Medieval 2 Total War: RealCombat 1.

8
Introduction
RealCombat is an attempt to create a more realistic M2TW combat experience via the modification of a number of crucial stats for all units, using a consistent and detailed framework.

Armor System
The following new armor system is implemented in RC:
Type Leather Gambeson Leather Lamellar Light Lamellar Mail Shirt Light Mail Light Brigandine Lamellar Mail Heavy Mail Brigandine Buff Coat Heavy Lamellar Splint, Coat of Plates Heavy Brigandine Partial Plate Breastplate Kataphract, Late Lamellar Heavy Splint Full Plate Renaissance Half Plate Improved Metallurgy Gothic Plate Renaissance 3Q Plate Advanced Metallurgy Increased Armor Thickness Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Smith 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 Armor Heat 2 3 5 4 0 1 3 2 70/55 vs missiles 100 100/85 vs missiles 70 Estimated Joules to Penetrate 25 40

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2+1def 1

4+1def 2 5+1def 3 7 6 5 4

6+1def 4 7+1def 5 5+1 9 2 6

125

8+1def 5 9+1def 6 11 7 6 2 100-160

Special Special 10+1def 6 13 9 +2 15 11 +2 +2 6 3 7 4 185 160

For All Mounted Units: Add the following Armor Defense depending on the mount: Barded Horse: 2 Mongol Armored Horse: 3 Mailed Horse: 4 Eastern Armored Horse: 4 Cataphract Armored Horse: 5 Armored Horse: 6 An example of the kind of data used to generate the above: Energy to defeat, in Joules: Arrowhead vs. Buff Leather 30 J Lance vs. Cuir-boulli 30-20 J Lance vs. Padding (16 layers linen, 60g for 16 x 21 cm) 50 J Arrowheads vs: Modern Mail (mild steel) alone 80 J Modern Mail & Jack Penetration 100 J Modern Mail and Tailor's Dummy 100 J (Soar et al) Modern Mail, Jack Penetration, and 35 mm penetration of Plastilene behind 120 J 15th c. Mail (low carbon steel hardened by quenching) two links broken and jack behind completely penetrated: 120 J 1 mm mild steel plate (perpendicular impact) 55 J for 45mm penetration 1. 5 mm mild steel plate 110 J 2 mm mild steel plate 175 J 1.9 mm Swedish Wrought Iron 80-75 J Energy delivered: Stabbing: Underarm: up to 63 J Overarm: up to 115 J 2-Handed weapon: 150J English bows: 70 lb bow: 52-55 J (Hardy) 70 lb bow: 46-47 J at 10 m 80 lb bow: 70-83 J (61 J at 50 m) 140 lb bow: 99-104 J (Calculated from Soar et al)

Weapon System
Weapon values for every unit in the game have been re-worked based on the above sort of information, to yield the most realistic combat results possible. Weapon Base Attack Valuesnow primarily reflect what level of protection as detailed above that weapon might reliably penetrate under inconsistent combat conditions (and at close range in the case of missile weapons), bearing in mind the armor piercing attribute also. Weapons have been balanced as far as possible so there are no 'super weapons'. Example: a longsword might generate anywhere between 60-110J, so its attack has

reasonably been set to 5. A 2H sword might be 90-150J, so attack is 8. Example: a polearm has a lower attack value than a 2H sword and attacks more slowly, so the 2H sword is more effective against lightly armoured opponents. The weapon Base Defense Value fills in the defense value in the armor line, being the ability of the unit to defend itself from attacks from the front and right. The Base attack Delay is an indication of how long it will take to get into position for another attack with the weapon. Armor penetrating weapons are typically unbalanced towards the head to effect striking power, whereas swords (for example) are better balanced for faster attack but less penetration. Weapon Type light sword sword long sword 2H sword light spear spear Base Attack Value 3 4 5 8 3 3 Base Defense Value 5 5 5 6 3 3 Base Attack Delay 15 30 45 60 30 45 Char ge / Heat 2 / -1 3/0 3/0 7/1 2 / -1 3/0 Typical Special Attributes 0.35 unit x-radius +1 vs cavalry light_spear, 0.3 x-radius light_spear, +4 vs cavalry, 0.3 x-radius ap ap ap ap +1 vs cavalry long_pike, +4 versus cav long_pike good charge bonus high charge bonus very high charge bonus highest charge bonus ap, +1 vs cavalry ap, +2 vs cavalry ap, +2 vs cavalry ap, +6 vs cavalry ap, +6 vs cavalry ap, +4 vs cavalry ap, +4 vs cavalry ap, +4 vs cavalry as above + light_spear

