DRAGONDAWN Total War - Outdated 2011 Initial Preview

[The Holy Pilgrim]

Thank you very much Sir.

Edit: I tried to use the sig's but keep getting this error message 'Your signature cannot be longer than 10000 characters including BB code markup.'

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Just right-click on the image and select "copy" Then go to your sig and paste the image there.

Alternatively, you could just right-click on the image and do one of the following:

If in IE, select "Properties" and copy the image's location. Then go to your sig and click the button. It will prompt you to paste the image's url. Paste it there and it should show up.

If in Firefox, do everything the same except instead of going to properties, click "Copy Image Location".

[Shadowlair]

hmm, might you guys have taken inspiration from..alot of other places? just asking? since i sence some lotr, and warhammer fantasy battles *gotta love skaven and lizardmen especially with the world menders idea they certainly fit in WFB lizzies* just, asking. still, it looks tremendous and as a long time lurker to DaC i instantly saw squeeks awesome workings, although i do think some armours look to.....shiny, or to much contradisting colors *didnt like the orcish helmet as an example* but its your mod, and its shure to awesomesauce all others that remain ^^

[Squeaks]

hmm, might you guys have taken inspiration from..alot of other places? just asking?

Well. I spent a long time doing this, and a lot of that time meant ignoring other stuff. I've taken a lot of folklore and faerie-tales, and mythology and turned it into something different, whilst allowing the player to understand the gist of what's going on.

Basically, no, there's a HUGE attempt at not copying other things. There's no book I've read, no game played that have overtly offered a suggestion to this. Of course there will be similarities somewhere along the line, as it's probably impossible to not have some similarities, even having puropsefully not read or looked at other peoples' work in that time. If I thoiught I had plagiarised something, then I would immediately rewrite it.

since i sence some lotr, and warhammer fantasy battles *gotta love skaven and lizardmen especially with the world menders idea they certainly fit in WFB lizzies* just, asking

Ah. Well, I can certainly claim to not know nuffin about GW lizards...in fact pretty much all of their stuff - had a coupe of friends who played GW games, and it looked quite odd to me. Well, I suppose these are all v successful, so that's a compliment. It's a sod I haven't shared more of the lore yet, as it would explain what I can't in a short message. Just for you, I'll show some CHitkinen stuff later today

I DO appreciate the fact you've mentioned this though. It means I'll HAVE to spill some beans on some factions, as hopefully they'll make sense then!

still, it looks tremendous and as a long time lurker to DaC i instantly saw squeeks awesome workings, although i do think some armours look to.....shiny, or to much contradisting colors *didnt like the orcish helmet as an example* but its your mod, and its shure to awesomesauce all others that remain ^^

Heh. Well, it's a pain really, cos I have what they should look like in my head (it's NOT totally without any future changes though - so comments will get an airing). Thanks for liking my stuff; a great compliment.

Well, for colours, there's a certain method in their madness, but will think about what you've said. SOme things are sacrosanct to me, others are not - this IS the first time that anything has been made into something like a mod or that sort of game, so it's delightful in the extreme.

[Heathen Storm]

Wow, this looks really cool! So this is all from your mind, Squeaks? Definitely looking very great and detailed. I'd definitely like to see some units from the Wolfborn and the Bandit Kings - those are looking to be my favorite factions so far

[Krystoforos]

Very nice! I like the idea of new fantasy mod. I wish You good luck

[Squeaks]

Wow, this looks really cool! So this is all from your mind, Squeaks? Definitely looking very great and detailed. I'd definitely like to see some units from the Wolfborn and the Bandit Kings - those are looking to be my favorite factions so far

Yep...it's from a poor llittle brain like mine. The WOlfborn and Bandit Kings are your faves? Really? That's an unusual combination of factions

I will endeavor to make them cool then. The Bandit Kings are an odd one for sure. They have a mix of decrepit Gnomesa from the Dwarves - they have found and plundered several Dwarf Holts, and stolen the Gnomes within, many of which were the first examples of their kind, and don't quite work as well as the later ones. Of course, there is the stroy of the 'Infected' that woke deep in the closed holts. There was a reson these places were closed off, after all. Will chuck the story in at the end of this.

