Stainless Steel Unit Overhaul Project [WIP]

[MightyPotato]

Stainless Steel Unit Overhaul Project:

What this project is:
Hey everyone, this is a project I have been considering to do for quite a while, and I think that I now have enough minimal modding knowledge to get it started.

This, as the title indicates, will be firstly a Medieval Kingdoms Total War inspired rework of the current Stainless Steel rosters using mostly assets from other mods and from mount and blade as well as you guys' constructive criticism and advice. I also would like to include a few gameplay improving scripts and other features but I do not know yet how to mod those.

Plans:
In this project I will first as explained remake all units and their upgrades in a way that when the timeperiod changes, the units will upgrade to fit the timeperiod. I am now starting with the early era militia units and will work my way up my unit list, and then I'll switch to the high era models and so on. I will first make all European units for each era, as it is the main focus of this submod, and then move on to the other factions.

Now of course I had the ambition of making every single model myself, but after blundering around for a while and not getting anything achieved as well as being pressed on by more and more exams and work, I decided to use mostly model parts from other people and games, modify and recombine them a bit and create new textures for them. May it please you or not, I have no other alternative as I am passing the bac this year and will probably going to a french "prepa", a very labor-intensive course in which they basically hammer you on the head with knowledge until you get it or not, which translates into minimal to no time for modding.

Early era planned European units list:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(To be revised)

Conscripts:
- Peasants
- Peasants (Eastern)
- Slingers
- Levy Archers
- Levy Archers (Eastern)
Rural Militia:
- Fyrd Spearmen
- Highland Rabble
- Spear Bondir
- Sword Bondir
- Bow Bondir
- Atgeir Bondir
Militia:
- Sword Militia
- Spear Militia
- Spear Militia (Eastern)
- Levantine Militia
- Urban Spear Militia
- Urban Spear Militia (Italian)
- Order Militia
- Crossbow Militia
- Crossbow Militia (Italian)
- Crossbow Militia (Eastern)
- Longbow Militia
- Pike Militia
- Scots Pike Militia
- Voulge Militia
- Bill Militia
- Guisarme Militia
Semi-Professionals:
- Iberian Javelinmen
- Muslim Archers
- Highland Archers
- Highlanders
- Prussian Archers
- Prussian Infantry
- Axemen
- Lithuanian Archers
- Croat Axemen
- Bosnian Archers
- Sjøfolk/Norse Mariners
- Svenner
- Hobilars
- Border Horse
- Stradiots
- Hussars
- Magyar Cavalry
- Prussian Auxiliary Cavalry
Professionals:
- Voulgier
- Billmen
- Flemish Pikemen
- Savoyard Pikemen
- Catalano-Aragonese Pikemen
- Brabantian Pikemen
- Italian Spearmen
- Italian Swordsmen
- Order Spearmen
- Livonian Auxillaries
- Basque Archers
- Longbowmen
- Heavy Axemen
- Swabian Swordsmen
- Basque Mariners
- Genoese Mariners
- Mounted Crossbowmen
- Gascon Horsemen
- Jinetes
Household Professionals:
- Hirdmen
- Spear Hirdmen
- Crossbow Hirdmen
- Norse Axemen
- Guisarme Sergeants
- Spearmen Sergeants
- Spearmen Sergeants (German)
- Municipal Spearmen
- Swordsmen Sergeants
- Swordsmen Sergeants (German)
- Municipal Swordsmen
- Order Sergeants
- Congregius Guardsmen
- Crossbow Sergeants
- Crossbow Sergeants (German)
- Mounted Sergeants
- Poulain Mounted Sergeants
- Scottish Pikemen
- Almughavars
- Bohemian Archers
- Retinue Longbowmen
- Selkirk Archers
- Veidimenn
- Pesante Archers
- Poulain Crossbowmen
- Templar Squires
- Schwertbruder
- Halbbruder
- Foot Halbbruder
- Guelph Men-at-arms
- Fanteria Pesante
- French Regiment
Special:
- Sherwood Archers
- Caroccio Standard
- Battlefield Assassins
- Gestir
Household Nobles:
- Huskarls
- Highland Nobles
- Mailed Knights
- Mailed Foot Knights
- Feudal Knights
- Feudal Foot Knights
- Ritterbruder
- Foot Ritterbruder
- Christ Knights
- German Knights
- German Foot Knights
- Sicilian Nobles
- Sicilian Foot Nobles
- Piast Nobles
- Piast Foot Nobles
- Polish Knights
- Polish Foot Knights
- Poulain Knights
- Poulain Foot Knights
- Hospitaller Knights
- Hospitaller Foot Knights
- Canons of the Holy Sepulcher
- Templar Knights
- Templar Foot Knights
- Crusader Knights
- Crusader Foot Knights
- Order Knights
- Armenian Cavalry
- Armenian Infantry
Retainers:
- General's Bodyguard
- Constable of Jerusalem

