Native Troops/Mercenary Project

[Admiral-Krause]

EDIT 10

Beta 1
http://webprod12.megashares.com/inde...AddonBeta1.rar

I hope i can open a new thread cause i need some help, otherwise delete plz.

What is the idea? I play a campaign as an english King. I was the King of the English folks, the Scots and the French. And as it i want also some Scotish and French troops in my army. Furthermore the Long Road includes many turns and some factions get eliminated. So it would be cool you can see some of there folks in battle only fighting for another King.

Would this fit into TLR ?

After 6 hours i understand a little how the things go. We could use existing textures and using it for these. We can also use the unused textures like English Huscarls, Theign, Hussittes. And we can mix textures but i dont know how to change the weapons, only different textures for the same "type".
For example here are Town Guards in english uniform with HRE shields.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/3402/0003ix1.jpg


I plan including some auxillary native troops which have maybe slightly less morale or stats. But i dont know which kind of units? names? etc.

Easy way: Nationname + type of aux. eg. English Auxillary Infantry

Shall we include also "better" units like cavalry or heavy infantry? (maybe only rare and in a specific region). Maybe someone knows something about medieval and knows a specific type of unit or someone has some nice textures.

Mercenarys: I want include some more mercenarys but dont know what is worth to add. (Venetian Infantry around Venice? )

Or is it necessary to add an unit to a factio? (more cannons for Byzantion?)


Hope you can help. I think it would be a good addition or not ?
---------------------------
The Auxillary System so far: (* finished )

-British Isles -
Scotish Auxillary*, English Auxillary Spearmen* , English Auxillary Archers, (Engl. Aux. Cav?),
later maybe Auxillary "Billmen" ? Pikemen ?
Irish Auxillary Spearmen*, Irish Auxillary Axemen*
-France -
French Auxillary Spearmen*, French Auxillary Crossbowmen, French Auxillary Cavalry, later heavier ?
-Germany -
German Auxillary Spearmen*, German Auxillary Archers, Swordsmen ??
-All Other Areas-
Spanish Auxillary*, Portuguese Auxillary*, Moorish Auxillary*, Minor Asian Auxillary*, Egyptian Auxillary*, Polish Auxillary*, Slav Auxillary*, Balkan Auxillary*, Italian Auxillary*, Greek Auxillary*, Anatolian Aux.*, Egyptian Aux*, Moorish Aux*, Muslim Archers*, Muslim Swordsmen*, Muslim Hellebardiers, Muslim Cavalry Aux


-Native Nobles now serving under new king-
Scotish Nobles*, French Nobles*, German Nobles*, Danish Nobles*, Spanish Nobles*, Portugise (Castillian) Nobles*, Russian Nobles*, Hungarian Nobles*, Polish Nobles*, Nobles of the islamic caliphats (names?),

The mercenarys so far : (* finished)
Bedouin Camel Spearmen *
Bedouin Infantry *
Norse Axemen, Norse Archers
Varangian Mercenaries
Landsknecht Arquebusiers *
Condottieri Swordsmen*
Almugharves Merc.
Cuman Cavalry, Infantry, Cuman Archers
Alan Infantry, Alan Archers
Armenian Spearmen*
Sudanese Light Cavalry
Ihaggaren, Imrad
Syrians
Arab Archers*, Arab Warband*, Arab Infantry*, Arab Raiders
African Native Warriors*, African Native Spearmen*
Desert Infantry
Halbedier Mercenary*
Pavise Spearmen Mercenaries*
Mercenary Light Cavalry*

[tornnight]

I think it's a great idea. The only issue is balance. We have to ensure that if one faction all of a sudden has all these these great new units that all the rest aren't left behind.

The second issue is merging these changes with the other units planned for the future. The biggest problem with merging is the .modeldb file which is nasty.

[Admiral-Krause]

I have a seperated block in this database. This should be easy to add to another modelxxx with some new unit textures. Only if one texture get deleted or changed there might be problems. Biggest thing is desc_mercenarys. This must altered every version of TLR. The first maybe for 1.9. I think an independed block would be good and easy to add.

I try sth out and it is also possible to have mercenarys using different textures for example German aux. with English Uniform and german schields or French Uniform and german shields. But i think i cant alter the meshes so that only same types can be altered. (a sword texture dont fit on an axe). What I need is ideas for auxillary units (simply Infantry + Archers/Crossbow? or some more differents?). And ideas for mercenarys.

My ideas:
Woodsmen or Bandits using Sherwood anim.
North Axemen Mercenarys (english Huscarls)
Desert Infantry or Desert Folks (Berber Spearmen or so)
Desert Cavalry

[Phil Stanbridge]

This is a nice idea - kind of like the Area of Recruitment used by Rome Total Realism.

[Admiral-Krause]

Mhh yes i played RTR , but its not from there only the simply idea having some native troops.