Very nice! I like the idea of new fantasy mod. I wish You good luck

Sweet...well, if we're getting such good wishes, then we can't fail

OF THE KHEZDRULI WARS AND THE INFECTED

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Khezdruli wars were a brutal affair. The Fathers had departed, and the Ildiri convinced the other elves to destroy the Khezdruli, for their toil was abhorrent, and the elves could not bear to see it. The Ildiri marched to war, and dwarves were slaughtered by the pulsing of Ley Weapons. The other Elves came to war late, and, by this time, the Khezdruli had begun to fight back, using rocks, nails, teeth and natural strength. The losses this early in the war would never be recovered.

The War took it’s hold, and Dwarves died in their tens of thousands. But, behind the front lines, they were preparing a new technology – that of weaponry, using the bones of the Dragon (metals) to create shards of sharpness to destroy the life in other beings.

The odds evened out, and in their tunnels, the dwarves slew many elves, and it looked as though mutual slaughter was to be the end in sight. However, a Dwarf came forward who had listened to the elf proclamation – that rape of the Dragon’s body was not permitted. He came to the Elves and told them of the Hunger, and an agreement was struck that limited the Dwarves’ plunder. Still the two sides lacked any understanding, but the elves could no longer justify such a brutal genocide.


A short time into the war’s end, maybe days, maybe weeks, THEY appeared, thousands, flowing from the broken holds of the Khezdruli. Infected, they called them, thousands of them, writhing, slime covered bodies, rotting with the deadpool, biting, gnawing, they flooded the camped armies, and another time of slaughter began.

Bodies in a state of undeath, but yet not truly alive. Magic had little effect, and the Ley weapons of the Elves would do little but burn and scorch, save the fires of the Sun Dragons, the Silidiri, which threw them back. Azghali led his guard against them, siding with the Elves, but many Dwarves holed themselves up and sealed their cities. Sadly for them, the Infected came from within the Dwarf Holts, and they were eaten alive.

The armies of Azghali and the elves managed, through torrid slaughter, to seal the holds the Infected were coming from, and trap them within, the Ildiri redirecting the waters from the mountains to fill the holds. The names and whereabouts of these holds were struck off the records of History and still remain gone, lost to time and the Infected.

[Shadowlair]

yes, well, all taken to regard you are rght, but in my eyes it all looked so obvious, all the connections and all :p
and i instantly fell for this mod. it has lizardmen, rats *both of wich i just kinda have a WFB tabletop army from :3* and the general idea of the mod instantly gripped me.

quick question still though, is there a faction that starts with just one castle, or if you would be so kind tell me the smallest faction and its starting settlements, i just really like starting small, preferably with just like, 1 settlement and eventually rule the world! *wmuahahahahahahaha* or something evil and ratmen like in that general direction ^^

[Borissomeone]

Basically, no, there's a HUGE attempt at not copying other things. There's no book I've read, no game played that have overtly offered a suggestion to this. Of course there will be similarities somewhere along the line, as it's probably impossible to not have some similarities, even having puropsefully not read or looked at other peoples' work in that time. If I thoiught I had plagiarised something, then I would immediately rewrite it.

This is why this mod looks and sounds so cool. You're trying to make something original and putting alot of effort into the lore and story, god bless you for the fine work so far.

[The Holy Pilgrim]

yes, well, all taken to regard you are rght, but in my eyes it all looked so obvious, all the connections and all :p
and i instantly fell for this mod. it has lizardmen, rats *both of wich i just kinda have a WFB tabletop army from :3* and the general idea of the mod instantly gripped me.

quick question still though, is there a faction that starts with just one castle, or if you would be so kind tell me the smallest faction and its starting settlements, i just really like starting small, preferably with just like, 1 settlement and eventually rule the world! *wmuahahahahahahaha* or something evil and ratmen like in that general direction ^^

All factions will be strong in their own way. Sure, some will be small in terms of land, but their cities will be mighty (the Sun King, Ilien, Rhysthari, and the Bandit Kings to name a few).

And btw, the Ratmen are coming along very nicely. In fact, they're the best rats I've ever seen!

