A lot to show and tell this week. First off 160 new unit, supply and baggage portrates have been added to the mod. These complete the work on the “Units” file for the release of the second beta version of the mod later in the year. The unit portrait count is now up to 740 as opposed to the 110 the original game started with. Please see a screenshot of the new images below.
Of these images 135 are of late Medieval Balkan troops, 12 are additional Ottoman Turks (bringing the total number of their unit portraits in the mod to 52 and the final 13 are generic supply and baggage units. A summery of the contents of the “Units file is given below.
Images 000-016 = Mamluk units (17 portraits)
Images 017- 024 = Generic Turcoman units (8 portraits)
Images 025-039 = Generic Arab units (15 portraits)
Images 040-079 = Ottoman Turk units (40 portraits)
Images 080-094 = Crimean Tatar units (15 portraits)
Images 095-104 = Northern Yuan units (10 portraits)
Images 105-119 = Generic Tatar units (15 portraits)
Images 120-123 = Mamluk, Turcoman or Arab Camp Followers & Supplies (4 portraits)
Images 124-127 = Persian or Ottoman Camp Followers & Supplies (4 portraits)
Images 128-131 = Mongol, Tatar or Uzbek Camp Followers & Supplies (4 portraits)
Images 132-134 = African States Camp Followers & Supplies (3 portraits)
Images 135-139 = Animal herds (5 portraits)
Images 140-141 = Georgians (2 portraits)
Images 142- 157 = Early Safavid Persian units (16 portraits)
Images 158-177 = Late Safavid Persians units (20 portraits)
Images 178-184 = Generic other Persians units (7 Portraits)
Images 185-199 = Songhai Empire units (15 portraits)
Images 200-202 = Generic African mercenaries (3 portraits)
Images 203-209 = Generic Later Arab units (7 portraits)
Images 210-229 = German / Western European Mercenary Cavalry (20 portraits)
Images 230-264 = “Landsknecht Style” Mercenary Infantry & Artillery (35 portraits)
Images 265-314 = Italian States Units (50 portraits)
Images 315-344 = Later 16th Centaury Western European Mercenary Infantry & Artillery (30 portraits)
Images 345-376 = Swiss units (32 portraits)
Images 377-409 = German Imperialist units (33 portraits)
Images 410-412 = Swabian League Light Cavalry (3 portraits)
Images 413-421 = Other Landsknecht Infantry (9 portraits)
Images 422-429 = Other Swiss Mercenaries (8 portraits no flags in background)
Images 430-449 = German Protestant Peasant Rebels 1525-1526 (20 portraits)
Images 450-483 = 16th Centaury Balkan mercenaries, vassals or allies (34 portraits)
Images 484-530 = 15th & 16th Centaury National & Feudal Hungarians (48 portraits)
Images 531-559 = Hungarian 15th Centaury Black Army Mercenaries (29 portraits)
Images 560-561 = Additional Islamic Camp Followers (4 portraits)
Images 562-569 = 16th Centaury Western European National Camp Followers & & Supplies (6 portraits)
Images 570-575 = 16th Centaury Western European Mercenary Camp Followers & & Supplies (6 portraits)
Images 576-579 = 16th Centaury German Protestant Peasant Camp Followers & & Supplies (4 portraits)
Images 580-603 = Late Medieval Balkan or Slav infantry & Comp Followers (24 portraits)
Images 604-623 = Late Medieval Bulgarian or Balkan units (20 portraits)
Images 624-648 = Late Byzantine or Balkan units (25 portraits)
Images 649-663 = Catalan Garand Company (15 portraits)
Images 664-679 = Romanian Frank units (16 portraits)
Images 680-689 = Additional Albanian Wallachian & Cuman Mercenary Cavalry (10 portraits)
Images 690-714 = Late Medieval Serbian or Balkan Units (25 portraits)
Images 715-726 = Additional Ottoman Turk units (12 portraits)
Images 727-739 = Additional Supply & Baggage Units (13 portraits)
Unit types in the mod
As I am freezing the “Units” file for the moment until work starts on the next beta version it’s probably a good time to review what’s in it and look in a bit more depth at the new units types added to the game. All of the portraits in the REN II units file have a colour coded NATO style graphic in the top right hand corner so you can quickly identify their type.
Existing unit types
The basic HPS REN game ships with 5 basic unit types. The 3 most common are Infantry Cavalry and Artillery. Shown below is a sample portrait of each type. You will see that The NATO style type graphic is yellow for cavalry, green for infantry and red for artillery. These colours are mirrored in the 2D counter graphics in the mod although abandoned artillery units use pink rather than red for the centre of their icon.
Images 000-016 = Mamluk units (17 portraits)
Images 017- 024 = Generic Turcoman units (8 portraits)
Images 025-039 = Generic Arab units (15 portraits)
Images 040-079 = Ottoman Turk units (40 portraits)
Images 080-094 = Crimean Tatar units (15 portraits)
Images 095-104 = Northern Yuan units (10 portraits)
Images 105-119 = Generic Tatar units (15 portraits)
Images 120-123 = Mamluk, Turcoman or Arab Camp Followers & Supplies (4 portraits)
Images 124-127 = Persian or Ottoman Camp Followers & Supplies (4 portraits)
Images 128-131 = Mongol, Tatar or Uzbek Camp Followers & Supplies (4 portraits)
Images 132-134 = African States Camp Followers & Supplies (3 portraits)
Images 135-139 = Animal herds (5 portraits)
Images 140-141 = Georgians (2 portraits)
Images 142- 157 = Early Safavid Persian units (16 portraits)
Images 158-177 = Late Safavid Persians units (20 portraits)
Images 178-184 = Generic other Persians units (7 Portraits)
Images 185-199 = Songhai Empire units (15 portraits)
Images 200-202 = Generic African mercenaries (3 portraits)
Images 203-209 = Generic Later Arab units (7 portraits)
Images 210-229 = German / Western European Mercenary Cavalry (20 portraits)
Images 230-264 = “Landsknecht Style” Mercenary Infantry & Artillery (35 portraits)
Images 265-314 = Italian States Units (50 portraits)
Images 315-344 = Later 16th Centaury Western European Mercenary Infantry & Artillery (30 portraits)
Images 345-376 = Swiss units (32 portraits)
Images 377-409 = German Imperialist units (33 portraits)
Images 410-412 = Swabian League Light Cavalry (3 portraits)
Images 413-421 = Other Landsknecht Infantry (9 portraits)
Images 422-429 = Other Swiss Mercenaries (8 portraits no flags in background)
Images 430-449 = German Protestant Peasant Rebels 1525-1526 (20 portraits)
Images 450-483 = 16th Centaury Balkan mercenaries, vassals or allies (34 portraits)
Images 484-530 = 15th & 16th Centaury National & Feudal Hungarians (48 portraits)
Images 531-559 = Hungarian 15th Centaury Black Army Mercenaries (29 portraits)
Images 560-561 = Additional Islamic Camp Followers (4 portraits)
Images 562-569 = 16th Centaury Western European National Camp Followers & & Supplies (6 portraits)
Images 570-575 = 16th Centaury Western European Mercenary Camp Followers & & Supplies (6 portraits)
Images 576-579 = 16th Centaury German Protestant Peasant Camp Followers & & Supplies (4 portraits)
Images 580-603 = Late Medieval Balkan or Slav infantry & Comp Followers (24 portraits)
Images 604-623 = Late Medieval Bulgarian or Balkan units (20 portraits)
Images 624-648 = Late Byzantine or Balkan units (25 portraits)
Images 649-663 = Catalan Garand Company (15 portraits)
Images 664-679 = Romanian Frank units (16 portraits)
Images 680-689 = Additional Albanian Wallachian & Cuman Mercenary Cavalry (10 portraits)
Images 690-714 = Late Medieval Serbian or Balkan Units (25 portraits)
Images 715-726 = Additional Ottoman Turk units (12 portraits)
Images 727-739 = Additional Supply & Baggage Units (13 portraits)
Unit types in the mod
As I am freezing the “Units” file for the moment until work starts on the next beta version it’s probably a good time to review what’s in it and look in a bit more depth at the new units types added to the game. All of the portraits in the REN II units file have a colour coded NATO style graphic in the top right hand corner so you can quickly identify their type.
Existing unit types
The basic HPS REN game ships with 5 basic unit types. The 3 most common are Infantry Cavalry and Artillery. Shown below is a sample portrait of each type. You will see that The NATO style type graphic is yellow for cavalry, green for infantry and red for artillery. These colours are mirrored in the 2D counter graphics in the mod although abandoned artillery units use pink rather than red for the centre of their icon.
The other 2 types of unit that come with the game are Supply Units (which can resupply ammunition to Infantry & Cavalry units) and Warships. (a sort of static artillery unit that sit off shore in deep water hexes and provide artillery support)
An example of each of these is shown here also. The supply units use a light brown NATO type logistics symbol while that on the warship portrait is a white anchor on a dark blue ground. Again these are mirrored in the 2D counter graphics although in the “2D zoom in” view warships have a gold border to make them stand out and in the “2D zoom out” view (as in the original game) warships are represented by normal artillery counters.
An example of each of these is shown here also. The supply units use a light brown NATO type logistics symbol while that on the warship portrait is a white anchor on a dark blue ground. Again these are mirrored in the 2D counter graphics although in the “2D zoom in” view warships have a gold border to make them stand out and in the “2D zoom out” view (as in the original game) warships are represented by normal artillery counters.
