Faction Re-textures by Massive_attack (not compatible with V4)
Hello ! This sub mod is meant to improve upon a few of the Theran factions by changing the textures of almost every unit in the faction.
This was, of course, approved by the Thera team, so you can be assured of its quality !
Now, for the details:
Edit:
Foreward: The purpose of this sub mod is in no way to undermine the graphical quality of the vanilla, TFON's, or any of the THERA work done beforehand. Its one and only purpose is to improve upon the already excellent work presented in order to improve the mod as a whole in the future. It is NOT the intention of this sub mod to promote "bashing" of the work done before, regardless of whether it is vanilla or new, and any attempts to "bash" said work will not be tolerated by myself or the THERA team. Lets work together to make a better mod, but lets do it kindly. That is all.
FAUSTIAN REICH
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
And screenshots:Credit goes to Creative Assembly and TheLastONeill (and the entire Thera team)
for this work. The works contained may be used in other modifications so long as
the THERA team authorizes it.
Author: Massive_attack
Info: This re-texture changes no code files and as such is completely save game
compatable and friendly to virtually every version of THERA. The goal was to change
the faustian reich's textures to better resemble a cohesive force, and to echo the
faustian's proud military heritage. The changes made are mostly subtle, but users with
keen eyes will note that there is now a more uniformed look to several units. Overall,
I wanted the faustian reich to look UNIQUE on the battlefield, and i feel I have accomplished
this.
Notes:
There are some units that were not changed at all, these are the early civic militia armor
upgrades, and the pike/arquebus militia. The latter is due to that units texture being shared
by multiple factions, and thus changing it would adversely affect those factions. Creating a
faction specific skin for the faustians would require editing battle_models.db, which is not
in the confines of this mod.
Installation: drag this data folder into your Thera mod directory (SEGA/Medieval 2/mods/Therav3)
Overwrite if asked.
Enjoy
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The League of Privateers:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Details/readme:
Images:Credit goes to Creative Assembly and TheFirstO'Neil (and the entire Thera team)
for this work. The works contained may be used in other modifications so long as
the THERA team authorizes it.
Author: Massive_attack
Info: This re-texture changes no code files and as such is completely save game
compatable and friendly to virtually every version of THERA.
The goal was to change the privateers to be less of a cohesive military force.
The textures were aimed to make them appear to be more a loose coalition of brigands,
raiders, and outcasts, united under one banner. They do have loose uniforms, however,
the military force which the privateers are by no means akin to the Faustians more organized
and disciplined army. Instead, the privateers utilize stolen, looted, or custom made equipment
and armors. The state supplies some of this gear of its own volition, and the pirates are
encouraged to dye their tabards and cloaks black or gray in honour of their new home.
Notes:
The factions main colours are listed as thus, in order from most common to least: Black, Gray, Bronze,
Red. I chose the Bronze/Black colours for the privateer armored forces to represent a simple maxim, what
pirate worth his salt would put his hard earned gold and silver into his personal armor ? What a silly thought !
Bronze and iron are both cheaper replacements for the flimsy gold ornaments the Faustians love, and while
the privateer forces might look somewhat less well-off than the Faustian warriors, at least each warrior knows
that on some forgotten isle he has a wonderful hoard of precious metal awaiting him !
Installation: drag this data folder into your Thera mod directory (SEGA/Medieval 2/mods/Therav3)
Overwrite if asked.
In addition, alternative retextures for the greystokes and marines (a drab uniform gray) as an option. To install these, just drag the
"alternative" data folder and overwrite. Be sure to do this after you install the main mod, or you'll get the brown/gray uniforms.
Enjoy
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
If the greystokes/Marines arent to your taste, try out the alternative textures !:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Grand Vashta Sultanate
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The following information was ripped from the readme, ah well, i can plagiarize myself if i like:
Screenshots:Originally Posted by Readme
General information:
This texture addon will change the Vashta sultanate's battlefield image
significantly. Gone are the days of the green tide and the utterly boring
looking vanilla (and admittedly probably rushed) turkish roster developed
by C.A. In its place is a people who dress to impress on the field, a sign
of their newfound empire's wealth. In its place, we see unique looking forces
sporting a variety of armor styles and a wealth of colour and... vibrancy.
Even the siege engineers have been improved, in a bid to make what is actually
a great faction more visually appealing.
Notes:
The vashta were hard. Not, so much from a skill perspective, but more in terms
of style. I tried very hard to make them feel unique from all the other factions,
I made there elites wear gold (or more likely, quality metal armor with thin gold,
false-gold, or even gilded plates ontop) mainly to signify this feeling of newly
found wealth and powerin the Vashta faction. This might not be cannonically correct,
but i really felt like "gold" says alot about what the Vashta faction seems to be
all about. They have moved away from being nomads, and they have become an empire,
I feel that the Vashta forces emphasize that nicely.
