For people who still have this mod on their playsets, I have a new mod which aims to reintroduce the content from the suggestions list on top of the landscape that Paradox sculpted in King of Kings and Winds of change. Not everything I built has been incorporated into it yet, but I hope to add what is appropriate over time. Feel free to check it out and I hope you enjoy it!

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3444984671

@Ckasaron Actually, all other byzantine mod series of this author's are compatible with 1.37 except for this one. The issue of this mod's compatiblity with 1.37 seems to be relevant to the estate files, so I simply merged the rest with another byzantine mod and it works fine.

@RMS Oceanic I really love your mod series to expand ERE sensibly without artificial debuffs like what 1.36 KoK did. Do you plan to update your mod series to 1.37, and if at all possible either help make it compatible with Europa Expanded or make a standalone mission tree to pair with your mods?

When I updated it, it pretty much messed up all my other mods so I had to uninstall

Just so people who enjoy this mod are aware, I unfortunately am not in a position to update it for 1.36. Not only does 1.36's content steal this mod's thunder a little, but I'm in the process of updating my computer. Once I'm established and have experienced what 1.36 has to offer I'll see what can remain as future suggestions.

@RMS Oceanic Hi! What do you think about changing the government type for Byz to elective monarchy? In my mind this change will give additional challenge and also show the unstable situation in government. In addition, this is quite historical, because from a legal point of view, the title of emperor was not hereditary in the european sense.

Nice! I love your mods, they're super high quality and honestly very well written

This is awesome! Thank you!

@Datguy47 eventually, though that may be if an when I finally figure out what form a mission tree would take.

Do you plan to make one big mod that incorporates all your byzantium mods in the future?

Nice to see more of this mods, i love all of them!

To unlock the guard requires either very good relations with the Scandinavians or some Scandinavian development, the guard isn't something designed to be hired right after Varna, but after you've stabilised things and are powerful enough to achieve those relations, so after you're begun to be on the bounce back.

Early days Varangians were Scandinavian, you're correct, but eventually the Varangian Guard was far more open to any non-Byzantine European. Even Anglo-Saxons served in the Guard in the 11th century. It's ultimately up to you to decide how you want to make it work.

Though you might wanna try and consider reasoning why anyone would volunteer to be an exclusive hireable mercenary company for a formerly considered "dying" empire. Previously there was honour, glory and riches to be earned; would a dying empire be able to promise that and more? What enticements would there be in the late middle ages/renaissance period?

Love all your mods but this one is probably the biggest stretch of the imagination.

In general, you are right, but this is not longer relevant for the middle of the 15th century. In this period, the Elite of the Russian states are already mixed with the Tatars. Сonnection with Scandinavia remained only in the form of conflicts and trade.
And besides this, the entry of mercenaries is more likely to come from Eastern Europe than from Scandinavia.

Special units are half-hardcoded into the game, so you can't really add Varangians alongside Janissaries and Cawa and Caroleans without replacing one of them, which is why I settled on the mercenary approach. And I know the Kievan Rus supplied Varangians as well, but my understanding was a lot of those were from the guards of the Elite, which itself traced their routes to Scandinavia. If I'm wrong about that, I'm open to correction.

Also I think it should be possible to recruit varangians not only from nordic countries, but from east slavic too. Historically a lot of rus was in the guard

Hi) Looks intersting. Waht do you think about adding special intantry type for varagian guard?