In the original game supply units were covered by an all purpose wagon graphic. In my mod however I have both static (tented encampments) and mobile (various forms of transport supply units. Also while I don’t provide separate units for each nationality I have done a set for each of the unit portrait backgrounds in the mod. Shown here is a mule train portrait for the pale yellow counter set.
For warships on the other hand I have even done a dedicated portrait for each nationality that could have navel fire support in some cases I have done this where the nationality’s unit portraits normally come from the gray (no background flags) counter set. Yu will therefore find dedicated Venetian and Genoese naval units although these nations armies use the “Italian Troops” generic counter set.
New Unit Types
Many of the original scenarios that shipped with the game included “camp follower” units. These are treated as very week infantry units often fixed in and around the area of an army’s encampment. To make it easier to identify such unit I have created a light brown “CF” graphic icon for their unit portraits instead of the standard infantry one.
Also included on the mod (but not the original game) are “fighting wagon” units. They will feature on the revised Ottoman / Mamluk scenario for the battle of Raydaniyah 1517 that will be coming out with the upcoming beta release of the mod. I will set these unit up as slow horse artillery units armed with small numbers of Organ Guns.
This should work well to represent the fact that such wagons tended to carry several heavy calibre small arms each, with in some cases these being breech loaders for which pre-prepared reload chambers were also available . To reflect the extra protection afforded by protected wagons I will increase there defensive (but not their offensive) melee strength. For these units I have used a variation of my artillery graphic icon with a white rather than a red ground.
Finally new to the mod’s second version will be none supply baggage units. As you can see below these use the same sort of graphic as supply units although its gray rather than light brown. The idea here would be to class them as an entirely different nationality for the army that has them and set them up as very week poor morale cavalry units but with a high victory point cost. They would then effectively be used as mobile victory point locations for convoy escort and ambush type scenarios. An example of each of these 3 types of new units is shown below.
For warships on the other hand I have even done a dedicated portrait for each nationality that could have navel fire support in some cases I have done this where the nationality’s unit portraits normally come from the gray (no background flags) counter set. Yu will therefore find dedicated Venetian and Genoese naval units although these nations armies use the “Italian Troops” generic counter set.
New Unit Types
Many of the original scenarios that shipped with the game included “camp follower” units. These are treated as very week infantry units often fixed in and around the area of an army’s encampment. To make it easier to identify such unit I have created a light brown “CF” graphic icon for their unit portraits instead of the standard infantry one.
Also included on the mod (but not the original game) are “fighting wagon” units. They will feature on the revised Ottoman / Mamluk scenario for the battle of Raydaniyah 1517 that will be coming out with the upcoming beta release of the mod. I will set these unit up as slow horse artillery units armed with small numbers of Organ Guns.
This should work well to represent the fact that such wagons tended to carry several heavy calibre small arms each, with in some cases these being breech loaders for which pre-prepared reload chambers were also available . To reflect the extra protection afforded by protected wagons I will increase there defensive (but not their offensive) melee strength. For these units I have used a variation of my artillery graphic icon with a white rather than a red ground.
Finally new to the mod’s second version will be none supply baggage units. As you can see below these use the same sort of graphic as supply units although its gray rather than light brown. The idea here would be to class them as an entirely different nationality for the army that has them and set them up as very week poor morale cavalry units but with a high victory point cost. They would then effectively be used as mobile victory point locations for convoy escort and ambush type scenarios. An example of each of these 3 types of new units is shown below.
Further unit plans
When sorting out my unit type graphics last year I also built in the possibility to add in elephants. My graphic icon here is a horizontally flipped cavalry one that has a white rather than a yellow ground. I think that if your going to use elephants in REN then they should always count as a separate nationality for the side that has them and quite possibly not have any nominal commander on the map. Some experimentation will be needed but poor morale heavy cavalry with enhanced melee strength should work quite well here. Just to wet your apatite here is a graphic for an elephant unit in the army of Tamerlane, who’s forces I plan to add to the mod at the part 3 stage.
When sorting out my unit type graphics last year I also built in the possibility to add in elephants. My graphic icon here is a horizontally flipped cavalry one that has a white rather than a yellow ground. I think that if your going to use elephants in REN then they should always count as a separate nationality for the side that has them and quite possibly not have any nominal commander on the map. Some experimentation will be needed but poor morale heavy cavalry with enhanced melee strength should work quite well here. Just to wet your apatite here is a graphic for an elephant unit in the army of Tamerlane, who’s forces I plan to add to the mod at the part 3 stage.
For the moment however I need to concentrate on ploughing through John V A Fine Jr’s “The Late Medieval Balkans” so that I can identify all of the specific Balkan leaders I need to create to go with the large number of “unit” and “generic leader” images for the region/period I already have. Once these are done I will post them and then get down to some serious scenario design work for the upcoming beta release. On the technical side I am in the process of migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 and while this might slow things down a bit to start with it will make it easier to produce more visually appealing PDF documentation for the mod.
Enjoy
Ian
Enjoy
Ian
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