Alii Colores Romae: Totus - pack of different uniform colours now covering the Rise of the Republic scenario!!

[Noble Lancer]

For those interested in my work, I have some news.

I have released an add-on for the great Hellenika mod. It's available in this thread here.

On an other note, after having been invited to the project by a good friend of mine, I have stepped down from my (unofficial) participation in the development of the Ancient Empires mod for Attila Total War. I still don't own that game for certain reasons, and things took a turn which made the idea even more difficult. I think the AE team and all their fans are better off without me as another cook stirring that boiling mod pot. I regret the decision with respect to my friend, but I think it's for the best.

I have no other plans for modding. Feel like in need of a rest in this type of activity (only very small updates for my Hellenika add-on is likely to come in question). And RL endeavours will take a good hold on me in the foreseeable future.

So until you hear from me again, guys, take care out there.

Thanks so much for your mod. I have had countless hours of enjoyable gaming thanks to ACR. Would definitely glad to take any small updates in the future if you ever feel like spending some time on this again but it is absolutely fabulous as it is right now. Enjoy your break!!

[Demokritos]

Thanks so much for your mod. I have had countless hours of enjoyable gaming thanks to ACR. Would definitely glad to take any small updates in the future if you ever feel like spending some time on this again but it is absolutely fabulous as it is right now. Enjoy your break!!

Kudos to you, Noble Lancer, who're good enough to return with feedback for the mod. Verdicts like yours are what makes all the hard work pay off. Glad you're having a good time with it.

Yes, there are still many factions in Rome 2 I'd like to bring more variety, interest and realism to, but it will have to wait until a day rather far into the future for the required energy to materialize. We'll see about that.

Hey, if you grow tired of Rome 2 before I return to spice things up a little here again, maybe you should take a look on Shogun 2 and my ACC mod for that game. ACC might have a greater following for Shogun 2 than ACR has for Rome 2. And yet I saw room for improvements in the Japanese scenario and had begun work on them when R2 hit the market and I shifted my focus. Whatever you do, do not forget to check out that Hellenika mod I was talking about. It is a classic already.

Anyway, Noble Lancer, i appreciate you calling in to say what you think of the present work. Cheers.

[Noble Lancer]

Kudos to you, Noble Lancer, who're good enough to return with feedback for the mod. Verdicts like yours are what makes all the hard work pay off. Glad you're having a good time with it.

Yes, there are still many factions in Rome 2 I'd like to bring more variety, interest and realism to, but it will have to wait until a day rather far into the future for the required energy to materialize. We'll see about that.

Hey, if you grow tired of Rome 2 before I return to spice things up a little here again, maybe you should take a look on Shogun 2 and my ACC mod for that game. ACC might have a greater following for Shogun 2 than ACR has for Rome 2. And yet I saw room for improvements in the Japanese scenario and had begun work on them when R2 hit the market and I shifted my focus. Whatever you do, do not forget to check out that Hellenika mod I was talking about. It is a classic already.

Anyway, Noble Lancer, i appreciate you calling in to say what you think of the present work. Cheers.

Many thanks for directing me to ACC! I actually bought Shogun 2 after Rome 2 and missed out on the development of almost all mods, would absolutely check ACC out. Thanks for directing me to Hellenika as well, it has been pretty high up in my list of priority for a while now and maybe the ACR treatment will finally push me over the finish line to start a game with it

Again, thanks for the mod and best wishes!

[Demokritos]

To my own surprise, it looks like I'll have a Totus version ready for release soon, at least in time for Christmas. Unexpectedly found time to work on it this fall. That is the long-planned version of all playable factions getting the full diversity treatement, plus some fine-tuning of existing (modded) uniform themes here and there. All in all, the biggest and best version of ACR yet.

One of the factions getting an overhaul is Parthia. Besides Rome, Parthia has been the greatest challenge to get "right". On the one hand, they're known to have been a colourful bunch, so a project to recolour them in a diverse way should reflect that. But on the other hand, one would like to see each unit belonging to the faction in question and not some other faction. In other words, the diversity can be taken a little too far. As illustration in point, take the theme for the javelinmen below. I really lke this theme and it's based on an illustration of Parthians made by Angus McBride, but does it pass as "Parthian" still (when most other Parthian units have something reminiscent of "Parthian blue" in them)?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I'll probably discard the above theme in favor of something "more Parthian", but offer it as an optional theme later.

Anyhow, stay tuned for ACR news.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

@Demokritos: May i politely ask you to take a look on Meroe, as they have very often pink clothes, which is a strong contrast to their black skin.