I worked on: Here Bedouin Camel Spearmen and Bedouin Infantry



I need more ideas and fitting units, or do you want Elephant Rocket Launcher? *g*

[tornnight]

Lol. No elephant rocket launchers please.

Elephant Laser cannons. Sure

[Admiral-Krause]

Hey could some Englishmen add please from data/text the file export_units.txt.strings.bin or better the unpacked version export_units.txt.

The name and description is written in there, but i have the german version and this would affected the other units. (from english to german).

And plz post some unit ideas here.

eg. Iberian Peninsula - Spanish+Portugise Aux? Iberian Aux ?
Byzantion? - Byzantine Aux? Or divided greek, turks, slavish ?

What do you think about special, rare units for important city areas ?
Venetian Infantry near Venice, Varangian Guard in Constantinople ? others ?

Were there cretan archers in Medieval ?

[tornnight]

Hmm. I looked everywhere I could think of. I didn't find any information fitting that description.

If I run across anything, I'll let you know.

Anyone know any good references on medieval troops?

[Ludicus]

Some useful links about medieval armies (troops) and medieval warfare:

http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/armies/index.html
http://www.dbaol.com/armies.htm
http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/armies/medievals.html
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~firefall/w1000a.htm
http://www.historicalweapons.com/
http://www.hyw.com/books/history/Medi0000.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_warfare

[Pnutmaster]

I myself have been attempting to add native troops to the game without any real success. I'd be more than willing to aid you in this project if you explained the entire implementation process in a PM (namely, how you managed to edit the modeldb without CTDs )

[Admiral-Krause]

Thank you for the Links, Ludicus. I will read them.

Pnutmaster. The modeldb is ugly. I read all tutorials and need 7 hours to understand them, i cant explain it and so i advise you to read the tutorials too or ask some realy good modders via PM.

I cant make really new entrys, i just copy entrys and past them somewhere in the middle and edit them so they fit with my new unit.

[Admiral-Krause]

Hi, i added the Arabs. But i couldnt add some with Swords, cause of *meshes. So i add Archers, Infantry and Warband. Change only some colours, and add chain mail to texture for the Infantry. But its still similiar to other units, but doesnt matta. If someone has time he can write some descr. for the new units.

[tornnight]

Nice work!

Anyone interested in writing up some descriptions?

What kind of weapon is the blue guy holding?

[Admiral-Krause]

Its a simply mace. Use the model of the Mutwaaxxx(?). For this texture set theres no model with sword, hope later someone makes one.
I could make the descr. myself but I am better in german. I will write only a short a la "Weapon and kind of unit". Maybe later someone write extra informations. See you Sunday!

[Admiral-Krause]

Here some more, i textured some Africans (available in southern border of the map). Does anyone knows how to make a normal texture? Read tiny tutorial but dont work by me. Normal map is needed to edit the texture structure. Want to remove the textil around the neck of my africans. Need more ideas for units!!!! (If we dont have good textures/need other model we can add the units and wait till we have the stuff)

[tornnight]

Neat.

How about some mercenary gunpowder units for the byzantium area. They need it.

[Condottiere SOG]

Handgunners for everyone? Armed peasants with pistols and/or arquebusses. Musketeer guards for all factions. Swiss Armored Pikemen(and mercs)? Mounted Pistoleers? Merc Sword and Buckler men? Battlefield Assassins for everyone. Early Jaeger units for HRE, Hungary, Poland(green/brown uniform textures, hide well, pickaxe sidearm, use early rifled barrels(15th/16thC)). Regional units for France and HRE(ie. Wurttemburg Infantry, Franconian Arquebussiers, Bavarian Handgunners, Burgundian Pikemen).

Just some suggestions. It would be totally awesome to expand the eras into a fourth Era-High Renaissance or fifth.......Early Modern.

[Admiral-Krause]

It is possible to include Musketeers for all or units like the "Reiter" an early Chürassier. But the Long Road start 1080. 400 -500 years till this units will appear.


For byzantines, do you want recruitable troops or mercenary units? Its not difficult to add mercenary cannons and Arquebusiers to the pool of this area, cause they are still ingame.

Regional units like Germans divided in Bavarians etc. its too difficult. They would look all similar cause of the lack of models and it would be to much. So they will be al included as the Germans. But still dont know which specific units (German Warband? Archers? Cav? )


And the regional units, shall they recruitable in barracks or just there as mercenaries? Scotish Auxillary, German etc. As mercenaries its also possible to get them for example with having a general in this area. Recruiting means only the one who controlls the area can force them to fight!

[tornnight]

Just mercenary I think. At least for now.

[Admiral-Krause]

I have now the auxillary system completed (in mind).

I just take regional names which although included the ethnics in this for example Scotish Auxillary means recruited from the area Scotland and of course Scotish folks (and who else live there). Thats easy but then you have Balcan Auxillary which includes Hungarians, Bulgars etc. I think we can live with this system because we cant include each minor groups as a single merc. unit moreover we dont have the problem to not include them with exp. only have Hungarian Aux.