Age of Empires 2: The Next Chapter mod

This is a total conversion mod for Age of Empires 2 HD Edition, which takes place in the colonial era. This is not an Age of Empires 3 remake, nor is it simply Age of Empires 2 set in the colonial era. There are new units, buildings, techs, and features which help it better fit into the colonial era.



ModDB Page:

Moddb.com



It is for the HD version.

There are 18 Civilizations in total and their building sets are as follows:

European:
British
French
Germans
Dutch
Canada
13 Colonies
Swedish

Eastern European
Russian
Polish


Latin:
Spanish
Portuguese


Native American:
Plains Natives Building Set
-Lakota
-Commanche
Forest Natives Building Set
-Cherokee
-Cree
-Iroquois

Meso:
Aztec
Mayan

In the Independance Age, the North American Colonies, Britan and france, and the Dutch, Germans, and Swedes recieve a more specialized set respectively.

The new Ages are:

The Exploration Age - 1492 - 1560
Represents the age of exploration, including famous explorers, and trade with Native populations

The Colonial Age - 1561 - 1699
The age when colonizing of the New World began

Fortress Age - 1700 - 1769
The age when world powers began fighting for control in the New World

Independence Age - 1770 - 1850
Represents events such as the American Revolution, and the War of 1812, when Nations became separate from European Empires. Also represents the era of Napoleon.

Some Key Changes:

All European and American Civilizations start with an explorer unit similar to the one in Age of Empires 3. All Native American Civilizations begin with a similar, Chief, unit.

The Native Embassy is the first buildable military building, replacing the barracks, and trains Native military units.

All new unique units and Civ attributes:


Portuguese:



Villagers cost gold instead of food (The Portuguese colonies relied heavily on slave labor for sugar production)

Villagers have -50% less HP, but train 50% faster (Portuguese sugar plantations were brutal on slaves, even by slave plantation standards. One slave died for every ton of Portuguese sugar produced.)

Every villager killed gives 50+ gold (the Portuguese had a heavy reliance on the slave trade. Though they usualy relied on African allied nations to supply slaves, there are no African nations, and this is best for the Portuguese)

Every ship killed gives 100+ gold (Portuguese enforced their naval trade power by stopping trade ships and charging taxes and checking for licenses, slaughtering the crew if they didn't have said licenses)

UUs: Caravel (blazing fast ship with a large line of sight)

Organ Gun- Weak and slow seige unit with area attack

UTs: Spyglass (All units have +6 line of sight), Cape Good Hope (Towers deal 15+ damage vs ships)

Most of the Portuguese's colonial riches were made off of abusing Indian ocean trade routes, and via the extremely cruel sugar industry. They established relations with African kingdoms to control the slave trade, and conquered Angola and took over Cape Good Hope for the same reasons. The slave trade was very important for the Portuguese, since slaves died faster than they had children, and had to be imported in large quantities.

The Portuguese have many economic bonuses for fighting, but few actual military bonuses besides their longer line of sight, which gives them a slight edge in finding villagers. They must raid early to get their economy going too since they start out with the same resources everyone else does. However, once this is overcome, they can become very strong quickly if they can get at their enemies' economy. They also excel at naval wars, if not for sheer force for their economic strength.

Swedish



All units have 40%+ hitpoints, +4 attack, cost 2 population instead of one (the Swedish in their heyday had the most powerful army in Europe, known for its bravery and discipline. However, Sweden had a tiny population to draw from, and its army was never very big.)

Units become 10% more expensive, train 5% slower every age (Because of Sweden's low population, they could not afford severe losses)

Pikemen deal +3 bonus damage to infantry/whatever class the gunpowder unit line is (the Swedish focused on closing ranks as quick as possible, firing only one or two volleys before descending upon the enemy. As a result, pikes and swords were used in Sweden for a much longer time compared to the rest of Europe)

Town centers give +100 gold when built (the Swedish had a highly efficient bureaucracy, which greatly facilitated the rise of the Swedish state)


UUs: Carolean- a fast swordsman with high pierce armor and area attack (as stated above, the Swedish closed in and initiated close combat early in the battle)


UTs: Shock Tactics- Melee infantry attack 2x as fast (Swedes loved shock tactics, as explained above)

Allotment System- Each villager produced reduces millitary cost (The Swedes had an "allotment system", where small groups of peasants had to pay for a soldier. This allowed the Swedes to arm their soldiers for a fairly cheap price)

Team Bonus: All units attack 10% faster

Houses support 6 population

High conversion resistance


The Swedish were very religious, and pastors were the main source of both moral support and discipline on campaign- they were taught to be brave, since if God wanted them to die they wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it, so some religious Techs are still required.

