Foothold in India 1.3.3 Complete - Full Version - Any OS file

Please carefully read README.pdf inside the downloaded archive or it's text copy [without pictures] below.

Foothold in India: The Great Game

Introduction

Term definition:

The Great Game was a rivalry between the 19th century British and Russian Empires over influence in Asia, primarily in Afghanistan, Persia, and later Tibet. The two colonial empires used military interventions and diplomatic negotiations to acquire and redefine territories in Central and South Asia. By the early 20th century, a line of independent states, tribes, and monarchies from the shore of the Caspian Sea to the Eastern Himalayas were made into protectorates and territories of the two empires.

Foothold in India is a light overhaul modification, addressing the problems of vanilla Empire while staying true to its spirit.

It is a modular project, with all `.pack` files acting as independent modules that can be applied in any combination with each other or as standalone modifications.

The mod is designed to run on MacOS, Linux and Windows.

ModDB page

TWCenter thread

Foothold in India 1.3.3

Save-game compatible with all version starting with 1.2.

ATTENTION: Please delete all other mods and all files from the previous version prior to installation, unless you absolutely know what you're doing.

Installation

To install, simply put everything into `Empire Total War/data` folder (make a backup of `sounds_sfx.pack` - the only vanilla file overwritten in the process).

The mod is slpit into numerous small mods, represented by `.pack` files. All `.pack`-s are in movie format and are specifically designed to not have any conflicts with each other, so you don’t need to maintain a `user.empire_script.txt`. You can find detailed description of each file in the following chapter.

To deactivate a specific `.pack`, simply add a `.bak` extension to its name. If you are unsure whether you want to have a certain mod on or off, you can add and remove the `.bak` extension to activate/deactivate it instead of removing the file.

You should always keep these two `.pack`-s active:

1. tgg_base
2. tgg_loc

These do nothing on their own, but provide necessary dependencies and localisation strings for the other mods.

Despite my best efforts to keep the packages minimally invasive, compatibility with mods not included in Foothold in India is not guaranteed.

Take note, that some mods [for instane, tgg_battle_groupformations_darth and tgg_battle_groupformations_sinuhet] are different versions or options of the same change, and should not be active together at the same time.

Same logic applies when choosing a campaign to play. You have 6 different options, which will be described in more detail in the next chapters of the README:

• tgg_campaign_early (recommended; 1700 The Great Game campaign with numerous changes)
• tgg_campaign_early_vanilla (1700 vanilla with all factions unlocked)
• tgg_campaign_early_vanilla_foothold_in_india (1700 vanilla with Britain and France having regions in India)
• tgg_campaign_late (recommended; 1783 The Great Game campaign with numerous changes)
• tgg_campaign_late_vanilla (1783 vanilla with all factions unlocked)
• tgg_campaign_late_vanilla_america (vanilla Warpath campaign with all factions unlocked)

In order to activate a campaign, you need to keep one of the 6 campaign `.pack` files active, only one at a time.

On the screen above you can see me activating tgg_campaign_early, while keeping the other campaigns deactivated by adding `.bak` extension to the `.pack's` names. Activating several different campaigns simultaneously could produce conflicts and bugs, so please keep careful watch of the campaign files you activate.

Author’s note:

If you wish to experience Foothold in India as the author intended it to be, you should simply put all the files from the archive into `Empire Total War/data` without deactivating any of them. Afterward, you will be able to understand which parts you would like to tweak and activate or deactivate certain packages to your taste.

The mods

Appearing in 1.0:

