Medieval Kingdoms Total War Screenshots and Videos Thread

[Dontfearme22]

Well the Armenians and Georgians would be mostly for Western campaigns (along with a small number of crusaders, though that'd just be overkill at this point). By Khwarezmians I meant more or less the people from Khwarezm, Transoxiana and Khorasan (i.e. the power base of the Khwarezmids), which was fairly populated, especially along the Syr Darya. They would've been a mix of Iranians and Turkic peoples. It was the most important part of the Timurid empire too, which is late 14th and 15th century.



Looks fair enough. Maybe instead of just Turkoman it should be mixed Turko-Mongol and Turkoman for late period? Also, will the late period units be inspired (visually) from Timurid troops? Probably the most accurate mix of Turkic, Mongol and Iranian you can get in the late period.

For the Early roster I am running almost solely on accounts of Hulegus campaigns and my guess is that he did contract many vassal troops from Khwarezm and they were just recorded as rote infantry without being specified, but I can't specifically substantiate that as the root explanation.

For the late roster, a lot of my inspiration is coming from the Timurids, as well as the short-lived successor kingdoms in Persia like the Jalayirids. My logic behinds Turkomans specifically is because the main power in the region both after the Timurids and the Jalayirids were various Turkoman confederacies who worked as vassals to those powers before waging war against them(specifically the Qara Qolunyu and the Aq Qolunyu). So I think in a hypothetical 15th century Ilkhanate you would have seen lots of Turkoman mercenaries because of that.

But I'll also have other ethnic groups involved, I just plan to highlight the Turkomans in the late like I highlight the Caucasians in the early roster because of their historical presence.

Also, some delicious screenshots from in-game testing:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[zsimmortal]

For the late roster, a lot of my inspiration is coming from the Timurids, as well as the short-lived successor kingdoms in Persia like the Jalayirids. My logic behinds Turkomans specifically is because the main power in the region both after the Timurids and the Jalayirids were various Turkoman confederacies who worked as vassals to those powers before waging war against them(specifically the Qara Qolunyu and the Aq Qolunyu). So I think in a hypothetical 15th century Ilkhanate you would have seen lots of Turkoman mercenaries because of that.

But I'll also have other ethnic groups involved, I just plan to highlight the Turkomans in the late like I highlight the Caucasians in the early roster because of their historical presence.

They wouldn't really be mercenaries, as they were technically subjects (relations with tribes were a bit more complicated), but this is pure semantics honestly. And the Turko-Mongols were the settled group (well, at least partially) in the former Khwarezmid heartland, from which came the Chagatai language and Turko-Mongol culture (mix of Turkic, Mongol, Iranian cultures with Muslim influence). It would essentially be the predecessor of Uzbek culture before the Shaybanid invasion of Transoxiana. Just think it would be interesting to show the melding of cultures in that part of the world.

Also, some delicious screenshots from in-game testing:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

These look great! Mongols will be my first campaign for sure and I can't wait to try them out.

[OutsiderKK]

The Mongols were very successful in conquering thanks to the close culture and relations with Turkic peoples on the way. Even though they didn't have the numbers at first, they had taken a lot of help by the Turkic people from Turkestan. In the end Golden Horde Turned into a Tatar(Kipchak) Turkic state rather than a Mongol state and its successor Crimean Khanate had been an help to Ottoman Empire in the future. Khan's army preferred Kipchak Turkic language rather than Mongol especially after 1350s...

I guess the ones your ancestors once called the enemies can be your comrade or brother at last...

[Dontfearme22]

Some Tier 2 Ilkhanid tunics, its proven really hard to get the vibrancy and smoothness of the tunics to jive with the model in a good way, these are just starters:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Kjertesvein]

its proven really hard to get the vibrancy and smoothness of the tunics to jive with the model in a good way

Indeed. Personally, it seems as if the textile combined with armour can be tricky and it feels a bit 'stiff'. It's as if it's straight out of an unboxing video, every tunic is like that. Have you tried to emulate wear and tear? As in, how colours interact with fabric and how it fades after extended exposure to sunlight, weather, dirt or time? I'm not sure how explain it, but I talked to a living history person once about it. That was his problem with colour pigments on textile, as opposed to colour pigments in manuscripts. He continued on with something along the lines of: "...They're two different mediums and they interact differently. Looking at a manuscript and textile isn't a good comparison. For example one of my tunics has lost all it's pigments after using it continually all summer." I was colour blind so I didn't see any change at all, but you know, he was upset about his outer garment lost it's spark.

