New Mod ... In case there is still anyone out there playing AOD

[fabfeingold]

Since this forum seems to be dying slowly but surely, I am hoping to wake up anyone still interested in this fantastic game. For years I have been quietly and very slowly toiling away on this Mod. Working Title - AOD - Countdown to War. It is an attempt to port the newest Darkest Hour Version of the E3 Map with about 8000 provinces into AOD. I have also begun modifying the techtree to allow for a much longer timeframe. From about 1910 to 1970. This will make it possible to create a viable Great War and Cold War scenario. I believe the economic model of AOD makes it far superior for longer running games than the otherwise superb Darkest Hour. That is why this mod is for AOD.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. THE MOD IS NOT YET PLAYABLE.

But if anyone is still interested in such a mod I will redouble my efforts. However my time is severly constricted. ANY help is therefore immensly appreciated. Anyone interested on cooperating in this huge project?

What has been done thus far?

I have successfully ported the E3 Map:

However all the OOBs still need to be added for a working 1936 scenario. But there are some excellent mods out there that I am hoping to use as templates, if I get permission - especially the Historical Improvement Mod, Core, and the Third Reich Mod, NWO2, etc. There are too many other mods that I have taken ideas from, so I will have to give their authers the proper appreciation whence the mod is released. I have basically fully revised the Resource Setup, based on HIP and Angus Maddisons GDP data. However since I ported the E3 with its many more provinces, I have decided to multiply all resources by a factor of 10 in order to make more strategic use of all these new provinces.

As regards the techtree, all except the doctrine trees are essentially finished with some bits missing here and there:

Industry:

Secret:

Aircraft:

Armor:

Infantry:

Naval:

All the techs will have their own indivdual color Pics:

Thus far I have managed to finish these for the Naval and Infantry Tech Trees ... so still a lot of work needed.

Unit Stats: Done for Ships: All the rest ... still a lot of work needed.

Events, AI: well I am hoping to able to adapt most of these from other mods ... if permitted.

As you can see I have also extensively toyed around with the graphics of the game:

Color Images for Tech Teams and Ideas (the skin is by someone else, I do not know who, sorry).

The mod will also included an updated version of my Axis Minister and Leader Pack. The name is no longer really appropriate though as it includes many other countries. Current Count: c. 20,000+ leaders and ministers.

So there you are. If anyone is still interested: great! Better yet: anyone interested in some serious modding: let me know. Maybe if we get a small group together, this mod will be finished before the year 2050.

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

First off, well done on this phenomenal amount of work! I'm so glad people continue to dedicate vast amounts of effort into what is truly a great game.

I am tempted to help with this mod - I was developing an improved 1938 scenario for vanilla AoD - but this one should be much more popular and enjoyable.

Sign me up for designing a 1936 scenario, I can use the vanilla scenario as a base for the OOB and techs, or I am happy to make historical edits in case the vanilla scenario has some errors.

My AoD friend Lord Jarski has said he is more then willing for us to use parts of his awesome Improved 1936 mod, although we're not sure how much effort that will save as obviously the tech & province IDs will be completely different.

 

[Lord Jarski]

Map looks awesome, I want to play that already, especially the existence of Monaco, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Vatican and San Marino is warming my heart.

Although my time is limited with personal life and updating my own Improved 1936 mod, I can provide assistance in creating AIs for the more trivial nations since doing it for them is not so time consuming. I loved giving them some effort in my mod and would be eager to do the same for this project. Long live Chad, Euskadi, Jamaica and the rest of the gang!

Besides that, if you find something usefull in my mod, feel free to adopt it. AIs, like mentioned by Bonaparte, probably cant be adapted just like that, but ive added alot of historical events that may be integrated without too much effort, if you so desire.

 

[fabfeingold]

Great News Mr_B0narpte, Lord Jarski!!! I believe the main goal should be to make this mod playable as quickly as possibly and leave refinements especially as regards adding lots of events and more complicated AI coding for later. Hence the vanilla files or even better Lord Jarskis Improved 1936 would be the perfect place to start. Thanks for that by the way. I am still adding few minor modifications to the map, a province herer a river there, but essentially Mumia's map is perfect as it is. I will then concentrate on finishing the techtree, leaving the graphics for later, so that the OOBs can be done as quickly as possibly. If you'd like I can send you the scenario files, and the finished tech files (maybe an ID list will be sufficient?). Unfortunately since the E3 map was based on Darkest Hour all the installations will have to be copied and pasted back into the scenario files, since DH uses a different system. But as soon as the techtree and the models based on it are finished in outline, most of the OOBs should be just a copy and pastjob.

Anyway: THANKS for your interest and lets try to get that mod finished.

 

[Lord Jarski]

Sounds good, I will need the map for province IDs and resource information and techtree or a rough list of IDs and tech names to start creating some basic starting AIs. I will send you a PM with more information.

