Blue Lotus: Total War

[tombom]

These look amazing! Bizarre, but amazing. I see they're bigger than other troops.

[SwordsMaster]

Lol, anyone realized the Nohs have a barbarian(?) standard bearer?

[mad caligula]

cant wait for it


cheers

[chemchok]

Hoggy, your concept art is simply amazing. Your ability to take it and translate it into something just as good with your 3d models and skins is just as unbelievable. In fact, I check in on this thread every day and hope to see something new.



Keep up the good work.

[Ferocious_Imbecile]

Hoggy, I sure hope you're not going to compromise on the music the way RTW did and wind up with some conventional trite boring Hollywood style music. If the music for your mod is going to match the incredible graphics work you're doing, then I certainly hope it will be replete with amazing, mysterious, authentic, bizzarre oriental music from the entire ancient Chinese Japanese, and Myanmar opus....

And the in game announcement cards too...I hope they're all hand drawn or painted or at least chosen from authentic oriental art by you. You've got an amazing sense of style and taste

[DragoonXXIV]

I just have to say that is turning into an amazing mod, and the speed at which you make models is simply astonishing. Bravo.

Actually i'm surprised no one has mentition it yet, but why not include a Buddhist faction. Possibly fighting for Japan but definately against the demons. They could use the various guardian deities as shock troops with the Buddhist monks/priests as spellcasters/support, however they would be lacking in line troops and low class grunts.

Also while the unit graphic look excellent i'm a bit worried about the quality of the animations. Actually the animation in R:TW wasn't very good to start out with but if you can get it to that level or even improve upon it i can say without doubt you're the best modder i've ever seen.

Anyway good luck with the mod. And once again, simply amazing so far.

[Ypoknons]

I'm just back from a school trip to Sichuan (Chinese province in the southwest, just next to Tibet) and I got a set of miniature Chinese spears and polearms. If you you'd like me to scan those I would be pleased to do so - my family can add some commentary about the weapons.

The monkeys are utterly awesome. Very Chinese - perhaps the dao could be shinier.

[hoggy]

back from my brief holiday, cheers for all the responses. if you have time scan those spears in Ypoknons, the more reference the better really, pm me for my email address. As to sound and animations ideally i'd obviously like to change everything in the mod but it always depends on the amount of work involved. I'm definitely going to look into it. Here are the Sohei monks btw:
edit: link temporarily removed - hoggy

[Emperior Eric]

Hoggy your mod is simply amazing! and as an artist myself your concept art is fantastic. I cant model at all but your models are magnifico. I love the whole concept of the mod. If you need some quality testers I am part of a modding group and we would love to to help you test the mod on a Lan or something.

But anyway the mod is awesome. I am trying to think of some more factions for you but my brain is pounding lol. my email is Barbarianbob68@aol.com and my aim is the same. contact me if you want to take me up on my offer for testing. I could definetly get a team large enough to have a player for each faction on a multi game. I have about 6 people if we need them all.

anyway let me go do something. hope to talk to ya later.

[hoggy]

Definitely need testers at a later date I'll keep you in posted Eric. Here are some floating hags. My PC won't do the shadows or transparency properly but they should look better on a better pc.
edit: link temporarily removed - hoggy

[Emperior Eric]

nice. gosh this mod is going to be awesome. I cant wait lol you have a new unit everyday and with such quality. I am surprise you arent making your own video game instead of modding

[soibean]

wow
this is going to be one awesome and original mod
I cant say Ive ever seen anything like this

[DragoonXXIV]

I hate to be a bother, but have you thought about releasing an alpha version to tune the units you've already made?

[Al Khalifah]

Still going strong Hoggy. Loving the new units so far.

A thought just came to my head when I looked at your most recent picture, captain (centurion) models for the daemons....
If you look at the snow monkeys unit in the background they seem to be standing next to a Carthaginian captain, unless my eyes have gone.

Will you be using these in your modification ? - as I think its possible (not sure though) for a unit to not have a captain character. If they are going to be included or have to be then answer this as a number - how many times more badass than the already badass daemon units will they be? (if a regular-run-off-the-mill-rookie snow monkey is that evil and sadistic looking - how monstrous should their leader be )

Oh.. general units...

[Des_Miridius_Maximus]

Awesome to see a masterpiece in progress... Just hope I can make some sort of contribution ^_^

--- Wish I could be a tester =p ---

Ahem... Anyway, keep up the good work.

[jlin12345us]

Hoggy are you japanese ???

[Saranalos]

just 3 words... Work Of Genius

[tombom]

Hoggy are you japanese ???

I think he's from Leeds, England :D

I hate to be a bother, but have you thought about releasing an alpha version to tune the units you've already made?

He's only created the graphics.

If you want, I could be a tester as well :D

[Saranalos]

Hey If anyones doing testing count me in too.

[Medieval Kenieval]

Hi Mr Hogg, guess who! ive finally got my PC working and the interweb connected.

I'd be up up for helping out code-wise, is there anything that currently needs doing?

