Great stuff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4ltlNyXxMw&t=523s&ab_channel=Andy%27sTake

Can anyone sum up in words?

Sure thing - but seeing is believing.


...and it will be released around 09/30.

This is the fourth official version of the new mod presented to you by the combined teams of Rome Total Realism and Roma Surrectum. Overall, RIS will look to provide historical accuracy as well as fun and challenging gameplay. Most importantly, RIS is one of the first mods to utilize the many new features unlocked and introduced in Feral’s amazing RTWR patch from December!
[That patch basically eliminated region/faction/unit limits and allows for all sorts of scripting options to drive historical events.]

In this version [0.5] you will find, among many other things:

32 Playable factions, including 11 brand new ones: Baktria, Epeiros, Achaian League, Aitolian League, Athens, Syracuse, Rhodes, Massalia, Kyrene, Boiotian League & the Saka!
A brand new unit roster, for the first time utilizing the great feature of unit texture variation for a number of core factions such as pre-Marian reforms Rome, Carthage, Antigonid Macedon, and the Arevaci, with many more to come!
An updated campaign map [feaking huge!] based upon our own overhauled variant of Mundus Magnus with beautiful new textures, as well as lots of new regions, settlements, and resources based off historical research.
Loads of new descriptions for factions, units, as well as the new recruitment buildings, written by- and based on proper historical research by our own historians.
A brand new economic system, focused on farming early and trade later. This is a much more difficult system than vanilla, but not impossible by any means!

Just look at the size of this map!

Thanks for the info Barkhorn. If you pick it up let us know your thoughts.

Will do. It releases Friday.

Released today. Downloading now and will play tomorrow.

Here is some very specific detail:

The RTR: Imperium Surrectum team is proud to announce that RIS version 0.5.0 is live!

What's Changed (v. 0.5.0):
- (Possibly) the largest campaign map ever created for a Total War mod, with a size of 1020x700 tiles (vs. Vanilla's 255x156), including more than 900 thoroughly researched regions and settlements.
- Brand new unit rosters with beautiful remastered units for all Hellenistic factions, utilizing RR's model variety to the fullest extent possible, and hundreds of LODs to keep performance smooth.
- 18 brand new factions: Aedui, Allobroges, Ardiaei, Atropatene, Belgae, Bithynia, Boii, Cappadocia, Chatti, Cimbri, Edetani, Insubres, Lugii, Lusitani, Masaesyli, Scordisci, Tylis, and Volcae.
- Loads of new descriptions for factions, units, as well as the new recruitment buildings, written by and based on historical research by our own historians.
- New BI-based religion system, simulating 22 cultures of the time (Italic, Greek, Celtic, Germanic, Iberian, Illyrian, Baltic, Thracian, Scythian, Libyan, Phoenician, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Arab, Judaean, Assyrian, Anatolian, Caucasian, Armenian, Mesopotamian, Iranian, and Indian).
- New Cultures to simulate factional differences and the various independent diverse kingdoms, peoples and nations that aren't represented by a faction. You'll notice these in new Rebel banners and symbols (Roman, Greek, Western Hellenistic, Eastern Hellenistic, Thracian, Gallic, Britonnic, Celtiberian, Germanic, Dacian, Scythian, Phoenician, Libyan, Anatolian, Armenian, Iranian, Egyptian, Illyrian, and Iberian).
- New music and music selection, combining the works of the RS2 and RTR composers as well as the compositions of Tyler Cunningham, the 0 A.D. team, and Paeninsula Italica.

- A much tougher free peoples faction; they act independent, are strong and might even attack you! They also represent the various nations that we have not yet defined as factions.
- New environments and settlement plans (including beautiful RS2 Celtic Oppida), lighting, battlefield terrain models.
- All new faction icons, campaign and battle map banners for the Seleucids, Armenians, Arverni, Arevaci, etc., including a new varieties for the rebels.
- New trait systems from RS2, VE, and other sources including: Roman Leadership, Roman Provincial Governors, Carthaginian Leadership, Barbarian Leadership, Hellenistic Dynasties and Satrapies, and Personality traits. In this mod, a character's ethnicity will contribute to religious growth and unrest.
- Unit stats have been overhauled to make battles more enjoyable and tactical. All units have less morale and armour so they are more susceptible to morale shocks. Missile units have been improved to be more effective but need to attack on the flanks to deal significant damage. Some units have also had their costs adjusted in order to better reflect their capabilities and value.

- The Greek City States faction is no longer on the map, but it can appear during a revolt in a Greek region.
- A challenging economic system, focused on farming early and trade later. This is a much more difficult system than vanilla, but not impossible by any means. We will expand upon these features in later versions of the mod.
- Removed Roman named legions to be remastered and re-added in a future release.
- Slight RIS-ification of the Vanilla UI, including a new main menu video in the spirit of Vanilla's.
- Reworked battle AI formations.
- New Hellenistic general's horse model and scythed chariot model.

That's a good list, thanks.

But is it good?

Rome 1 was my first Total War game and I liked it a lot at the time. Now, I'm no longer sold, but maybe this version would suit me.

I dunno. If I buy another TW game it's almost certainly going to be Three Kingdoms. It's the only main title I've not played aside from Med 1 and Shogun 1.

Three Kingdoms will also be a nice change of scenery for you since it takes place in classical era China. I enjoyed it quite a lot and put about 1100 hours into the game.

Only 1100? Must not have liked it all that much eh?

I'm sure I'd like it, there's never been a Total War game I haven't liked, even if some were better than others. But I'll need to come around to it. Remember I only bought Rome 2 a year ago or so. I still have a save going in that one.

I should add Warhammer 3 as another main title I have yet to play. For accuracy you see.