Black Sea Architecture for AoE2?

We look at the prospect of adding a new architecture set to share the burden with the current Mediterranean set, which is currently loaded with 8 civilizations, and feature a community mod that could provide partial inspiration for such a split.
Songs are Psalm 135 Military Orthodox by The Sound of Peace and Agni Parthene by Kabarnos
• Agni Parthene (Live Le...
• Psalm 135 Military Ort...

[@ΚωνσταντίνοςΤζήκας-υ1η]

An extremely well made review of the mod thank you for such a professional review , I really liked the music you put in the background and showing many of the buildings and also for saying my name perfectly hahaha . The Mediterranean set is indeed over burden and this mod could also fit on with those eastern countries like Bulgaria ,Armenia and Georgia and them having unique castle -chrurch and ofc the svan tower and showing that castle from bulgarias looked perfect . Increadible review again many thanks!

[@AdmiralWololo]

Thank you, and glad you found it enjoyable!

[@quaintserpent]

If devs released dlc focused on architecture skins for every civ I would buy it.

[@ThomasScott-ie5nw]

I love the orthodox psalms chant in the background.

[@Apocalypso64]

Whoa, I was not expecting to show up in this video! Since you featured my topic, let me elaborate a little bit: While Georgian and Armenian architecture is noticeably different from pure Byzantine architecture, they are similar enough that a shared set could work. However, I think it would be very neat if the official Feudal Age set closely resembled the architecture of Georgian mountain villages (one example can be seen in the screenshot of my post). That would allow for greater immersion and mapmaking potential, as I find mountain villages to be very serene, especially Georgian ones. More architectural elements present in the Caucasus would be cool in later ages, but they do ultimately have to fit the Byzantines and Bulgarians as well. Off-topic, but I've noticed you seem to be speaking a little slower in your more recent videos, and it's kind of weirding me out.

[@AdmiralWololo]

Those Georgian buildings are definitely iconic. Your idea is definitely workable, and other ideas would simply be to have more Georgian-based Editor buildings, or hybrid sets that share a basic core of buildings, but with several regional building skins, with for example houses and towers being different in the Caucasian area.

[@VeniVidiCreavi]

Well done sir for addressing these matters! AOE2 was, is and shall be a game perfectly fir for unlocking the more creative side of history lovers, and so it should be. I pray that so many calls for an architecture + regional unit skin DLC shall not fall on deaf ears. It is great news that people are starting to port the Conquerors and HD mods into DE. Too bad it’s usually not in ultra HD and without destruction animations, but for my trade of city reconstruction it is just the right thing. PS I waited at least 17 years for my home civ to be added, so if they provide a civ specific architecture set for the Georgians I shall be double thrilled :D

[@AdmiralWololo]

Yeah, there seem to be a lot of amazing HD mods. I don't think I"ll ever go back to HD, but I hope they add more DE graphics and building sets

[@DiegoRamirez-vf1yt]

The songs are (greek) fire!

[@AdmiralWololo]

This would be the pinned comment if one of the mod creators hadn't commented

[@feudal_age_spearman_with_i9410]

As an unarmored spearman, this video made me nervous

[@AdmiralWololo]

It's a scary world out there for unarmored spearmen...

[@Doktersocks]

Research scale mail armour at the blacksmith. It'll make you feel a little more confident

[@russelljackson2818]

Would love to see new architecture sets, but I think the one most in need of it would be the Incas, who are nowhere near Mesoamerica. Even so, this is a really good looking set, clearly a lot of love and work went into it.

[@AdmiralWololo]

Inca set would be amazing, waiting for the Andean expansion with Chimu and Wari/Tihuanaco

[@russelljackson2818]

@@AdmiralWololo there's so much room for expanding in the Americas. Muisca, Puebloans, Mississippians, all fascinating cultures. Thanks for being a voice for some positive and interesting changes to the greatest game in the world!

[@francobriozzzo6325]

I would also love a reskin of the Roman monastery and University.

[@konradpyszniak976]

I would love that Roman skins be in between current and AoE1.

[@Machoman50ta]

My brother in Christ that song … It’s time for battle the rats have the holy land time to end Zi…..

[@_panthera_uncia_]

It is Agni Parthene, a Greek paraliturgical hymn composed in the 19th century by St Nektarios of Aegina :)

[@Machoman50ta]

@@_panthera_uncia_you speak to me of my own lineage ? I know this, my brother in Christ

[@Catolicodeguerra]

ZIONIST finish the word brother do not be worried

[@Doktersocks]

We need more visual stuff. More!

[@AdmiralWololo]

Always!

[@SteveNoBeard]

Man, seeing a UHD version of this would make Emperor Justinian do a merry lil jig

[@YouEra]

The more I look at it, the more I love it

[@Kaliayep]

Merci camarade.

[@improvingyeti6846]

This should be part of the game.