You'll also notice a lack of green, dont worry, its still there, its just subtle now,
you will still know a soldier is part of the vashta faction by other visual cues, its
just now you wont get bombarded by it. In some areas, it was replaced with gray or black,
but that doesnt really jump out at first. The grays and blacks do not dominate the vashta
colour scheme, indeed, they serve only to mellow out some textures and shift focus to
more interesting areas of the unit, like the armor. Dont worry, the vashta look nothing
like a muslim "faustian reich", which is something i have done my best to avoid since
choosing gold as a primary colour.
The Yani ceri deserve special mention in this readme, they were the most challenging
units for me to retexture. There were aspects of them that just didnt feel "right"
Its difficult to explain. I added some armor (chainmail, mostly) to some of them, since
I didnt like how just because these warriors embraced some new methods of fighting,
that they would discard personal protection. Especially since the Vashta are not like
a renaissance faction, they still firmly believe in armor and classical ways of fighting.
Thus you might notice a few new details in these forces. If you look closely you will
see that some yani ceri wear mail "hauberks" (spelling ?) discretly underneat there hats,
and the armor upgrade for the Yani Ceri swords/Arquebusiers actually looks like they are
wearing some armor instead of a shirt with *implied* chainmail underneath.
That, really, was the thing with this faction. Subtle changes. Most of which you wont
notice, and yet, it all just comes together beautifully into a faction that i feel has
at least some of the graphical goodness it deserves.
Install: really simple. drag the "data" folder into your TheraV3 folder. Overwrite when
asked.
Credits: Huge props to the TheFirstOneil and the THERA team, without them this would
not have happened at all, thanks also goes to C.A. who obviously originally made many
of the textures.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
NO UPGRADE:
UPGRADE:
NO UPGRADE:
UPGRADE:
These guys just look beast, they should get more love:
Appropriately flashy for the sultans personal guard:
Upgraded arquebusiers:
Naffatuns lookin good, no upgrade:
Naffatuns looking MUCH BETTER, with upgrade. *drools* This needs more use too, imho.
Thats all, folks.
The Bons Chevaliers:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
(sorry, no pictures for this one :\ )
Note: this is mercilessly ripped off from the readme. ah well.
Lore:
The Bons Chevaliers are a divided house. The kingdom was born out of a short yet bloody war where two small rival kingdoms were absorbed into one massive conglomerate under the Roi.
Despite the Roi's best efforts, elements of the two old realms still remain. It is not uncommon for knightly or noble rivalries to end in violent duels. Despite this, the roi
has been pursuing a rapid inter-breeding policy for his knights and nobles. Now in this age, a new strange breed of knight is born. The sons of two houses, both violently
opposed, finally bring some sense of peace
as they accept the Roi as their only patron, and serve unquestioning in his armies.
One problem that arose out of the merger was the large number of nobles the Roi had to support. Not wishing to promote insurrection, which was hot on the heels of the the
situation anyway, the roi sought to boost the nobility's power. The thriving middle class of merchants, specialists, scholars and proffesional soldiers suffered heavily as a
result. Now there are but two classes in Chevalier society; Nobles and Serfs. The serfs standard of living is unimaginable. To them, Chevalier rule is the most terrible
dictatorship imaginable. In every war, thousands die in droves, at home, terrible diseases and infections plague them, and all are bound to some kind of master, a master who
more often than not makes heavy demands and taxation.
Yet even this did not affect the knights and lesser nobles disposition- there was only so much land to go around in the realm, so the Roi offered them a "way out"- Among the
nobles, the Roi pursued a policy of aggressive meritocracy- the greatest of his fighting nobles will gain the greatest assets in land, but he shall recieve it only as long
as his services remain in top condition. This achieved two things- the multitudes of lesser knights and nobles flew into the ranks of the Roi's army, gaining some loyalty to
the king in the process. It also meant the majority of the nobility were warriors. For those unfortunate enough to be among the common soldiery, safety lay only in gaining
enough prestige to be able to afford ones own proper weaponry and have the necessary honor to join the Men at Arms- lesser "knights". Essentially, social mobility in the
kingdom was tied up directly with war. The men who had power fought for the roi to keep it. The men who did not fought for the roi to gain it, and the men who had nothing
fought for the promise of maybe, just maybe, joining those lucky few who did.
Detailed information about the skinpack:
The detail work i put into these are immense, Ive literally retextured every single soldier in the chevalier arsenal, everything from the officers down to lowly peasants. Literally the only things that my hands did not end up touching were the weapon textures for some units. Put simply, this is my most comprehensive and in depth texture modification to date.
