NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, long story short, I was playing around on the senario editor for Age Of Empires 3, and thought I'd try to recreate some historic battles, starting with the one that began the era in which the game is set, the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time getting information on the composition of the various armies, and on the disposision of various forces. I realize its a somewhat obscure subject, but if any one knows anything, or knows a book or website which has this information, I'd appreciate the assisstance.:)

Runciman is the name of the author of a big classic on the subject.

Good to know.

G.A.Henty probably wrotea book about that time period. If you can find such a book, it should have fairly in-depth info about the armies, weapons, commanders, fortifications, etc. mixed in with a good historical fiction adventure. He usually cites his sources in the foreward of the book, too.

Which one?

The successful one?

Yeh, the successful one. How many were there, anyways?

G.A. Henty's a good author - but I've got an excellent documentary in my bookshelf on this:

Roger Crowley's Constantinople: The Last Great Siege 1453.

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/212R1797Y9L._SL500_AA180_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Constantinople-Last-Great-Siege-1453/dp/customer-reviews/0571221866&h=180&w=180&sz=7&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=kCEXxkXVMNLz4M:&tbnh=101&tbnw=101&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522the%2Blast%2Bgreat%2Bsiege%2522%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG

Pretty informative. And lots of political background.
_________________
CoN Lord Chancellor
Delegate of The Council of Narnia

Greek fire will be needed.:)

I'd suggest using AOEII to model it. It's the right time period.

AOE 2 would be a possibility if it worked on my computer(I know, what kind of computer plays the newer AOE 3 but not AOE 2). Its not that bad, though. AOE 2 is medieval, and AOE 3 is Renissance-modern, while the fall of Constantinople is right on the line between the two eras. Also AOE 3 has better graphics, and the Ottomans are an existing faction (not sure if this is true for AOE 2).

AOE 2 would be a possibility if it worked on my computer(I know, what kind of computer plays the newer AOE 3 but not AOE 2). Its not that bad, though. AOE 2 is medieval, and AOE 3 is Renissance-modern, while the fall of Constantinople is right on the line between the two eras. Also AOE 3 has better graphics, and the Ottomans are an existing faction (not sure if this is true for AOE 2).

If AOE III works, AOE II should work.

Also, the Turks are a faction in 2. And you also have the Byzantines to defend.

If AOE III works, AOE II should work.

Also, the Turks are a faction in 2. And you also have the Byzantines to defend.Except that the Byzantines in AOE II have cataphracts, which the Byzantines in the siege did not have on account of the Turks owning the land where their horses were from.

Yeh, the successful one. How many were there, anyways?
Och, a few.

And aye, model it in 2, and give people a set amount of resources, and block/allow some factions' units which they would (not) otherwise have. So no Cataphracts for the Byzantines etc.

good point. Another thing, which side should the player be on? I'm thinking Ottoman, since most players won't find it fun to be slaughtered in the name of historical accuracy;).

Omg, I can't believe no one has suggested this!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Constantinople

Give or take it's relatively accurate... well, accurate enough for an AOE3 scenario, probably not for a history book. XD

Already tried wikipeedia.

The only thing I can tell you with any certainty about the fall of Constantinople is that the Turks army used almost 70 cannons to pound the city walls into dust over the course of about a week and use dmusket armed troops to slaughter the inhabitants. It was the first time in history firearms were used on such a large scale.

Already tried wikipeedia.
These kids today...
Try to going to a library, and reading a book. They will even let you check the book out, take it home, and read it at leisure.

Except that the Byzantines in AOE II have cataphracts, which the Byzantines in the siege did not have on account of the Turks owning the land where their horses were from.

Not to mention AOE III provides superior AI and overall scenario implementation. It's the better one to use for this, I say.

Already tried wikipeedia.
But... Wikipedia knows everything. :(


Maybe you'll find your answers here:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/5990/byzantine/index.html

"For two days the defenders watched from their towers as the Turkish army massed - militia cavalry from every quarter of Ottoman Europe and Asia, regiments of the fierce and rapacious Bashazouks, the elite Sipahis cavalry in their bright silk tunics, and advanced elements of the proud Janissaries. They marched under fluttering pennants, weapons glinting, to the ceaseless beat of cymbals and drums. There were siege engines and endless columns of creaking ox-drawn carts, -among which was one cannon so enormous that the defenders could scarcely believe their eyes. It was a formidable champion to contend with the mightiest walls in the western world."

"Between their encampments and the city, about 1,300 yards from the walls, the Turks dug a trench four miles long, piled the earth high into a parapet and erected on this a palisade. Behind this they made emplacements for their guns."

...

"Under his direct command were the best of the Greeks and his own troops included four hundred Genoese cuirassiers with their glittering breastplates."

etc.

Excellent. That's the kind of specifics I was looking for.

One downside to AOE 3 is it has very poor choices for Ottoman infantry(Janissaries are the only infantry unit). But since I'm using the senarion editor, I suppose I can just use a substitute from one of the other factions, or have an all-Janissary army.:cool: