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HEARTS AND MINDS (Part 1)

Hearts and Minds comes in two complementary parts and both are stand-alone. (ie they do not require the other part to work)

Hearts and Minds (Part 1): Focuses on Quality of Life additions for the Main campaign such as faction balance, Ai behavior, better and clearer graphics but with equal or improved system performance compared to unmodded Rome 2.

Refining the Rome 2 Vanilla experience - But without altering its core features, base mechanics and signature gameplay while keeping the same or even better levels of performance (FPS), loading times, turn times and stability.

Rome 2's Workshop is currently dominated by Total Conversions - With most Vanilla focused mods outdated and/or broken.

The few working Vanilla focused mods are heavy - With extensive and often hefty additions like extra factions, units, textures, new mechanics and altered diplomatic aggression etc. which often lead to increased loading times, turn times, lower frames and stability or just deviate too much from the core vanilla experience.

Rationalization and Normalization (de-randomization) - Of most stats, buffs, debuffs, handicaps, events and values (specially the hidden ones) that alter the player’s perceived fairness, understanding and ultimately the delicate balance of the game.

Reworked and Rebalanced - Detrimental graphical choices such as the excessive UI or poorly implemented mechanics such as the Imperium System are dealt with.


• Translucent campaign map cloud textures for better clarity.
• Improved textures for most models in the game (Not bigger, just better).
• Tweaked sun shadows transparency on models for cleaner colors in battles and on the campaign map.
• Toned down the excessive UI elements that break immersion, such as neon borders and trade lines, to create a more historically accurate aesthetic.
• Enabled faction-based UI themes.
• High-definition UI textures for more readable and better-looking icons, event pictures, and loading screens.
• Better cameras for both battles and the campaign map.
• More unique faction colors with armies that now match their faction's color whenever possible. (Expanded in Part 2)
• Automatic intro skipping.

• Four turns per year with seasons for increased character longevity and immersion.
• Unlocked the Empire Divided Campaign map for the Grand Campaign.
• Improved the variety and balance of Ai recruitment choices for most factions.
• Recruitment of mercenaries and levies has been rebalanced.
• Upkeep and diplomacy penalties from increasing Imperium levels have been normalized to approximately 85% of the vanilla values (Affects both buffs and debuffs from the Imperium Mechanic)
• Seasons and public order have a more balanced impact on the province and each settlement's stats.
• Removed hidden AI buffs for armies and agents, ensuring agent success chances and army autoresolve outcomes are on par with the player's at all times.
• Rebalanced bonus gold for major and minor factions to more realistic levels based on their historical power.
• Edicts have been rebalanced to be more specific and relevant.
• More consistent AI diplomacy and behavior - the AI will now engage in diplomacy and war more logically. The Ai will accept beneficial agreements even if relations are not perfect and is less likely to attack its own culture or strategic allies etc.
• More active and reactive AI on the campaign - Increased focus on pursuing their core objectives but also reacting fast and decisively to player actions (specially aggressive ones).
• The AI’s effectiveness now relies on smarter diplomatic and expansion decisions rather than relying on magical stat increases (Basically Ai cheating has been mostly removed from the campaign).
• Increased garrison sizes in province capitals (approximately 1.5x the vanilla levels) to prevent early-game rushes and give factions a better chance to resist early rushes.
• Limited each agent type (Spies, Champions, and Dignitaries) to two per faction to prevent the AI from overwhelming the player (Fixed agent spam).
• Added more options for taking settlements - such as sacking, liberating, and subjugating.
• Increased Campaign map responsiveness by ~20% (In our test PCs). The game will now register and update to player inputs a lot faster even compared to unmodded vanilla Rome 2.
• Normalized the positive and negative effects of automatic traits, marriages, weather, political events, diplomatic envoys and other characters’ actions while adding some extra variations of each.

• Smarter and more unique battle formations for each faction.
• Rebalanced siege equipment with barbarian factions receiving different stats compared to civilized ones.
• Improved spacing and animations in order to provide a battle experience closer to Medieval 2 / Rome 1. (Expanded in part 2)

• Adjusted model and texture LODs for better performance.
• Reduced battle advisor and campaign map popup notifications to reduce clutter and increase immersion. (Notifications are still visible in the events window).

Remember the Recommend difficulty: Very-hard for new players, Legendary for Veterans.

Included extras and credits:
• Change your capital and Random Personalities by Skidvar.
• Political Power Rework and Supply Lines by Working Joe.
• Vox Populi by kam2150.
• Wonders of the Ancient World by Minion J and Xi.
• More Diplomatic Outcomes by wolphyx.
• Slim Borders by yaxl3y.

Compatibility:
• Part 1 will probably conflict with any gameplay, Ai or campaign map altering mods due to its big scope.
• Part 1 should be compatible with any reskins as long as part 2 isn't loaded.
• The performance and balance focused attributes of H&M cannot be guaranteed when combined with other mods.

Don't forget to like & comment for more content like this in the future.

To Improve your Loading Times by 200% with any mod:

Move (cut and paste) the hearts_minds_1.pack and hearts_minds_2.pack files found at:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\214950
To
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Total War Rome II\data

If you want to play Multiplayer (COOP or Battles) and one of the players has followed the Tip above then all the players participating must also move their .PACK files to the Data folder and run the mod via the launcher from there (Local Folder) to prevent potential desync issues. (Either all play from the workshop folder or all play from the data folder)