Commanche

Get +10 of all resources for each destroyed enemy building (This encourages raiding, which was the official Comanche pastime)

Horse Archers fire 10/15/20% faster in 2nd/3rd/4th ages (Comanches, like the Sioux, were badass on the horse)

All units have 2+ attack vs civilian units (Comanches were brutal, even for normally brutal Native American warfare)

Unique Unit: Quahadi (Horse Archer with a large bonus vs buildings. Kinda like a horse siege weapon. The name comes from the last Comanche tribe to remain free on the plains)

Unique Tech: Warrior Culture (All units recieve +1 attack. The Comanches were very warlike, if you haven't gotten the message yet. They were at one time or another at war with almost every tribe on the plains, and any Europeans to venture into their territory)

Team Bonus: All units receive +2 damage vs buildings (see above)



Canada



New World Architecture - All building cost stone is reduced by 50% but 25% increased in lumber

Woodsman- Receive lumber camp upgades for free

Indian friendship - Canadian native warriors are 20% cheaper and train 10% faster

UU
Trapper-fast infantry unit with great LoS and speed, but low HP. Can hunt and gather wood

UT
Coureur - Villagers recevie great boosts in attack and HP

Fur Trade - Canadian market rates are unchanged

TB
All infantry units receive +3LoS

Polish



Bonuses

All university techs are 50% cheaper (University of Krakow is one of the oldest in the world, established in 1364)

Polish farms last 10% longer and are 15% cheaper (poland had strong agriculture economy in the middle ages)

Polish units are 75% harder to convert (polish people gained religious freedom)

UU
Polski Huzar- Anti gunpowder cavalry

UT

Copernicus - All techs are researched 100% faster

Golden Liberty - All units receive 10% HP

TB
Villager gather from berries and fish 10% faster


British



Bonuses

Britons have a very small trickle of all resources (representing colonial wealth)

British ships have 15% HP and +2 Armor (naval empire)

British villagers build 60% faster (quick buidling of colonies,...)

UU
Redcoat - a powerful musketeer with a bonus vs other musketeers units

Ocean Class - tough ship with huge health and attack but very slow with decent range

UT

Piracy -British receive gold for every enemy ship destroyed

Trade Company - Britsh trade carts, trade cogs and other means of trade move 100% faster

Team Bonus
Gunpowder Infantry move 10% faster and has +1 attack

The 13 Colonies



Bonuses:
Reduced price and training time of all gunpowder units by 35%, but lowering HP for 10% (The minuteman)

Houses have tiny ranged gunpowder attack

Farmers and Plantation workers work 25% faster

UU:
Colonial Militia - Cheap and fast produced weak infantry with minor bonus vs native units and ships

UB
Plantation - Farm that produces gold

UT
"Smugglers (trade units have +4 armor/+4 pierce armour)

Landgrab - Mills, farms and houses are built 100% faster, are cheaper and receive massive HP bonus (Attack bonus for house too)


TB
Technologies research 15% faster

Iroquois



Bonuses:
Villagers/fishing ships/etc gather from all "natural" resources (fish, berries, boars,...) 25% faster
All Iroquois buildings are built from wood only, but have 15% higher price
Iroquois villagers and native units have 15% higher health
Iroquois build longhouses instead of houses. They can be garissoned (3 units) and provide 10pop. However they cost 55% more than a house

UU
Mantlet - Anti building and anti infantry siege unit

*shared special barracks line with other forest natives*

UT
Kinship - Native units have increased HP and attack (20%) as well as attack and movement speed (10%) (Close bonds of the 5 tribes and the oral knowledge passed on)
War allies - Iroquois barracks receive 2 special units, gunpowder infantry (Alliances with French/English/Americans


Team Bonus
Villagers are 5% cheaper

Dutch



Building Health Upgrades give +20% more HP (The Dutch had their own style of architecture.)

Ships move 10% faster +10% HP but transport ships +10 Garrison (Dutch navy used to carry heavy loads. The fluyt was a dutch built ship.)

Markets give 50+ Gold when built (Dutch marketing has lot of investments in gold.)

