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Keizer Harm

Swamp German
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Jan 28, 2013
2.763
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  • Crusader Kings III: Royal Edition
  • Crusader Kings II: Sunset Invasion
  • Victoria 2
Lo, people of Tonalquizayan! I am privileged to announce that your unceasing calls and pleads have been answered! For centuries you have lived in your insignificant little states, strangled by archaic concepts like divine mandates and birthright. In your confusion you hated one another and shed much blood which was rightfully Tlaloc's! But we are here to end your collective insanity! The Petlacalcatl of this new continent has declared that you are hereby blessed with guidance of Cemanahuac, and through this new leadership you shall advance into the light of wisdom and Toltecayotl, in exchange for only a quarter of your monthly income and the yearly sacrifice of a one-hundredth of your population.

What, you resist? It is of no consequence: Tlaloc will be getting his blood, one way or the other…


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Steam link: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2216735054
Paradox Mod link: https://mods.paradoxplaza.com/mods/11359/Any

Sunset Invasion is a mod for Crusader Kings 3, based on the popular infamous well-known DLC for Crusader Kings 2. It features an alternate history scenario where a powerful Mesoamerican state invades Europe and North Africa, in order to extract tribute for the homeland in the form of resources and human lives. However, where the original DLC was limited to just that (one culture, one religion, and 32 events), I am proud to announce that Sunset Invasion for CK3 has grown beyond its spiritual predecessor, and it will continue to do so as I continue to implement my vision for a (somewhat) realistic reverse colonisation scenario.

The key point is that you, as a ruler independent or one vassalised by Tonalquizayan (the Nahua name for the continent, and the Euro-African name for the Nahua colony on the continent), have a defined relationship with the invading empire. This relationship is half-way between the Grace mechanic from CK2: Jade Dragon, and the morality system from Bioware games. Your actions influence whether the people of Cemanahuac like you, and whether they respect you. That opens up different paths of cooperation. For example, submitting to their every demand will yield high Amity, but low Respect; you'll be invited to feasts but they put pins in your seat and subvert your plans.

As the story progresses, and particularly on the friendly path (which by its nature will always have more content than any hostile path), you will gain access to new interactions with the Cemanahuaca. You can learn the ballgame and become proficient at it - and you could wager a journey to the mysterious capital city in the valley of Anahuac. Who knows, could you even meet the fabled Huehuehuetlatoani? The mod is ready for you to try out!

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Status

So how complete is the mod? Well, not entirely. Of my vision, implemented are the bones of every system, two cultures, three religions, and assorted systems of flavour, including a lengthy trip to Anahuac, the ballgame, and the pochtecatl (a diplomatic event chain for the Tonalquizayan to gather vassals). Each of those individually are more complex and arguably larger than the entire Sunset Invasion chain from CK2.

Some other sources of juicy flavour include a complete building set for Cemanahuaca holdings (with much gratitude to Matt Alexi) and the beginnings of a clothing set for the citizens (with much gratitude to Owlcoholic). Particularly the latter is not as complete as I would have wanted it for release, but you should give me a pass as texturing clothes is not trivial, and I personally only found out this Saturday how to make them work.

This is starting to look like an apology, so I will cut that off. My goal when I set out this past May was to eclipse Sunset Invasion from CK2, and I am confident that I have reached that mark. The rest is a matter of adding extra context on top of this system, making every path to victory a viable and fun one. I am not short on ideas, only on free time, but still, I would really appreciate any engagement. Let me know what you think of the mod! If you use it in a stream or an AAR or whatever, give me a signal! I want this baby to be in the best shape possible before I get going on a different, more ambitious project…

