Dawn of War II: Codex Edition mod

SUMMARY

Codex Edition is a total overhaul of Dawn of War II: Retribution that delivers a more immersive, fluff-accurate, and realistic experience, while also introducing a massive amount of new units, gameplay elements, customization options, and overall content that includes new factions and base building. While it may not be the most balanced mod out there, and is not intended for competitive gameplay, it does provide a unique and spectacular 40k experience that resonates with the original version of Codex Edition created by Gabriel Gorgutz. Creating equilibrium between lore accuracy and playability is this mod's primary focus, as is the tradition of Codex Edition.

This specific version of Codex Edition is based on the Unofficial Codex Continuation mod, created by SquadBroken/Proteus, who was both a good friend of mine and the person who inspired me to become an animator and cinematic artist through his enthusiasm and ideas. Unfortunately, Proteus is no longer with us. I will not go into detail, but the important part is that he was a passionate 40k fan who would have loved to see people enjoy our content; this is why I decided to pick up from where he left off. Of course, this version of Codex Edition is already significantly different from its predecessors, but I aim for the foundation and soul of the original to remain present. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the setup and foundation for this mod is accredited not only to Proteus, but also to Gabriel Gorgutz and other creators who made the content they used.

Below is a rundown of the features Codex Edition brings to Dawn of War II: Retribution.

GAMEPLAY

Codex Edition completely overhauls the gameplay of Dawn of War II: Retribution. Key elements include, but are not limited to:

• Increased range of sight and range of engagement, creating a more realistic combat environment. Units no longer need to reach what was effectively point-blank range that the original game was set to in order to see or engage the enemy.
• Base building that provides a roster of defensive, utility, and production structures that vary from faction to faction. However, unlike the first Dawn of War installments, research is not something that is included with base building; the structures in Codex Edition serve the purpose of adding another layer of complexity and depth to the gameplay, while complimenting the combat-oriented loop of Dawn of War II: Retribution.
• Increased population capacity, mass introduction of new units, and lore-oriented faction dynamics all make for a much more intense and spectacular gameplay experience in contrast to the original vision of Dawn of War II. The focus on lore accuracy naturally results in units that are difficult to balance; Codex Edition is in no way a competitive mod, it is a mod that you play with friends for fun, be it PVE or PVP.
• Increased camera zoom distance, de-bloated and reworked user interface, and reduction of various invasive and unnecessary effects make it easier to indulge in the visuals of the battlefield.
• An asymmetric approach to each faction's playstyle that represents their lore means that strategies and tactics for both offense and defense will drastically vary based on who you're fighting and who you're playing as.
• Super-heavy units, such as Imperial Knights and Gorkanauts, introduce the true endgame wargear that the vanilla Dawn of War II experience was missing, making the difference between victory and loss even more volatile.

FACTIONS

The existing factions of Dawn of War II: Retribution have received a total rework in the form of a lore-accurate representation in Codex Edition. New units, abilities, upgrades, wargear, and customization options have been added, with existing content being drastically modified. On top of that, new factions have also been introduced; Necrons, Tau, Grey Knights, and Adeptus Mechanicus, all with their own unique features.

If you are familiar with 40k lore, you can expect Codex Edition to represent factions the way that they are described in the novels and media. For example, Space Marines are the fast and brutal killing machines we love them for, Eldar are even faster glass cannons that are annoying to deal with, Tyranids are going to dramatically outnumber your forces with gaunts, so on and so forth.

With each faction being asymmetrical, experimenting with the most appropriate playstyle for each one separately is key. Nevertheless, the squad variety in the Codex edition mod still allows for flexible shifts in focus and strategy regardless of faction, and the standard RTS mentalities of complimenting infantry with vehicles are still applicable, if not more so in Codex Edition compared to vanilla Dawn of War II.

ATMOSPHERE

With upscaled terrain and world object textures, unique skins for various sub-factions, and lore details both in audiovisual and gameplay elements, Codex Edition strives for true 40k immersion that can be achieved as closely as possible with an RTS. We wish to reach a point where the game looks modern, while just as importantly playing and feeling like the grimdark 40k we know.

The team and I hope you enjoy the mod, and we look forward to your feedback.

Join the Discord server if you wish to play with others and communicate with the team as the mod is developed!

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS - ESTIMATED FOR THE MINIMUM OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE DURING MOST INTENSE BATTLES

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700x/Intel Core i7-8700K
• GPU: AMD/Nvidia GPU with 4GB of video memory
• RAM: 4GB of available memory for the game

NOTE: Codex Edition is exclusively compatible with the Steam copy of Dawn of War II: Retribution; the GOG copy, older copies, and pirated copies of the game are not supported.