knife 1 1 0 1 / -1 archers mallet 1 2 45 1/0 club 3 3 45 2/0 war hammer 1 4 30 3/0 mace 2 4 60 2/0 axe 3 3 60 2/0 2H club 6 3 75 4/1 pike 2 2 90 4/2 short pike 3 3 75 4/1 mounted spear 2 30 7 non-couched light lance 3 45 8 light couched lance 1 75 12 couched lance 0 90 14 / 1 heavy couched lance, brace 0 90 15 /1 heavy couched lance 1 105 16 /1 2H axe 7 4 90 5/1 2H hammer 5 5 75 6/1 poleaxe 6 5 90 6/1 billhook 6 4 105 6/1 halberd 6 5 120 6/1 partisan 6 4 105 6/1 swordstaff 5 4 90 6/1 voulge 6 4 105 6/1 all phalanx polearms above -1 as above -1 as above 5 / 1

mounted bow bow mounted composite bow mongol/turk/hungarian/ma mluk mounted composite composite bow mounted longbow longbow light / wooden crossbow composite crossbow heavy composite crossbow steel crossbow horse javelin foot javelin handgun pistol early arquebus late arquebus turkish musket heavy musket late musket 1H weapon, no shield

1 2 3 3 4 3 4 6 8 10 13 11 11 11 8 14 18 26 32 22 +1

-15

/ -2 / -2 / -1 / -1 / -1 / -1 / -1 / -3 / -2 / -2 1 / -1 / -1 / -1 / -4 / -4 / -4 / -4 / -4 / -3 / -4

Range 120/60 Skirmish Range 140/120 Skirmish Range 160/60 Skirmish Range 180/60 Skirmish Range 200/140 Skirmish Range 140/60 Skirmish Range 180/130 Skirmish Range 100 Range 120 Range 140 Range 180 Range 50 Range 50 Range 55 Range 45, ap Range 90 Range 110 Range 125 Range 140 Range 125 Except for knife

To the Charge Value, add 1 if Superior or above quality, and subtract 1 if Militia or below quality. To the above Base Values, add the following modifiers based on the unit class and unit type, the modifier format being: Attack Value/Value/Attack Delay Unit Type-> Foot Melee Mounted Melee Foot Missile Mounted Missile Unit Quality Exceptional +5(+3)/+3/-45 +7+1/-30 +2/+1/-15 +4/-1/0 Elite +4(+2)/+2/-30 +6/0/-15 0/0/0 +2/-2/+15 Superior +2(+1)/+1/-15 +4/-1/0 -1/-1/+15 +1/-3/+30 Average 0/0/0 +2/-2/+15 -2/-2/+30 0/-4/+45 Militia -1/-1/+15 +1/-3/+30 -3/-3/+45 -1/-5/+60 Peasant Militia -2/-2/+30 -3/-3/+60 Levy Peasant -3/-3/+45 -3/-3/+60 Bracketed values are attack bonuses for pikes and short pikes. Multi-Layer Armor: -1 attack, -1 defense, +15 attack delay For example, Superior Foot Melee shows +2(+1)/+1/-15. This means that +2 is added to the Base Attack Value of the weapon used by the unit, +1 to the Base Defense Value and -15 to the Base Attack Delay.

