[MOD] Imperatrix: Victoria

[Sobisonator]

A 19th-century mod for Imperator: Rome


About the project:
Imperatrix: Victoria (I:V) is a project to bring enhanced Imperator: Rome gameplay to the 19th and early 20th centuries, set during the late industrial revolution.

The project began in December 2019, receiving regular updates since then and has since grown to a include a small but dedicated team of devs and contributors. You can join our plucky band, too, and help to make this mod a reality!

As the mod is undergoing regular development, there is currently no forecast release date for a stable public Alpha.

Why Imperator : Rome?
Imperator: Rome has a huge number of modding capabilities which we expect to see expanded, making it one of the best Paradox engines with which to create a dynamic 19th century mod. Vanilla mechanics such as pops and civilisation level lend themselves to some of the core systems we want to develop, while the game's inclusion of character interactivity adds a certain level of personal flavour to the game that is absent in games like Victoria 2.

Aims of the project:
Imperatrix: Victoria has a number of aims aside from simply bringing the gameplay of Imperator: Rome to the 19th century. Chief among those are the following:​

• Curate a historically authentic experience with attention to detail.
• Simulate a robust, living economic system built on real-world historical data. Pops will produce, buy and sell goods on the market, allowing the player to build and manage a responsive economy.
• Provide the player with a living world including crime, education, employment, regional governments and more.
• Create a dynamic political system including representative democracies, constitutional monarchies, and subtly different national legal systems.
• Add whole new systems for colonisation and land claims.
• Introduce crisis mechanics, federations and treaty organisations to add further depth to the diplomatic game.
• Add an industrialisation mechanic, repurposing vanilla Civilization value for an Industrialisation value which ties in to the buildings and technologies available.

How YOU can help:
We are currently looking for the following to join our modder and contributor team:
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• Province localisation contributors
• 3D character portrait & clothing modellers
• Population data researchers
• Historical character researchers
• GUI / 2D gfx modders

Get in touch via the forums, or join our Discord server HERE

Credits:
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Spoiler: Credits

Sobisonator: Lead developer

Marschall Vorwärts: General development, Asia and Australasia history and setup

MusuMankata: Pops, localisation, Italian map, politics systems and events

Agamidae: Scripts, bugfixing and testing

The Inspector: Mapping and Russian localisation

Robska: Gerenal all-round development, scripting, pops etc.

Luk_zloty: Poland, events and history

cumlord: Mexico, Iberia, 3D clothing models, events and systems

Contributors
JmanThunder: Haiti
aladnamedisaac: Canada
The_RamblinManL: Austria
BringItBoy: GUI experimentation
Rubiego: Iberia
Chrys131: Greece, Albania, Switzerland, Wallachia, Moldavia, Bulgaria, Spain and Prussia you name it
Scrooge1842: Scotland
DHJaru: Scandinavia
Coleslaw: Australia
John Bircher: Finland
Pureon: Female clothing retextures and 3d gfx support
Aponimma: Chinese demographic and mapping data
M. Daskalos: Chinese country setup
Wielki Mat: Austria and Poland
AtomicFission: 3D unit model scripting
II_Paulus_II: Extended government GUI
xangelo7: 19th century unit models
MrAdrianPl: 19th century unit models
Tophattingson: Pops, tech, localisation and historical research
aladnamedisaac: USA and Canada
Darkmark: Brazil and general demographic research
Prince: Iraqi history and demographics
Comrade Dispenser: North American history
Nico: Brazil demographics
Obi Wan Kenobi: Spain
Agamidae: UI and map colouring Scripts
Aytarel: North African politics
Artal: Spain
Tonitiger: German pops


The entire Imperator: Rome modding co-op for all their continuing assistance

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Future previews on features to come...

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[Sobisonator]

Post reserved

 

[Samitte]

Looking forward to this, the map alone is a pleasure to look at, and the previews have been super exciting.

 

[Lord Lambert]

This looks incredibly promising! Keeping an eye on this

 

[Álvaro Núñez de Lara]

This looks amazing. It would be awesome if you manage to do this.