[@RLDragonStrider]

Yeah pretty high on my list really. Frankly I just want to see this in game with the added destruction animations and unique castles. I think LordGood also made a fully Bulgarian set too that, holy moly is over 5 years old at this point. Hope the guy revsits it. But if the overall byzantine look is kept and the unique castle is added to Bulgarians I'd be real happy with that too. I do however need to be nitpicky because I am myself. Catbarf from what I remember on the forums said or hinted he was a pixel artist and it kinda shows. The textures can be better. The unique Byzantine castle looks more like a reskin of another mediterranean castle again by LordGood.Problem with that is that it still looks Italian with a different coat of paint and no "swallow tails". A unique byzantine castle is certainly possible, and I am of the oppinion round towers wont cut it. A hexagonal or octagonal central keep with square towers and the same texture work would be better. Possibly the best example is Platamon castle. Other places to consider are the fortified town of Mystras and the monasteries of Mn't Athos. For the church while I really like Catbarf's one, I will mention the church of the Holy Cross at Doliana just because of how weird and unique it looks and as well as the church of St. George in Kyustendil Bulgaria. The houses look like they were done based on the middle eastern set (understandable given how Catbarf probably made this mod prior to Definitive even comming out) Using the mediterranean set for the houses as a base would probably be better and AoE4 actually has nice Byzantine houses (with some interesting and weird design choices) As a note to the Admiral the "turrets" are not really that rather they called "apses". Overall Catbarf's set looks nice but it also feels too...."Roman" for lack of a better word. I know people will raise an eyebrow but you have to remember that after the 6th century architectural traditions started to change in the Eastern Empire. Roman elements on stuff like gates can work but the simpler ones which make the set look more "byzantine" tend to get ignored. Lastly thank you for mentioning the Svan towers. Apologies for the rant, I love this content I HOPE this makes it in game with some tweaking and thank you Admiral. Also its sad that the data mod prohibits achievements like WTF.

[@AdmiralWololo]

Thanks for the comment and clarifications! Always good to learn more about history and architecture - I vaguely remember learning about apses in Art History, but it seems I've had an Apse Lapse. Also agree that the set looks a bit washed against the backdrop of DE, so a professional version as an official add-on would be amazing

[@CappnRob]

It’s kind of funny how the building set most overused is one that didn’t even ship with the original game lol. I was mostly fine with the Byzantines using it but the introduction of more Balkan civilizations is starting to necessitate an architecture set for them separate from the standard Mediterranean look. If such a change does happen it’ll be kind of funny for the Byzantine’s as it’ll be the second time they’ve changed building sets, having used middle eastern architecture in the original game haha.

[@AdmiralWololo]

Agreed, it's also kind of crazy that the Byzantines used to cover themselves as well as Romans/Italians in campaigns, and now there are 3 Italian civs. Interesting to reflect on the game's evolution sometimes

[@julianxamo7835]

I would just call it the "Black Sea set"

[@AdmiralWololo]

Might as well

[@nekhumonta]

I think the current theme fits the Byzantines more than the Spanish or Portuguese

[@lasserrdamnielsen6655]

One set that doesn't really fit most of its civs is the Central European set (at least from Castle Age). It's a pretty bad match for Goths and Huns during their prime (the Migration Period) and for Vikings during the Viking Age. So it only really fits the Teutons, and possibly the Bohemians and Poles who don't have it (I don't know enough about their architecture to determine that). An option would be a set more inspired by the Norse in Age of Mythology for Vikings, Goths, and Huns (since the Hunnic Empire came to rule over many Germanic peoples who influenced its culture).

[@fulguratingbean9489]

Do you know if the creators of these mods allow use of their custom assets for other mods? I'd like to ask them for permission if I can, the best I could do so far was splicing assets but this is a whole other level

[@ΚωνσταντίνοςΤζήκας-υ1η]

Hey i am one of the creator of this mod and yeah we do allow you to use the assets of our mod for yours .

[@fulguratingbean9489]

@@ΚωνσταντίνοςΤζήκας-υ1η Awesome, thank you so much! I'll be sure to give credits!

[@emmanouil2586]

nice one! Loved the backround music anyone has the name?

[@_panthera_uncia_]

Agni Parthene by St Nektarios of Aegina

[@beaky8138]

Enjoyed the content, as always. Small criticism is that I felt the background music was a bit loud compared to your voice.

[@AdmiralWololo]

Thanks, and yes it's great music but I could have toned it down a bit.

[@alejandrocanelo3058]

I find it too white/bright

[@cloud_and_proud]

I've always felt like the Byzantines were more suited to the old architecture set they had before the Mediterranean one

[@ΚωνσταντίνοςΤζήκας-υ1η]

You mean from the original aoe? cause i think thats furthest architecture that suites the Eastern Romans imo

[@cloud_and_proud]

@@ΚωνσταντίνοςΤζήκας-υ1η that's fair

[@RLDragonStrider]

Bruh no, couldn't be further from the truth.

[@MrShadowThief]

Tbf Cilicia is on the Mediterranean. But then again Portugal isn't.

[@konradpyszniak976]

Many many people when they hear Armenia they think in the region of Cacasus and not Cilicia. This shows how tricky history can be and how big impact Romans had on other cultures so they migrated so far away

[@MauricioOsuna-et8et]

.. The devs know that they're paid enough to just make a new architecture set for EVERY SINGLE CIVILIZATION, right? And the devs know that modders probably, very likely, most definitely have already made such sets, right?

[@ЭдгарРожков]

Shadowless. Looks very bad.