Roma Surrectum III preview: The new battle map enviroment

[20ninescene]

You might already have heard about it. DVK and I are working on a new version of roma surrectum. DVK is making new unique settlements and I'm overhauling the campaign- and battle map environment. (and there will be a lot of minor features and bugfixes too).

I'll give some explanation about the changes to the environment. First of all I re-textured almost everything: the skies, the trees (not all of them tho), the ground textures, some grass textures. Many textures are from 0AD, an open source game of ancient warfare, some are from Medieval 2 total war, I used a few ones from www.maxTextures.com, and I also made a lot of textures myself. Most new textures have twice the resolution of the original RSII textures. Furthermore I modified the vegetation: I used some unused models from RSII and I re-textured them, I also also used some models from Fourth Age Total War (Éorl made them) and I re-textured them too. Some models have a different texture depending on climate and season (the latter even for evergreen trees in a Mediterranean climate). For example: an Aleppo pine tree will look dryer in a semi arid climate than in a Mediterranean climate. Another thing I changed is the battlemap lighting. Further I fixed the coastlines, added heavy thunderstorm clouds, improved the environment sound effects, changed the way textures blend, edited the geography database, overhauled the Mediterranean rivers, and so much more.

I'm almost finished with the new environments, so I made some screenshots:

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And here's a little sneak peek of the new rivers:
https://youtu.be/5rhT6ZLInqc

[Risasi]

What's in a name? That which we call a rose... RS 2.8, 2.9 or III, whatever in is its looking frickin' sweet!

[ferike_2007]

Thanks guys, can't wait to play the new RS!

[Grimbold]

Real question here is: are you redesigning units? Cause im pretty sure thats a new shield on whats either spartan skiritai or the those cheap ass spartan hoplites.

Edit: Picture number 11

[20ninescene]

Most units will be the same, although some units will be improved: towered bush elephants will be resized and indian armoured elephants will get a new model. Ranges of missile weapons will be made more realistic and there will be alternate stats with lower morale, high lethality, 2 hitpoints and much more. Also a a lot of bugs will be fixed, for example: Indian war elephants will not throw normal javelins while they are holding bamboo javelins (they will throw bamboo javelins instead) and hoplites will line up properly.

[_Tartaros_]

superb work!
can´t wait to see this on my desk

[b257]

Looks great , though I kinda wish the Seleucid thorakitai got a rework, the muscle cuirass just doesn't look good, eh that's just my opinion.

[Hoplite of Ilis]

Immortal RTW...... ........

[DeadInTheWater]

Very Cool! looks like i choose a good time to get into this mod.

[SD_Man]

Trees are so weird ...
Also why is one of them bent?

Nice to hear about the new unit changes but how does 2 hp connect with higher lethality, or are these separate alternatives?

[Nelduin]

Totally awesome! The game doesn't look like its 11 years old. Absolutely splendid.

I'm wondering what impact it will have on performances, since RTW can only use one core and can lag even in good computers?

[Ciciro]

[ur-Lord Tedric]

My! A pretty new poster to the forums - I've never engaged in heated discussions with you over RSII/III - you've been busy with dear old dvk' for a while.....

But hot damn; you're good!

Really, truly excellent stuff - the new environments will be a pleasure to re-test and explore.

My only warning of care, having found many (and they're fixed) bugged map squares in testing, is what you change on the Campaign Map.

Much looking forward to it.

[20ninescene]

Trees are so weird ...
Also why is one of them bent?

Nice to hear about the new unit changes but how does 2 hp connect with higher lethality, or are these separate alternatives?

This weird tree is a Juniper tree, it grows in semi arid regions:

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And to answer your question about the new unit stats: there will be an alternative EDU with both high lethality, 2 hitpoints and also lower morale.

[dvk901]

My! A pretty new poster to the forums - I've never engaged in heated discussions with you over RSII/III - you've been busy with dear old dvk' for a while.....

But hot damn; you're good!

Really, truly excellent stuff - the new environments will be a pleasure to re-test and explore.

My only warning of care, having found many (and they're fixed) bugged map squares in testing, is what you change on the Campaign Map.

Much looking forward to it.

This should not affect the issues we fixed, ur-Lord Tedric. Those crashes were caused by pixels of 'dense forest' on map_ground_types that were not linked to at least one other pixel. I don't know why that was, but in every case where a crash was reported...there I found a 'lone' pixel of dense forest. Went through the whole file after you had reported a few and got rid of every one I could find.

[ur-Lord Tedric]

................. Went through the whole file after you had reported a few and got rid of every one I could find.

It's why we love you so.

[Brezkimra]

All hoplite units got shield wall ability?

[Brezkimra]

I have find some mistakes on the campaign map.

I can't modding, just researching a bit about the Carpathian- Basin. (look at the lot of swamps too around the rivers)

I drawing a Carpathian- Basin picture, which is showing the correct location of bigger rivers and settlements.
Please fix the RS2.5 campaign map! And should create new region border lines.

[Grimbold]

On the topic of terrain modding, have you guys considered opening that Alps' pass?

[20ninescene]

I have find some mistakes on the campaign map.

I can't modding, just researching a bit about the Carpathian- Basin. (look at the lot of swamps too around the rivers)

I drawing a Carpathian- Basin picture, which is showing the correct location of bigger rivers and settlements.
Please fix the RS2.5 campaign map! And should create new region border lines.

We'll add that to our to do list

On the topic of terrain modding, have you guys considered opening that Alps' pass?

Well, I've been thinking to do that.

I only fear that editing the height map too much will cause problems with some custom settlements. I'll talk to DVK about that. We are also considering to add coastal cliffs to RSIII, but again: if it affects the custom settlements we can't do that.