New and/or modified/fixed Units

[barocca]

There is a small problem with the Archers

their animation releases the arrow at the wrong time to the "arrow flight" sequence,

there is a very simple explanation for this,
there is no reload sequence in the bif

yes there is i hear you say,
no,
that is the firing sequence,
there needs to be a seperate reload sequence,

check the original teppo anim in Shogun and the one in the mod,
spot the difference?
down the bottom left are a whole set of new animations,
(six of them - 3 standing, 3 kneeling)
they are the reload animations,

kneeling reload does not work,
pity

BUT
in the archer bif their is no seperate reload sequence,
so what i have to do is squeeze a reload sequence into the bif,

i don't think it is impossible - despite the fact when you look at the bif and make and load an anim rectangle sequence (simple take the acton page and delete the words from it)
you will notice very little spare room

now run the timer in bif reader - see the dying men?
lots of wasted space (taken up by splatter),
(i have lready fixed the cutoff standing man)

SO
i need to disassemble the bif file into component sequence sets and repack it so that i have enough room to duplicate the firing sequence and make a reload sequence from it,
i think the firing sequence is using maybe five frames, so that leaves me seven to make to complete the firing sequence - easy, double up on the first three and the last one, then make them stand holding the arrow nocked for 6 frames.
the reload sequence will be made from the remaining 7 frames, they will simply be 5 frames doubled - or maybe i will make one or two more by moving their arm in smaller increments,

i do not think i need a kneeling shoot/reload - it seems to work fine them all standing,
i think the game looks for a kneeling set (for the front row) and if its not there it uses the standing set.


the point is this is not an easy overnight fix.
it will take some time

B.

[barocca]

i wound up with a spare day enexpectedly and remade the bif file from the ground up,
the animation works fine,
so the next release of this mod will have archers that fire at the appropriate moment and actually reload!!!
:bow:
B.

[R'as al Ghul]

Excellent news and awesome work, barocca!! :elephant:

Seems we're getting closer to a new release. :2thumbsup:

[barocca]

any word on the cav?

i can now remake the cav,
as you know the original cav bifs for samurai cav (all types) are only 256x256,
where as everything else is 512x512,
and i believe i can successfully blend the images into 512 with more finesse
than the beta 5/6 version currently in use,

ALSO, seeing we now have an overwrite mod i can use some of the other unit folders to store them in,
which means i can add more "action sets" and "angles" because i can spread the unit types out into more actual bif files!!
(which should ELIMINATE (the sometimes unnerving) "spanish dancing horse" charging cav
- and the (dangerously close to SPCA sanction) "spur your horse on by whacking it with the sword" running cav)

i have the weekend fast approaching,
and this weekend all i have to do is mow the yard (and regular housework),
nothing big planned for this one!

here's a sneak preview of recolouring armour to accept faction colours

http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/cav0.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/cav01.jpg
(no blending here, just a proof of concept recolour test)



BTW, i can ALSO recolour the ashi crossbows in the same manner,

i am reluctant to use the shoggy "black" crossbowmen and would prefer to
use the dedicated ones (the yucky purple/green ones)
which were, in fact, a precursor to the MTW green/purple "accept faction colour" shading of the units IN mtw itself!!
(as i undrstand it Shogun Warlords edition was "finalised" before the faction colour "coding" was finished, the "black" crossbowmen were a compromise)


B.

[barocca]

Ashi-xbows

i used the prototype ones from warlords, recoloured them and fixed the action page

they are blurry because all that was available was the low res bif,
i could have remade the black ones from warlords,
but they have an incomplete action set (and there are enough "dark" units already)

still no reload animation, it was a quickie fix,
i dont think they need it anyway

these are clan date colours and all ranks now fire properly

http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/xbow7.jpg
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/xbow10.jpg

B.

[barocca]

http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/xbow16.jpg
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/xbow17.jpg

Otomo and Ryuzoji

B.

[JuanT]

barocca, my cavalry units already get recoloured and I am using smap6. They get recouloured with the secondary faction colour. I think this started to happen after I changed something else in the unitprod file.

If the bif is made paler (gamma 1.2) with bif reader, the effect is more noticiable. Look:

https://img270.imageshack.us/img270/276/monsandarmour5cu.jpg

This also shows my taisho-daimio mon that I mentioned to Ras. It is not perfect but could be improved.

I have made a separate bif file for heavy cavalry, substituting the firing archers in custom0 with the walking riders from Custom9, and adjusted the actions page. However, even if made darker (gamma 0.8), they are still too similar to other cavalry types (hatamoto and archers). It would be GREAT if you were to made new cavalry bifs. I think the way to go might be like MTW, separating rider and horse, otherwise any mounted archer takes two bifs. The campmap daimyo piece could be a starting point point for heavy cavalry, but there are only 3 positions are 144 are needed!

[cegorach]

New cavalry bifs would be great in this mod.

And you do not really need to many positions - unless you use bows for them - it is enough to have 16 positions per cavalry bif (horse archers would need about 48 more).
I know what I am talking about in Pike and Musket TW I had so much space thanks to this solution that 3 even 4 animations per bif were quite common.
Of course your unit selection is much smaller ( in PMTW there are 700 units) but it means you can easily place more unique ones for one unit only like mounted warrior monks for example.

I would really like to play this mod - my most favourite after my own :2thumbsup: ( I even modded it myself some time ago) - so I am waiting impatiently. Good luck !