I designed these with lore in mind, though i might have gone somewhat overboard with the gold, I wanted to symbolize the power of the nobility and contrast it with the extreme poverty of the lower classes in medieval society. Now more than ever the chevalier contrast the Avalon nicely. Red is more prominent in their design, but the tones used compliment the overall feel of the faction. Blue is still present in the army. On the whole, the faction is meant to represent a coalition of numerous noble houses, knightly orders, and military groups from the two kingdoms that make up Chevalier rule. Blue represents the Roi, and red and yellow represent the two major nobility blocs that are descended from their original kingdoms. The political situation is such however, that in BC society a mixing occurs where house lines become increasingly confused as knights and nobles interbreed and mingle. The result is that soldiers show their confused heritage onto battle with bits of coloured materiel or cloth denoting different factions- all working together now.
Installation:
drag my data folder into your thera mod folder. Say yes to everything.
Yay your done !
Uninstalling:
You would need to go in and individually root out each offending texture... much easier just to leave it installed eh ?Not that you would uninstall... would you ?
****CREDITS:*****
TFON and the Thera team, without them this would just be another mediocre skinpack for vanilla M2TW, and none of us would have this great mod- Thera,
Masaky: for his ideas, his cameraderie, and his screenshots/input which decided much about where this mod would go. Several of the changes made have his name on them (not litterally
my friend, im not that good with a brush !) and i can safely say without him the mod would not nearly be as good as it is now. Praise this man.
Myself, for the textures. Ahh, im so ego-centric. bah, its my readme, what can you do.
If your still reading this, you sir or madam, are utterly and completely bonkers. Go, I bid thee, install thy skins and crush some pathetic avalonians beneath hoof and mailed
foot.
SCREEENSHOTS
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Grand Barka Sultanate.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Barka remember.
They have watched for generations, as the others forget. As muslim pretenders rise on foreign shores, and the Vashta forsake the old ways. They have watched as infidel christians sweep forward in droves, drowning the land with there lecherous heresies and bloody religious madmen. Yet, throughout the endless war, with muslim, with crusader, and even with the strange pale demons from across the southern shores, the Barka have stayed strong, and remembered. There remembrance gives them strength. For when the great islamic empire of syrianna that once was came crashing down, as its lands divided into petty tribes of nomads, the Barka, under the banner of the the mighty sultan, remained in the final cadavers of the old empire. In the east. Though none now can think back to those times with clarity, all know that it is the destiny of the Barka to reunite the peoples of Syrianna and return strength to Allah's children, even if some must be brushed aside to do so. Over the course of many years the Barka have built an immaculate, loyal, and fanatical slave army- soldiers born and bred for the singular purpose of combat, with one, singular, lord and master- the sultan himself. They have developed a complex series of alliances with both the Bae and Hdar peoples, using the ever diplomatic Emirs as a glue to hold the precarious sultanate afloat. Diplomacy, secrecy, and brute force have all been utilized by the cunning Sultan's over the years to ensure that the Barka will continue their holy mission. A mission of grim remembrance of what once was, and what may someday be again.
Authors notes:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I had a good time making these textures. I would be lying if i said that it was an
easy road. Many bumps halted slowed or in some way retarded development. University
made any real attempts at changing the Barka impossible untill spring, and even then,
the first few steps were dazed and confused. Yet despite this, i always had a vision.
The middle east has long dazzled me with its great cultures and wealth of history. More
empires than I could name have risen and fallen, each building off the mysticism and
glories of the last, ascending to yet greater heights of civilization and sophistication.
The Barka are a love letter to these great civilizations, nations, states and peoples. In the
roster a wealth of influences merge together. From roman, to Achaemenid, and of course, muslim
empires I draw inspiration. The resultant merge has born something seperate from what I originally
intended, but undoubtedly more wonderful. I am very pleased with the texture pack, it is the best
I have made. It is a combination of my skills with editing in photoshop. While it may be
true I used, for the first time in my 'career' as a texture artist, foreign sources,
I did so not to supplant my work, but augment it. I worked very had on all aspects of this
texture pack. I had failiures and successes, but ultimately, I think it turned out alright, and I
hope you do as well, reader. See the legal notes (readme) for more information on my practices.
Additional details:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Quoting myself, January 30, 2011:
"The Barka are a nationalistic, idealistic, people, holding onto land and belief
even as death wraps its cold steely hands around themselves. The sultanate has
had a long and troubled history, they are one of the few nations to have any real
memmories from before the reckoning that was the torment. For generations since,
the Barka have been in a perpetual state of Jihad, known to them as the
"Shai-Hulud" or "Eternal Struggle" against crusaders, islamic rivals,
and anyone who would raise arms against the state. Their nation is a grim one.