Simulate a robust, living economic system built on real-world historical data. Pops will produce, buy and sell goods on the market, allowing the player to build and manage a responsive economy

 

[A Landy]

Can't wait to have the Yank pops work my cotton fields as the CSA or Canada/Britain

 

[Sunbro BigBoss]

Really cool. How do you plan to implement resources, stockpiles and trade? Which Vic2 features are you most optimistic about carrying over?

 

[Sobisonator]

Really cool. How do you plan to implement resources, stockpiles and trade? Which Vic2 features are you most optimistic about carrying over?

We will tease more about the economic systems in future dev diaries. Suffice to say that, while vanilla resources will be used as a jumping off point for production, it remains to be seen what changes to production and change might come from the vanilla game at this stage; we are holding off until some of that system matures a little more.

We're looking to introduce a similar mechanic to crises from Vic 2, in a new and improved form. Once again, more on that in future dev diaries!

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

Map alone looks fantastic, folks. Wishing you all the luck in this project!

 

[Jayavarman]

Nice.

 

[SpawnRaider]

Are you planning to tie pops to military as well like in Vicky? Need them soldiers to reinforce your armies.

 

[Sobisonator]

Are you planning to tie pops to military as well like in Vicky? Need them soldiers to reinforce your armies.

This is something we plan to do, yes.

 

[Sobisonator]

I'd like to pre-amble this dev diary by thanking all of you who are continuing to contribute your wonderful research and support our mod. We honestly couldn't do all this work without your help, and with your help the detailed world of 1815 is coming alive! See the updated credits for everyone who has helped so far, and we are of course still happy to receive more help from those of you who are willing.

And now, onto the first dev diary for Imperatrix: Victoria. This one is written by Marschall Vorwärts, one of our longest standing devs who has been working on the immense authentic detail in Australasia and Japan with us since the beginning.

Apologies in advance for the decrease in quality of map GFX. Paradox changed the map display in patch 1.5 and we have had a hard time figuring out how to get it back to its previous, beautiful state. Bear with us!

Hi Everyone

Today I will be exploring a question that many may have about the mod, which is why we are setting it in 1815 instead of another date (such as 1836 like Victoria 2). The simple answer is that it allows us to:

• Use a setup that features a diverse and interesting range of countries.
  
• Implement mechanics that simulate the progression of technology, ideology, culture and industry.
  
• Accurately represent starting pops and facilitate their growth/decline, migration and promotion that is interesting from a gameplay perspective

As a starting date, perhaps its largest benefit is manifest in the historical scenario its presents and how that affects gameplay across the games various regions. I'll explore a few of these today.

Christian Europe

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1815 represents the beginning of a new continental order for Europe. The Napoleonic wars left Europe traumatized and in chaos. The ideals of the revolution were spread (by force) across much of Europe and its old regimes shocked. The Holy Roman Empire was abolished, hundreds of thousands laid dead in mass graves and revolutionary governance was enforced on populations who had never experienced such concepts.

The Congress of Vienna was an international conference formed to resolve the conflict by the anti-Napoleon Coalition. The result created a new geopolitical reality for Europe, with border changes, enforced indemnities and new agreements being fostered. These changes are represented in the game through the setup diplomacy, starting borders and through some planned events.

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The period is known for its unique characters who drove the military and political events leading up to 1815. These characters range from figures such as Arthur Wellesley (The Duke of Wellington), Klemens Von Metternich and Napoleon himself in exile. They add much needed life to the world, which we agree that other start dates could not match.

Starting the mod in 1815 grants the player immense freedom over how they play the mod. This new order allows players to navigate the social, political, and ideological complexities that begin emerging in the period, with the option to resist, embrace or compromise on emerging issues. It is a period before industrialization has fully grasped European economics and the player’s interactions can allow for divergent industrial progression. These decisions are made more impactful due to the mods decision to prioritize systems over railroading, with the gameplay being heavily reactive. Europe’s starting position gives it an advantage over much of the world (something which other regions countries can navigate past) and allows it access to some unique mechanics, such as Archaeology (more on this in future dev diaries).

