Extended Cultures (XC) is a RTW modification that aims to bring historical accuracy but also show how different factions could have evolved had history taken a different path, with an eye to fun and challenging gameplay. The mod is similar to vanilla in look and feeling but expands the original by bringing new factions, several reworked units and new buildings. In addition to this, a culture system that makes an unique use of RTW:BI features and a large set of new character traits that extensively helps in role-playing will ensure an unique feeling of diversity for many factions.
Installing Extended Cultures
1. Start with a patched and unmodified install of RTW (version 1.5), RTW:BI (version 1.6), or RTW:Alex (version 1.9)
2. Run the Extended Cultures installer.
3. Run RTW using the Extended Cultures shortcut installed on your desktop.
Mod Folder: Extended Cultures installs to its own mod folder and does not change any of the original game files. You can use the Extended Cultures shortcut to run Extended Cultures, or the original RTW shortcut to run the unmodified game, and Extended Cultures will not interfere with any other mods.
Compatibility Notes:
- Extended Cultures requires RTW 1.5, RTW:BI 1.6, or RTW:Alex to work.
- Extended Cultures requires an unmodified RTW data directory to work. It probably will not work if you have installed any mod that overwrites files in the RTW data directory.
- Saved games from Extended Cultures 4.0.0 onward will probably work with this version of Extended Cultures. Saved games from older versions will not work.
- Non-Extended Cultures saved games will not work with Extended Cultures.
- Multiplayer will only work if other players have the same version of Extended Cultures installed, with the same install options.
Install Options: When you run the Extended Cultures installer you will be presented with several options that affect game-play. You can change these by running the installer again.
- Use BI exe: This option will set up Extended Cultures to run with the Barbarian Invasion exe.
The BI version of the exe offers several extra features that are not available with the original RTW exe including hording factions, swimming units, and some special formations like shield wall.
- Use Alex exe: This option will set up Extended Cultures to run with the Alexander exe.
This version of the exe lacks some of the features available in the BI version, but it has fewer bugs and the AI is better.
- Use Steam: This option will set up Extended Cultures to run through Steam if you have the Steam versions of RTW Gold or Alexander. Note:Using the BI.exe with Steam requires some manual installation.
- Use Carthaginian Senate: This option converts the Roman (rebels) with a Carthaginian Senate faction. At this time, most provincial campaigns are not supported with this option.
- Movement Rates: Battlefield movement rates are reduced by default to make battles longer and more tactical. Reduced movement rates will cause units to tire more easily, so it is advisable to disable the reduced movement rates if you enable fatigue.
- Landbridges: You will be given an option to add landbridges from Europe to Asia Minor, from Europe to Africa, and from Sicily to Italy when you install Extended Cultures. This allows AI factions to move more easily between the two continents.
- Vanilla Style Borders: Mini-map border colors are set to be inconspicuous, you can choose to make them stand out more.
- Reduced AI Bonuses: The AI factions receive significant economic bonuses. This option allows you to reduce these bonuses. Campaigns will be somewhat easier with fewer battles.
- Prometheus Cities: A set of improved models for Greek and Roman cities on the strategic map.
- Loyalty: You have the option to activate loyalty for Rome, the Greek Cities, and the Gauls. Note that activating loyalty can cause problems.
I recommend using the reduced movement rates, landbridges, and Prometheus cities.
Recommended gameplay difficulty is hard/hard.
Acknowledgements: We'd like to thank:
Creative Assembly for creating RTW and its expansions.
RedFox for giving us permission to use skins and models as well as other features from Diadochi: Total War.
Philadelphos (aka Borsanova) for his greatly improved map geographical details.
Maraxus, Balikedes, Archbaker, Webba, Silver Legionary, and LucretiusTC for all of their help with Extended Cultures.
AnastasioTheGreat for his Spartans, Greek Generals, and General's Horse, skins and models.
the Roma Surrectum team for their half-armoured horse model.
SubRosa for help with skins, models, and unit cards.
the Europa Barbaroum team and their modelers - Spirit of Rob, Adherbal, Halie Satanus, Stefan25, SPW, and Prometheus - for their permission in the use of several models and skins.
ngr for his Mundus Magnus map, and to Dr Fox, Hans Kloss, and GrimSta for getting it working with the new RTW patches.
Kos007 for his new banners and symbols for Macedon.
Archer for his Skymod.
SignifierOne for his animation pack.
Darth Vader for his formations mod, and work on charge distance and fire delay settings.
Poliorcetes for some great historical material on hypaspists.
ferres, Pinarius, GODzilla, Prometheus, LaCa, and others, for their work on the Modding Legions Pack, and to Froggie5 for previously providing compatibility files.
Prometheus for permission to use his strat map city models.
