Rise of the Ages mod (a HUGE gameplay overhaul/expansion type mod)

[0wca]

Since I've uploaded the mod to the Steam workshop, a lot of people have been asking me for the full list of changes (which is also listed on the summary page here: http://www.moddb.com/mods/rise-of-the-ages), but I'll post it here as well, in case you haven't heard of the mod yet :)

The mod tries to expand the original game by extending the ages and adding a lot of new gameplay features and additions. Here's a run down of most of the changes (for more info check the page link above). It's already pretty popular on the ModDB, so you might as well DL and try it ;)

Link to the workshop page: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=955633861

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FEATURES


The changes in this mod are extensive. Below are some of the highlights.

As of version 5.95, all civilizations have 7 or 8 unique units, spread out through most of the ages. Every nation has at least 1 unit in Industrial Age or higher and has 1 or 2 unique buildings.

THIS MOD GREATLY EXTENDS ALL RESEARCH TIMES AND COSTS AS WELL AS UNITS. IF YOU DON'T LIKE SEVERAL HOUR LONG GAMES, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU.



NEW GAMEPLAY FEATURES:


ADMIRALS (NAVAL GENERALS)
- huge ships that can boost a fleet's armor value the same way generals can
- can use Ambush but not other general powers
- benefits from same upgrades as normal generals
- can attack and is formidable in combat
- can have more than 1 at a time but cost increases based on fleet size
- upgrades its stats every 2 ages
- available from Classical Age

UNIQUE BUILDINGS
- nations now benefit from several unique buildings
- there are currently 12 different unique buidings available (more to come)

- - Imperial Tagmata (Medieval Age only) - Greeks, Romans, Turks
- - - can produce powerful Byzantine units
- - - can have only 1 but can be rebuilt
- - - becomes abandoned in Gunpowder Age

- - Chivalric Order (Gunpowder Age only) - Germans, Romans
- - - can produce powerful Knights
- - - can have only 1 but can be rebuilt
- - - becomes abandoned in Enlightenment Age

- - Naval Fort / Naval Fortress / Naval Redoubt (Enlightenment Age--Industrial Age--
Modern Age) - British, Dutch, French, Spanish
- - - essentially water-based forts that can protect an area from ships
- - - have a formidable defence and attack and are hard to take down
- - - can have only 1 per city and must be built within city range
- - - become abandoned in Information Age

- - Frontier Watchpost / Frontier Outpost (Enlightenment Age--Industrial Age) - British,
French, Spanish
- - - a tower that you can place outside your nation's borders
- - - weaker than a tower but good enough to fend off a small force
- - - CANNOT be garrisoned and becomes weaker with every age past Industrial Age
- - - can be built in enemy territory but suffers from attrition
- - - costs a bit of knowledge do discourage spamming
- - - becomes abandoned in Modern Age

- - Marksman Watchtower / Sharpshooter Tower / Sniper Nest (Gunpowder Age--Industrial
Age--Information Age) - Americans, Indians, Koreans, Russians, Turks
- - - a tall tower that has 2 snipers in it
- - - very long range and is effective against all kinds of units
- - - very fragile and is easily destroyed if attacked by a medium sized force
- - - CANNOT be garrisoned and becomes weaker with every age past Industrial Age
- - - must be built in a radius of a Large City and only one may be built per city
- - - costs a bit of knowledge do discourage spamming
- - - does not become obsolete over the ages

- - Raider Stable (Classical Age) - Egyptians, Lakota, Mongols
- - - produces Horse Raiders
- - - can be built outside of borders but suffers from attrition if built in enemy territory
- - - can have only one but can be rebuilt if destroyed
- - - becomes abandoned in Industrial Age

- - Shaman Hut (Ancient Age) - Bantu, Inca, Iroquois, Nubians
- - - can produce the Shaman support unit
- - - can have only 1 but can be rebuilt
- - - becomes abandoned in Enlightenment Age

- - Recruitment House (Classical Age) - Chinese, Persians
- - - recruitment buildings that can produce Recruits/Cadets/Army Reserve units
- - - can have only 1 but can be rebuilt
- - - must be built in range of city
- - - does not become obsolete over the ages

- - Naval Watchpost/Outpost (Modern Age -- Information Age) - Chinese, Dutch, Japanese
- - - a naval tower with some air defense that can protect an area from a medium sized
fleet
- - - upgrades in Information Age
- - - costs a small bit of Knowledge to build