This unit list is not set in stone, so feel free to suggest changes (while keeping in mind that this is EARLY era and that I don't think I can go over 200 units for the European units). I am particularly hesitant on how to make Sicily's roster, as it has had a chaotic past and has been divided in history, so any suggestion is welcome !
I am also considering adding quite a few limitations to recruitment to make the game more realistic.

Units:

Spear Militia G1 (Scotland, England, Portugal, Castile, Aragon):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Scotland (yes no more kilts ):



England:



Aragon:



Castile:



Portugal:

Archer Militia G1 (Scotland, England):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

England:



Scotland:

Crossbow Militia G1 (Aragon, Castile, Portugal):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Aragon:



Castile:



Portugal:

Help:
If anyone wants to help me with unit creation it would be an honor. Also PM me if you are interested, good knowledge of photoshop and milkshape required (quite simple to learn).
Also if you know how to add factions your help is also welcome. I am planning on making models for the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Duchy of Burgundy, possibly Bulgaria or Serbia, Switzerland and Sweden in the distant future so it would be nice.

Some of my older work:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Voulge Militia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bill Militia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Credits:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(Will be completed upon release)

Mount and Blade:
-The Crusader Way to Expiation Team
-Lucas the Benevolent

Total War:
-Lord Hamilton
-Jukoman

Thats all for now. Also all content from this submod will be OSP/Free to use when it gets released or if I don't manage to finish it. Thank you for your support !

[Kilgore Trout]

I just want to say good luck. It is a worthy project, and would be much appreciated. Like many other people, I like to play SS6.4 with BGRV. BGRV can only be played with SS6.4. BGRV has it's own edu, so if you upgrade the seriously dated SS6.4 unit models without changing the edu, then many BGRV players would probably be very pleased. I know that I would. It does seem like an extremely ambitious undertaking without access to in-game testing however. I believe that you should test each and every unit as you modify them to be sure that they will work in game. If not, you will never no where a problem that results in a crash stems from. Anyway, once again - good luck!

[achilles-91]

Good luck mate!
Im happy to see that you will focus your mod on early-high era only. I post some pictures and suggest some materials tomorow to help you with your project.
Volgue militia looking brutal!

[MightyPotato]

@bigdogbluesky I intend to release two versions: one with the units on their own, without any changes to edu or the whole game other than the models, and one with other changes such as edu, scripts etc. so that people can adapt them to whatever version of the game they have. Thanks for the support!

@achilles-91 Thanks man! Suggestions are much appreciated. I am still working on the militias as of now (am doing the bill militia) and also examples of early period sergeants would be nice. I might also upload concept designs I have made for people to see.

Voulge militia lod0 and textures are done and ready to be tested in game. Please PM me if you would like to beta test them !

