RECRUITMENT - MODDERS!

[PikeStance]

ABOUT IMPERIAL SPLENDOUR

Hello Modders,

I am Pikestance. I am the New Project Manager for the Empire Total War Modification : Imperial Splendour. We are looking for dedicated modders to complete the much anticipated Imperial Splendour vIII. If you are a new, but enthusiastic novice or an experience modders looking for a new challenge, then we invite you to apply. Below is a brief summary of what the Mod and what we hope to accomplish.

Imperial Splendour attempts to create the best, historically accurate Empire : Total War experience possible while maintaining the essence of the game.
The first aspect of Imperial Splendour is to offer a unique gameplay experience with each faction. Please visit the Faction Discussion area to read about each factions unique qualities.
The second aspect, an innovation for Empire : Total War, is the evolution of the uniforms, separating the Grand Campaign into three periods (Early, Middle, Late). Each period allows you a different roster so as to be the most historically accurate. The uniform changes by periods and by revolution, consistently corresponding with major conflicts of the 18th century.

I.S development is based on

• Unit evolution along 3 periods : War of Spanish Succession (WSS), Seven Years' War (SYW), French Revolutionary Wars (FRW)
• Unique faction's units rosters
• Unique faction's technology tree
• Unique faction's building chains

In addition, the I.S team is developing a:

• New Recruitment System
• New Battle Mechanics
• Line of Sight system

I.S. Team Members

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mod Leader: Wangrin
Project Manager: PikeStance

Contributors
Don504 : DB_table editor (db), 2D artist , Historian (North America)
Flikitos : Previous Leader, 2D and 3D artist, ESF Editor, DB-table Editor
JaM : Mechanic Battle and Campaign Designer, DB-table Editor, Historian
PikeStance : Project Manager, Battle and campaign mechanic designer, DB-table editor, Historian
Quintus Hortensius Hortalus : DB-table Editor, 2D and 3D artist (Tech tree and building chains)
Wangrin : Leader of the mod, 3D Editor, (the best) Historian.

Helping contributors :
162eRI : Historian (Flags)
ErikBerg : Historian (Sweden)
Flaviuss : 2D and 3D artist
Fortes : Co-creator of the mod IS III version
Herr Doctor : Historian and 2D artist (Flags)
Lazy Knight : Script lua programmer, and DB-Editor
MegasAlexandros : 2D and 3D artist
Naxzul666 : Videographer
Okmin : Co-creator of the IS III version
TuranianGhazi : 2D and 3D artist


Previous IS' team members
Ahiga : Lead Creative Designer
Dazo :
Dogmeat : FX, mod-architecture
gomer_pyle : Artworks and mapping
Kenniston5 : Technology Trees, startpos editor

RECRUITMENT- 3D & 2D ARTIST

What are we looking for?

We are specifically looking for 3D and 2D artists to complete units for the three time periods. However, being capable modding the following would be most ideal

• 3D artists could have to create :
  
  • Campaign building models (UU3D needed as converter) : Easy
  • Equipments (UU3D needed as converter) : Easy
  • Engine models (UU3D needed as converter) : Easy to Medium
  • Unit models : Easy to Hard
  
  

NOTE : We can not yet create new Battlemap building, at least garrisonable one, but it is possible to create new non-garrisonable buildings using TW:S2 Assembly Kit, because TW:S2's cs2.parsed file can be reused in ETW and NTW.

• 2D artists could have to create :
  
  • UI
    
    • Icons
    • Info Icons
    • Portraits
    • etc.
    
    
  • Model textures
    
    • diffuse texture
    • normal texture (bump map)
    • gloss map
    
    
  
  

• DB editors could have :
  
  • to add units
  • to add new technologies and techtrees
  • to add new buildings and building chains
  • to edit startpos
  
  

If peoples have knowledge of LUA and C++, it would be possible to expand W.A.L.I abilities, particularly to create a "true" unit evolution system that replace "obsolete" units by new one when reaching a "Army reform" technology.

RECRUITMENT- FACTION DESIGN

Note: The following is lowest priority, but will be needed.