This is why this mod looks and sounds so cool. You're trying to make something original and putting alot of effort into the lore and story, god bless you for the fine work so far.

I'm really glad you like this, Boris. I was hoping you would. Your skills in writing and fantasy are passed by none; it is an honour that you like our mod

[Beregond]

quick question still though, is there a faction that starts with just one castle, or if you would be so kind tell me the smallest faction and its starting settlements, i just really like starting small, preferably with just like, 1 settlement and eventually rule the world! *wmuahahahahahahaha* or something evil and ratmen like in that general direction ^^

Ilien, the Rose of War, will definitely start with only one settlement, or probably without any settlements if we can work it out. They will have a stack of elite troops and a sea of enemies before them; this would be one of a bit scripted campaigns (at the beginning), with kind of 'quests' to acquire powerful artifacts and some additional support. So Ilien should be one of the hardest to play. Though they will have very powerful and rare troops (the Roses) and what will be one of the best generals in the mod.

Iryn Thaan will have two settlements and a hard campaign too, Naugiri are a tough opponents.

[Squeaks]

yes, well, all taken to regard you are rght, but in my eyes it all looked so obvious, all the connections and all :p
and i instantly fell for this mod. it has lizardmen, rats *both of wich i just kinda have a WFB tabletop army from :3* and the general idea of the mod instantly gripped me.

quick question still though, is there a faction that starts with just one castle, or if you would be so kind tell me the smallest faction and its starting settlements, i just really like starting small, preferably with just like, 1 settlement and eventually rule the world! *wmuahahahahahahaha* or something evil and ratmen like in that general direction ^^

Heh...everything's obvious til you know better

Well, there are a number os 'small' factions...these WILL be a challenge but are also very cool..

CIMRAI strength (They can bring CThonic units into their army soon after the game starts))
BANDIT KINGS ( Unique point is they are VERY hard to capture, but also hard to expand)
LAKE KINGDOM (Unique event driven campaign)
CHO TETSU (Just have invaded the mainland...holding it and expanding difficult, but militarily very strong in certain ways)
THE ROSE OF WAR (Has the Ward of Ilien - this can go several ways...100% anti Federation, may have probs with Empire, or may ally, but also dwarves and Nidon Hal are potentiasl didiculties...can recruit Federation units that have revolted and come to her banner) As Bere says, they start with one place -Castlerock, a large fortress, but obviously not invulnerable. Ilien is sound though...very hard to beat and possibly quite aggressive early on to survive.
NIDO HAL (Lizards) 2 types of soldier - outer swamp, inner swamp - tribal or city dwellers. Strong in defence, strong attack, but take a while to fully mobilise.
WOLFBORN - SOme VERY strong troops - Uruskine/Lupuskine/Godslayers, but are faced with an invasion ofthe mainland soemwhere. CHoose your foes wisely.
BADABASKA - under constant pressure...no let up from war. SHould they defeat the Ghaur on their islands, then they are a force to be recognised. Expansion and allies should be carefully chosen. Thier Baerhounds are NAUGHTY in combat.
IRYN THAAN - They cannot possibly hold without their strange allies, but some of these will be scripted as reinforcements, not totally recruitable - an interesting bunch.

There are some factions that are unique in the way they start the game.

CHITKINNEN (rats) begin with a few 'free upkeep' armies, to gather under the WHite Sow and build themselves a kingdom
GHAURCHLAI begin in an odd situation - will show when it's done; they will be in the first historical campaign in an absolute visceral power. They will be against all 6 other factions, and may change the course of the war through deception by their Shapestealers.

This is why this mod looks and sounds so cool. You're trying to make something original and putting alot of effort into the lore and story, god bless you for the fine work so far.

Thanks!! It's a lot of fun to work on, but also is hard to get everything to work proper;yingame, because the engine isn't designed for it - however, the good news is that we seem to be making major breakthroughs in the more difficult needs. You'll love the way we do things like magic.