[paleologos]

Some of my current work:
Voulge Militia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Oh crap!
I already given my seven points of rep and this work deserves one so much.
Being a modeller and skinner myself, I know all too well what kind of work it takes.
Keep it up and feel free to use asets of mine of inquire about things you need.
Also, I really think we should join forces.
The work I do for Titanium is not meant to be for Titanium alone, all mods and modders may use it.

[MightyPotato]

Thanks for the support man ! Same here, feel free to use any of the things I make. I'll actually be uploading the models one by one so anyone can grab them for a mod or submod. By the way, what would you all choose for a color scheme for the English militias? I thought something close to this but I am not sure.

[paleologos]

I made this in 27th of December 2014.

I am going to use something along these lines for the militia troops I am making thses days.
I though it might give you some ideas, or you can use this as it is, if it suits you.

[AnthoniusII]

Good luck with your project.
If you allow me one advice.
There are douzens of unit overhaul projects.
Remember taht if you borrow units from them , work with them and use your own style of unit creation.
That is how the entire unit line will look same style and not beings from other planets. Each modder has his/her own unique style that is not same with the rest of the others.
Use other unit projects to get the ideas and create your own versions!

[MightyPotato]

@AnthoniusII Don't worry, I'll try and assure a consistent style in what I do, even though I will have to borrow a bit from everywhere.

@paleologos Thanks man, I'll work something along the red and white lines

[MightyPotato]

Accidentally deleted my bill militia unit. Next preview might take a bit more time

[MightyPotato]

All right its exam season so my work rate will be going down on this project considerably. However I will try to get some work done. Anyhow here is a preview of my bill militia unit:

Bill Militia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hope you like it. Feel free to criticize or give a few tips !

[Lifthrasir]

Look forward to see them in game

[stevietheconquer]

great billmen!

[phylosopher stoned]

A huge percentage of the western units you've listed could be replaced with the units in Sandy's Western Unit Overhaul submod for DLV, or they could at least give you a good base to start with. If you did there would still be a bunch that would be left over that should be redone. Maybe use Sandy's units as place holders until you've finished all the rest then move on to the units that were previously replaced with Sandy's textures. I think I had the same idea as you, I have reskinned almost all of the units in my personal install of SS that is based on the bugfix compilation, I used Sandy's Western unit skins, Broken Crescent units, Caudillo87's Byzantine units, CSUR and some others, I've been chipping away at re-skinning all the units for a while now. I'd like to release it to the community when I'm done, if I can get all the permissions and what not. The fact that I am not an artist prevents me from being able to make new resources from scratch, but I taught myself how to copy and paste real well and can at least merge some mods together. You seem to have some talent in regards to textures yourself, those units above look great. I look forward to see some more units from you. Also something else to think about is that most of Sandy's Western units have upgrades and the archer and (I think) crossbow models that are included with are setup to use with the bowstring animations, so that's a plus, takes a little work to get them properly setup but definitely worth it.

[MightyPotato]

As tempting as it would seem, I prefer to be forced to have no alternative to making the units. I fear I'll just use the replacement units instead, so I'll try and not use substitutes.

[phylosopher stoned]

Fair enough. I think you'll do a great job.

[MightyPotato]

All right everyone, my exam revision month has just started, so I'll have to try and keep my mind off this project for a while. I'm thus gonna fix myself a working schedule of 1h on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and other days where I am free, and meanwhile I'm gonna start work on the longbow militia unit. I hope you can all understand, and thanks for your support so far !

[paleologos]

The soldiers in the pictures of post #11, what century are they intended to be?

[MightyPotato]

I'm doing all the early period units, so it's about 1100-1280

[paleologos]

Since you asked for opinions/criticism/ideas this is how I would (and god willing will) implement auxiliary-to-knights troops:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Do notice:
A) The padded gambeson's lower rim is half way between the groin and the knee.
B) It has cleavage front and back.
C) There is a short tunic under the gambeson.
D) Heater shaped shield is typical of the 12th century.