BBD

[brimston3]

hey i want to to tell u great job man. things are looking great. i know how hard it is to model, back when i tried to make gun models for CS, and making the right textures. looking real good. if you need help i might be able to help. i just have to get used to the program u guys use, just give me the 101. i just got some suggestions. the ghost things with the masks are a little too big. can you size them down a bit? also from things ive heard, isnt it possible to remove the group leader from the unit? its weird to have a human lead some ghosts 2 times bigger than him. and the hyena things. their weapons just look so harmless. anyway you can replace the iron clubs and attach two a blade on both side of the staff? how are you going to make the dragons work? will they just walk around and claw stuff or will they have fire? maybe you can make them shoot the flaming rocks from RWT that the orangers have. but have them be close range and reduce the AOE. have you ever played Onimusha? is there anyway you can add rifles to the game or anything of the sort flaming arrows? (if you add gun powder it will really open up even more room for different unit types) like the romans have the javliens b4 they charge, the heavy sami's can have rilfes. Also on the Onimusha topic, the demons in that game look pretty sweet. maybe you can copy some models. maybe some ninjas . haha just a sugestion. maybe add some more cavarly units too.

[Paul Peru]

Just a wild stab in the dark:
This mod probably needs some new sounds.
Voices: oriental, animal, diabolical etc.
(There's a voice mod in progress for RTR)
Sound effects of all sorts...
My guess is much can be replaced by using the same names for sounds and attributes. There are the attributes for armour type, for instance. They determine which sound is heard when a unit is hit.
I hope that

• there aren't too many limitations to moddability that will make this "feel" like Rome with gorgeous new units and a strange map...
• Some people with similiar skills in other "modding disciplines" will help Hoggy with this project

[hoggy]

Dragoon – As Tombom mentioned there’s not really enough at the moment for any kind of release and I won’t be releasing test stuff til a big portion of the campaign is done and playable.
Al Khalifah – Each faction will eventually have it’s own type of captains, standard bearers and generals etc. just not got round to them yet will do concepts first.
Jlin12345us – I’m from Leeds England (Adel is near Leeds in Roman Britain)
Brimstone – some good ideas there cheers
Paul Peru – I’m hoping sounds will play a part in this mod but not had time to look at the technicalities yet. Will certainly look into it.

On a separate note I won’t be posting for a couple of weeks as I’m sorting out a few personal things but please don’t change channel, normal service will resume shortly…

[jlin12345us]

hoggy i ask beacuse you know their culture very well!! btw i love you mod man keep up the good work and happy thanksgiving

[brimston3]

yo hoggy i got a question about the campain map. Let say you start the game playing as the Chinese. my persumtion is that you will get starting towns and the other towns surrounding you will have to be conqured. now, who is going to own these surrounding settlements? the other factions like the Indians and the koreans will have to be impelmented, unless all other settlements are controlled by rebels and they are one giant faction with an AI so they build and try to "liberate" you cities.

What purpose will the monks on their little island serve? it says senate but im confused what they will do. can they be attacked? do they hand out missions to all 3 (as of right now) factions?

What is the point of the gods if you can never interact or see them? wouldnt be better if you just opened up that land and put both the Chinese and the Japanese there and give it some back story like: the Chinese and the Japanese were trying to expand their colonese on recently discovered islands. then when they are on the last island (where is says territory of the demons) demons spawn because of the immense hatred on the lands. so this is where the player starts. it would be similar to the campain map you show, but the japanese and the chinese would have 1 or 2 towns on the central island, trying to hold off the demon onslaught and the attacks of the other faction as well.

[Saranalos]

:. i just got some suggestions. the ghost things with the masks are a little too big. can you size them down a bit? is there anyway you can add rifles to the game or anything of the sort flaming arrows? (if you add gun powder it will really open up even more room for different unit types) like the romans have the javliens b4 they charge, the heavy sami's can have rilfes. :

Please Do not add gunpowder in the game cos it would totally ruin the theme of the mod and rifiles would be crap for this mod. Please Leave Rifles to some other mod and the noh demons are the perfect size.

[Sad Ronin]

Hi Hoggy!
Amazing job!
Accept my congratulations and admiration!
Besides theme rather unusual...

You saw " Princess Mononoke " film?
Whether you will apply elements from this film in game?
Animals, hand-gun...

How at you are a situation with architecture?

[KyodaiSteeleye]

Wow, sad ronin, i haven't heard that song since i was about 6 and it was on the telly.

[kendonosensei]

Hi, everyone. I have to say I think this is a great idea.

Hoggy, I am so glad to hear you are a fellow Yorkshireman. I think we're all quite creative I was born in Leeds but am currently studying at York.

I have a few suggestions - sorry if they have been repeated.

1. Don't include Indians yet. I think Japanese and Chinese are enough for now - perhaps Koreans could be added later. Perhaps to add a little variety you could give those three human factions different families - would spice things up a bit.

Guys, don't pressure hoggy into biting off more than he can chew. Once he gets the mod in place, it works, etc - then he can add factions on.

2. How about a regular geisha unit of the ilk of the original "Legendary Geisha"? I guess all you'd have to do is to change the colours of the demon unit.

Perhaps you could give them a bonus when fighting their evil counterparts - they either hate them or can "dispel" them or something.

3. Have you looked on the official forums and over at the TW Center for any help? There are lots of good mods over there, especially at the TW Center.

I am more than happy to help you with any historical or mythological information. However I have no coding skills - sorry about that. Any idea how long it would take to produce, polish and finish such a mod. Couple of months?

[kendonosensei]

(Rats, no edit function )

4. Why not let daughters be generals as well? Better than having to constantly worry about picking the right husband for them to marry!