Stainless Steel Unit Overhaul Project [WIP]

[MightyPotato]

I agree, that's a great model for sergeants! Thanks for the inspiration, I'll be sure to use it when the time comes. Also what would you think of implementing a few Saxon-style designs (not too obvious) on the longbow militia.

[paleologos]

You want me to make textures for their attachments?
Will you give them shields?
What do you mean "Saxon-style" designs?
Because as far as I know Anglo-Saxon Britain had begun to re-Christianize even before the Norman invasion.
By the 12th century I don't think that much of the distinctive Anglo-Saxon style would have survived as such.

[MightyPotato]

I was thinking of something along the line of these guys clothing wise, but without the capes and more recent weaponry and helmets. I like the yellow and red pattern on the capes and I'll try and put it on some of the shirts. I don't think I'll give them shields, just because they are militia

[paleologos]

Do give them shields unless they are skirmishers.
The capes and the weapons are fine, the helmets are anachronistic for 12th century.
You don't need to make new models if you want a model with these clothes.
My en_peasant model do just fine.

[MightyPotato]

All right everyone, exam season is over and so I'm (until further notice) back on the job!

[MightyPotato]

Updated post 1 with in-game screenshots and download links. The units still need to be a bit tweaked at the level of the legs (they show a bit from the gambesons when they run), but otherwise I think they look quite nice. I've started work on the longbow militia a bit, and I'll be (I hope) continuing when I get to the states for vacation.

Ps: I have two worries about these units: 1-that they might look a bit too "professzionàl" for urban militia, and 2-that u guys think they look too much alike (since I made them I can spot them from a mile away, but can you?). Please give me feedback on this and here are a few pics to contrast:

The charge:


Melee brawl:

[stevietheconquer]

mightypotato these are great units and thanks that everyone can use them,good luck too this great submod!

[Marku]

great units, please keep this up

[paleologos]

Well, I do like what I see here!

[rafmc1989]

Nice models indeed!

Keep going!
Moreover, you could look at the models we created in Bellum Crucis as a source of inspiration for you, they are not that different from the design you use for these models.

Never give up, the first rule of modders!

[MightyPotato]

Thanks to everyone for the support! I am continuing currently with the longbow militia and I hope to be done in a week or so !

[MightyPotato]

All right the longbow militia unit is almost finished. I'll just have to make the bow animated when I get back to France, and here is what it looks like:

Longbow Militia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Please tell me what you think of them! They are not yet ready for testing though. I still got an alpha channel to adjust on the normal textures. I tried to give them a little anglo-saxon look on some of the uniforms and I probably will be re-using them for the other english militia units. I hope to move on to other units ASAP.

PS: What is the max number of polygons a unit can have? I wanted to toy around with alpha channels to create more variations in units like spear militia but I am afraid the units would have too many polys.

[perris0707]

They are really nice! Look historically accurate also.

[paleologos]

The heads, head pieces and chaperons are very good.
The shoes are good but "thick-ish".
The hoses are good.


Now the torsos:

The torsos you are porting to the game are of roughly twice the poly count of the original CA torsos.
For that kind of detail I would make the belts and straps as separate pieces.

The model in the first picture is not clear as to what he is wearing.
It looks like a gambeson is hanging down from below the tunic.
It would be more realistic if the tunic was under the gambeson.

Other than that I would agree that a militia unit should be sporting a short sleeved gambeson, not a long sleeved one like the in second picture.
Also, historically the tunics were worn in the pullover style, but the gambesons in the jacket style so we should be able to see in them fastening straps and a cleavage.
See here:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

About the poly count:

I'm guessing the game can handle what the GPU can handle.
However, we need to consider that many of the people who stick to a decade old game may not be able to afford a new PC.

What I know for sure is that MS3d can handle a limited amount of polygons, beyond which it becomes unstable and the results of it's calculations unpredictable.
For example, what you will see in the MS3d viewports and what MS3d will get to eventually save may not be the same thing.

The model in the picture above has 12139 triangles (in the lod0), more than twice the count of the original model it is intended to replace.
However, I compressed the poly count to 8862 for lod1, 4060 for lod2 and 2684 for lod3, reducing the poly count per individual soldier below the original for lods 2 and 3.
MS3d can handle that just fine.

I believe you'll be in the safe zone up to 18000 triangles for the entire model, provided you keep it around 4000 per individual soldier and don't omit to make sprites.

[MightyPotato]

Hello everybody! For those of you who are wondering what I am doing, I am still working on my Spear Militia unit, for which I have prepared individual faces for each faction and a wide set of beards and mustaches, and I am now moving on to the tunics. The reason why this has been slow is because I was in the redwood forest for a while and couldn't work on the project, but I am back again.


Also I am going to prepa (intensified study madhouse) in France for two years (hopefully), which means that my time to mod might be importantly restricted. However I will try not to succumb to the work load and until I officially announce so, this project is still ongoing!


@Paleologos, I will make adjustments to every militia unit when I am done with that category, so I'll take that into account, but I think however I will leave the long sleeves on. As for tying the gambeson, I'll try and add fixtures on the sides, and thanks for the info on the poly count!

[Melooo182]

Cool models!
+rep

keep it up, remember setting smaller goals within the wider ones...that way you'll feel more accomplished while progressing

[MightyPotato]

Thanks for the support!

keep it up, remember setting smaller goals within the wider ones...that way you'll feel more accomplished while progressing

That's the hardest part, not to get swallowed up by ambition! I've been having vague ideas of coding stuff and all but I've had to beat them back down and leave it to the ones that know what they are doing xD. Slow and steady wins the race !

[MightyPotato]

Hello everyone, little update here:


I am still working on the spear militia body parts, and I still have Poland, Hungary, France and Sicily to do; then I'll move on to the legs, helmets, weapons and shields (Yes, this is taking me a while, but I've had to create a good number more textures, and thus this is going to be long, sorry). I also will be without a computer for a week or two, so no work then, but hey, I'll catch up !


Now about unit organization, I have unilaterally decreted that I will use the same textures and models for two units of the same class (for instance the main part of the textures of spear militia and crossbow militia will be the same), as it would take me too long to do individual textures for every unit in a faction and I think it would ruin the unity of the factions. Tell me what you think about this (keep in mind that I am not keeping too much unity too. Each unit has 6 body models and I have tried and make a cohesive but diverse color range).


Also I have decided to make Italian spear militia and crossbow militia (Venice, Genoa and Papal States) a different unit from the rest, as they will sport large tavolacci shields or round shields and have a little defense bonus, but I can't decide on a color scheme for the Papal States. Would anyone have an idea of a clear, simple one for militia?


So there! Tell me if you want WIP pictures of the unit bodies and again, sorry for the wait.

[Metal.Pigeon]

Nice work so far! The longbow militia in particular are gorgeous. +rep

I know it's far down the line, but I noticed that you're planning on making some Scottish units. Will they have Braveheart kilts like in vanilla or will you be going more for historical accuracy there?

Rusichi and War of the West might be useful to draw assets from. They're both open-source, but you have to leave a message here for the latter.

[MightyPotato]

Nope, no braveheart ! However they will keep some plaid tunics/drapes (no kilts), since they existed since the Celtic times.