 

[Urko]

Hi fabfeingold,

It's awesome you have been working alone on this map. I admire the lot of effort you put into this. Once refined, this may be THE mod for AoD, I believe, as it counts on the best map it can have. If Jarski adaps his 36 map to this mod it will be even more superb.

In the future, I wonder if you'd like to expand your joy with your creature by playing it in multiplayer. I believe multiple games can be arranged, as AoD is not so completely death. Some of us play it in group, and we would lobby to use your mod and grant you an official seat (to later displace vanilla AoD even!). We'd be more than honoured to get such a Modder among us!

 

[KostasL]

Congratulations for your efforts !

I have been working too, for several years, in my own mod...

Perhaps i might be able to provide lots of good stuff...

My own mod is also still unplayable...due to the enormous amount of work and new ideas that keep coming and i always want to adopt!

I too, believe the main goal should be to make this mod playable as quickly as possibly and leave refinements especially as regards adding lots of events and more complicated AI coding for later...

 

[fabfeingold]

Hi fabfeingold,

It's awesome you have been working alone on this map. I admire the lot of effort you put into this. Once refined, this may be THE mod for AoD, I believe, as it counts on the best map it can have. If Jarski adaps his 36 map to this mod it will be even more superb.

In the future, I wonder if you'd like to expand your joy with your creature by playing it in multiplayer. I believe multiple games can be arranged, as AoD is not so completely death. Some of us play it in group, and we would lobby to use your mod and grant you an official seat (to later displace vanilla AoD even!). We'd be more than honoured to get such a Modder among us!

I'd love to play this on multiplayer one day with your group. Don't get too excited though, might still take quite a bit of time. Still a lot of work to be done. . I haven't actually played AOD for at least 3 years, so I am probably quite rusty.

 

[fabfeingold]

Congratulations for your efforts !

I have been working too, for several years, in my own mod...

Perhaps i might be able to provide lots of good stuff...

My own mod is also still unplayable...due to the enormous amount of work and new ideas that keep coming and i always want to adopt!

I too, believe the main goal should be to make this mod playable as quickly as possibly and leave refinements especially as regards adding lots of events and more complicated AI coding for later...

I am sure there are quite a few hidden gems out there that never got finished, the amount of work involved in modding this game is just mindblowing. Too much for one person. Why don't you share your ideas with us and we pool all of them. The more the better.

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

Sounds good, I will need the map for province IDs and resource information and techtree or a rough list of IDs and tech names to start creating some basic starting AIs. I will send you a PM with more information.

I also need the same info, I've also PMed fabfeingold (and included Jarski in the message for simplicity).

 

[fabfeingold]

I will send those files to anyone who wants to take part in this project.

 

[KostasL]

I will send those files to anyone who wants to take part in this project.

I am interested in your project...just upload your files somewhere and message me.

I will post details about my own mod, in this forum, soon!

 

[bosman]

OMG! Man, this is awesome.
I suppose form screens, there is going to be WWI included. If so, it would be amazing. I always wanted to finally use artillery bombardment feature, which was simply wasted oportunity and now we could use it more extensively.

 

[fabfeingold]

Hopefully once the 1936 scenario works, a WWI scenario will follow. And yes the artillery bombardment feature is perfectly suited for WWI.

 

[bestmajor]

this looks very promising. i cannot help much, but i received all images from generals.dk earlier this year. this could help you maybe?
http://www.filefactory.com/file/3d2w55dpoeaz/Generals Pictures 2015.rar

anyway good luck with this project!

 

[fabfeingold]

this looks very promising. i cannot help much, but i received all images from generals.dk earlier this year. this could help you maybe?
http://www.filefactory.com/file/3d2w55dpoeaz/Generals Pictures 2015.rar

anyway good luck with this project!

Well that does indeed help a lot. Thanks. I was gonna ask you anyway whether I could use your color model pictures and adapt them to the mod. Any other help is of course immensly appreciated.

 

[bestmajor]

as for my mod feel free to use everything except leader images. i'm almost in retirement and if i leave everybody cn use what he wants, but until then leader images are kind of restricted.
the rest (ills, skins, TTs, etc) is free to use (TRP also asked a while back).

 

[rwglaub]

I still play AoD. DH does have the ability to give multiple brigades to ground units and allows conversion of infantry to motorized divisions, for example.

 

[fabfeingold]

as for my mod feel free to use everything except leader images. i'm almost in retirement and if i leave everybody cn use what he wants, but until then leader images are kind of restricted.
the rest (ills, skins, TTs, etc) is free to use (TRP also asked a while back).

Thanks. It is surprisingly difficult to find good color images for any other than the major nations. Shame that you are nearing retirement, I had been hoping that we might enlist your historical knowledge for this mod.

 

[fabfeingold]

I've PMed you the link to the first part of the files.