Preview September 27th 2005

[Rodion Romanovich]

From now on we'll start collecting our latest work in nice previews like this one, which will be posted in this forum every now and then.

First of all, we can mention that the faction list is final (for those of you who didn't already know). The factions and their faction icons are as follows:

(Thanks to http://www.imageshack.us for free image hosting)

Before we move on to the traditional screenshots of units, we'd also like to show that we're also paying attention to details like the banners/standards carried by the units. Units of the Abbassid khaliphate will go to battle with this impressive banner:

(Thanks to http://www.imageshack.us for free image hosting)
Please note that the unit shown below the banner is not an Abbassid unit, the screenshot is merely an example of the beautiful banners that will appear in AOVAF.

The commander of a viking faction, or the victim of one, will most likely see these units in the battlefield:


(Thanks to http://www.imageshack.us for free image hosting)
Viking huskarls - professional heavy axemen


(Thanks to http://www.imageshack.us for free image hosting)
Geirmen - professional heavy spearmen

We'd like to point out that even though our mod is named after the vikings, we are in no way neglecting other factions. The Frankish Empire, which was split up into several parts at the starting date of the mod, has just become the Western Frankish empire (later to become the kingdom of France), the Central Frankish empire (for a period known as Lotharingia), and the Eastern frankish empire (later to be known as Imperium Romanum Sacrum, or the Holy roman empire). These three factions will be important powers in western Europe, the northern Italy area and central Europe, respectively. The Frankish armies relied much on their heavy cavalry.

The comes were among the most professional heavy cavalrymen of the period, and it's claimed that, although lighter than the Byzantine kataphraktoi, these troops were capable of defeating the latter in a frontal engagement. These troops were also responsible for the defeat of the muslims at Tours in 732 AD, and in many ways the basis for the Frankish successes on the battlefield during the military expansions of Charlemagne. The early comes shown below were equipped with a small round shield, whereas the later comes used a kite shield.


(Thanks to http://www.imageshack.us for free image hosting)
Early comes, Western frankish empire


(Thanks to http://www.imageshack.us for free image hosting)
Early comes, Eastern frankish empire

Finally, we'd like to preview some of the units of the gaelic Alba and Éire. Contrary to common misconception, the armies of the Kingdom of Alba (later Scotland) were mostly using gaelic equipment and tactics, rather than the equipment typical to the British and North European celts. These armies were based on spearmen, skirmishers and infantry, with limited cavalry and missile support. The kingdom of Alba recieved some influences from the Picts, whereas the Irish kingdoms remained fairly uninfluenced by outside cultures for a longer period. They were later influenced by the viking raids and conquests, by the introduction of the bonnachta, which are however out of the timeframe of this mod. Previewed below are soikernbannal, archers of militia quality, both the Irish and the Scottish version.


(Thanks to http://www.imageshack.us for free image hosting)

Finally, here's a small image displaying which parts of the world the map will cover. We're using a slightly greater scale than the vanilla R:TW map, so that distances will be slightly longer. This is made in order to allow for insertion of more provinces. The AOVAF map will contain nearly 255 provinces and the terrain will also be improved compared to the vanilla R:TW map.

(Thanks to www.photobucket.com for free image hosting)

Note that everything previewed above is or might be work in progress.

Enjoy!

[SigniferOne]

I believe I speak for everyone when I say: "Holy *bleep* !!!!" Who did your faction icons??

[Meneldil]

Scion the Worm took care of them :)

[Geoffrey S]

Those faction icons look very metal! The rest of the screenies ooze a dark atmosphere too, if ever a mod needed an update to the landscape and sky graphics this would be the one. Could go for a very dark, gritty feeling.
I'm impressed.

[Epistolary Richard]

I believe I speak for everyone else when I say "How the *bleep* are you going to do 255 provinces?"

[GoreBag]

Just a note...the Irish and Scots (who were considered Irish until not long ago at this point) ARE Celts. It'd be better to say that Alba had some Pictish influence and not bring up the Celtic point.

[Ranika]

The Gaels are a mash of Celtic and the Iberian Galaecian culture; the thing is, Galaecians were Hallstatt Celts. Hallstatt Celts tended to wear; tight trousers (and sometimes braccae, loose trousers, as they moved west), knee-length shirts (in which case they'd be bare-legged), thigh-length shirts (worn with tight trousers), cloaks that hung around the shoulders, boots, and favored axes and spears in many ways. Sound like anyone? Gaels were ostensibly La Tene Celts in terms of development when they came about (due to melding with Belgae, Gauls, and Britons), but had huge gouts of Hallstatt culture remaining, accounting for their clothing and numerous traditions. They were Celts, but not the common concept of Celts (which is the north-western European continental Celt; trousers, often shirtless or decked out in chain, with lots of longswords, oval shields, and such).

[Reverend Joe]

Those textures are absolutely astounding. Especially the faction symbols- best I've ever seen. It loks like the MTW atmosphere might be applicable to RTW after all.

