Stainless Steel Preview: Units overhaul

[Kahvipannu]

Preview : Units overhaul I

Info

Started as official SS 7.0 rework, which this might still be, atleast partially. But first release might be with SSHIP-submod. Will this mean roster changes? Most likelly yes. Research is being done regarding that alongside visual work. This is work in progress content, and may change, and propably will during development. This preview is not presentative of it, just to showcase visual work on units. Will this change have impact on performance? Simply put, yes. How much? Hard to say yet. I use same texture sheet sizes as vanilla does, so actual file sizes are the same, but with focus on better uvmapping, which leads higher resolution textures on units in-game, this will have impact on performance. Models wise they will have higher poly/vertice count, and have more complex variations, so they will be bigger in file sizes, and bigger load on performance. Focus is tought to keep them balanced with performance/visuals, and many units, like Nubians below, will have close polycount to vanilla models. They are still low-poly models made by milkshape. Different levels of lod-mesh files are also under plans currently. When will new units be included? Current plans potentially 7.0, which will be out when it is ready release with SSHIP possible

Images preview

Credits

Models/skins = Kahvipannu Main researcher = Ichon Feedback/brain-storming = Navajo Joe, Hero of the West, Germanicu5 Units are based in vanilla models/new unique content Horse models based on Rusichi-teams Marka-horses http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1117

Signatures

[The Holy Pilgrim]

Glorious!

Consider this Stickied

[Silver Legionary]

Amazing.
Looking forward to a revamp of the Muslim factions if there's gonna be a preview for anything like that.

[WarbornUK]

If you're doing a revamp of Muslim/Persian/Byzantine factions you might want to get in touch with Caudilo87. His Byzantine/Persian skin pack is fantastic.

[Andytheplatypus]

Awesome. +rep

[SoulBlade]

Awesome!!

[Vissewalde rex de Gerzika]

Simply amazing! Nothing better than my favourite mod for my favourite game in development! The Knights Hospitaller look amazing!

[Roboute Guilliman]

the templar captain looks excellent good work!

Altough small critic on the crossbowmen, they should be wearing less mail.

[Ichon]

the templar captain looks excellent good work!

Altough small critic on the crossbowmen, they should be wearing less mail.

Most will be- that would be the top upgrade for Sergeant crossbowmen of Templars. Usually crossbowmen were the least armored and trained and given crossbow for lack of other training/capability unless professional specialists like a very few units but Templars maintained disciplined garrisons that were as close to full time military as any organization at the time and so even their crossbowmen tended to be more trained/armored though in very small numbers.

[goofeen]

Most will be- that would be the top upgrade for Sergeant crossbowmen of Templars. Usually crossbowmen were the least armored and trained and given crossbow for lack of other training/capability unless professional specialists like a very few units but Templars maintained disciplined garrisons that were as close to full time military as any organization at the time and so even their crossbowmen tended to be more trained/armored though in very small numbers.

I can't tell if you guys are going for accuracy or not, but if you are then order sergeants shouldn't be wearing a white tunic, as it was a distinct sign of being a knight. Sergeants would be wearing black/brown. It's also a bit strange to see a crossbowmen in such fancy armor. Crossbowmen would have typically been garrison troops and so would never need to wear full mail armor. That armor would have been reserved for knights, since it doesn't really take knightly-level training to use a crossbow.

[pandras82]

I can't tell if you guys are going for accuracy or not, but if you are then order sergeants shouldn't be wearing a white tunic, as it was a distinct sign of being a knight. Sergeants would be wearing black/brown. It's also a bit strange to see a crossbowmen in such fancy armor. Crossbowmen would have typically been garrison troops and so would never need to wear full mail armor. That armor would have been reserved for knights, since it doesn't really take knightly-level training to use a crossbow.

I totally agree.