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FAQ:
  • Why!?
    • Because!
  • Aztecs did not exist yet in the 1250s!
    • These invaders are not Aztecs. They are the executive branch of the foreign affairs ministry of Cemanahuac, a colossal nation in and around Mesoamerica. They just happen to speak Nahuatl, because that's the only language with flavourful names for everything because of some boring background lore.
  • There's no way to have a backwards tributary empire cross the Atlantic and invade Europe.
    • These invaders are not Aztecs. They just happen to have a similar policy of tribute extraction for their periphery; you may find that the core territory is advanced, rather populous, and administered quite differently.
  • Why did they even cross the Atlantic? Or how?! What if Vinland never existed!?
    • That will be revealed in good time.
  • You are portraying the Mesoamericans much kinder/crueler than they really were, you fake Mel Gibson wannabe!
    • I have bought a book on Aztec philosophy, and I think that the three religions do a good job of presenting the spectrum of attitudes that the Mesoamericans would have towards the divine, and toward their new underlings. Of course the general stance is more driven by the vast power differential between them and you, which is another reason it is interesting to integrate with Tonalquizayan, as they start to treat you more like equals - some of them, at least.

      Still, I am very much open to be corrected in terms of the philosophy and attitudes of my fantasy Mesoamericans. And particularly if it will make the mod more fun too!
  • I have found a bug.
    • Thanks, let me know all about it!
  • Tonalquizayan isn't attacking anyone with their event troops!
    • Vanilla issue, and a tricksy one at that. I suggest making a save and sending it to me; it can at least help establish patterns when this happens.
  • Here's how you can improve the mod!
    • Thanks, let me know all about it! However do note, I am not short on ideas or plans (while I am short on free time) so while I appreciate every engagement, a design is worth three ideas to me, and an implementation three designs.
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Credit where credit is due:
  • Matt Alexi for the holding models, as well as a tier two wall model that I have yet to figure out how to implement.
  • Owlcoholic for assistance on clothing, and the mesh for the maxlatl (which I also have yet to properly implement).
  • MrAdrianPl and Xangelo7 for their wonderful animated unit models!
  • Henrik Fåhraeus and Henrik Eklund for the original CK2 Sunset Invasion DLC, as well as the rest of their team back in 2012. I hope that I have properly honoured their original creation!

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pochtecatl_interaction.png

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Post-scriptum

In the first day, 5 people asked me for the Chinese translation. I don't actually speak the language, despite aping so much China for the Cemanahuac government, so I was asked to put it on a collaborative translation site! Here's my page, if you want to contribute!
 
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You monster :D
 
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It seems insanely appropriate that this is the first mod post (made within mere minutes of release)...
 
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It seems insanely appropriate that this is the first mod post (made within mere minutes of release)...
What can I say, I work fast ;)
 
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Ah heck, you win. You god speed huehuetlatoani.
Can I know why you pick Cemanahuaca, sounds like fictional people, instead of historically tribes like Chichimecah?
A trans-Atlantic invasion cannot be organised by a single tribe. Cemanahuaca is from Cemanahuac, the Aztec term for the known world, literally "the land between two waters" (the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico). So it represents not a people, but a government, and in it are many different peoples. I currently have Nahua and Otomi in the mod, but I'm looking to add more - if I can find names for them (that's by far been the hardest part).
 
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I can already hear the outraged screams/sobbing from the people who hated the dlc :D:D

Must admit im extremely curious with how this mod will involve as time passes!, it sounds like you are gonna take the idea and run away with it.
 
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On one hand, i'm a bit sad, as i wanted to work on something like this,
on the other, i'm very happy that i'm not the only one that wanted that to exist. It will be in from the first run.

Thanks !
 
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On one hand, i'm a bit sad, as i wanted to work on something like this,
on the other, i'm very happy that i'm not the only one that wanted that to exist. It will be in from the first run.

Thanks !
You can always make contributions :)
 
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Sunset Invasion is a mod for Crusader Kings 3, based on the popular infamous well-known DLC for Crusader Kings 2.
I like both that this already exists and your description of Sunset Invasion.

