Apparently this doesnt work for the add-on Wrath of Sparta.

I can confirm it works still as long as you load both mods correctly

[quote]
How to Install:

1. Subscribe to both Mods (Orbis Aqua & Orbis Terrarum II)

2. Ensure it is near top of load order.

2.5 Load Orbis Aqua ABOVE the mod (Orbis Terrarum II)

3. The End.
[/quote]

doesn't function for me either

Works fine for me , it's possible you have another mod also changing water?

Got this mod set before orbis terrarum, but I don't think it's working. From the pictures and video, it looks like the sea should be a lighter blue, but mine still looks the same darker color

good!!!

@DoctorFar
Suffice it to say, this is the most "realistic" you're going to get while still being aesthetically pleasing to fit the simplified shader (i.e. only allowed one colour hue, when in reality water can look really different dependent on multiple factors) + match the abstract scale at which the campaign map's visual design is made at (i.e. the campaign map visuals are not 1:1 scale "realistic" either; you have characters + buildings + ground textures that would not be visible from space. So, if things depicted in the campaign were truly at the scale that they were in reality, the colour of the water would also fit) + be informative to the player so they can clearly see which areas are safe or not.

@DoctorFar
Yes, that image shows a transition of shallow to deep; green-ish hue is where it's shallow (for coasts / shallow areas or non-hazardous areas around the center of the map), the deeper blue distance is where it deepens (which I placed when water is either not close to land masses or when the water is hazardous to fleets). There are many other examples I used, not just this one. I highly doubt that one example image I provided has been Photoshopped, and if it has been then it's very light editing (e.g. brightness adjustments).

Another complication is how difficult it is to trust imagery from the internet. You never know if someone retouched it with colorization. While an organization like NASA has good reasons to retouch space photos, the reasons images down here on earth gets retouched is so they can look more pretty; not usually (probably rarely?) to look more realistic.

That shutterstock image is visibly shallow, you can see the seabed. Impressions will always just be opinions but if you base it on imagery of shallow waters for example that will of course be reflected in the final result (sorry the pun).

@DoktorFar
I've already provided the reasons why I disagree with this. Copy & paste:

Sorry, but I disagree that my water isn't "realistic" as it currently is - I judged my colours based on hundreds of sea and ocean reference images taken when the light is reflecting from the angle you'd see the water at most of the time in the campaign (which is roughly at a 10-35° angle, not 90°) while also being viewed from a far away distance where there would be a broad seascape of light bouncing back at the camera from the water revealing this sort of colour.

Example
https://ak.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/1058562778/thumb/1.jpg

Darker water than this would not make it more realistic, the water would start to look more like some kind of blueberry jelly if made darker than current levels (hence why I dislike Better Water III HD). With the limited capabilities of the campaign water shader, this is as realistic as the campaign water is going to get while still looking aesthetically pleasing.

I kinda agree with VFL. While I find the water beautiful from this mod (and that alone is great justification for its existence) it doesnt strike me as realistic, unless the water in the entire Mediterranean in ancient times was quite shallow all around to give it that very light blue colors everywhere. But this isn't how most of the water looks there now at least. Which is what would lead me to say I think "realistic" is not the proper name for the mod. Just my opinion. And like VFL I give much respect to what has been made, it does look beautiful indeed. But I do not find it realistic at all.

@Benjin

Maybe I just have a skewed perspective of it. I'm a lover of naval history and I've watched a lot of footage from the decks of ships in the Med that look very different than this mod does. The reviews of this mod alone suggests I'm in the minority.

Much respect. There's no doubt this is the best water mod available for the game and I'll be using it in my load order regardless.

Cont.
Ideally I'd change the entire water shader to act more realistically (e.g. when you zoom in close to the water, you start to see more the current style of water, and maybe when you zoom all the way out to look straight down at the map at an 80-90 degree angle, it starts to look darker), but that's not technically possible as that aspect is hard-coded. I had to find a compromise and choose which angle should take priority when colouring the water, I chose for the 10-35 degrees POV as I believe that looks better than a darker one and I'm sticking by it.

@VFL
The only way I could agree with making it darker is if the player's camera was permanently viewing the water from a 60-90 degree angle where it starts to get darker, where you're looking at the water more into the depths of where reflections aren't as likely to bounce back (like in the lower half portion of the image you've linked, also as seen in Google Earth images). However, most of the time players in the campaign are not going to be viewing the water from that angle, so I personally think making it darker as you suggest would look bad in most instances when you're looking at the water from an angle that is closer from a ground or mid-air perspective looking into the horizon (which is what I was aiming for, like in the top third of the image you linked).

@Benjin

That's fair enough from the technical limitations of a game like this.

I get where you're coming from but the majority of the Med, especially in the Hellenic Trench and the seas around Corsica and Sardinia are visually much darker when you can't see the sandy bottom.

Vacation spots in Greece and Italy are famous for beautiful blue colors like this mod uses but the rest of the sea, especially from above is much darker and greener.

Example
https://www.winkitaly.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Tavolara_sizenew1185826231.jpg

@VFL
Sorry, but I disagree with your opinion that my water isn't "Realistic" as it currently is - I judged my colours based on hundreds of sea and ocean reference images taken when the light is reflecting from the angle you'd see the water at most of the time in the campaign (which is roughly at a 10-35 degree angle) while also being viewed from a far away distance where there would be a broad seascape of light bouncing back at the camera from the water revealing this sort of colour.

Example
https://ak.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/1058562778/thumb/1.jpg

Darker water than this would not make it more "realistic", the water would start to look more like some kind of blueberry jelly if made darker than current levels (hence why I dislike Better Water III HD).

Any chance of a darker version? This is by far the best water mod for Rome 2 but the color just throws me off. Calling it "Realistic Water" is a stretch.

Better Water III HD is the most obvious competitor to this mod and gets the water color far closer to the Dark Blue/Green that the sea has in reality. But I prefer this mod over it in every possible way besides the color.

super

ufff ricaso, ya quiero probarlo

A must have mod

finally best colour for water

top

I made it work! Just put the mod on top of the orbis terrarum mod :) Great work! Would have liked if the water was a tad bit darker, but amazing nonetheless!

Looks lovely, but it doesnt work for me. Still have white edges near land.

@Coon1
You've gotta give me a screenshot or something, I have no idea what you're seeing is part of the mod or not.

i have tried this mod and the Aquarius II mod second in load manager list, but in game the water and all white snow have a very blueish glaze over it. Is that part of the mod or do i have to adjust settings in the colour scheme?

just super!!!

sick shit

This mod has much nicer water then my mod, you should use this and load it above.

@Gyrosmeister
I think it tried to do something, but it didn't work. If you compare vanilla water OB2's you won't notice a difference.

Doesn't Orbis Terrarum II already include the better water textures from Attila?

@Reichspepe
No problem!

Thanks Benjin, very cool!