• tgg_base and tgg_loc: These two packs change nothing on their own. "Base" provides necessary dependencies for all the packs and startpos files, while "loc" provides localization strings. Always put these two packs into `Empire Total War/data` folder. If you only use these two files and nothing else, you will technically still be playing vanilla Empire.
• tgg_patch6: A conservative community bug-fix compilation. The most notorious bug is the overpowered Galleon cannon. Fixing it reduces Galleon’s firepower from 370 to 122 [sic!].
• tgg_unitpack_nerf_bargir: Makes Bargir Infantry poorly trained and undisciplined, using matchlocks instead of flintlocks, and only recruitable in major multislot cities, starting with Drill School (read more below).
• tgg_unitpack_caucasus: Redesigns troop rosters of Crimean Khanate, Georgia and Dagestan to resemble Morocco and Barbary States (read more below).
• tgg_unitpack_caucasus_for_guest: Same as the above, but without disabling vanilla units, only adding the new ones. I personally recommend strongly against using this pack, however, due to a request from the community, I’m including it as well. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension. Use either this or the above, but not both.
• tgg_unitpack_maghreb: Gives Morocco and Barbary States swordsmen and proper cavalry.
• tgg_unitpack_pirates: Gives Carribean and Barbary land pirate units grenades and a pistol with one ammo to shoot before making a charge. Allows Barbary States access Xebecs faster. Adds stronger units to Barbary States and Pirates city garrisons. Try starting as Spain and taking the "unprotected" Algiers on turn 1, and you are in for a nasty surprise.
• tgg_unit_manpower: Matchlock-armed peasant units are now up to 160 men. Grenadiers, light infantry and skirmishers are up to 120. Riflemen and some elite infantry remain at 80. The rest (all cavalry, dragoons, melee and line infantry) remain as is.
• tgg_unitpack_ottoman: Makes mameluks accessible faster, giving Ottomans a cavalry unit accessible right from the start. Also, they don’t disband after a revolution because the Ottomans don’t have any good alternatives to using them as light/medium cavalry. Gives Mameluks State European Doctrine and a [distant] perspective to train Nizam-I Cedid units.
• tgg_campaign_sikh_temple: Gives Punjab a religious building (but not an agent).
• tgg_campaign_no_city_forts: Shokh Hates Sieges by Shokh. Disables city fortification construction.
• tgg_campaign_diplomacy_tuning: TWCenter forums "hush"-style diplomacy attitudes, with penalties for going to war, annexing, assassinating, etc. quickly going back to normal.
• tgg_campaign_tech_tree: A more straightforward military tech tree taken from Empire Reborn 3.0. Fire by rank is reachable faster. Cavalry tech, infantry tech and bayonet drills constitute more independent tracks than they do in vanilla. AI seems to navigate this tree better than vanilla.

New in 1.1:

• tgg_battle_mechanics_tuning: Minor Factions Revenge battle system - fatigue, shooting and fighting mechanics, impacts of charges and masses of units adjusted for a more realistic feel. Musket projectiles now lose accuracy and firepower faster at high ranges, and non-sniper units should come closer if they wish to land accurate shots. Misfire chances for matchlocks and flintlocks are now 16% and 12% respectively instead of 0 as in vanilla (similar misfire chances are applied in tgg_patch6 as well).
• tgg_unit_formationstight: Line infantry, grenadiers, pikemen and all cavalry except the ones shooting from horseback now move in closer formations, while the rest (light infantry, riflemen, skirmishers, mobs and swordsmen) remain as is. This allows the line infantry to hold better against cavalry charges, while giving cavalry more of a punch. Cavalry is now more dangerous for loosely formed units, while skirmishers are now more dangerous for tightly-packed line. All in all, this increases the "rock paper scissors" dynamics between the troop types.
• tgg_misc_minister_titles: jeweetwel_youknow’s correct titles for kings, queens, ministers, etc.

New in 1.2:

• tgg_unitpack_india: Gives Mughals Islamic Musketeers instead of Hindu (Hindu regions are not common in Mughal lands in vanilla). Gives Mysore Islamic Musketeers alongside with Hindu Musketeers and Hindu Warriors (Islamic units are not recruitable in Mysore region in vanilla). Makes Qizilbashi Cavalry recruitable globally (like Qizilbashi Musketeers), unlocking them for Persia. Makes Native Lancers accessible faster, and Sikh Musketeers accessible slower. All in all, this pack addresses the wild inequality of Indian factions.
• tgg_unitpack_fleets_of_india: Complete redesign of early Indian and Persian navies. The factions now start with Barbary-style fleets, which evolve into proper European fleets with technological progress. This leaves the Ottomans and Mameluks as the only factions with European-style ships right from the early development stages.
• tgg_campaign_mechanics_tuning: Campaign variables in the style of Minor Factions Revenge. The impact of generals rank on autoresolve outcomes is considerably lowered. Autoresolve is generally more fair. Tax inefficiency kicks in faster, the more territories a faction conquers.
• tgg_campaign_difficulty: Minor Factions Revenge system of difficulty settings. Removes most buffs for AI on various difficulty levels. The AI now won’t have more recruitment slots in their cities than the player, the AI’s units won’t go further distances on the campaign map, etc. The only things left that change with difficulty level are: speed of research, income and upkeep costs. Previously part of tgg_battle_mechanics_tuning (TGG_Battle_Specs prior to 1.2).
• tgg_misc_family_tree: Enables a Family Tree button, like in Rome and Medieval Total War. Previously part of Media Addon 1.0.

New in 1.3:

• tgg_unitpack_nerf_galleon: Galleons can now be recruited only starting from Dockyard and Commercial Port, effectively preventing Spain and pirates to spam them until the necessary facilities are constructed.

New in 1.3.1:

• tgg_unitpack_guns_of_the_west: Allows making European sakers in Minor Governor’s Encampment, Barracks and Minor Royal Palace.
• tgg_battle_groupformations_darth: Darth’s group formations. Replaces Sinuhet’s. In comparison to Sinuhet’s group formations, Darth’s seem to be more cautious and less aggressive, but also less buggy and more polished. Use either this or Sinuhet’s, but not both.
• tgg_battle_groupformations_sinuhet: Sinuhet’s group formations (tgg_battle_groupformations prior to 1.3.1). I personally prefer Darth’s. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension. Use either this or Darth’s, but not both.
• tgg_battle_environments: Smaller cities and less resilient buildings during battles. Previously part tgg_battle_mechanics_tuning (TGG_Battle_Specs prior to 1.2).

New in 1.3.2:

• tgg_battle_triggers: Bran’s events triggers. These should theoretically improve AI’s response to certain events during battles, such as flanking attacks, encirclement etc. However, in vanilla, for some reasons, these triggers were disabled. EXPERIMENTAL. Use at your own risk. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.
• tgg_campaign_ai_mfr: My own AI adjustments in the style of Minor Factions Revenge (tgg_campaign_ai_tuning prior to 1.3.2). The AI is generally more helpful towards allies and has a bit more incentive towards maritime expansion. One of the highlights is that the AI recruits generals more frequently. Another is making Eastern factions much more reliant on cavalry. Use either this or Succession, but not both.
• tgg_campaign_ai_succession: My own AI adjustments in the style of Succession - A Total War: Empire Revival Mod. The AI is more cautious and less prone to foolish actions. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension. EXPERIMENTAL: not really tested that much yet. Use either this or MFR, but not both.
• tgg_unitpack_guns_of_caucasus: Enables cannons for Georgia, Dagestan and Crimean Khanate. I personally recommend against using this pack. However, due to numerous requests from the community, I provide it to you. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.
• tgg_unitpack_guns_of_maghreb: Enables cannons for Morocco and Barbary States. I personally recommend against using this pack. However, due to numerous requests from the community, I provide it to you. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.
• tgg_unitpack_unconquered: Greatly increases strength of garrisons of Crimean Khanate, Georgia, Dagestan and Afghanistan. I personally find this pack too unpolished to use. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.

Campaigns

The recommended campaigns are The Great Game campaigns: tgg_campaign_early and tgg_campaign_late.

• tgg_campaign_early_vanilla: 1700 campaign without any changes, but with all factions unlocked.
• tgg_campaign_early_vanilla_foothold_in_india: Same as above, but with Britain and France having territories in India.
• tgg_campaign_early: 1700 The Great Game campaign. Brings many changes to the startpos, such as:
  • Giving Admiralties to Denmark and Barbary States
  • Introducing emergent Bohemia (replaces Hessen)
  • Replacing Caucasian and Crimean starting armies with units from tgg_unitpack_caucasus
  • Moving Ottoman capital to Ankara (for gameplay concerns - the AI tends to defend the capital better, and Anatolia is a more important place than Rum, since it has a school and is a big major province)
  • Making Carlos II 99 year old (so that the Spanish Succession war starts faster)
  • Readjusting the AI, making all factions fully functional (in vanilla, minor factions are almost inactive)
  • Slightly tweaking starting armies and buildings for a better balance
  • And last, but not least, readjusting diplomatic relationships, primarily between Eastern factions, to make them more dynamic.
• tgg_campaign_late_vanilla: 1783 campaign without any changes, but with all factions unlocked.
• tgg_campaign_late: 1783 The Great Game campaign. Same as above, but with many changes, similar to tgg_campaign_early. However, the extent of the changes is currently not nearly as huge.
• tgg_campaign_late_vanilla_America: The Warpath Campaign startpos without any changes (except from moving the Spanish capital from New Mexico to Mexico), but with all factions unlocked.