Perhaps there is something to that perspective of wear&tear. We know from even knight effigies and actual armour that wear and tear was a thing for everyone. Spare-parts to fix an outfit while on campaign were not always ideal nor did it fit stylistically with the original outfit. I don't know, but that's what comes to mind with textiles and how to make it more lifelike, so to speak. I'm not saying they should look like hoboes, but a patch here and there might not be a bad thing.

~Wille

[Dontfearme22]

Indeed. Personally, it seems as if the textile combined with armour can be tricky and it feels a bit 'stiff'. It's as if it's straight out of an unboxing video, every tunic is like that. Have you tried to emulate wear and tear? As in, how colours interact with fabric and how it fades after extended exposure to sunlight, weather, dirt or time? I'm not sure how explain it, but I talked to a living history person once about it. That was his problem with colour pigments on textile, as opposed to colour pigments in manuscripts. He continued on with something along the lines of: "...They're two different mediums and they interact differently. Looking at a manuscript and textile isn't a good comparison. For example one of my tunics has lost all it's pigments after using it continually all summer." I was colour blind so I didn't see any change at all, but you know, he was upset about his outer garment lost it's spark.

Perhaps there is something to that perspective of wear&tear. We know from even knight effigies and actual armour that wear and tear was a thing for everyone. Spare-parts to fix an outfit while on campaign were not always ideal nor did it fit stylistically with the original outfit. I don't know, but that's what comes to mind with textiles and how to make it more lifelike, so to speak. I'm not saying they should look like hoboes, but a patch here and there might not be a bad thing.

~Wille

I have experimented with wear and tear but I want to ensure a good deal of the vibrancy is kept, if only underneath the wear. Even ceramics show very bright tunics, and of course those could be artistic license as well, but I think in lieu of better evidence to keep the colors bright.

Expect more changes though, I'm not done with these. Ill likely let them stew and then just revisit it all later when I'm fresh.

[Kjertesvein]

Fair enough, good luck.

~Wille

[Pinarius]

[warman222]

So I've been working on Sicily as of late when I've been able to mod. It's quite something because out of the 2-3 years of working on this mod, I'm finally working on my "home" faction. I am American but my family immigrated from Sicily and Naples(3/4 Sicily, 1/4 Naples in case you're wondering) I mean with Sicily being a melting pot for a lot of it's history including our time frame I use that term loosely but still. And giving how I've been getting busier and busier with college and my film career, these Italian factions(I'm working on Sicily and Genoa, Culverin is working on Venice and Pisa) might be my last hurrahs in terms of countries I worked on directly.


Having said that here's a peak at a couple units for Sicily, based off the infamous dynamic in Italian Politics of Ghibellines and Guelphs.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I found some very useful documentation on two parties and how it was reflected in battle. (Plus some other general things unique to the Italians but that's for later.) Of note the banners each side would have was very specific, the classes between each side were lopsided too. Lower classes tended to be more Ghibelline while Geulphs were richer. Little adjustments to the emblems and heraldry were also a thing. So I took that all in mind when creating those units. Both party's units can be recruited by you in battle as Sicily. On the campaign depending you side with diplomatically will determine who's units you get better access to. Also I was thinking of having the two parties be a trait with it's advantages and disadvantages. Like if you have a general who's pro Ghibelline and you have some Geulph units in your army composition it might effect your armies morale and integrity.

Two questions I have:

Are the coat of plates variants on the Guelph Men at Arms out of place?
Should I add a second Ghibelline unit? And if so what kind should it be? Right now Ghibellines have the spear unit seen above while the Geulphs have that unit and a mounted version. The idea is they make up your heavier units a little with cavalry and infantry heavier than serjeant-class units but lighter than the knightly units. But I think the Ghibellines need another unit to balance it out. Perhaps a crossbow unit? Here's a couple close-ups of the two units.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[OutsiderKK]

Oh, Don Corleone it's an honor...

[Filips Augustus]

I simply love it! And to answer your first question: no, the coat of plates do not look out of place imo. It adds a bit to the variety of the unit .

[warman222]

So incidentally I also have a faction preview of sorts. One showing off the tier 1 units of the Kingdom of Sicily.

[Visarion]

Omggggggg

[Filips Augustus]

Nice work! Can't wait for more previews !

[Gongo80]

So incidentally I also have a faction preview of sorts. One showing off the tier 1 units of the Kingdom of Sicily.

cool my faction!
ps what is the music?

[gary]

Best mod I've come across, amazing work!

[Visarion]

cool my faction!
ps what is the music?

Yeah very nice music! Make your blood run faster!

[lion8000]

Actually the music is a mix of several Bulgarian national songs and mainly Maleshevsko horo.

[lion8000]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5x929Uu-A

[Slytacular]

Or the Bulgarian music derives from a 14th century piece found in Tuscany famously named as Saltarello...