Modding Scotland Unit skins

[MrFiction]

I've been searching high and low for a mod to get rid of those bloody kilts from the Scottish units (it's the ONLY thing putting me off playing the game now!) but there isn't one. So can anyone tell me how or direct me to a tutorial that can show me how I can mod the skins myself? I only need to copy/paste the English units onto the Scottish ones (they were pretty much identical at the time) and maybe even just change the colour. Surely it can't be too difficult, right?!

[Red Spot]

Originally posted by Jamie:

Surely it can't be too difficult, right?!

I'm guessing, since you had to ask, it is too difficult. :)

[CHE]

Originally posted by Jamie:

I've been searching high and low for a mod to get rid of those bloody kilts from the Scottish units (it's the ONLY thing putting me off playing the game now!) but there isn't one. So can anyone tell me how or direct me to a tutorial that can show me how I can mod the skins myself? I only need to copy/paste the English units onto the Scottish ones (they were pretty much identical at the time) and maybe even just change the colour. Surely it can't be too difficult, right?!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152724699108714&set=a.10152453866903714&type=3&theater

[MrFiction]

Just because I don't know, doesn't mean it's difficult. Usually I'd just assume I don't have the brains to alter such things, but my impatience outweighs my humility lol

[Zap Rowsdower]

Which units? Its been a while since I played vanilla but if I remember right only the Highlander units have kilts and tartan, with the standard spear militia and other units that are common across other faction rosters looking exactly as they do among other factions, just with the scottish faction colors. If your problem is historical accuracy as you mentioned, then this is perfectly accurate. Highland warriors are well known for being very traditional in both dress and equipment when going into battle well into the 18th century, still wearing kilts, plaids or at least sashes and tunics in the unique tartan patterns of the clans they belonged to as late as 1776. Even if the common units had a tartan sash or kilt here and there among them it wouldn't really be innacurate, as it would only make sense that militia units would have some highlanders among them, and even lowland scots had clans and would occasionally wear clan tartan.

[MrFiction]

No, it is NOT perfectly accurate. No Scottish soldiers wore belted plaid (the actual term for them - kilts are completely different) into battle until the 1600s - 300 years after this period in history concerning Wallace and 400 years after the setting of this mod. Highland warriors looked exactly the same as the English. Padded jacks and chainmail. So yes, they were traditional - they worse what everyone wore, as the tartan tradition didnt exist yet. Even the culture of wearing plaid for those not engaged in battle didnt appear until the late 16th century. This myth that has seeped into people's minds that it was used by only in the Highlands is utter rubbish. The only depictions we have of Scots sporting tartans pre-16thC are in romantic paintings (usually Georgian or Victorian). The Scots never even invented plaid and the modern kilts were invented by an Englishman, Thomas Rawlinson in the 1720s for his workers as the belted plaid (a huge functional cloak wrapped around the entire body, was too cumbersome.
Also, you'll find quite impossible for highlanders to go into battle well into the 18thC with tartan (in any shape or form) was banned in 1746 - even after the ban was repealed it was not used in battle by regiments of the British army. The reason people think otherwise is because after the ban was lifted in 1782, Highland landowners set up Highland societies to promote "the general use of the ancient Highland dress" - claiming to be reviving old traditions but actually creating whole new ones.
I'm a lifelong history buff, archaeologist and historical battle re-enactor so i know what im talking about.

[Ashur_Arbaces]

https://wiki.twcenter.net/index.php?title=Medieval_II:_Total_War_-_Modding_Index

A collection of all modding guides for Medieval 2
The section 'Units' will likely have a guide that will help you.

This guide in particular will probably help even though it's original purpose is different:

https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?74945-How-To-Add-other-faction-units-for-new-factions

Note that you have to unpack the game files first before you can start modding. You also have to go trough some extra steps to activate any mods. For both of these things there should be guides in the index.

[Zap Rowsdower]

I mean I know 99% of Scottish soldiers looked no different than pretty much anywhere else, but I could have sworn I've read sources that mention at least some distinctions among highlander warriors before the 17th century, mostly in the form of at least tartan-like cloaks that had been around since the pre-Roman era and possible occasional use of woad left over from the Picts. But my area of academic research and personal interest with Medieval history has always been mostly with Early Medieval/Anglo-Saxon England and Wales and not much with Scotland so I don't doubt that you're in the right.

[MrFiction]

Originally posted by Ashur_Arbaces:

https://wiki.twcenter.net/index.php?title=Medieval_II:_Total_War_-_Modding_Index

A collection of all modding guides for Medieval 2
The section 'Units' will likely have a guide that will help you.

This guide in particular will probably help even though it's original purpose is different:

https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?74945-How-To-Add-other-faction-units-for-new-factions

Note that you have to unpack the game files first before you can start modding. You also have to go trough some extra steps to activate any mods. For both of these things there should be guides in the index.

Thank you! Appreciate the help

[Clove]

Here I thought the question was going to be, "How do I give ALL of my Scottish units kilts?" :P

I would actually like it if I could recruit Scottish units as the English or French or Danes once Scotland is out of the game. Those unique Scot units are interesting looking. Along with the big axe wielding mercenaries that fight for beef according to their flavor text.