EB Unit Development Art

[paullus]

i know i've seen it before, but that is so sweet. where are the skinners and modellers? this thing is gorgeous!

[Fondor_Yards]

Argh why must you people make the Baktrians even MORE tempting for me! Well TA kept his word about this thread, my faith has been restored!

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

This picture answers one thing about the Bactrians: why the are so powerful and conquer everything in the path. They are clearly dark jedi.



(I'm making reference to his eye color and grim face.)

[Fondor_Yards]

All hail our new sith overlords

[cdbavg400]

What's the sea horse thing on his shield? Were there coins found in Bactria with this figure on it? Or something else? I'm just curious.

[Caratacos]

What's the sea horse thing on his shield? Were there coins found in Bactria with this figure on it? Or something else? I'm just curious.

It's called a hippocamp. Not the most well known greek monster and like most is depicted in various forms. I got my main inspiration from a vase (not bactrian) but was also given other reference pictures that were bactrian (i think). Keravnos would be able to tell you more, though.

[Krusader]

What's the sea horse thing on his shield? Were there coins found in Bactria with this figure on it? Or something else? I'm just curious.

Hippocampus. Mix between horse and dolphin.

And by the sources I've read and what more knowledgeable EB members have told, the hippocampus apparently was a popular motiff among Indo-Greeks and been found in many sites in modern Pakistan and on maybe on coins too.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Wonderful new unit Caratacos, you really do have talent - you could get a job with that sort of high quality artwork.

[Eduorius]

Yeah. Why dont you ask for work at Osprey books?

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Nah, he should get a job with the CA.

[Fondor_Yards]

Nah, he should get a job with the CA.

So they can waste him making those lame images they have? Yea right

[keravnos]

What's the sea horse thing on his shield? Were there coins found in Bactria with this figure on it? Or something else? I'm just curious.

In Baktria/Indo Greek kingdom (I Wish that there is a way an emergent faction to be made as per history) a great cultural amalgamation took place. In it, images/mythos of one culture joined that of another, and a new mix took place. Such as the following... Ichtyocentaur, which if the time comes for a IndoGreek kingdom to be its own faction, I will propose as its emblem.



This was a mix of a good old Centaur from mainland Greece, a place IndoGreeks left long ago in a land far far away with the Dragon/Long snake that the Steppe people had. It has also been theorized that it was chinese/Han influence. Just look at the painting on the Elephant "carpet".



Other than that, indeed hippocampus was a popular theme, as were many more, like the bull, the hump ox of India, elephants, zeus, athena, heracles, dionysus which is the most probable rider of the following Ketos (head of a ram, front bust/legs of a horse, and hind twin tails of a dragon as in the above elephant pic. (I suppose this design in a stone pallette rigns a bell, ain't it?)

[Teleklos Archelaou]

It's about time for some more unit development art. Here is the latest release, the Numidian Royal Cavalry:



Spirit of Rob already has created the unit too btw.

[Eduorius]

I think Tanit will really like this one.

Masinissa is so alive now with this drawing =)

[Tanit]

I've been loving it for a while now :)

Its even my background for my desktop!

[Gazius]

Where did the indo-greeks learn about dolphins?

[keravnos]

Where did the indo-greeks learn about dolphins?

First of all, there was communication with the Mediterranean world they left behind, albeit very scarce and with problems... (check for periplous in wikipedia if you want to know more), and also we have accounts of mercs claiming to have served in India.

When IndoGreeks conquered the Indus delta they became re-acquainted with the "sea" their ancestors have been raving on and on about. Hellenes had always had a special relation to the sea, because they saw it not as an obstacle but as a means to an end, a "bus stop" if you will on the way to home. We still do! (Xenophon and his 10.000 crying "Thalatta!=sea) and all that.

As for the dolphin, it must have remained in popular mythos as the faithfull companion of ships in open sea. Once reconnected the sea, they would know what it was. If they didn't the greek merchants from Alexandria coming to India, would tell them, soon enough.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Where did they learn about gorgons, dragons, winged horses, etc.?

[keravnos]

Where did they learn about gorgons, dragons, winged horses, etc.?

... I have 3 things to say to theese ... unbiased/uncalled for accusations...

1

2

3



Back to topic, this is a BLOODY FANTASTIC Numidian!

[HFox]

Bloody fantastic in agreement.....tis art!

[The Celt]

Where did they learn about gorgons, dragons, winged horses, etc.?

Didn't Dragons come form the Steppe peoples like the Saka, Sarmatians and Iranians?(Inc Persians)I seem to recall the Draco standards that the Romans adopted after they fought the Sarmatians and the Sassanids.

[Fondor_Yards]

Hmmm nice unit. Going to be a better version of the normal numidia, just with better armour/weapons thus can actually fight in meele, cool. A little more spice for my all african armies for Cathage.

[Arkatreides]

Fantastic units - are we going to see more of this artwork ingame? Maybe as loading screen?

BTW, what happened to this one?

Edit: -Meh - nevermind -

[-Praetor-]

Fantastic units - are we going to see more of this artwork ingame? Maybe as loading screen?

BTW, what happened to this one?

XXXX

That artwork hasn`t been previewed yet by the team. A healthy advice? Edit that at once.

Dude... not cool.

[Arkatreides]

That artwork hasn`t been previewed yet by the team. A healthy advice? Edit that at once.

Dude... not cool.

Ok, done that, but it's not like it wasn't in a publicly available place ...

[-Praetor-]

Ok, done that, but it's not like it wasn't in a publicly available place ...

I know, it was just to avoid unnecesary troubles for you.

The team has had some problems before with this kind of issues (a guy completely spoiled the Epirus secret faction in the 0.72 release, a thing that repeated itself later on).

Thank you for your diligence.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Was that what I think it was? One of our guys saw it and didn't read the text right beneath it that said in all caps "don't use this yet!", but it was only visible for a few hours before he changed it.

Yeah, we have had leaks before, that was nothing compared to some of the early ones. Our Gallic FC put "FC of Aedui and Averni" in his sig line for a few hours once months before we were going to reveal it. In a map update I once left a little saba logo (that had never been merged down into its proper layer and I hadn't seen it) sitting on top of Maryab long before we revealed that one. Something happened with epeiros too, though I can't remember what.

[Arkatreides]

I am sorry if I caused any inconvenience. I just found it and thought it was an oversight that it was not included in this post.


And btw TA, it is still there, so you might want to remove it if you want to keep it secret for the time being.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

It's not your fault Ark. No worries. It was something different than I was thinking it was anyway, so we've leaked two new (but harmless) things accidently in the last two days.

[cdbavg400]

The EB team is comprised of geniuses. Thanks for the excellent responses!