Possible XC-CATW alliance!

[Zarax]

Guys, we might be on the verge of a major breakthrough.

i contacted the classical age total war team leader about the possibility of joining forces and here's the answer:

Well, i saw your mod and of course i'm interested. I had alreadly talk to redfox about a possible merging of catw units into xgm diadochi. XC had just the depht that the mod needs. The "team" is reduced to historical advisors (like genava, agisilaos and salaminomaxos), a pic maker (conqistador) and perhaps a hard-scripter in some days (not yet a member of twc, but this guy is surely at the level of darth vader...).
Our mod is homed by now in a single thread launched by aqd, so we need room for the previews (homed at http://[URL="http://www.ancient-battles.com/catw"]www.ancient-battles.com/catw[/URL]). And i'm about to make the very first preview of catw on twc frontpage. So announcing a possible merging of XC and CATW would be a great new btw...

If we will manage to pool resources expect a much faster development pace than now and lots of new stuff on both sides!

[Spartan198]

Looking forward to seeing what you guys can put together.

[cocobongoclub-DJ]

Hello to XC team,
just a few words to present catw :
It is three years old now, the former team was reunited around this project through graphical design forums, when RTW was famous, so they are not currently registered in any TW forum as far i now. I almost alone in this project since the beta1 in 2006. The beta2 fall in october 2007, and the beta3 is about to be finished this summer. It's based on mundus magnus, and will feature the new factions which are completely reworked from scratch (models and skins are brand new, never seen anywhere else). These are (timeframe is 300 bc):
- The Roman republic
- The Seleucids
- The Ptolemaics
- The Kingdom of Macedon
- The Bosporan Kingdom
- Syracuse
- The Carthaginians
- The Celtiberians
- The Suebians
- The Illyrians
- The Thracian kingdom (then stretched from thrace to asia minor)
- The Pontic kingdom
- The Armenian kingdom
- The Boii
- The Arverni
- The Senones
- The Bellovaci
- Epirus

Things done yet : all the "classics" in terms of coding (4tpy, new mercs, new AOR, new buildings, new campaign strats models and skins, ships (three time more), powerful slave factions, normal factions of 30 units recruitable though their AOR, 1000 spec units projected as accurate, detailed and and high-def as possible (my job and those of historical advisors that guide the choices of units). Units are costier, as buildings, morale and protection as high, so the battles lasting very long. And almost 200 alternative models/skins for future developments (ie, special DMB-EDU for coded campaigns).

Here is the freshest, latest add to the roman faction (which is not favorized, by far, i think they are rated hard/very hard, sourrounded by epirus, the illyrians, the boii and very powerful slave factions like magna grecia, the etruscans and of course the samnites...

[LucretiusTC]

It's based on mundus magnus, and will feature the new factions which are completely reworked from scratch (models and skins are brand new, never seen anywhere else). These are (timeframe is 300 bc):
- The Roman republic
- The Seleucids
- The Ptolemaics
- The Kingdom of Macedon
- The Bosporan Kingdom
- Syracuse
- The Carthaginians
- The Celtiberians
- The Suebians
- The Illyrians
- The Thracian kingdom (then stretched from thrace to asia minor)
- The Pontic kingdom
- The Armenian kingdom
- The Boii
- The Arverni
- The Senones
- The Bellovaci
- Epirus

So, the year 300 BCE basically means the world order after the battle of Ipsus where one of the leading Diadokhi Antigonus Kyklops was killed but his son Demetrios Poliorketes was still alive, and comparing to the XGM there seem to be four Celtic Factions and Celtiberians, and Parthia and Bactria belonged to the Seleucid Empire at this time. Otherwise there seem to be quite interesting units for Illyria http://www.ancient-battles.com/catw/illyria.htm e.g Illyrian ROPALOPHOROI (peltasts-clubmen).

Luc.

[cocobongoclub-DJ]

I just saw the post about classical-age ancient beta1. The new catw units have nothing to do with vanilla : http://www.ancient-battles.com/
Check all finished factions, carthaginians, the romans, epirus, the boii, and now the illyrians. i hope you'll find some "RT2 flavour" right there. (using the same methods of Tone and edu-dmb system from dvk ^^)

[Athenogoras]

Amazing work. Just looked at the romans. First class. If you guys can pull this through I expect nothing less than perfection.

[Scutarii]

Amazing work. Just looked at the romans. First class. If you guys can pull this through I expect nothing less than perfection.

QFT, this would be awesome if you guys could band together. I really like the CATW work, from what I've read previously in the CATW thread.

[cocobongoclub-DJ]

If i can adapt the coded package of XC, of course you can use all catw units as far as you want. But i must say that, after playing with XGM units, you'll find catw ones making the game somewhat laggy, although less than a med2 game on the same config...

[Balikedes]

Wow, that's great news Zarax. Is there a link to their preview somewhere?
Bal

[Zarax]

Wow, that's great news Zarax. Is there a link to their preview somewhere?
Bal

http://www.ancient-battles.com/catw/features.htm

[Suppanut]

As Zarax asking for, I will post the interesting selection that me and Zarax discuss yesterday.