Ottoman Empire & The Middle East

The Ottoman Empire begins in a grossly humiliated state, being decentralized to the point of being functionally feudal, with feudatories and tribes dominating many of its territories. In the Arabian Peninsula, the Wahhabi Emirate of Diriyah is engaged in war with the Ottomans as a direct challenge against the Sultan’s claim to be Caliph of Islam. For a period, Mecca and Medina were even severed from Ottoman control. The Eyalet of Egypt led by Muhammad Ali are in the progress of combating the Wahabi threat, demonstrating their might to the Sublime Porte.


The Ottomans will have a mission tree that will give their feudatories the option to submit to the Ottomans central authority or risk falling out of favour in violent form (among other possibilities). Players who wish to play as feudatories of the Ottomans and resist their control, have some interesting states they can play as including (but not limited to):

• Janina: Led by the Albanian warlord Ali Pasha, Janina would capitalize on the Napoleonic war by aligning with the British. By 1815 they held considerable territory, influence, and military capabilities, seen by many in the Ottoman empire as being a direct threat who may someday tear the empire apart. During this period Janina was experiencing a Greek enlightenment, despite Ali Pasha’s often tyrannical grip on his Greek subjects.

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• Mount Lebanon: The area encompasses multiple religious groups, significantly Sunni, Maronite, and Druze. Each group views any change in the religious balance as an assault on their historic privileges/status, making playing as Mount Lebanon challenging. The state was in the process of modernizing its economy by issuing a mixture of edicts and using merchants to employ peasants who would typically serve local lords or tribes. Diplomacy would be the most important tool for a Mount Lebanon player seeking independence, either looking West or towards the other dissatisfied states in the region for support.

The region's politics in the early game will be dominated by the Ottoman Empire in its fractured state, where warlords, feudatories, disloyal governors, nationalists, and other surrounding states all pose a threat to the status quo. Despite these challenges, it is a period of great opportunity for all states in the region, with Ottoman resurgence or decline both possible outcomes.

India

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The British East India Company by 1815 dominates much of India, though it is far from usurping total dominance. The defeat of Tipu Sultan of Mysore and the French may have given them a powerful position on the subcontinent, but strong opposition remained. The Maratha’s represent a powerful counterbalance to British dominance over the continent, with conflict seeming inevitable. Small and middle powers dot the subcontinent (Such as the Sikh Empire or Nepal) providing possible allies or foes in the region’s conflicts. Nepal itself is engaged in a fierce conflict with the British, something both sides want to end as growing Qing interests in the region risk destabilizing all of India.

South America

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In many games, South American states can feel stagnant with little interaction with the world (let alone each other). 1815 is part of period of revolution on the continent. Multiple separatists have revolted against Spanish colonial rule, yearning for liberty. From the League of Free Peoples to the largely disunited New Granada, Spanish rule was violently contested, with even larger conflicts on the horizon.

South East Asia

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1815 presents the Indonesian archipelago before absolute domination of the Dutch. There are still many independent native countries in the region. In Sumatra the Padri (clerics who had returned to spread Wahabi principles after a Hajj to Mecca) are overwhelming their immediate opposition, whilst gathering the strength to oppose their neighbours.

In Borneo numerous foreign regimes are taking hold. Chinese Kongsi mining colonies, are a contrast to the European colonial presence. In Maluka, British warlord, adventurer, and merchant (Alexander Hare) controls his own personal kingdom he acquired from a local sultan. The Banjar states maintain their independence from the British and Dutch but face considerable challenges as European explorers and trade interests begin to erode at the stability of the region.

The eruption of Mount Tambora (the most powerful eruption in human history) from within the archipelago in early 1815 is starting to take a pronounced effect on a global scale. Across the world, the disrupted climate (affected by the eruption) would cause crop failures and famines, leading to the event causing what would be known as “the year without summer” in 1816. The regions broader effects on the world are significant, from its starting events, unique geopolitical balance and trade good makeup, making it an interesting region to play in or conquer.

