kid from Poland.

The walls of Jerusalem fall partly because the Crusaders are surging on a wave of belief.

The Jerusalem Massacre

And then Baldwin's army massacres the Jews and Muslims in the city.

Janus is 16 years old. He just pulled a legendary sword from a stone. He thought he was leading something righteous. He watches the army he fought alongside slaughter civilians for three days.

This is the moment everything pivots. He doesn't lose his faith, and God did choose him, the sword proved it. But he loses his faith in Crusader leadership as currently constituted. If God chose him to wield Excalibur, then God didn't choose Baldwin's soldiers to do this. So either he was meant to do something different with the divine sanction, or the entire enterprise is corrupt.

He decides on something different after discovering maps of Persia and Middle East.

The Basra Pitch (August-October 1099)

He goes to Bohemond and Baldwin (newly made King of Jerusalem) with a strategic argument:

The relics: the Holy Lance, a fragment of the True Cross, his own Excalibur, are wasted decorating the Holy City. They're defensive assets there, just preserving what was won. But deployed in a forward Crusader presence in Muslim territory, they can become offensive assets. Disrupting Muslim reinforcement networks. Drawing Muslim military attention eastward, away from Jerusalem.

Specifically: the Persian Gulf city of Basra (al-Baṣrah, known to Crusaders as "Basrun"). It controls the Tigris-Euphrates waterway connection to the Indian Ocean trade. A Crusader port there could become a Constantinople-equivalent trade hub generating massive wealth. And every Muslim soldier sent to retake it is a soldier not threatening Jerusalem or Antioch.

Bohemond and Baldwin are delighted to agree:

• They lose nothing critical (only volunteers go)
• They get rid of a young rival with divine credentials who might compete with them in the Levant
• If Janus dies trying, they look generous; if he succeeds, they get an unexpected ally
• The relics technically still serve the Crusader project, just at a distance

They send him east with volunteer detachments from both the Templar and Hospitaller orders: full units of knights, dismounted versions, and crossbowmen, all veterans of the Crusade. Plus the relics. Plus their personal blessing.

The orders' soldiers, somewhere on the eastward march, gift Janus a Persian lamp they took as spoils. They don't know what it does. They give it to him as a gesture of personal loyalty. (Rumored to be a genie lamp. No one's verified this. The rumor itself is more useful than the truth.)

The Taking of Basra (November-December 1099)

This is where Janus shows what his veterans-trained-him-during-marches-and-sieges education was worth.

He doesn't try a direct assault. Basra is a fortified Persian Gulf port; he doesn't have the numbers for a frontal attack. Instead:

He arrives in November. Winter on the Persian Gulf means cooler weather, slower defender alertness, harder reinforcement. He camps outside Basra's walls and starts a campaign of psychological warfare. Constant night harassment. Feints against the walls at unpredictable hours. Noise, false alarms, false attacks. Defenders never get a full night's sleep.

This goes on for weeks.

By December, the Basra garrison is severely sleep-deprived. Some sources (in his court chronicles) claim a few defenders actually died from sleep deprivation before any combat. The remaining garrison is functional but exhausted, hallucinating, jumpy.

Then Janus's actual assault comes. At night, in winter, on walls held by men who haven't slept properly in weeks. The walls are taken without a single Crusader casualty.

The city falls in December 1099. Janus is 16 years old.

The First Year (1100)

He spends 1100 turning Basra from a captured Persian large town into a guild magnet. Building order matters here:

1. He focuses on the important aspects first: Farms, port, paved roads, merchant's wharf, and a barracks
   1. This introduced the idea to the Merchant's Guild
2. Then the focus of an abbey
   1. Which caught the Theologian's Guild Attention
3. Finally making an armorer
   1. Which finally convinced the Templars and Hospitaller Knights with the Swordsmiths/Horse Breeder's Guild to join and gain charters for the area to improve the land
4. Janus adds a Jewish Ghetto too
   1. Which is an explicit policy choice, because of what Baldwin's army did at Jerusalem. Janus saw what religious intolerance produces and is choosing the opposite. Plus, he feels empathic to the Jews and Muslim civilians as well.
5. Then the important parts of government that Janus remembered that is important is the Tavern and Council Chambers. Where the Assassins Guild and Thieves Guild find quite interesting of a bustling city of what contracts that they could acquire.
6. Janus also chartered an Alchemist Guild as well
   • Janus charters them out of curiosity. He's 16, he wants to know what they'll invent.
7. Finally, he decide to work on a bit of offensive work with building a Siege Works that might make it easier on his end if he wants to invade other lands.

By end of 1100, Basra has every guild headquarters available, full religious infrastructure, complete military recruitment for both Crusader orders, and a tolerant cosmopolitan policy unique among Catholic kingdoms.

The Campaign Begins (1100)

When the game starts in December of 1100, Janus is 16, has just completed his first year as King of Basra, controls every major guild HQ, has Excalibur and a rumored genie lamp, carries the Holy Lance and a True Cross fragment, has a full elite stack of Templar and Hospitaller forces at experience 3, and rules a Catholic-Crusader kingdom on the Persian Gulf surrounded by Muslim powers.

His father's and uncle's houses bent the knee to the HRE. His Crusade friends massacred civilians in Jerusalem. He pulled a sword from a stone and decided to do this differently.

The Technical Side:

Also in this learning to make my own faction tree, how relatives that aren't related work, and how to add and remove cities from a faction other factions or rebels (Heavily struggled in the past and somehow got it 3rd try time round.)

Just so people are aware of the current situations:

Janus on Turn 2

Turn 1 and implementing Polish language for renamed Basra

Starting Money Situation

Family Tree

The World Map

That's all the Polish related things. Now for the HRE. With the time period and situation. I thought it would be best to give the HRE the Polish lands considering that the HRE gained Poland as a duchy and Poland having internal issues in the HRE. The HRE side (Added the Polish names to the HRE name list):

HRE start look of the map

Boleslaw Herman

Wladyslaw Hermanw

Zbigniew Herman

Wilhelm von Bohmen

Which Total Vanilla Beyond starts at 1080. Reason the crusading states aren't a thing. Didn't think about it until I was comparing the start dates of Total War Bananas (Got reuploaded and works) and Total Vanilla Beyond. Said screw it. I guess they are rebels and I will take the Levant later. (Now thinking of the situation. I should probably add in the HRE. French, and English names considering the lore I made.)

Overall, I am tempted to make this into Youtube series where I roleplay certain characters and their Legacies.