Further examples: a knight with a longsword has attack value 5 for longsword, 4 for Elite Foot Melee=9, a defense value of 4+2=6 and attack delay of 45-30=15. A peasant who can even get his hands on a longsword would have attack value 5 for longsword -3 for Levy Peasant Foot Melee=2, a defense value of 4-3=1 and attack delay of 45+45=90. The above table DOES NOT APPLY TO MISSILE WEAPONS. See below for those. To the Base Charge Value, add 1 if Superior or Elite quality, and subtract 1 if Militia or Peasant quality. Additional Notes: -Minimum Attack Delay is 0. -For all mounted units the minimum Attack Delay is 15. -Minimum Attack is 1. -Minimum Defense is 1. -Weapons with '+x vs cavalry' achieve that effect with mount_effect horse +x, camel +x. They are good in melee vs cavalry and suffer no anti-infantry penalty but are still vulnerable to cavalry charges. Optional Unit Types Bodyguard: -2 attack, +2 defense, disciplined, highly_trained, morale boost: these men's task is to keep their general alive, hence their training and tactics favour the defensive Guard: -1 attack, +1 defense, better-quality units are disciplined: this unit has a defensive role Impetuous: +1 attack, -1 defense, impetuous Reckless: +2 attack, -2 defense, impetuous, morale boost Fanatic: +2 attack, -2 defense, impetuous, lock_morale Desperate: +2 attack, -2 defense, lock_morale, morale penalty (even if lock_morale, morale level still affects AI behaviour) -attack bonuses and penalties are to non-missile weapons only Horse Charge Values Note that mounted spears and lances have a base attack between 0 and 3, which is used in the middle of a melee if the horse is moving only a little. If the horse is charging however, the following charge bonus applies (same as in table above): Spear 7 (eg Mounted Sergeant), Charge Distance 20 Non-couched Lance 8 (eg Mongol), C/D 30 Light/Early Couched Lance 12 (eg Serbian Hussar, Mailed Knight), C/D 45 Couched Lance 14 (eg Chivalric Knight), C/D 45 Couched Lance + brace 15 (eg Broken Lance, unit wears Full Plate or better) Heavy/Late Couched Lance 16 (eg Gothic Knight, Demi Lancer; usually unit will not have a shield), C/D 45 Non-couched spears/lances receive a lower charge bonus because they cannot translate momentum into damage nearly as effectively, though note that their attack value is

higher. Their lower charge distance also makes them more tactically flexible. Swords on horseback receive a charge bonus of 5, C/D 20. Axes, maces and light swords on horseback receive a charge bonus of 4, C/D 20. Fast Pony, Eastern Horse: +1 Charge for secondary weapons and non-couched lances. Mailed, Eastern Armored, Armored Horse: -1 Charge for secondary weapons and non-couched lances. Missile Weapons To the Missile Ranges in the Typical Special Attributes column above, add the first value in the table below. Add the second value to the missile Base Attack Value. Missile Class Bow Crossbow Javelin Gun Exceptional +30/+2 +15 +15/+3 +15 Elite +20/+1 +10/0 +10/+2 +10/0 Superior +10/+1 +5/0 +5/+1 +5/0 Average 0/0 0/0 0 0/0 Militia -10/0 -5/0 -5/-1 -5/0 Peasant Militia -20/-1 -10/0 -10/-2 -10/0 Levy Peasant -30/-1 -15/0 -15/-3 -15 Eg: Elite longbowmen have range 180 +20 as shown above = total range 200. They have Attack Value 4 +1 as shown above = total Attack Value 5. Shields Shields have a shield value and also can boost defense value: Shield Style/Type strapped to back archers/small buckler foot/mounted buckler small western mounted heater or small round mounted small round heater kite mounted kite pavise spear unit Shield Value 0, Armor +1 1 2 2 3 3 3 5 5 7 +2 Defense Bonus 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -2 1 1 1 2, Lances -1 attack also 2 3 Heat Penalty

Appendix 1: Missile Weapon Accuracy

Peasant Pmilitia Militia Average Superior Elite Bow 0.08 0.07 0.065 0.06 0.055 0.05 Composite 0.0575 0.0525 0.0475 Longbow 0.055 0.05 0.045 Crossbow 0.065 0.0625 0.06 0.0575 0.055 0.0525 Late ArquebusMusket 0.06125 0.05875 0.06 0.0575 0.05875 0.05625 0.0575 0.055 0.05625 0.05375 Handgun 0.0725 0.07125 0.07 0.06875 0.0675 Early Arquebus 0.06375 0.0625 0.06125 0.06 0.05875 Pistol 0.07 0.06875 0.0675 0.06625 0.065 Javelin 0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.06