I didn't know who you were, but it is nice to hear this sort of thing from a talented modder/writer. If you ever fell itchy, there are things that can be tied up - I am transporting LOADS of lore and writing, but I always wanted good peeps to develop different aspects in their own freedom, based on the lore provided. In other words, I have given what I think is enough, then peeps have a large degree of autonomy and fun. SO far, it's worked brilliantly.

[Rod The Viking]

honestly, I don't know, mate I tried and All of them work fine for me. Try one of the lesser ones, the 2nd or the 3rd?

and I think it meansd that there are too many characters, so may be you haven't removed your old one?

Yeah I tried all three and got the same error message on all of them. I just tried clearing my old sig then saving it as blank, but got the same problem again. I'm sure it's something I'm doing wrong though, I'm a total noob when it comes to forums and what not. Thanks for your assistance though.

Ced has done a few, and a couple of peeps are working on more, but if you have a particular faction in mind, tell me and I will try to find some time to do one for you.

It didn't really enter my head that people might want one!

Uhm. Not sure....will either do a sig for you, or I will host a nd fix the ones we already have.

Wow thanks, that's very kind of you.

As I said to Beregond above, I'm a bit a bit of a forum technophobe, so I'm sure the problem is with me rather than the sig's, but if you ever find the time then The Wolfborn definitely take my fancy. As amazing as all the factions look, there's something about taking to the seas and plundering foreign lands that I just can't resist.

[Rod The Viking]

Just right-click on the image and select "copy" Then go to your sig and paste the image there.

Alternatively, you could just right-click on the image and do one of the following:

If in IE, select "Properties" and copy the image's location. Then go to your sig and click the button. It will prompt you to paste the image's url. Paste it there and it should show up.

If in Firefox, do everything the same except instead of going to properties, click "Copy Image Location".

Thanks, but I'd tried copying and pasting the image and that's when I got the message saying it was too big. I'd also tried copying the location but I just get the http link rather than the picture. At least I know for sure now that it's not that I'm doing it wrong though. Cheers.

[Shadowlair]

hmmm, i now really, really, really want to play this, lizards, ratmen and the rose of ilien *or something like that ^^* all sound way to grea, i will wait with a fervor unknown to the great allfather himself and damn as hell as i will lurk as never before to secretly urge you one with magical subversion mind-tricks....or soemthing along that line :3

and ofcourse, more ratmen and lizardmen screens are always an awesome thing to see, am i right? :3

and a quick edit: are there any ratmen sigs? or even better, a ratmen/lizardmen sig, for i would gladly wear it to show my undying loyalty!

[Galandor]

The continents resemble a lot the Warcraft ones, including the surprise in the centre . I do not say this as a bad thing, I just wanted to look clever.

[The Holy Pilgrim]

Only slightly. Not enough to be considered a "copy" though.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Borissomeone]

Thanks!! It's a lot of fun to work on, but also is hard to get everything to work proper;yingame, because the engine isn't designed for it - however, the good news is that we seem to be making major breakthroughs in the more difficult needs. You'll love the way we do things like magic.

Sounds really good, and I do like magic so I look forward to seeing what can be done.

I didn't know who you were, but it is nice to hear this sort of thing from a talented modder/writer.

Thanks, but you're far to kind.

[evenflowjimbo]

I think I need a towel ...

[Clansman117]

The continents resemble a lot the Warcraft ones, including the surprise in the centre . I do not say this as a bad thing, I just wanted to look clever.

I can see how the eastern continent looks quite a bit like kalimdor, but that is the only similiarity I see. I agree with Shadowlair, the rat-people and lizardfolk are still amazing me. Keep up the good work. And thanks for the added lore, I really wish I could give you rep.

[ChaosReigns]

Wow, this mod looks really cool! I haven't had a thorough look at everything in the first post yet, but presently (judging just by the previewed units) I'm liking the Empire the best. The legionnaires remind me somewhat of Emperor Palpatine's guards: a very fresh and unique departure from the Roman, or perhaps Holy Roman, style I was expecting reading the faction's lore.

The Angelbloods caught my attention especially. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind elaborating on who, or what, they are, Squeaks?

EDIT: Cthonae looks very interesting as well, if you don't mind me boiling it down to simple terms, are they more Satan or Cthulhu? Or perhaps something entirely different?