- - Raider Barracks (Classical Age) - Aztecs, Maya
- - - an external recruitment building that produces Raiders
- - - can have only 1 at a time
- - - becomes abandoned in Industrial Age
- - - very fragile and has no defenses

- - Treepost (Ancient Age) - Aztecs, Bantu, Inca, Maya, Nubians
- - - a group of blowgunners hidden in some trees that can be placed anywhere in your
territory
- - - quite effective against small armies but becomes less effective with every age past
Ancient
- - - becomes abandoned in Gunpowder Age
- - - can be taken down fairly easily without the need for siege weapons

- - Trenches (Industrial Age) - Americans, Egypt, Germans, Greeks, Japan, Koreans,
Russians
- - - a defense that can be placed inside your territory and can act as an impromptu wall
- - - very resilient against most infantry and light vehicles but fairly easily destroyed by
tanks and siege weapons
- - - can build more than one but costs a bit of Knowledge
- - - becomes abandoned in Information Age

- DEFENSIBLE BARRACKS
- - Barracks now shoot arrows
- - have very limited range and power and become less effective each Age
- - useful to handle small groups of rushing units


37+ NEW UNITS:


UNIQUE UNITS:
- RAH-66 Comanche and MB-1 Light Bomber (America)
- Jaguar Warriors (Aztec)
- Resistance Fighters (Bantu)
- HNLMS Groningen (Dutch)
- Hakim Infantry (Egypt)
- Boucanier (France)
- ELAS (Greeks)
- Inti Tribesmen, Peruvian Guard and Elite Peruvian Guard (Inca)
- Aryan Chariot, Chola Ship and Rajput Infantry (Indians)
- Mohawk Riflemen (Iroquois)
- Mitsubishi Ki-51, Yamato Battleship (Japan)
- Turtle Ship and KLA (Korea)
- Lakota Riflemen, AN/TWQ-1 and Lakota Supply Wagon (Lakota)
- Tlaxcalan Warriors (Maya)
- BMP-1, Red Army Cavalry andT-54 (Mongols)
- Anti-Air Infantry (Nubians)
- Qader (Persians)
- Panavia Tornado (Romans)
- Man O' War and Operaciones Especiales (Spain)
- F.H. 98/09 (Turks)
- as well as several units from TaP redux that have been re-textured, made into unique units
and re-balanced for this mod

UNIQUE UNITS (FROM UNIQUE BUILDINGS):
- Foot Knight and Knight Hospitaller (Chivalric Order)
- Byzantine Warrior and Byzantine Cavalry (Imperial Tagmata)
- Horse Raiders (Raider Stable)
- Shaman (Shaman Hut)
- Recruits/Cadets/Army Reserve (Recruitment House)
- Raiders (Raider Barracks)

NORMAL UNITS:
- Monitor Ship (Industrial Age)
- - long range bombard ships
- - useful at taking out buildings at long range but vulnerable to all ships

MAP & TECH:

- 30% larger 'big huge' map
- Ages and techs take A LOT more time to research and cost A LOT more
- ALL ramp up cost limits increased
- Population limit tweaked (75-600)
- Government types now have larger differences and upgrade with further government
selections
- Gather rates and scholar rates slower (resources per 60s, Knowledge per 120s)
- Commerce rates tweaked (start at 150, +75 for each Commerce research level)
- Military research discounts lowered
- AGE ADVANCEMENT changed:
- - each Age advancement costs every resource available in the previous age (Food is still
the main cost, but it is slightly lowered and instead other resource costs are introduced)
- - - Classical Age (Food, Timber, Gold)
- - - Medieval Age --- Enlightenment Age (Knowledge, Food, Timber, Gold, Metal)
- - - Industrial Age --- Information Age (Knowledge, Food, Timber, Gold, Metal, Oil)
- - AGE costs and times REDONE
- - - bigger costs and research times in age milestones (I->II, III-IV, V-VI, VII-VIII)
- - - slightly lower costs and research times in smaller technological leaps (II->III, IV->V,
VI->VII)
- - FINAL TECHS changed:
- - each final tech now costs an associated resource as well as Oil and Knowledge
- - - Missile Shield (Knowledge, Metal, Oil)
- - - World Government (Knowledge, Food, Oil)
- - - Global Prosperity (Knowledge, Gold, Oil)
- - - Artificial Intelligence (Knowledge, Timber, Oil)
- - Science tech
- - - raised discount from 10% to 12%
- - Taxation
- - - reduced Wealth bonus

BUILDINGS:

- Towers and forts now MUCH stronger:
- - can now DECIMATE an army if siege weapons are not used
- - lots more HP and armor as well as attack
- - fires more arrows and garrisons more units
- Redoubts have much bigger range, to cope with increased range bonus from CEO
- Docks have more HP and armor
- Anti-air guns more HP, damage and range
- Missile Silo
- - can now only build in Large City radius (but can build more than 1)
- Cities
- - raised cost
- - reduced armor
- - Can build 7 farms per small city (10 per large city / 13 per major city)
- - now gather +5 Wealth
- Granary, Lumber Mill, Smelter and Refinery
- - bonuses reduced
- University
- - gathers +20 Knowledge by itself
- Buildings (all)
- - now give +2 bonus Wealth
- Markets
- - now give +20 bonus Wealth

UNITS:

- All units
- - speed increased
- - costs completely overhauled (read here for more info: Moddb.com)
- Tanks
- - attack slightly increased
- - added a small amount of splash damage
- - doubled armor value
- - raised HP
- - raised range
- Bazooka and Anti-Tank Missile
- - raised attack (because of tougher tanks)
- - added a small amount of splash damage
- Ships completely overhauled:
- - 3x HP, 3x attack but cost more
- - siege ships cost even more
- - subs increased range, decreased speed but more HP
- Siege weapons MORE expensive
- Supply wagons have more range; all supply wagons heal units, French supply wagons
heal at double speed
- Generals (and Patriots)
- - have more range
- - Government generals have difference in stats, larger ranges and military generals are
more resilient than economic ones
- - increased bonuses given by government generals
- - Forced March lasts longer
- - turn speed increased
- - rally speed increased
- Aircraft Carrier
- - now holds 10 planes instead of 15
- Citizens
- - no longer have ramp up cost
- - cost slightly increased
- Cavalry (all)
- - increased speed by 20%
- - increased dmg vs. foot troops
- Infantry (all)
- - decreased speed by 10%
- - decreased dmg vs. cavalry
- Supply Trucks
- - turn speed increased
- Siege units
- - turn speed increased
- Pre-Industrial age non-anti air ground units (all)
- - chance to hit air units now very small
- UNITS (ALL)
- - higher age units have a significant damage bonus against lower age units
- Nukes
- - now truly obliterate ANYTHING in the blast area
- Different units take different amount of population:
- - all cavalry (including tanks): 2 pop
- - infantry: 1 pop
- - anti-air units: 2 pop
- - siege weapons: 4 pop
- - supply wagons: 2 pop
- - machine gun units: 2 pop
- - submarines: 4 pop
- - heavy ships: 5 pop
- - light ships: 3 pop
- - fireships: 1 pop
- - siegeships: 4 pop
- - aircraft carrier: 7 pop
- - fighters: 1 pop
- - fighter-bombers: 2 pop
- - helicopters (and zeppelin): 2 pop
- - bombers: 3 pop
- - unique units: varies

NATIONS & WONDERS:

- Nations:
- - added several new (previously disabled by default) powers
- - re-balanced existing powers
- Wonders:
- - cost A LOT more
- - give more balanced bonuses
- - added several new (previously disabled by default) bonuses
- - take twice as long to construct, so it's easier to catch someone who is trying to 'steal'
your wonder

MISC:

- Rare resources re-balanced
- Scholars gather rates changed
- Citizen gather is 8 resources instead of 10
- Woodcutter slots slightly reduced
- Mountain slots slightly reduced
- Larger city economic range
- Lumber mill range increased
- Borders tweaked
- Scouts 2x faster
- Nukes now VERY EXPENSIVE and take A LOT OF TIME TO BUILD, but also increased
damage and blast radius
- Missiles increased damage and cost
- Oil derricks give 2x much oil
- Plunder bonuses increased
- City upgrade requirement increased
- - 8 different buildings for Large City
- - 13 different buildings for Major City
- Plunder/Raze values REDONE
- - reduced raze values (all)
- - changed raze for wonders
- - raze value now gives total amount of cost to build it (for example if the wonder costs 500 food and 500 timber, razing it gives back 1000 resources (type depends on wonder)
- - city raze value increased per level of city
- - capital raze value increased
- Despots give bigger plunder bonus
- Added some useful hotkeys to the pause button info
- Added plunder value info to all buildings

and much much more...

FUTURE PLANS:
- Re-balance everything as best as possible
- As I work my way to version 6.0, updates will be less frequent and will first feature a major rebalancing of the entire game and maybe a change in one or two uniques.