Prometheus and the Res Gestae team for permission to use some of the models and skins from Res Gestae.
player1 and Borsook for their heroic work in fixing bugs in vanilla RTW - most of their fixes have been included in Extended Cultures.
We'd also like to thank Silver Legionary, TheHighwayMan, Kara Kolyo, Hippias, Cymera, Unknown Soldier, Centurion44, cherryfunk, Scutarii, Barend, atraps, Magister Equitum, TM Is Back, Scutarii, htismaqe, vampiric canniba, Mango, and everyone else who has helped out with ideas and bug spotting (sorry if we missed anyone).
And we'd especially like to thank to DimeBagHo for creating and maintaining the Extended Greek Mod, for giving us permission to use the Extended Greek Mod for our base, for all of his work that we use, and for all his advice.
Permissions: Anything not mentioned in Extended Cultures's readme is from XGM and you should obtain permission from DimeBagHo or the material's creator. Everything made by CaesarVincens is free to use in any way. If you plan to use anything in a publicly released mod please let us know and give credit where it is due. If you wish to use any of Zarax's work, please contact him for permission first. AnastasioTheGreat's Spartans, Greek Generals, and Greek General's Horses and SigniferOne's animation pack are free for personal use, but may not be used in publicly released mods without express permission. To use anything created by other authors, like the Roman units for example, you should obtain permission directly from those authors.
I believe that the Persian territory have a bug, cause when my Diplomats arrive to the Persian territory the mod crash, Or it's my **** pc?=(
Hi! Sorry, we have never had such a bug report before. Your best bet is uploading your save for us to check. (that may not be possible on this site, if you're unable to upload it here you can go to our forum Twcenter.net(XC) and report the bug there)
The download link over at the TWcenter.net is down. And, what's the eta on XC v.5?
Is this new or link in twc new?
It's the same thing.
Hello i have this problem, not found (UNIT_VISIGOTH_CAVALRY_GERMAN.TGA) i reinstall the mod but the problem still there, help the mod is awesome n i m waiting the xc 5 ❤
That's strange. There isn't any unit with that name in XC. When do you get this error? Which units are you using?
Before i besiege numantia the citizens (iberia) take arms in one of those armies are units that have been good so far caetrati, heavy spearmen, scutarii heavy scutarii, archers, round shield cavalry, lancers, long shield cavalry, ambakaro n a warlord unit from a local governor I think it could be the local governor unit since iberia did not create any local governor until now
Ok, I was wrong before. I found the unit which uses that texture: the german version of Barbarian Heavy Cavalry. The file is indeed missing. Surprising no one had this problem before. Here's a hotfix for you for now: Mediafire.com. Just drop it into xc/models_unit/textures. Your battle should then work. If it still doesn't work, or if you can't access the link, let me know.
Thanks for your report!
try doing this with saba on very hard omdz I had Arabia and I build good trade Indian ocean trade ect on all settlements I had like 300k saved and I built 1 army and I got in debt, crap troops expensive upkeep.
For some reason, when I start any campaign, all my settlements don't make money and force me to either delete my army or live in debt
Sorry for not replying to this comment. If anyone still has the same issues with economy, feel free to disband starting armies and develop your kingdom first. Starting armies are here primarily to help the AI.
Thank You for this excellent mod!!!!!! For me is as good as RS 3 .Thank You for Your great job!
Thank you for kind feedback, there will be a release of Extended Cultures V soon (this Christmas). Stay tuned!
Much more stable EC.
Installs also norm & have more install options for player like.
Finded few minor bugs:
-one odd roman tavern (?!) in central regions of France, icon bleached background, description something "u musn't see that"
-one religious building (menhires,dolmens,threes,mounds - aka neolitic) - description error - Region also around France, but I not sure, I can be wrong with second
-one religious building (menhires,dolmens,threes,mounds - aka neolitic) - description error - totally one is present in Britain or Ireland islands - probably Wells region (sure that one bugged must be around northern provinces of the map)
- one religious building descripiton is also missing - region is too vague - or Africa, or easterner than Anatolia - Syria, Arabia, etc not far from eastern mediterranean (also not sure)
errors in "nonplayable factions" of mod BIcampaign descr_strat - celts, gauls, IGS, eastern kingdoms, rebels - aka in cities that normally become under gamer control in later game
Mod was installed as BI-launched, normal borders, lesser AI bonuses
Also disbalance*: Rome have from start +2exp recruiting & +1 weapons/armor & lots of regions in or close to Italy with exp or smith bonuses (micro-wonders, foundries-iron, temples good for war)
As Carthago I had totally useless one of 4 temples (Melqart) - because there is no extremelly rich landfarming close to Carthago - and pops unlike raises for economic impact will be higher than agri-bonuses of Tanit. Egyptian & spanish agro-rich lands are too far, Baal-hamon law-enforcement are preferable because they obliviously farer/more than 50 capital-distance debonus
And Yamn... well, yes ships is fun, but this temple only for small few close reigons with smiths - 2 on Africa by Carhago, 2 on Sicily (also quite harder conquest than northern & southern Italy for romans with they elite-heawy upgraded infantryspam & skyrocket stars generals spam). And it fights for place under the sun with unpopular Melquart, so around 1 or 2 for Yamn temples from 4.
