modding campaign map

[spartan_warrior]

The modding for Rome may be just as limited. There's a small chance we could see some mods from eras other than Ancient, but the chances of being able to make mods set in the 15th-19th century are impossible, unless for some reason guns and their animations are left in the games resources.

Thats most likely true, gone are the days of "total conversions", things are just too complex to redo everything, especially when it comes to the mo-cap animations. But atleast with Rome (if we get tools) the larger scale allows for greater possiblilites. Medieval mods could still be possible with alot of work perhaps, but really the most likely mods would be regionally specific, so perhaps a more detailed map focused on just Greece, or Persia. But all this relies on CA eventually releasing tools for it, which hopefully they will, or else I see them receiving alot of backlash in the future, as Rome seems to be the most popular setting, and mod support will be a very high demand. If they are developing the game with this in mind, tools seem likely. Believe me, I had pretty much given up on modding total war games, before the assembly kit came about, I had only done a few small mods for Shogun. I never expected them to ever release a kit to allow for modding the maps, so I was quite surprised. It renewed alot of my optimism in CA.

[BigDogDavis]

The kit seems a lot more like an afterthought in my opinion. The again nobodies really been utilising it, which is a shame.

[spartan_warrior]

The kit seems a lot more like an afterthought in my opinion. The again nobodies really been utilising it, which is a shame.

It may have been an after thought for Shogun, but hopefully for Rome, they are developing the game with an assembly kit set of tools in mind. The Assembly kit does have a lot of potential, but not many seem to be using it, as there have been no new unit models made, even though that is possible, the kit also makes start position modding extremely easy for the campaigns, but again not many are using it. There just does not seem to be the interest in modding Shogun much, scale is just to limited.

If Rome is not mod friendly then the total war modding community will pretty much become non existent, I hope CA realizes this as most of the series' fanbase values mods. I know I will pretty much be done with Total War games if Rome doesn't eventually get a similar set of tools.

[AngryTitusPullo]

The thing is is now one (or very limited) people are utilizing the Assembly Kit for Shogun 2 then what chances are that CA will be interested to do the same thing for future games ? They might be better of spending their time on producing something that will bring in direct revenue rather than indirect.

[wangrin]

CA decide to work and release tools for S2TW/FotS only, never asking the modding community on their needs.
ETW/NTW modding is still alive, certainly more than S2TW/FotS one, and modders already involve in projects, having already spend a lot of time on them, are not necessarily eager to stop it to work on new ones for S2TW.
It's particularly true if it is not possible to create completely new campaign maps due to lack of supertexture tool.

CA also decide to release a model converter, but from 3ds max to S2TW/FotS only, not from S2TW/FotS to 3ds max.
Doing so, they deprive a lot of modders of the ability to transform/modify existing models, somting that is far easier than creating models from scratch.
Moreover, even if 3ds max can be use for free (thanks to Autodesk Education Community programm), I don't think that a lot of modelers use it, and it need time to handle such tool.

Releasing Modding tool was a good move, but without real communication with the modding community about their needs, it is an epic fail.

[Lord Baal]

The two things needed the most:

- Being able to change the strategic map with this super textures thingy
- Being able to pin down custom maps on the strategic map.

If they don't make it with Shogun 2 they certainly need to make it for Rome!

[Biggus Splenus]

If they don't make it with Shogun 2 they certainly need to make it for Rome!

CA said that just because they are doing this for S2, it doesn't mean they are doing it for Rome 2

But they didn't say they wouldn't, so finger crossed

[spartan_warrior]

Just to show what I have been up to lately... note these are just height map adjustments, the game actually thinks that its just all water. I just made this to test what the scale of Europe would look like within the default Shogun 2 map dimensions.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

At this scale the map stretches from the coasts of Portugal to the delta of the Ganges river.

[BigDogDavis]

So does that mean we could be capable of doing large maps on the Shogun 2 engine if we ever figure out super textures?

[spartan_warrior]

So does that mean we could be capable of doing large maps on the Shogun 2 engine if we ever figure out super textures?

Yes, if we can get the supertextures editable, large maps can be made. I've seem to have stumbled upon one hardcoded limit, and that is the max size which the height map file can be. This file also had a limit in RTW and M2TW so this is not too surprising. But since the Shogun height map is some 16,000 x 8,000 pixels this is not a big problem. I'm not sure exactly where the limit is, I pushed to 20,000 pixels and it worked, but 22,000 did not. I believe the issue is with the file size in bytes, as it uses to much memory rather than a definite pixel limit.

[hellfire15]

Now I want to play on THAT so badly
I would love to go against the muslims again

[BigDogDavis]

Yes, if we can get the supertextures editable, large maps can be made. I've seem to have stumbled upon one hardcoded limit, and that is the max size which the height map file can be. This file also had a limit in RTW and M2TW so this is not too surprising. But since the Shogun height map is some 16,000 x 8,000 pixels this is not a big problem. I'm not sure exactly where the limit is, I pushed to 20,000 pixels and it worked, but 22,000 did not. I believe the issue is with the file size in bytes, as it uses to much memory rather than a definite pixel limit.

Have you found a region limit yet?

[iCrusader]

WOWWWWWW?? Is possible modding the campaign map in Shogun 2?

[Biggus Splenus]

Have you found a region limit yet?

He hasn't added regions yet, so I would guess no.

WOWWWWWW?? Is possible modding the campaign map in Shogun 2?

Yes, everything except for editing the campaign map texture, which is vital for adding new bits of land, or for creating a completely new map.

[spartan_warrior]

Yea, as to region limits I don't know, I did try making one, just to see what needed to be done. The only way to discover the limit is to add regions little by little, and seeing how there is quite a lot to do when adding a region, I don't see myself discovering any limit anytime soon.

[BigDogDavis]

Has the texturing tool from Empire been useful at all?

[Raftor]

Spartan you are a genius! I fully support your work and I wish I could help you.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Hi guys,

We are looking into the supertexture stuff, see what we can do.

Another thing I would like to say is that the way campaign mpas are made is changing completely for Rome II. Anything you make using Shogun 2 will not work in Rome II. There is no point starting campaign map projects now for it.

So does this mean it will be easier for Rome II or harder. If the tech keeps changing it wont help modders one bit. Any chance we will get some help modding borders or will this process remain the same compared to Shogun II?

[Jack Lusted]

Hi guys an update for you all,

We are still looking at the supertexture tool here internally. Because there are only a few people who have the required knowledge on it it is slow progress made when they have time. There is probably still a while to go before we know what will happen with it.

As far as Rome II goes all I will say is that the way the campaign map is made has changed completely.

[spartan_warrior]

Hi guys an update for you all,

We are still looking at the supertexture tool here internally. Because there are only a few people who have the required knowledge on it it is slow progress made when they have time. There is probably still a while to go before we know what will happen with it.

As far as Rome II goes all I will say is that the way the campaign map is made has changed completely.

It's good to know you guys haven't forgotten about the supertextures, they will be of vital importance to create a polished, finished map. But given that they aren't needed until relatively late in the creation process we can wait a while still.