[Ichon]

I can't tell if you guys are going for accuracy or not, but if you are then order sergeants shouldn't be wearing a white tunic, as it was a distinct sign of being a knight. Sergeants would be wearing black/brown. It's also a bit strange to see a crossbowmen in such fancy armor. Crossbowmen would have typically been garrison troops and so would never need to wear full mail armor. That armor would have been reserved for knights, since it doesn't really take knightly-level training to use a crossbow.

It wasn't supposed to be a distinct sign but you are correct it often was. Supposedly everyone was 'equal' in service but given the number of orders and letters to Pope and back it obviously was a concern. The colors and some other aspects are still being worked on, Hospitallers will now be in brown/black until later date and we will work on having at least 2 models when there is clear visual difference historically (not every armor upgrade will necessarily get worked though because that would be 4 models per unit with upgrades- about 300 x 4 = 1,200 retouched models). There might be a bit more differences in unit sizes as well. RC already has 5 distinct unit sizes, feudal, militia, early pro, late pro, and pikes. Religious orders and some specialists might get a bit smaller units size (benefit would be lower cost and very high morale).

If you notice anything else though don't hesitate to say something. Best time is now to mention inaccuracies though depending on circumstances not every little thing will guaranteed to be addressed. SSHIP exists separate from SS for a reason. I think Germanicus and rest of team would like to improve some of the most obvious inconsistencies but maybe not to the same degree.

[goofeen]

It wasn't supposed to be a distinct sign but you are correct it often was. Supposedly everyone was 'equal' in service but given the number of orders and letters to Pope and back it obviously was a concern. The colors and some other aspects are still being worked on, Hospitallers will now be in brown/black until later date and we will work on having at least 2 models when there is clear visual difference historically (not every armor upgrade will necessarily get worked though because that would be 4 models per unit with upgrades- about 300 x 4 = 1,200 retouched models). There might be a bit more differences in unit sizes as well. RC already has 5 distinct unit sizes, feudal, militia, early pro, late pro, and pikes. Religious orders and some specialists might get a bit smaller units size (benefit would be lower cost and very high morale).

If you notice anything else though don't hesitate to say something. Best time is now to mention inaccuracies though depending on circumstances not every little thing will guaranteed to be addressed. SSHIP exists separate from SS for a reason. I think Germanicus and rest of team would like to improve some of the most obvious inconsistencies but maybe not to the same degree.

"Then came the brother knights. By the mid-thirteenth century, only a man whose father and grandfather were knights was eligible for the honour, and anyone born outside marriage was automatically disbarred (337). They were distinguished from ignoble brothers by their white robes, while the sergeants were allowed only black or brown; and the Rule makes several references to the importance of this distinction.23

23. (17), (68), (337) and (586), which cites the case of a brother who wrongly claimed the mantle of knighthood."

"In contrast, the ignoble sergeants have only one mount each, although their officers are entitled to two. In addition the sergeants are more lightly armoured than the knights. For example, their mail hose are to be without feet, enabling them to serve as infantry (141)."

http://web.archive.org/web/201012291...s/bennett1.htm

[Kahvipannu]

Thanks guys, Hopefully we can get SS rid of the vanilla units

Gattsu I would like to remind this is work in progress early preview. Ichon is working as main researcher on this, and for example the officers you see (Warrior bishops), Ichon have come up already with other usage for them. But they can't be applied for that yet, so they are here just for the sake of presentation, since they are cool characters.

[Larkin]

Wow these look freaking baller.

Who do the tribal looking black dudes belong to? Khwarezmians?

[w.wallace61]

Great preview awesome textures I hope this previews will include a overhaul on muslims, especially turks they are very much vanilla and and vanilla is very much out of place +rep

[Ichon]

Wow these look freaking baller.

Who do the tribal looking black dudes belong to? Khwarezmians?

Fatimids for sure... maybe Abbasids or as mercenaries depending on other changes which are still under review.

[Strengelicher]

Wow. Looks cool...

[Pyres Δt Varanasi]

OMG Beautiful !!!

[philiposV]

are the bysantine scoutatoi swordsmen going to throw javellins?