Author’s note:

It is advised to play tgg_campaign_early or tgg_campaign_late to see the full extent of the changes - in vanilla campaigns, minor factions do not have a fully active AI profile. You can apply tgg_campaign_ai_mfr or tgg_campaign_ai_succession to see more changes in AI, or simply disable both AI packs to experience a more predictable vanilla behaviour.

Changelog

New in 1.3.1:

• New victory conditions for Portugal, Denmark, Knights of St. John, Pirates and all eastern factions.
• Gujarat’s Surat Trading Port is upgraded to Commercial Port in tgg_campaign_early to accomodate for 3 trade agreements.
• Ahmadnagar’s Bombay Commercial Port replaced by Shipyard in tgg_campaign_late.
• Diplomacy adjustments in tgg_campaign_late.
• Ottoman capital moved to Ankara in tgg_campaign_late.
• Fixed fog of war for all factions in tgg_campaign_late_vanilla_America.
• 3 new loading screens for Native American factions in tgg_campaign_late_vanilla_america.
• Minor changes and fixes.

New in 1.3.2:

• tgg_unitpack_caucasus now includes Circassian Horsemen [shooting cavalry available to Dagestan and Georgia], enables DLC Armenian Archers for Georgia and gives every Caucasian faction access to bedouin unit roster (should they conquer a desert region) and to Circassian Armoured Cavalry (should they conquer Anatolia).
• Removed all city fortifications in tgg_campaign_early.
• New victory conditions for Italian factions.
• Dutch Guyana’s Demerara Trading Port replaced by Shipyard in tgg_campaign_early.
• Denmark now has a Shipyard in tgg_campaign_early.
• Mysore now has a Trading Port in tgg_campaign_early.
• Afghanistan now has a Minor Governor’s Encampment in tgg_campaign_early.
• Fixed Ottoman capital location - it should now be properly moved to Ankara.
• Increased the strength of the Spanish garrison in Brussels in tgg_campaign_early: this should deter the Netherlands from an- nexing it on turn 1 and get into a premature meatgrinder with France (which the Netherlands usually loses too quickly).
• 1 new loading screen for Native American factions in tgg_campaign_late_vanilla_america.
• Readjusted diplomatic relationships in the Indian theatre in tgg_campaign_early: Mysore is now allied with Portugal and France, deterring Marathan invasion of Goa, and tends to attack the Mughals. Britain, Marathas and Mughals should tend to act independently, outside any coalitions, and fight mostly between each other.
• Readjusted diplomatic relationships in the Maghreb, the Caucasus and the Middle East in tgg_campaign_early: Caucasian factions are now hostile towards most of their neighbours and should stack up troops more actively. Morocco is now on bad terms with France and allied with Safavids to deter an Ottoman invasion.
• Readjusted diplomatic relationships in Italy in tgg_campaign_early: the factions are generally on worse terms with each other (especially Venice vs Genoa) and with Spain. This gives the theatre a bit more spice and is actually historically correct at the same time.
• Venice and Poland don’t allow any more passage to Austrian and Russian troops accordingly in tgg_campaign_early - in vanilla, it lead to big Austrian and Russian stacks standing passively in their allies’ territories without any practical use.
• Made Hannover and Denmark hostile to each other in tgg_campaign_early: this should make Denmark recruit troops more actively and not lose the capital so easily to the Swedes.
• Minor factions now earn less "other" income than major in tgg_campaign_mechanics. Crimea, Georgia, Dagestan, Venice, Genoa and most of the Western emergent factions are downgraded to minor in order not to allow them to stack up insane amounts of cash, which they could use to buy treaties, territories and protectorates.
• Made some changes to the AI. If you apply tgg_campaign_ai_mfr or tgg_campaign_ai_succession, you should see a little bit more activity. Austria, Russia, Poland and Sweden should start relying a bit more on cavalry.