Originally Posted by Zarax
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...uerophoroi.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica.../mak_thora.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...oolhoplite.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...silikoncav.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...pandotapoi.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...ersian_pha.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...hracteleph.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...pandotapoi.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...achimoihop.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...itaihaploi.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...rissphoroi.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica..._nubspears.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...aethiopion.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...kirmishcav.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...kirmishcav.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...appadokian.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...i/dac_pres.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...eavyspears.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...c_royalcav.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...i_spearmen.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...vyspearmen.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...yswordsmen.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...hieldsword.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classical-age.com/ger/ger_suebispearman1.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classical-age.com/ger/ger_royalcav.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...i_warriors.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...echampions.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...ssault_inf.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...cataphract.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...vyskirmsih.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...art_screen.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...r_caetrati.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...er_scutari.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...er_devotio.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...tispearmen.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...taphractes.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...teskirmish.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica..._swordsmen.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...tine_mercs.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...l_heavycav.jpg
http://www.sevenroad002.com/classica...perg_xysto.jpg

Here are something I choose. All these units not yet work by Maraxus and Webba yet. Although I like vanilla style artwork but if it will reduce our work load, borrow them is a sensible option.

sel_cataphracteleph--> Eastern Cataphract Elephant
pto_nubspears--> EK's Nubian Militia(garrison)
pto_aethiopion--> Ethiopian Berserker?? or Axemen
britons_cassechampions--> Gallowglass
numid_heavyskirmsih--> Numidian Nobles
cart_screen--> Carthage post-reform Militia Hoplite
iber_celtiberian_caertrati--> Late Scutarii
iber_cataphractes--> Iberian lancer

[CaesarVincens]

I haven't had a chance install the beta2 yet, but many of the units look amazing.
I have a few questions for you also, cocobongoclub-DJ.

1. Are all the models and skins yours, or are you borrowing any currently? I ask so I know who deserves credit, and if we need to ask permissions.
2. Do your models have LoDs? I appreciate high levels of detail, but not every one can run highly detailed models.
3. What do you want from us? You mention the "coded package." What do you mean by this?

That's all for now, but I will likely have more questions later.

I hope together we can improve both our mods and bring the community unmatched quality.

[cocobongoclub-DJ]

- Skins are 99% mines, models are 97-98%. For the models, they begin with "catw_", otherwise, there are few models from Lusted (i had his permission for catw, and they begin with "te_", a few from pinarius ("pin_")(horses, that i modified while adding some elements and reduced the medium and light ones in order to have realistic size and proportions for the time), and the full model of prometheus four-horses pontic chariot (i just add a new pontic skin). Also, i had the permission of prometheus and pinarius. Within catw models, check the oldest, they are generally more simple and lighter (around 500 most of them unused or available as alternative models with proper skins - ie for the heavy peltast you have no less than four models. The original concept was to have several DMB-EDU packaged with a exe, linked to some campaigns later or earlier than 300 bc). catw was conceived as huge, it was like several mods in one, covering 500 years. i wanted to include all i liked in the mods developed since 2005, like a tribute to other modders work.

- Models don't have lods. I posted before that the mod is somewhat laggy, far more than a vanilla or xgm, but less than a M2TW or other RTW mods with "all-high models" for all distances. I wait to finish all these new models an to find a method to make lightest versions automatically, otherwise, they would probably be unchanged (at least 250 models to convert). The skins are all high def, so they look good in the previews but they cost too. (some generals were even in 2048 resolution, i had to reduced them as at this level the details in campaign are nearly invisible.)

- For the "coded package", i mean all that can be ported on catw without too much modifications, i had to examine XC features further, and test them in campaign. Scripts are improving gameplay, but the bug probability grows at the same level, and in general this is more enjoyable to make skinning than debugging...

- For the beta2 test, check the last version in recent posts, it's modfoldered and easy to install, otherwise tell me what was your install problem.

[Zarax]

cocobongoclub-DJ, how hard would it be for you to LOD the models?
Keeping system requirements as close as possible to vanilla is quite a priority for us...

[cocobongoclub-DJ]

I saw how much your battles are fluid and unlaggy. A real pleasure since the first XGM. That could be a good point for catw as well. So i had to see how to make quickly these Lods. (there are nearly 500-600 models to convert, but i had to see first how are the very last catw units on other computers - some seems to be buggy with particular configurations). The earlier are lighter but also less "versatile". To give an example, some of the last ones have elements to make visible three kind of different helmets through the alpha layer of the skin.

[Zarax]

Well, for our purposes we would probably make a priority list of models we would be using with the other ones doable later... The last word is CaesarVincens' though.

[CaesarVincens]

Yes, I doubt we will end up using any more than 80-100 models at the most.

[cocobongoclub-DJ]

ok, so just wait for the new updated version (still an internal beta3), in full english with skins updated that is almost finished, test units, then give me a list to lod. You can also reduce to half size the skins associated (most in 512 pix) to save memory.

[CaesarVincens]

Thanks for keeping us updated.

[cocobongoclub-DJ]

For sure; I can't however give you a date as updating all skins on new models will take a long.All is for the last release of catw and i have to put an end to the new factions as well. There will be a new official release in july if all goes well.