Finally,

As a teaser, here are two flags from countries which can be found from the mod’s start date.

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The topic of the next dev diary will be 3D modelling!

 

[Lord Lambert]

Oof... now this hits me right in the tingly spot. Loving it! Can't wait for more updates keep up the good work

 

[Conti5]

Mount Athos?

 

[Sobisonator]

View attachment 614038

Mount Athos?

That's right! No guesses on the second flag yet... it might not be one you expect for this timeframe.

A mini-teaser now (before our next big teaser) on the new borders in South America, thanks to the advice from Vicbus on reddit and one of our new contributors gohan1099.

The independent territories of South America are divided between the United Provinces of the Río de La Plata and the League of Free Peoples (otherwise known as the "Federal League") over the style of governance to prevail in the burgeoning states: autonomous federalism or a more centralised government headed from Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, the royalists and republicans remain locked in conflict over differing loyalties to the Spanish empire.

 

[Sobisonator]

Today we will be previewing the new unit models made specially for Imperatrix: Victoria, bringing to life the 19th century landscape. These were contributed by MrAdrianPl and xangelo, prolific 3D modelers in the modding community - you may know them from a number of stunning unit packs for EU4.

Our aim is to introduce unit models that will change over time as nations develop their military technology. This can be achieved by changing the graphical culture of a country based on its technology level, which can also correspond to the evolving fashion sense of its characters!

Over time, we will introduce more unit models for individual culture groups, diversifying the appearnce of the world's armies. For now, we have a number of major groups which share unit models.

Western

The Western unit model is shared by European countries and their colonial dependencies. You will see these troops all over the world, although we will probably be adding new unique models for certain cultures down the road.

The uniform is coloured based on the country's two primary colours. Below we see a British redcoat standing guard over London.

Middle Eastern

The Middle Eastern unit model is used across North Africa to Afghanistan, and sports a uniform somewhere between the Ottoman infantryman's garb and that of a Persian regular. The headgear is modeled after that of the Persian infantry, serving also as a fez for other armies which used similar, but smaller hats. This uniform sports dynamically-coloured trousers and waistcoat.

Above: an Otoman soldier in historical colours.

Below: Middle Eastern armies dotted around various minor nations. Can you tell where this is? (There's a pretty obvious clue in the image)

West African

The gunpowder armies of West Africa are modelled after the garb of the Fulani armies around this time, with head wrappings and flowing wrappings.

East Asian

The East Asian unit model is a generic model made to suit armies from Lhasa to Bangkok to Tokyo, and as such is a hybrid of different styles.
Eventually, we aim to have more culture-specific uniforms to differentiate the uniforms of Asian armies.

The armies of the Japanese Daimyos and Shogunate produce a striking image!

Below, Qing troops stand by the Chinese coast in their traditional blue uniforms.

Arabian

The Arabian units complement the Middle Eastern gfx with outfits more suited to desert warfare, featuring headwrappings and lighter clothing.

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A lot of work goes into making these models, so we are especially grateful for the contributions made to our 3D repertoire. If you are a 3D modeler and you would like to take part in making this mod, let us know: we are looking for character clothing and hair modelers particularly!

A huge thanks again to all our contributors who have helped so much with localisation and demographic data. We are speeding along and have made amazing progress so far. I can't wait to show off our population density map once it is complete.

Finally, once again another teaser of two countries which are playable at the start date. The second one is especially hard to guess, but it's one you know in another form!

Mystery flag #1

Mystery flag #2

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In the next dev diary we will go into more depth on our historical work on a particular part of the world...

 

[Jayavarman]

Nice.

 

[Otto500206]

Mystery flag #1

View attachment 626957​

Is that Kingdom of Haiti's flag?

 

[Sobisonator]

Is that Kingdom of Haiti's flag?

That's right!