Regards Cegorach :2thumbsup:

[barocca]

http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/special86.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/special92.jpg

http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/special89.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/special90.jpg

http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/special91.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/special88.jpg

B.

[barocca]

the cavalry are coming along

a few glitches still remain,
the colour mode index colour was used in a few places in the animations and i have to go back and find it and replace it in all FIVE cav bifs!

one each for Cav Archers, Heavy Cav and Hatamoto
one shared by Yari Cav and Naginata Cav
and one, holding the Die animations, shared by all as their "horse"

(something you have to do for a cav unit - it must be made of two bif's,
one is the rider and one is the horse
otherwise MTW won't recognise it AS cavalry)

another oddity i discovered (and this caused me several hours of headaches)
is the last VI patch "broke" the definition section of high/low res bif in the unit prod file
BUT introduced something most odd
that section is NO LONGER NEEDED,
as long as you have a half decent video card AND your AGP arpeture set right then the game is quite happy to work with whatever type you put in the folder,
the game merely insists both files exist, though they can be THE SAME FILE, simply renamed
the game "reads" the resolution and applies the action pages accordingly!!


here is a new animation set for the cav
Charge!!!
(in this case a unit of Hatamoto)
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/hata94.jpg

as soon as i have all the glitches out these will be sent to R'as - for inclusion in the next release
and to Yuuki - so he can write/adjust the unit prod files to use them

cheers,
B.

[barocca]

ok
a mix of all the cav types in this set

these have been a lot of work - with only a little left to do,
(see the green nose cone on the front horse in the first pic? - it's gotta go...)
but it is a pleasure to see them in game

lots of things have changed but the basics remain

i encourage you to post what you can spot that is different
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav098.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav099.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav100.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav101.jpg
-
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav106.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav102.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav103.jpg
-
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav104.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav105.jpg
-
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav107.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav108.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav109.jpg
-
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav110.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav111.jpghttp://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav112.jpg
http://www.totalwar.org/barocca/mod_images/ncav113.jpg

:bow:
B.
edit - all the remaining graphical glitches (green nose cones etc) have been fixed and the files sent out

[cegorach]

[QUOTE=barocca]

(something you have to do for a cav unit - it must be made of two bif's,
one is the rider and one is the horse
otherwise MTW won't recognise it AS cavalry)



Hmm Are you sure the only thig the mount affects is the 'poor fight in woods' thing I believe - in PMTW I place cavalry without coded mounts ( tatar cavalry with TWO steeds) and infantry on horses ( dragoon units) without any problems.

But true if you need really balanced forces you need some steeds, even invisible - which is more important in your mod than in mine ( too many units so sometimes the balance has to go).

Regards Cegorach:book:

[barocca]

(something you have to do for a cav unit - it must be made of two bif's,
one is the rider and one is the horse
otherwise MTW won't recognise it AS cavalry)

Hmm Are you sure the only thig the mount affects is the 'poor fight in woods' thing I believe
and the anti-cav bonus for spear armed troops

both are needed in my mod
B.

[cegorach]

Are you sure that the mount is required for the bonus to work, I thought that only the category CAVALRY is necessary.
I combined fear with anti-cavalry bonuses anyway so I don't care so much, but I am just curious.:book: :inquisitive:

[barocca]

to be honest i am not sure, but we noticed odd things without it,

plus, if you have a copy of my mod check what we did so far,
we used the "mount" bif file to give us extra animations that would not fit in the original file due to size limits

but i know someone who can answer this with certainty - Puzz,
i'll ask him to drop by

B.

[Puzz3D]

I believe the CAVALRY designation in column 2 is what's used to trigger the anti-cavalry bonus.

[JuanT]

FABULOUS new cavalry!!! ~:)

new things spotted:
-Yari have new (yari) spear
-Nagi also have new naginata
-Archers run with bows in hand (not empty hands)
-Heavy cavalry run/walk with katana but not waving it frantically as if charging

Really clever the idea of a common page for dying animations. I did not figured that out, is the obvious answer to the two bifs issue.

A small suggestion: The blade of the new naginata could be a bit longer, also when walking (not running) perhaps it should be carried horizontal to the ground, as when charging. I have seen a photo of a modern japanese parade and that is how the rider carried it (which was a woman- new unit potential here? apparently the naginata was popular with women, I have seen classical pictures)

Will you also include the battlefield ninja? the shogun bif works OK with your mod, the action page conversion is straightforward, I can send it to you if wanted but it really takes 2 minutes to do.

keep up the good work please!

[cegorach]

[QUOTE=barocca]to be honest i am not sure, but we noticed odd things without it,

plus, if you have a copy of my mod check what we did so far,
we used the "mount" bif file to give us extra animations that would not fit in the original file due to size limits


I don't have it - if you mean the betatesting release. I would like to have a look at this, though. Just tell me where to download that by PM, please.

If you did what I think I must admit it was really ingenius and so simple at the same time. No use for me because I have to use every single BIF including those with CTDs probability ( very unlikely - I reduced it by restricting these to few original factions and few specialised units like skii soldiers), but I must congratulate the idea !:2thumbsup:

BTW check the 'change battle mode' idea I am using - might offer new opportunities for campaign in in your STW mod

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=60035

check this part

Changing units prior to battle engagments:

Samurais with spears changing weaponry before the battle to swords only ? Why not.:laugh4:



@Puzz,

It makes me a happy man indeed !:laugh4:

I am using infantry with mounts for dragoon i.e. mounted infantry units so it matters much.