1. Historical Researches : Faction design
   
   1. Units roster must contains, at least, following data :
      
      • unit name
      • unit type and subtype (exp. : Cavalry > Heavy > Melee or Cavalry > Medium > Shock)
      • AoR regions (Area of Recruitment)
      • recruitment limit (global and regional)
      • picture representing the unit (if possible)
      
      
   2. Building chains : can use this document as a basis
      
      • BUILDING CHAINS_FACTIONS - REGION CAPITALS
      • BUILDING CHAINS GLOBAL - REGION RESOURCES & CITIES
      
      
   3. Technology tree : can use this document as a basis
   
   
2. UI and 2D art
   
   • Flag chart : 90% done
   • Portrait lists : Military and Politics/Agents
   • UI
   • Icon Chart
   
   
3. Writers
   
   • Unit descriptions for each faction
   • Building descriptions for each faction
   • Objectives for each Faction
   
   

Please PM PikeStance or replay in this thread!

[Whaler99]

what happened to Flikitos and Wangrin?

[wangrin]

We are still here, but simply cannot handle to workload.
We are working on French and Great Britain since 3 years, and both factions are still not completed.
So, we need help to work on other factions and mechanics.

[PikeStance]

what happened to Flikitos and Wangrin?

We are still here, but simply cannot handle to workload.
We are working on French and Great Britain since 3 years, and both factions are still not completed.
So, we need help to work on other factions and mechanics.

I will add a list of current team members to advertisement..... an oversight on my part. [EDIT- RESOLVED]

More to the point.... If you consider the number of factions, plus three different unit groups (Early, Middle and Late), then this is with 12 major factions 36 groups of units. In years time, 7 unit groups were completed (English and French Early and late, Late Ottoman, Late USA and Late Haiti). At this pace, it will take us about another 4 years to complete the remaining major factions. The math is slightly off for different reasons, but you get the gist.

[wangrin]

[TuranianGhazi]

Well, with Hannibal DLC, I forced myself to finish Caesar in Gaul, and much to my surprise, liked it! Now, hearing that rigid_model_v2 extraction works for Rome 2, I'm excited to get back into the swing of things.

My Crimean Khanate Realism mod was left very near release (I basically just had 3-4 units left). I'll include buildings, both Campaign and Battle Map for another update for that mod. I just want to release something.

Still, I have pressing modding requests from my Age of Empires 2 HD FE campaigns which I'm updating with new AIs, triggerwork, and scope. Also, my Skyrim mods still beckon me from time to time. I guess my issue as a modder is that my varied interests wear me out thin lol.

Yet, I'd love to submit my Crimean Khanate Realism mod to Imperial Splendour, get your feedback, and then help out with other factions, Muslim, Eastern European, and Central European would probably be my best knowledge scope.

[PikeStance]

Have you checked out our factions discussion on the Cossacks?
Also somewhere in the suggestion thread is a discussion on Circassia (sp). I am not sure why it was moved there, but we discussed the Caucuses/ Dagestan/ region at length.
It is somewhere before the 20th page. I gave up looking for it after 30 minutes of flipping through.

Send a link to your mod... I will definitely check it out!

[Sirlion]

Hm, I could probably help out with 3D models... buildings and equipment shouldnt be a great problem... I work with Milkshape 3D and XSI Mod Tool, never used UU3D. I could send you raw, fresh .obj format models. I also like the idea of working on the battle mechanics, if thats possible.

[wangrin]

The work on Battle Mechanics is based on modding statistics, from weapons to moral, to try to match with more or less historical behaviors.
This work is based on documents from the periods.
If you're interested in, I can send some of them (mostly English and French books).
JaM and PikeStance did most (if not all ^^) of the work and the system will be similar to Empire Realism.
So, the work will be about editing db tables to changes values.


MilkShape is still a good tool to work on models for ETW, but, if you don't use Ultimate Unwrap 3D you will be limited to import/export models other than units.
For example, Knight Errant converter didn't handle euro_equipment.variant_weighted_mesh because its structure is slightly different from variant_weighted_mesh from units.
And KE converter is unable to handle rigid_model, etc.