Unique Unit: Halberider. Strong Pikeman good against other infantry

Fluyt - moderately fast and powerful military ship that is able to garrison soldiers

Unique Techs: Windmills (Farms stay better for longer and produce food faster)

Bank - When researched, markets begin to produce a slow trickle of gold

Team Bonus: Tradecarts/Tradecogs 33% faster (Dutch traded over seas with fluyts and transports)


Germans



Infantry and Siege civ


Bonuses:
Villagers produced twice as fast, but gather 20% slower from natural resources (30 years war, destroyed lands, but quick repopulation)

Cannons fire 25% faster and have +10% HP

Town Centers have double HP

UU

Landsknecht - slow and powerful anti infantry swordsman

UT

Imperial Reforms: All military is produced 20% faster and all gold income sources increased by 10%

Protestantism: German monk receive +1/+1 armour and all units are 50% more resistant to conversions

Team Bonus: Infantry has 20% HP


French



Villagers have ranged attack but less HP (hungry but deadly citizens of France?)

Cavalry +1/+2 armor per age starting in 2nd age, but cost raised by 5% per age

Ships are created 25% faster but have less hitpoints (trying to compete with British in numbers, but fail)

Double gold income from huntable gold animals (if beavers or such are included in the game)

Town centres and houses built 10% faster

UU

Curassier - Expensive and slow armored cavalry with area attack and high health

UT

French Revolution - Villagers get great boost in speed, health and attack, but lose some gathering effeciency, thus becoming efficient militia units

Napoleonic reforms - Cavalry gains +10% movement speed and cannons are produced 25% faster

Team Bonus
Transport ships (or whatever there shall be to replace it) carry +10 units

Russians



Bonuses
10% villager discount per age, starting in first age (total of 50%)

Military produced 30% faster, but it is weaker.

Technologies take 10% longer to research, but are 40% cheaper

Start with 4 extra villagers

UU
Strelet - Cheap, quickly produced and weak infantry with a minor bonus vs infantry

UT

Cossack Agreement - Russians receive Cossacks in their stables. A quick and reliable cavalry with a bonus vs villagers and gunpowder units

Peter The Great's reforms - Strelets and other infantry receive boost in health and attack, but take longer to create and have slightly higher cost

Team Bonus
Villagers receive +2 attack bonus vs infantry

Lakota - Rifle Cavalry
Cherokee - Chickamauga- A spearman with a bonus against
gunpowder units
Cree - Cree Tracker

*Note, Aztec, Mayan and Spanish remain mostly the same.

The Native Embassy has 3 unit lines:
Native Warrior (Melee)
Native Spearman (Melee)
Native Bowman (Ranged)
Native Rifleman is a stand alone unit availible in the independence age.

The Barracks is available to all Non-Natives, and trains the following:

Rifleman line
Crossbowman
Pikeman
Stand alone Grenadier

The Stable trains Cavalry, two lines are present, but only one is available to different Civs:

The Hussar line is available to Europeans.
The Dragoon line is available to Europeans.
The Native Spear Cavalry is available to Natives
The Native Cavalry archer is availible to Natives

The Arsenal trains multiple cannons, including Falconets, Mortars, and 10 - Pounders

Native Civs do not have access to Barracks, but gain extra unit upgrades

The Elder's Hut is an all new building availible to Natives providing new technologies.

As Native Civs are quite overpowered militarily, they all have strong economic bonuses that reflect the real life native tribes, for example, the Iroquois receive farming bonuses

And last but not least the Mercenary Hut, a building which trains cultural units.

As the mod is not yet complete, any suggestions are very welcome!


Exploration Age Buildings for the Europeans:



The New, updated, Final Barracks unit line:



And a battle pic because why not? :P



Credits:
Daniel Pereira - Cannons, European exploration Age building components
Achesun - Musketeer, Hoop Thrower, blow gunner - Made for pcm 2
Big Travis - Fusielier, Recoat, Dragoon
Dynasty_IV - Native buildings, Native Units
Taichi San - European exploration Age building components
monsterslayer - European Colonial and Fortress age building base
Possidon - Graphic components for American Archetecture
Ivenend - Landsknet
Jorgito - Reiter, heavy dragoon
Mahazona - Hussar, Native units,
Carcoma - Spanish and portugese building set
LiberatorDave - Colonial Millitia
The_Old_Breed - Gaurd Hussar
3dregenerator - Rifleman
Gwotyng - Eastern European Buildings
Abeb92 - Germanic, North American, and North West European Independence Age Building Set
Great_Artiste, Dr Roach - Civ outlines