[GoreBag]

The Gaels are a mash of Celtic and the Iberian Galaecian culture; the thing is, Galaecians were Hallstatt Celts. Hallstatt Celts tended to wear; tight trousers (and sometimes braccae, loose trousers, as they moved west), knee-length shirts (in which case they'd be bare-legged), thigh-length shirts (worn with tight trousers), cloaks that hung around the shoulders, boots, and favored axes and spears in many ways. Sound like anyone? Gaels were ostensibly La Tene Celts in terms of development when they came about (due to melding with Belgae, Gauls, and Britons), but had huge gouts of Hallstatt culture remaining, accounting for their clothing and numerous traditions. They were Celts, but not the common concept of Celts (which is the north-western European continental Celt; trousers, often shirtless or decked out in chain, with lots of longswords, oval shields, and such).

How could the Hallstatt culture have remained so prevalent among the Goidils?

[Ranika]

Combination of isolation (physically, not commercially or politically; in the dark ages and earlier, the Gaels were fairly prolific traders and due to their relative importance as a redoubt of Christianity in the early Christian periods, they remained an influential part of the Christian church, and ergo, European politics); however, they were physically shut off from much of the world and failed to adopt the developments that led to later Celtic and then pan-European cultural movements (accounting for their style of clothing and the like); and presumably Hallstatt similarities to the native culture that inhabitted Ireland, as well as the large Iberian immigrations (there were quite a large number of them) from Galaecia, which was ostensibly late Hallstatt-Celtic/early La Tene Celt, with Iberian inspired overtones, kept a heavy Hallstatt appearance over Ireland.

[GoreBag]

So..they arrived in Hibernia during the Hallstatt period and just stayed Hallstatt? I didn't realise that Hallstatt migrations stretched out that far.

[MagnosAkos]

Christ! this mod looks GREAT! I love the faction banners
AND the MAgyar banner is just awsome the Turul Madar is just great

[Ranika]

So..they arrived in Hibernia during the Hallstatt period and just stayed Hallstatt? I didn't realise that Hallstatt migrations stretched out that far.

No, they arrived in Galaecia in Iberia during the Hallstatt migration, where they more or less stagnated in terms of Celtic advancement, and rather, advanced like other Iberians. They arrived in Ireland in the middle La Tene period, where they mixed with La Tene Celts (giving rise to certain parts of their clothing and such, like the commonality of plaid, which wasn't so common among Hallstatters). You seem to be misunderstanding me. They were not Hallstatt Celts perse, but culturally descended from Hallstatt Celts largely, rather than La Tene Celts, though they did have many of the La Tene advances; however, things like clothing and certain types of weapons that were not used/fell out of use in the La Tene period, were still employed by Gaels. Gaels were, in terms of technological development, on equal footing with La Tene Celts by about 100 AD at the latest, but had branched into a seperate, isolated Celtic culture of heavily mixed Hallstatt and La Tene origin, with heavy overtones of the Hallstatt culture, introduced by ancient Galaecians, who were still Hallstatt in terms of their development as Celts.

[Zastrow]

Wow, extremely impressive work, those banners and symbols are mind-blowingly good, awesome work! :D

[Radier]

Impressive work!

[Mr Jones]

awesome models. at first i didn't really consider this mod much but it is looking really good.

[Meneldil]

I believe I speak for everyone else when I say "How the *bleep* are you going to do 255 provinces?"

Apparently, we found a way to increase the province limits. Oh wait... our PR director has contacted me. He just made a mistake

[Bartix]

Looks so greaT!
bleep

[Csatadi]

How beautiful they are!
Scion you are really a gifted guy!

[Archbaker]

Are those metal shields?

The units look really great. I can't stop looking.

[caesar44]

Those faction icons !!! Damn !!!

[ScionTheWorm]

thank you

I just think I should get the credits straight. I've made the faction symbols and are alone working on the gaels, franks and magyars. skeletor is working on the banners (oh there's some really neat banners coming up, believe me), and the vikings.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Just a note...the Irish and Scots (who were considered Irish until not long ago at this point) ARE Celts. It'd be better to say that Alba had some Pictish influence and not bring up the Celtic point.

Sorry, I hope the edit I made now is better...

[GoreBag]

Perfect!

Those shiny shields really look awesome, too. I noticed, though, that the huscarles all carry a shield, except for the column of troops on the left of the picture, who don't carry a shield, but wield their axe with both hands. Are they different huscarle units, or does a single unit mix-and-match troops?

[Big_John]

no, they are all the same unit, and are all carrying shields. with the troops on the left, you are looking at the shield edge-on, so it's hard too see. all the huscarles appear to be holding their axe with two hands (the shield is strapped to their left forearm i guess).

[skeletor]

Sorry, if we could make a single units with ceveral troops, it wold have been a seal breakthrough. What you see is the shield aligning with the angle of the picture, and with the resolution of the picture its gone. However you will see ceveral difftrent huscrals in the game.

-Skel-

[GoreBag]

Alright, spotted now. Silly me.

[edyzmedieval]

Excellent work all of you!!!

The banners are excellent.

Now I'm very glad that I made an alliance with you.

[Stormy]

Wow fellas, excellent work. What more can I say.
I'm seriously looking forward for this modification.

[Wikingus]

FANTASTIC! Eye-popping stuff.