Exceptional

0.04

See descr_projectiles.txt for updates to above. Bows are very accurate for elite shooters but are a lot harder for an inexperienced person to use accurately, whereas crossbow/firearm accuracy is less affected by unit quality. The missile accuracy model rewards/penalises bows/composite bows/longbows with high/low accuracies at high/low skill levels to compensate for shooting skill and low rates of fire in M2TW, crossbows with less of a bonus/penalty at high/low skill levels, and firearms even less so. Appendix 2: stat_heat Values All values are cumulative. Base Heat Value (from the Armor Table on page 1)
+2 for first additional layer, eg cataphract +1 for second additional layer, eg super-heavy cataphract +1 Heater/Round Shield +2 Kite/Large Round Shield +3 Pavise Shield +1 2H weapon, Musket, Steel xbow +2 Pike -1 Bow -2 Crossbow -4 Firearm -1 Knife, Light Sword or Light Spear +1 Mounted Couched Lance +3 Far Northern Europe +2 Northern Europe, Cuman +1 Northern Italy, European merc, Mongol 0 Southern Europe, Byzantine -1 Turk, Kwarezm -2 Egypt, Moor +2 Peasant +2 Militia Missile +1 Average Missile +1 Militia Melee -1 Superior Melee -1 Elite Missile -2 Elite Melee

-2 Eastern Horse, Mongol Fast Pony -1 Heavy Horse, Medium Horse, Fast Pony 0 Barded Horse, Pony +1 Mailed, Eastern Armored Horse, Byzantine Barded Horse +2 Armored Horse, Early Eastern Armored Horse +3 Cataphract

Appendix 3: stat_ground Values

stat_ground scrub, sand, forest, snow

Origin / Type ->

Far Northern Europe Northern Europe, Cuman Northern Italy, European merc Mongol Southern Europe, Byzantine Turk, Kwarezm Egypt, Moor

Light Cavalry
0, -1, -2, 2 0, -1, -2, 1 0, -1, -2, 0 0, -1, -3, 0 0, 0, -3, -1 0, 1, -4, -1 -1, 1, -4, -2

Light Infantry
1, -1, 3, 2 1, -1, 3, 1 1, -1, 3, 0 1, 0, 2, 0 1, 0, 2, -1 1, 1, 1, -1 0, 1, 1, -2

Origin / Type ->

Far Northern Europe Northern Europe, Cuman Northern Italy, European merc Mongol Southern Europe, Byzantine Turk, Kwarezm Egypt, Moor

Medium Cavalry
-1, -2, -3, 1 -1, -2, -3, 0 -1, -2, -3, -1 -1, -2, -4, -1 -1, -1, -4, -2 -1, 0, -5, -2 -2, 0, -5, -3

Medium Infantry
0, -2, 2, 1 0, -2, 2, 0 0, -2, 2, -1 0, -1, 1, -1 0, -1, 1, -2 0, 0, 0, -2 -1, 0, 0, -3

Origin / Type ->

Far Northern Europe Northern Europe, Cuman Northern Italy, European merc Mongol Southern Europe, Byzantine Turk, Kwarezm Egypt, Moor Pikes an additional -1 in scrub.

Heavy Cavalry
-2, -3, -4, 0 -2, -3, -4, -1 -2, -3, -4, -2 -2, -3, -5, -2 -2, -2, -5, -3 -2, -1, -6, -3 -3, -1, -6, -4

Heavy Infantry
-1, -3, 1, 0 -1, -3, 1, -1 -1, -3, 1, -2 -1, -2, 0, -2 -1, -2, 0, -3 -1, -1, -1, -3 -2, -1, -1, -4

Pikes an additional -2 in forests, other 2H weapons an additional -1 in forests. Terrain specialists +1 in their chosen terrain, eg woodsmen, desert units.