New in 1.3.3:

• Fixed wrong building and tech requirements in tgg_campaign_tech_tree.
• Fixed tgg_campaign_difficulty.
• Georgia now uses Eastern group formations if you apply tgg_battle_groupformations_darth or tgg_battle_groupformations_sinuhet.
• Rolled back port patrolling behaviour in tgg_campaign_ai_mfr and tgg_campaign_ai_succession: the AI gave too much priority, and its fleets were aimlessly guarding the ports, not doing much else.
• Made Eastern factions rely even more on cavalry if you apply tgg_campaign_ai_mfr and tgg_campaign_ai_succession.
• Fixed Company Lancers icon: in vanilla they have the same icon as Native Lancers.
• Unlocked colonial and company units in custom battles.
• Added 3 new loading screens in tgg_media_orientalist_loading_screens.
• Rewrote installation guide.

Details

Bargir nerfing

Aside from Bargir Infantry, the best infantry in India, such as Sikh and Qizilbashi Musketeers are actually poorly trained, undisciplined, using matchlocks, while Qizilbashi Musketeers, being the only proper line infantry unit available to Mughals, are also accessible only starting with Drill School and can’t be recruited in Minor Governor’s Barracks. The sub-mods therefore only downgrades Bargirs to a level similar to Qizilbashis, putting Marathas and Mughals on a more equal footing.

New Caucasus units

The rosters for Crimea, Dagestan and Georgia are now esthetically much closer to their eastern neighbors’, but in essence are quite similar to tribal Native American’s. Line infantry and artillery are now disabled (except for Crimean Tufekci similar to Isarely) and the factions have to rely on irregular warfare. Crimean tactics should include mass cavalry harassment with limited support from below average matchlock infantry. Harass the enemy using masses of cheap Tatar horse archers and hit them with your mailed Oglan lancers when the enemy is in disarray. Nogai Cavalry should chase the skirmishers and neutralize the cannons, while the foot Tufekci militia tangles the enemy in melee or ranged combat. Construct a Minor Royal Palace to get access to Mirza Cavalry - heavily armoured horse archers, riding medium mounts.

Georgia and Dagestan have identical infantry-heavy rosters. Amass a huge number of Caucasian Hillmen supported by excellent Caucasian Swordsmen or Khevsur Warriors. Both states are very tight on budget, so do not disdain using armed peasants to amass firepower. Hide the skirmishers and harass the enemy from the cover of difficult terrain. Approach carefully with swordsmen, hiding behind the hills, avoiding musket and cannon fire, and when the moment is right, throw them into melee, and no foe will withstand their fury. Use the swift and capable Jigits and Circassian Horsemen to pursue the running enemies and counter the enemy skirmishers.

The Fleets of India

All Indian factions and Persia received a complete early navy redesign. The factions now start with Barbary-style fleets, which evolve into proper European fleets with technological progress.

The main device of early naval warfare in the Indian Ocean is now a Light Gallivat - a small, armed boat with sails and oars, used on the Malabar Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries. Further onwards, they are complemented by Medium Gallivats and Grabs - native Arab-Persian and Indian cargo, pirate, and war vessels, comparable to Mediterranean Xebecs.

Historically, Maratha navy was among the strongest in the region, successfully competing with the British and Portuguese. Another ship type used was the Pal (Maratha Man-of-war), which was a cannon-armed, three-masted vessel. The grabs had broadsides of 6- and 9-pounder guns, and carried two 9- or 12-pounders on their main decks. These guns pointed forward through port-holes cut in the bulkheads. The gallivats were mostly armed with light swivel guns, but some also mounted six or eight cannons, either 2- or 4-pounders. These boats were propelled by forty to fifty oars.

Media Add-on 1.2.3

Save-game compatible with all previous Media Add-on versions.

ATTENTION: Please delete all previous packages prior to installation.

