Other uses/needs of models

[Burninator]

As Tone is much better at making models that are better optimized in poly count, I'm wondering if we have any other modeling needs for RS, like for the campaign or battle map, buildings, walls, etc. I've also considered the possibility of making some super-high res models for the sole purpose of rendering, for backgrounds, loading screens, icons, or other "eye candy" that helps tie the RS package together.

Any suggestions?

[pacco]

That´s my wish! I´d love to make new building models for RS2 ( I´m an architect), but I´m NOT good in 3ds max like in autoCAD (have both), and don´t know how to make UW maps in max!

[cherryfunk]

Well, one thing that would have a huge impact on the game would be new forts. Also, the wooden city walls are pretty lame, I know EB improved these.

Heck, anything we could do to increase the detail and realism of our forts and cities -- even just swapping in some higher res textures -- would have a huge impact. If you play a city battle now, with the new terrain, one thing that sticks out is how lame the vanilla building textures are compared to the new hi-res textures that dvk brought in for the ground and vegetation.

I wonder if it would be possible to take a short cut, and just swap in M2TW textures for things like stone walls?

[Burninator]

I'll look into the new textures and stuff. I have no clue how forts are done, and all that stuff with settlement plans....

Pacco, what format does autocad export to? maybe you can make the mesh, and i could uvw it....

[Jingles]

I'd be careful with the forts if I were you. I've played a couple of mods with modified forts, and the AI always manages to have a real field day with the pathfinding...

[Burninator]

the ai tends to be retarded anyways.....

New siege equipment seems to be out of the picture, already tried importing it once before, but it crashes everything. If anything new tree models, and other random stuff that can be scattered across the game map. Stuff like villas, rocks, maybe engineer a proper Thermopolyae? I mean some extremely high poly units for making loading screens and other background stuff would make a nice touch methinks.

[Jingles]

Yeah, I see what you mean. Like high poly units that are pulling faces (like in the middle of shouting, we're not talking clowns here) made especially for the loading screens and menus.

As an aside, I've been practising with the movie_cam, and I'm gearing up to making some actual videos with it. I think a proper intro movie for RS is definately something that ought to be included.

[apple]

I have started to create some intro music, I can send it to whoever that is going to do the intro movie.

[Bebbe]

IMO we shouldn't edit the campaign map models.
Isn't that what makes scrolling in EB so slow ?

[pseudocaesar]

Nope. Its the script.

[Bebbe]

I thought that the script only affected the loading time.
Whenever I play EB, my framerate drops when I scroll over areas like Greece, Italy, Egypt. But it runs at full speed over the far east, where there are little to no campaign models.

[rory o'kane]

The water in EB has something to do with it as well, I believe...

[Bebbe]

I read that it had the same resolution as the vanilla, so I'm not sure.
Anyway, I changed it back to the vanilla water, so that's not what's slowing me down.

[pseudocaesar]

Who cares really, EB have added loads of models, if we just improve existing ones there wont be any harm.

[Bebbe]

My point is that we shouldn't have models with higher poly. counts than the existing ones.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

EB's map is slow because they have models at nearly every ancient city, not to mention the scripts running all the time.

[dvk901]

EB's campaign map is slow because of their water...and the script. Campaign map models mean very little. Heck, I've had a 1024 x 1024 scythian general for the campaign map 'General\family member' and it makes no difference. In fact, most of the campaign characters will use the same models as their generals for the campaign map character.

[DR. Hobo. PHD.]

i thought it was background scripts that made it so slow, but if you have troble scrolling over the map, turn off the shadows, cause that works for me

[pseudocaesar]

The water does not slow down the game at all, its identical to the vanilla water in terms of detail and resolution. As i said before, its the leviathan script, and the massive descriptions which slow down the campaign map.

Side note, loading descriptions takes ages, so if we have massive ones, it will slow the game down.

[dvk901]

The water does not slow down the game at all, its identical to the vanilla water in terms of detail and resolution. As i said before, its the leviathan script, and the massive descriptions which slow down the campaign map.

Side note, loading descriptions takes ages, so if we have massive ones, it will slow the game down.

Loading the descriptions for buildings and units would only slow the load time. RTW parses the files at startup....once they are loaded, there's no effect unless you have a 'memory-starved' PC.