Golden Ages : Total War.1st Preview is released!!!

[Slaytaninc]

I'm taking it to the Workshop.

[Slaytaninc]

I've been unable to get to the bottom of my issue with the unit, so I'm breaking that promise.

Instead I've done some more map adjustment in Spain and Iraq, with much more to go. I'm about to post some screenshots for feedback.

[Slaytaninc]

I'm not sure about the Caucasus, so I've presented it here for input. I've yet to change a thing. Note: City size doesn't represent finished product.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[knin]

Ani and Maghas look a bit too far to the West, and Tbilisi looks a little bit too far north. I would definitely go for Kutaisi over Apsaros. The map itself looks great though.

[Slaytaninc]

Alright, decision time. I'm working on a building system inspired by Foot's interview and RTRVII.

So, what should I use for the following?:

Campaign AI
Battlefield AI
Unit Formations
Unit Stats

I'm thinking using Real Recruitment and Real Combat for my units. But I haven't decided yet.

[Heathen Storm]

Alright, decision time. I'm working on a building system inspired by Foot's interview and RTRVII.

So, what should I use for the following?:

Campaign AI
Battlefield AI
Unit Formations
Unit Stats

I'm thinking using Real Recruitment and Real Combat for my units. But I haven't decided yet.

Campaign: XAI. Everyone tends to say that it's the best.
Battlefield: That's a tricky one. Germanicu5's Really Bad AI is pretty good, so i've heard.
Unit Formations: ...? What do you mean?
Unit Stats: Try St. Polycarb's Unit guide. It's pretty darn good. You can find it in the tutorials and resource section.

[Slaytaninc]

After playing RSII and reading Foot's interview, I'm ready to start fleshing out an exciting new (but not entirely original) building system.

Can someone show me the best buildings tutorials? I don't want to look through a bunch of lousy tutorials.

[absinthia]

So I've attached a picture about my problem. This issue has hung me up for a while, so long that I'm going to have to break my promise.

Anyways, I think I need to keep practicing before I'm ready to make my own models for this mod, so I'm probably going to move on to finalizing the map and the provinces.

If anyone has a solution, let me know. Another thing I tried was to select the faces that aren't smooth, and then go Tools>Smooth All..., but all that does is create alot more polygons. However, if I do that with only one face selected, the model smooths out but the face I selected goes from being one triangle to three.

smoothing does not alter the model or add triangles. it might seem so but it does only show smoothing between welded vertexes. welded vertexes make a smooth shading between triangles.
i imagine that you have not welded the edited area before smoothing, thus the hard shadows. if you select each vertex and weld before re-smoothing, i hope you find it helps.
but beware vertexes along texture gaps, do not weld those as they will be drawn towards each other and screw up in-game texture.
example: if you map textures front and back, you will have vertexes covering each other on the model. but in texture coordinator they will be on each side of texture. if you weld these you will have texture distortion problem. if you select a vertex in coordinate editor and see another one light up red, then they need to be un-welded and then welded separately.
you can select a vertex in texture coordinator and still weld them - safely.
mapping textures back and front leaves room for asymmetry in texture, but will leave a shadow line on either side of model.
mapping from either side let you weld all vertexes and smooth shadowing all around, but creates a texture mirror effect.

[Slaytaninc]

May I ask what texture gaps are? I assume that's regions between say body and head textures, or is it something else entirely?

Also, using milkshape, one I weld them, what do I do to smooth them?

[Slaytaninc]

Progress:

Mapping: 50% (Minor Border and Ownership Editing, Minor Height and Terrain Editing, City Sizes)
Text Editing: 3%
Unit Modelling: 0% (Waiting for CBUR Nikephorean Roster, among other things, learning the painstaking and high learning curve art)
Scripting: 0%
2D Artwork: 0%
AI: 0%
Battle Environments: 0%

As you can see, progress is excruiatingly slow, and this is just until Version .50. The full release will have more factions than have already been revealed. This mod is currently a solo project, and I still struggle a lot with unit modelling. I haven't created a single unit, because it's a steep learning curve and I've never done 3D modelling before.

And honestly, 90% of what is currently in the mod existed before I got a hold of it. So I need to buckle down and get something done besides post in this thread.

[Earl of Memory]

Keep going I believe in you!

[absinthia]

May I ask what texture gaps are? I assume that's regions between say body and head textures, or is it something else entirely?

Also, using milkshape, one I weld them, what do I do to smooth them?

by texture gap i ment the left and right sides of a texture that is mapped back-front:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

on the 3D model the vertexes along the pink lines overlap and must not be welded together. select the vertexes while in the texture coordinate editor and weld them one by one.

[Silesian_Noble]

Impressions from those two map screens: Derbent, Balanjar and Telavi are pushed to the east far too much. Derbent should also be placed a bit down to the South.

[Slaytaninc]

Impressions from those two map screens: Derbent, Balanjar and Telavi are pushed to the east far too much. Derbent should also be placed a bit down to the South.

Thanks. I went ahead and added you and knin to the credits list (Which I'm woefully behind on, I'd prefer to update that as soon as needed)

[Slaytaninc]

With that in mind, if you've contributed to this mod in any form, send me a PM detailing your contributions. I need to sort out what I currently have permission to use and what I don't so I can either cut it, or get permission for it.

I've also restarted unit production, although I make no promises as to the pace of my efforts. I'm going to try to work on it everyday, even if just for twenty minutes.

So do I do welds between groups or is that a bad idea? I'm assuming you don't.

[Slaytaninc]

Want to be included in the credits? Want to contribute to this mod?

I'm looking for any research that can contribute to the units of the Muslim factions from c900 to c1100.

[Slaytaninc]

I've posted an ad down in Modder's Classifieds, let me know if you're interested. I'd like a commitment, but won't hold you to anything.

[Slaytaninc]

Here's what I have on my model so far:

[Slaytaninc]

Alright, disappointment time.

After careful deliberation of several issues, I felt it was time to post about some things that are going to upset people. So with further ado:

1. If you like Ireland or the Scandinavian countries, you will be disappointed. I've reduced those areas to the bare minimum of provinces. I intend to make up for it by the clever use of PSFs, and I haven't entirely ruled out returning provinces to those regions. For now though, they're needed elsewhere.
2. Not every unit will be new in the first release. Some factions will have their rosters pretty well developed, while some won't have any new units. This is a solo project for now, and I'd honestly like a release at some point, so even more compromises will be made. Although with that in mind I might add another faction to fill up the map, even if it's woefully incomplete.
3. There are no navigable rivers. There never was, but I looked at the pros and cons, and some satellite map images. The vanilla rivers are plenty large enough as it is. In fact, they're really too large.

[Slaytaninc]

Since Geomod is the easiest aspect of modding for me, I'm going through the entire map and adjusting provinces. I think I'll be able to post a pre-preview of the map by the middle of November.