This relationship is half-way between the Grace mechanic from CK2: Jade Dragon, and the morality system from Bioware games. Your actions influence whether the people of Cemanahuac like you, and whether they respect you. That opens up different paths of cooperation. For example, submitting to their every demand will yield high Amity, but low Respect; you'll be invited to feasts but they put pins in your seat and subvert your plans.
How linked are Amity and Respect? From your description, I assume that most actions/events which raise Amity will lower Respect and vise versa, and one of the screenshots shows an event that raises Respect without apparently affecting Amity (which is odd—I'd expect letting a Nahuatl merchant stay at your court would do the opposite). Is that typical? How often will there be an actual trade-off? Can anything raise/lower both at once, e.g. winning a war on their behalf or revolting against them badly?

Particularly the latter is not as complete as I would have wanted it for release, but you should give me a pass as texturing clothes is not trivial, and I personally only found out this Saturday how to make them work.
I'm mostly surprised by the implication that texturing is the difficult part of implementing new clothes!

  • Why did they even cross the Atlantic? Or how?! What if Vinland never existed!?
    • That will be revealed in good time.
That sounds cool.

  • You are portraying the Mesoamericans much kinder/crueler than they really were, you fake Mel Gibson wannabe!
...as opposed to a real Mel Gibson wannabe?


Is there a game rule to alter/disable the Sunset Invasion, a la CK2, or would I need to enable/disable the mod on startup?
 
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How linked are Amity and Respect? From your description, I assume that most actions/events which raise Amity will lower Respect and vise versa, and one of the screenshots shows an event that raises Respect without apparently affecting Amity (which is odd—I'd expect letting a Nahuatl merchant stay at your court would do the opposite). Is that typical? How often will there be an actual trade-off? Can anything raise/lower both at once, e.g. winning a war on their behalf or revolting against them badly?
To be clear, in this version of the mod, not as many things now affect amity/respect as I want to. So I'll be speaking more in terms of future plans here.

Basically, it is a balancing act. Many actions will low Amity and raise Respect simultaneously, or vice versa, but there are a couple of exceptions; monopoles so to speak. You will in fact be able to make clear that you will not be trampled, without holding a grudge. One example would be winning a defensive war with them. If they attacked you, and you defeated them, then the Respect will increase massively while amity won't be affected (as both know you weren't the aggressor). Also I am planning for a set of circumstances where you have the option to be extra insulting or misbehaving in conduct with the Cemanahuaca, thus lowering both Amity and Respect.

I'm mostly surprised by the implication that texturing is the difficult part of implementing new clothes!
Well, I cannot comment on the modelling rigging, etc - that's @rewinged 's expertise and nothing but magic to me - but safe to say that texturing is anything but trivial. I don't expect to just finish the outfits in a weekend, it's going to be a long term process.
Is there a game rule to alter/disable the Sunset Invasion, a la CK2, or would I need to enable/disable the mod on startup?
Ah, I forgot to show those off! There's three game rules, one for the strength of the invasion (from pitiful to insane), one for the moment (immediately, after exactly fifty years, random in the 13th century, total random), and the chance of the invasion (won't happen, might happen, will probably happen, will definitely happen).
 
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A trans-Atlantic invasion cannot be organised by a single tribe. Cemanahuaca is from Cemanahuac, the Aztec term for the known world, literally "the land between two waters" (the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico). So it represents not a people, but a government, and in it are many different peoples. I currently have Nahua and Otomi in the mod, but I'm looking to add more - if I can find names for them (that's by far been the hardest part).


Since you're answering about the names could I ask why you decided to go with Huehuehuetlatoani instead of just the usual Huey Tlatoani that the leader Triple Alliance and the other Tlatoanis therein would've been using at that time?
 
Since you're answering about the names could I ask why you decided to go with Huehuehuetlatoani instead of just the usual Huey Tlatoani that the leader Triple Alliance and the other Tlatoanis therein would've been using at that time?
It's alternate history. There is no Triple Alliance, Tenochtitlan has not been founded, and the Mexica are still in Aztlan.

The state in mesoamerica who is capable of launching a trans Atlantic Invasion has a lot more in common with China than with the Aztec Empire we know. I have taken the liberty to present a potential government, ultimately arising as a result of a point of divergence in the Teotihuacan era, that while having similarities to tributary empires in general and the Aztecs specifically, is ultimately a very different form. Think, what if the Spanish hadn't arrived and the Triple Alliance was left to its own devices for three hundred years; I present Cemanahuac as what they would evolve into.

By that logic, Huehuehuetlatoani is not so strange, is it? :) Huetlatoani was a city's speaker, and Huehuetlatoani grew to be the term for the speaker of Tenochtitlan. This is just one step further along that direction.

Of course I do occasionally use this nation for humour. That was the point of the original Sunset Invasion as well. I think I can have some degree of parody while still presenting a credible fantasy country.
 
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It's alternate history. There is no Triple Alliance, Tenochtitlan has not been founded, and the Mexica are still in Aztlan.

The state in mesoamerica who is capable of launching a trans Atlantic Invasion has a lot more in common with China than with the Aztec Empire we know. I have taken the liberty to present a potential government, ultimately arising as a result of a point of divergence in the Teotihuacan era, that while having similarities to tributary empires in general and the Aztecs specifically, is ultimately a very different form. Think, what if the Spanish hadn't arrived and the Triple Alliance was left to its own devices for three hundred years; I present Cemanahuac as what they would evolve into.

By that logic, Huehuehuetlatoani is not so strange, is it? :) Huetlatoani was a city's speaker, and Huehuetlatoani grew to be the term for the speaker of Tenochtitlan. This is just one step further along that direction.

Of course I do occasionally use this nation for humour. That was the point of the original Sunset Invasion as well. I think I can have some degree of parody while still presenting a credible fantasy country.

No, I mean the Triple Alliance (Excan Tlatoloyan) that its in place at this time, since you said the Cemanahuac in your mod predates the Mexica (Aztec, we both know the difference, lets skip that), and the setting is in 1250CE, Tenochtitlan only formed part of the last Triple Alliance, the original is founded around the 800'sCE, and either it or its second succesor should be in power around this time, but I guess it makes sense if the point of divergence is Teotihuacan, they were ruled by several distinct houses as far as we can tell from archeological evidence, makes sense that they would be FAR more decentralized if the original Triple Alliance based around Tollan and Azcapotzalco never materialized in this world.

My question though was because Im not familiar with the word "huehuehuetlatoani", I've studied some basic nahuatl, "tlatoani" is the speaker of a single city, "huey" though means "big" or "great" (so for example "Hueycitlalin" means "Great Star" or "Venus" to us barbarians), likewise "Huey Tlatoani" (Great Speaker) is the specific title given to the leader of a Triple Alliance (Calzonci for example is the equivalent title in the Tarascan Empire, basically an Emperor or a rank above king), my question was if you based it in something in particular, you dont often see alternate mesoamerican scenarios and I was interested to see if you based it in anything in particular.
 
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Truth be told, I'm one of the few weirdos who liked Sunset Invasion. So please, for the love of Huitzilopochtli, don't abandon this mod. It looks and sounds so much cooler than the original DLC. Hell, I'd mistake it for a DLC if it weren't for how the army models looked.
 
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Well, I cannot comment on the modelling rigging, etc - that's @rewinged 's expertise and nothing but magic to me - but safe to say that texturing is anything but trivial.
Fair enough!


It's alternate history. There is no Triple Alliance, Tenochtitlan has not been founded, and the Mexica are still in Aztlan.

The state in mesoamerica who is capable of launching a trans Atlantic Invasion has a lot more in common with China than with the Aztec Empire we know. I have taken the liberty to present a potential government, ultimately arising as a result of a point of divergence in the Teotihuacan era, that while having similarities to tributary empires in general and the Aztecs specifically, is ultimately a very different form. Think, what if the Spanish hadn't arrived and the Triple Alliance was left to its own devices for three hundred years; I present Cemanahuac as what they would evolve into.
I look forward to seeing more detail about this stuff!
Which might be present in the mod, I'm still enjoying basic Europe in CK3.
 
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