Moreover, MilkShape's tool to create UVmap, "Texture Coordinate Editor", is a "p**n in the a*s" to use.
It would be better to use 3ds max or Maya to create unit, its UVmap and rigging model, and then export it ad .fbx (2010 or 2012).
Doing so, I will be able to use UU3D to convert them to any file format needed by ETW (but not ships...).
But, as I own UU3D, it should not be a problem. Converting models is not time consuming.

Note you can use Autodesk products (3ds max, Maya, MudBox, Motion Builder) for free through Autodesk Student Community (event if not really a student ^^)

[Sirlion]

I see... well, making units wasnt really my idea... I dont have experience in rigging and my patience for that task is very low therefore I was suggesting I could make some buildings and static objects or parts of equipment. But if its so difficult as a process then I'm not sure. I dont feel very confident with 3DSMax either. Thanks for clarifiying it for me in any case.

[PikeStance]

Concerning Battle Mechanics
Most of the DB tables for land battles are been done. I will be releasing a BETA version as a submod within the next several days. It can be found here. The groupformation.bin file still needs to be redone to reflect more historical accuracy while preserving the challenge.
I am not sure where JaM is with his Sea battles adjustments.

Concerning Modelling.
I wouldn't sell yourself short. Modelling is our biggest need right now and any help, however small, would be appreciated.

[wangrin]

I see... well, making units wasnt really my idea... I dont have experience in rigging and my patience for that task is very low therefore I was suggesting I could make some buildings and static objects or parts of equipment. But if its so difficult as a process then I'm not sure. I dont feel very confident with 3DSMax either. Thanks for clarifiying it for me in any case.

We need people to create models for Campaign Buildings and equipments for example.
And, to create these models, you can use MilkShape.
But working on "simple" model would be a good solution to learn and take confidence with 3ds max.

[Swerg]

If you still need assistance with the Russian faction, I would be happy to flesh out my roster some more to meet the new requirements. I could also contribute to the tech tree and building areas, and maybe do some writing for unit and building descriptions. I can make some general contributions to other factions as well, given time to do research. Having an excuse to put my history degree to work will be nice

[PikeStance]

If you still need assistance with the Russian faction, I would be happy to flesh out my roster some more to meet the new requirements. I could also contribute to the tech tree and building areas, and maybe do some writing for unit and building descriptions. I can make some general contributions to other factions as well, given time to do research. Having an excuse to put my history degree to work will be nice

Are you offering to do 2d work or research and development of the various aspect of a faction?

[Swerg]

My artistic ability is limited to writing. I'm offering to do historical research and writing.

[PikeStance]

My artistic ability is limited to writing. I'm offering to do historical research and writing.

We definitely need someone with writing skills to write descriptions.... and do some research.

[PikeStance]

FROM WANGRIN

My artistic ability is limited to writing. I'm offering to do historical research and writing.

The hardest part in historical research for I.S is to search for accurate technologies and buildings and define accurate technology trees and building chains.
Would you be interesting in ?

Building chains and technology trees are important to create an accurate economic system for each factions, with their own strengths and weaknesses.

[oleg2242]

That would be nice if we can work with Swerg together on Russia faction, especially if he can make accurate research and create required tech/building chains.

[Swerg]

FROM WANGRIN


The hardest part in historical research for I.S is to search for accurate technologies and buildings and define accurate technology trees and building chains.
Would you be interesting in ?

Building chains and technology trees are important to create an accurate economic system for each factions, with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Building chains would be harder, but I can see what I can dig up. Most of my sources for the Russian military relate to the Napoleonic era, but I may be able to use those to backtrack somewhat.

Attempting to simulate the Russian economy would be an interesting challenge. I don't think properly fitting St. Petersburg's development into the game is really possible.

I have made some suggestions in the past regarding the Russian technology tree. Do you still have the roster I submitted?

[PikeStance]

It's time to take the discussion to the developers forum. Please make the request to join!