To walk into a Barka city is to see war in the faces of its inhabitants. Each
regiment of soldiery that the Barka are able to summon is conscripted by force by
feudal lords- as such, to prevent disloyalty, each militiaman is billeted into a
seperate regiment made up of soldiers from all over the islamic empire. These
soldiers are lead into battle by the Mamlukes, great warriors from a by-gone age,
armed to the teeth and desperate to prove themselves worthy of being a guardsman
of the imperial palace, or someday even perhaps a lord. All soldiers answer
directly to the sultan, his lords and ministers do not have much sway in the military.
This is a common characteristic of Barka society- centralization of authority.
The legions of the sultanate garb themselves in many fabrics. Black, crimson,
sand, and occasionally some yellow are common colours seen throughout- Black and
crimson represents the holy sultan, and the rest are from classical tribal unions
which were called in for conscription in the early days of the torment. Since
then, tribes have died off, or settled and become great cities in the ruins of
the old empire, but the symbolism of the colours remains; now each one roughly
represents a tract of land from the Barka home-regions. Manpower is something
the Barka lack- years and years of conscription has taken a veritable toll on
this venerable nation, and as such each and every able bodied man is assesed,
and if need be, will be pressed into service. Because the Barka are unable to
field the same kinds of large scale armies, they attempt to make up the difference
by armoring their warriors in great and finely crafted lamellar, chainmail,
leather, or some combination of all of those. The Barka believe that "Any man
can be equal in fighting prowess, given experience and the means- for we are
all of the same worth to the holy sultan."
Barka culture has been criticized for its increasing fanaticism and nationalism-
where before, Barka rhetoric spoke of the great islamic brotherhood, it now
speaks of the superiority of her own warriors in both might and spirituality.
Trade has steadily declined after numerous incidents of merchants being called
blasphemers, and being stoned to death, or murdered by off-duty Barka militias.
Now, the Barka face a choice: either die with their traditions and culture, or
crush all oposition and become the overlords of Syrianna. First, the unholy
demons from the seas must be driven back into the oceans and the holy land
reclaimed- but after that, scores must be settled within the islamic brotherhood-
former comrades have forgotten the old ways, or have grown too mighty for their
own good. It was the Barka who once dominated Syrianna once long ago, and they
shall do so again unless stopped. Now, rise, and take the battle to the enemy,
sons of god !"
Images soon.
THE FAUSTIAN REICH REBORN
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Lore:
Brothers, countrymen, hear my cry ! For years our brotherhood, united under god and kaiser, has struggled in the ditches, trenches, and workshops. Our nation has suffered and fought for years. Now, at last, we can be proud again ! NOW, we are as proud, as glorious and as mighty as ANYONE who dared oppose us ! Years ago, when this revoloution began, our kaiser asked for time, and you, his people; my people, we gave it ! We paid his great price, and now just as he foretold we have the power to dream again... again !
Look now, look at the personification of your dreams my friends. See their gleaming armor, dark but glorious. See how the wings of freedom unfurl across their breasts. The technology they weild, the unity and indivisibility of their ranks ! THESE MEN ARE HIS GIFT ! His wondrous military machine to be used in spite of the Inquisitor, in spite of the Otterbach, in spite of adversity and evil itself ! See the new dawn ! See the glory of a new day ! A new Reich ! A new dream !
FOR REICH, FOR FAUST, FOREVER !
Previews:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Coming soon.
Some of these may be included in version 4.0 of Thera, but why wait, enjoy them now !
Installation instructions in the readme/the quote at the top
Credit goes to: Myself for the retextures, the Thera team for authorizing this work, and the original creators of many of these textures, and creative assembly.
Faustian Reich download:
http://www.filefront.com/17243048/Faustian Reich Makeover.rar
Privateers download:
http://www.filefront.com/17246586/Privateers makeover.rar
Vashta Sultanate download:
http://www.filefront.com/17269439/Vashta makeover.rar
Bons Chevaliers download: (uploaded to filefront since you guys apparently hate mediafire)
http://www.filefront.com/17698229/Bo...candidate.rar/
Barka Sultanate download: (lets hope this link doesnt die, eh ?)
http://www.mediafire.com/?k7y3oc5w32zys6j
Peronis Auxillia mini-pack
http://www.mediafire.com/?cla86ai7awaw9w9
New Faustians (Faustians V2)
COMING SOON
Enjoy !
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Im just tugging at you mate... Good work, thank you helping improve the depth of the mod, and offering the players alternatives to fit their desires 