[Demokritos]

@Demokritos: May i politely ask you to take a look on Meroe, as they have very often pink clothes, which is a strong contrast to their black skin.

Pink clothes? At first I thought you might have a mod conflict or something, 'cause I didn't remember using pink for Meroe. But I checked it out and came back with the below, the army of Meroe as they currently appear in ACR. I note in particular the first 2 pics:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The "pink" is supposed to represent a gradual increase of red pigment from poor units that cannot afford much of it to elite troops that can afford it. Based on the following illustration:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Want me to interpret that cloth around the warrior's waist in a more orangy way? At least for the first unit?

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

That would be fine.

[Demokritos]

I just realized a better idea: find a colour that could represent an undyed cloth used by Meroitic people. Think I’ll work on that one, too.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Light brown/ orange i would suppose.

[Demokritos]

Light brown/ orange i would suppose.

Found this photo of a Meroitic kilt fragment in undyed cotton from 1stC BC-4thC:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Yeah this would fit to ancient art/ grafitti.

[Noble Lancer]

Fabulous to see you coming back Demokritos! My interest in the game has returned again with the release of the new (beta) patch so really looking forward to playing the game during my next holiday with the full splendour of Totus!

[Demokritos]

Fabulous to see you coming back Demokritos! My interest in the game has returned again with the release of the new (beta) patch so really looking forward to playing the game during my next holiday with the full splendour of Totus!

Sorry for being late with a reply, but I’ve been off the grid since Thursday last week.

Glad to see you still interested in ACR, Noble Lancer. I hope you’ll find the changes in upcoming Totus satisfactory. Lots of new uniform themes in there. Might return with a couple of previews of them later. At least with the ”pink” issue with the Meroe addressed.

Until then, take care out there.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Thank you.

[Demokritos]

Alright, figured I could give a small preview of the upcoming changes already. This time of a couple of nomadic factions.

Usually, the modding alters the appearance of the whole army belonging to a major (playable) faction. Occasionally, however, I get the urge to give some variety to a minor side, too. Here's one example of the latter: new main theme and variety to the Catiaroi...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Steppe Archers...

Steppe Skirmishers...

So far, only non-armoured units have been given a theme that diverges in one way or other from the main theme of the Catiaroi. Don't know if I'll bother to give this faction the full diversity treatment yet.

In any case, the rule in recolouring the various units for any faction is the more elite in standard, the more colourful the uniform theme, reflecting greater affordance to use expensive pigments or dyes. Subtle colours can still look very nice. Personally, I sometimes like them better than strong colours, as the former can make the unit look "dustier" and tougher...

Some other units demonstrating the above: the Roxolani...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Steppe Archers...

Steppe Spearmen...

Steppe Lancers...

So the Roxolani Steppe Archers have become one of my new favourites...

This is not to say that in Totus all better quality units appear in strong colours. The subtle colour trick for a dustier and hardier appearance can also suit more expensive units like...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Parthian Swordsmen...

The above theme includes a hue with a hint towards purple, which suggests modest use of expensive pigment or dye (pic showing Totus in combination with Shotammr's Parthian Appearance Alteration mod that changes the equipment of this particular unit to a "more Eastern style").

And, yes, Parthia is one of the "old" recoloured and diversified factions that has been given an overhaul in Totus. More of that later.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Looking great!

[Demokritos]

Looking great!

Thanks for your feedback, MI!

Next up for preview: the diversity for a couple of Celtic factions.

From the coast of the Black Sea...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Skirmishers of Tylis...

Spear warriors of Tylis...

Thracian warriors of Tylis...

From the interior of Asia Minor...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Galatian tribesmen...
Galatian spears...


Galatian swords...

Last two pics using Celticus Magnus' Celtic Helms mod.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Looking very realistic.

[Demokritos]

Looking very realistic.

That's exactly the point with the recolouring mod: to improve the immersion effect. Too strong colours ruin it for me. If the recolouring choice is well made, it not only looks more realistic, the unit kinda grows in impression, even if the colours have been tuned down.

Here's one example. Going through much of Africanum for the new edition, I found the blue part of my uniform tweak for the Getae noble spears a bit over the top (old tweaks often come out different after a new patch from CA, due to changes in the shading). This has now been tuned down, making the whole unit look more real and ready for action - more "alive" as it were...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Getae noble spears in upcoming Totus...

But the exact balance of colours for best effect is hard to achieve, a matter of minute changes in RGB values, and I don't claim to have achieved that effect for every unit in my mod, far from it; only that all my tweaks look more realistic than vanilla.

[bobbyr]

Are you going to do the factions from Empire Divided too?