These are beauty mods, improving graphics, sounds, effects, etc.

To install, simply put the mods you like into `Empire Total War/data` folder. Please delete the previous version, if you have it, prior to installation.

If you’re having graphical issues, try removing some or all of the add-ons.

The addons

Appearing in 1.0:

• tgg_media_durango_historical_portraits: Atmospheric historical portraits in uniform style.
• tgg_media_manics_flags: Cool looking flags.

New in 1.1:

• tgg_media_orientalist_loading_screens: My own collection of orientalist paintings replacing vanilla loading screens.

New in 1.1.1:

• tgg_media_bronze_cannon_barrels: By Lada97. Replaces iron cannon textures with bronze.
• tgg_media_line_infantry_equipment: By erasmus777. Replaces line infantry backpacks and bags with small cartridge boxes and gives spontoons to the infantry officers.

Graphics and sounds from Ultima Ratio Black Label by Miltonr87:

• tgg_media_ultima_effects: Campaign and battle video effects.
• tgg_media_ultima_graphics: Campaign and battle textures, UI changes, etc.
• sounds_sfx: Sounds of gun and musket shots, etc. ATTENTION: Please make a backup of vanilla sounds_sfx.pack before applying.
• tgg_media_ultima_unitmodels: New models for 4 specific units (read more below). I personally prefer vanilla. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.
• tgg_media_ultima_night: Some battles randomly become night bat- tles. I personally don’t like them. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.
• tgg_media_ultima_big_fonts: Bigger fonts. I personally prefer vanilla. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.
• tgg_media_ultima_flags: Empire Total Flags by JFC. I personally prefer Manic’s flags. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.

New in 1.2.2:

• tgg_media_orientalist_music: My own collection of orientalist and classical music replacing vanilla soundtrack. Currently only one piece is changed (in the main menu), however, the plan is to eventually replace all music in the game. To activate, remove the `.bak` extension.

Ultima Ratio Black Label - 4 new unit skins

Miltonr87 quote:

I did not want to add skins, but I did only for two reasons:

1) The uniforms of European Generals are completely horrible in Vanilla.

2) The Expatriates Units wear the same clothes as regular Infantry Units, which causes confusion in the original version... the same happens with the Guard Units (a special regiment that protected the kings). The American Rangers were changed because the originals have clothes similar to the common Militia, which, again, causes confusion!

Now these specific units have more realism and identity. For more information access the original version where more re-textures were created by Bavarian Grenadier and SwissHalberdier.

Credits

The project couldn’t have been achieved without all the help from the community and without using the works of the old-school ETW modders.

Special thanks to:

• FERRDO, Walsingham, Mersechal and Tot-mod for their support and advice on the features.
• FERRDO for smoke-testing the mod’s Windows compatibility.
• All the anonymous users, providing help and feedback.
• All the people behind Minor Factions Revenge - one of the most influential mods, being a huge inspiration for Foothold in India.
• DarksideModerator for his Empire Reborn and the improved tech tree.
• The_Lord_Snow for his Succession - A Total War: Empire Revival Mod.
• Sacrebleu! for his Absolutum Dominium.
• taw for providing the modding tools.
• erasmus777 for providing one of the biggest knowledge corpuses on ETW modding and for his equipment tweak.
• Darth Vader for pioneering many of the modding approaches and for his battle group formations.
• Bavarian Grenadier and Swiss Halberdier for their inspiring unitpacks.
• Bran Mac Born for porting Napoleon graphics to ETW and for his deep research of Empire AI.
• Goutlard for providing an idea of tighter formations.
• Abandoned Warlord for providing an idea of increasing misfire chances.
• trueman11 and BraselC5048 for the bug-fixes.
• Miltonr87 for collecting the splendid Ultima Ratio: Black Label - the best graphics and audio mod for ETW.
• Manic and JFC for their beautiful flags collections.
• The Hedge Knight for implementing the night battles.
• Durango for historical portraits and a new battle HUD.
• General Andy for musket sounds.
• pisoiasul for atmospheric battle sound effects.
• jarnomiedema for the new map radar.
• GeorgiaPeanuts and Neron25 for the royal family tree.

Have an enjoyable game!