Second - Carthago have no exp+ bonus possibilbties itself at all: only one poor on soil (horrible 0,5) near nubian province (but up to +3 exp cap). No microwonders/subtemples, no temples. Closest exp+ provinces are 2 on south Egypt, 1 on Spainish North, 2-3 on southern France that way closer to Romans.
Generals stars also - eeh.
What I try to say - victory was scribed by victors. And if Carthago was so militarry weaker - there was only one Punic war them.
Hannibal has lesser troops on lighter armor - ok we have in game
More & better cavalry - not presented in mod, roman cav still not nerfed enough, cartho didn't have cavalries opportunities, even nubians as mercs ...eeh.
Also over-starred generels of Rome - yes, they have some exp from Italy unification, but in many battles with Hanno romans shows weak generalship mostly.
Pro roman sides:
- armor (presented in game)
- citizenship (not presented - romans was just spamming troops from non-romans submitted cities under servitude for citizenship)
- agressiveness & boldness (well, AI in game seems ok)
I see "citizenship" zerg-mutalisk-rush of romans can be realized in EC V as way lower prices to recruit troops, but armor, shields, weapons, pilums have high industry load in compare(aka too cheap in vanilla & mod, unbalanced because they strong but not cost mucher than other factions weaker troops) + land for servitude = also much higher upkeep of roman troops.
Historically that will be correct - romans had big armies due strong economies, but not too big, and in critical losses from Hanno and Spartacus they historically can fast replenish losses, when another ancient civilizations will be knocked out from numbers of casualties.
So lower recruit/higher maintenance will help Rome be in steady numbers that they do in history.
Also - didn't see retenues or general traits for Carthagian nobles for mercenaries recruitements. Please also correct this as some wide-faction bonus.
Also about Scyths, Sarmathians & Amazons:
Understandable that this is end of the world (ingame and historically)))
Yet where are micro-wonders?
North of Black & Azov seas have many sarmatian mounds, even dev's make entire battle map for vanilla.
Where bonuses or wonders of neolitic cultures - dolmens, menhires, etc (kamyana baba's in ukrainian)?
This geographical place was one of the most biggest prehisthorical (pre-scribe)civilizations before copper, bronze & iron age (game).
That I try so say - info is scarce due ex-soviet union iron wall & almost no-civilization during beginning of scribe history & until the grate resettle of people. But this place is too plain & wasteland'ish.
At least place some mounds new to that time.
& old kamyana baba's that represents matriarchic* society, legacy of that was historically interpreted by greek scribers as amasons (hamazan unit ingame?) *both in nomad & settled people of region was unusual for that time mediterranean cultures to see as equal or even dominant
Pbs.twimg.com
I.pinimg.com
Wnsstamps.post
Kozakorium.com
Ukraineinsideout.com
THE LARGEST KURGAN (BURIAL MOUND) IN UKRAINE
"Created about 300 BC it is thought to be the tomb of the great Scythian king Ateius. First opened in 1891 inside they found a stone tomb that was designed in the Greek Style. Since then it has been opened many times most recently in the 1980’s. Many golden artifacts were found in these excavations which now rest mostly in the Hermitage Museum."
(!) - entire burial mountains - that even not levelled by modern tractors for agriculture. For ancient world this is definatelly a wonders from perspective of view of ancient man.
+craftsmanship in museums
So if ancient territories of Ukraine was pretty isolated place from perspective of greeks & romans - this did'nt mean that this is some black hole and provinces must be enourmus like Saharan or plain by mini-wonders.
Also IMO scythian faction is somewhat lack of some non-unit (horse-archers autoresolve is another type of pain))) building representation - only "nomad-horsemens" differ from barbaric standards is bad roads & hyppodrome?
IDK if in xc5 this corrected:
Nuragic Skirmishers -> Nuragic Slingers
They have wrong global map icon from velites, also generic skirmishers description
Also Liby-Phoeni stormtroopers didn't have 'armor piercing' in perks descriptions (big-axe-on-green-shield-guys)
as in units file they have AP/AP for both weapons & this 'ligt infantry' hack as some madmans
Please check that all "AP"-units had this description tag in xc5, because this is most need for other factions against roman-greek mass infantry tanks.
im having a CTD bug when i scroll to far left on the map or try to end my turn. please help.
Try re-install on another options of installation on anothers .exe, for example - did'nt give any results?
Which patch/version of game in optons?
.exe is R/BI/Alexander?
Non-steam game?
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