Zulu: Total War update

[GiantMonkeyMan]

i was checking out the forums for stuff on the mod i am helping with Zulu: Total War and i noticed that there wasn't much stuff on the org... so i decided to put together a few screens and stuff (by delancey and sundjata keita)


Here is a screen of the induna model. (WIP)


some Gordon Highlanders


some Red-Coats hold off against some Batavian Cavalry (Boer) in square formation

and there are more but i am too lazy to post them


and some news from the traits guy (thats what they call me ) i have made for the british

General
Lieutenant- General
Major -General
Brigadier
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant (pronounced LEF-TEN-ANT in the british army )

progressing upwards obviously, it takes a while for you to progress up the ranks dpending on which hidden trait you get: poor, financially_secure or rich because during the zulu war was the last war when officers could buy up a rank after a certain amount of years... to get either of these three traits it depends on what your father had or what rank you are... for example when you get above Lieutenant Colonol you can become financially_secure (from poor) and when you get above major general you can advance from financially_secure to rich because you got paid per rank...

and these three traits also give the officer different traits depending on how rich they are for example you can get 'snobbish' if you are rich losing you troop morale

and then you also progress up the ranks by winning battles... you get a little for an easy battle and more for a hard battle


GMM of the Zulu:TW team

[Duke Malcolm]

Weren't all the officers rich? One had to buy the officership itself, and officers were generally the well-off landed gentry.

[dclare4]

There were a few who were 'promoted from the ranks' (that in itself should be another trait - make him a better administrator but less popular among his brother officers) and then there were so called 'volunteers' - gentlemen who fought in the ranks until a promotion or position became available. Some officers weren't necessarily rich, though they would be at least of a 'better sort' than the men. They might be there as a favor to some other officer or nobleman. Their parents might not necessarily be rich but they might have enough to buy your basic subalternship (but not necessarily higher than that).

de Clare (Harlechman)

P.S.
Hi KM, stay tuned, I should have some highlanders out soon!

[GiantMonkeyMan]

some more pics for you to drool over


some Egyptian Fellahin from the 1882 Sudan campaign square hold off against some Mahdist forces


Here is the British 1860's Regimental Sergeant Major (old model/texture)

and a sig for you guys if you want to use... or is it out of org regulations?


GMM of the Zulu TW team


by the way if you want to contibute in anyway with research, skinning, text editing i am sure delancey (or dclare4 here) will accept offers

[Duke Malcolm]

Good grief! You're going to the Sudan? I hadn't realised... It seems this is getting better all the time...

[GiantMonkeyMan]

@king malcom.... unfortunately our campaign only encorporates south africa but i think delancey is making a few historic battles from all over africa's colonisation, time and place (not sure though) and maybe we'll also have them in custom battles but i don't control that

anyway here are a few new traits i made for the brits... they aren't finished of course though





any questions about the traits just post here

GMM of the Zulu TW team

[Duke Malcolm]

Excellent stuff. What does the officer get for "Second in Command", "Spoiled when Young", "Opium addict", and "Well travelled"?

[GiantMonkeyMan]

Well-Travelled gives more movement points because he would be used to travelling
opium addict takes away movement points because he is always stuffed in his quarters taking the stuff
spoiled when young takes some troop morale off because the officer bosses the men around to do tasks
second in command gives +1 command and influence... it is basically faction 'hier' but i am making faction specific ones

all the effects are still under consideration at the moment so if you think of anything the traits should do then post and i'll consider and if you want to suggest some traits for any faction then do so

GMM

[dclare4]

Hi KM,

Yeah for future expansion though we'll definitely focus on finishing South Africa before anything else and besides once everything is in place there it's more or less a matter of changing faction names and skins - I'm thinking North Africa parallelling the Zulu TW time period from the Napoleonic Wars (French invasion of Egypt!) to Omdurman. But by then, with the models and textures which we'll have we'll certainly have enough to do other things (I was actually thinking of playtesting with either Quatres Bras or the 93rd at Balaclava - Damn all that eagerness) but that's just me. I was getting mightily saddened watching Batavian dragoons ride over my poor wee Hieland Laddies so I decided to conscript some Fellahin and send them to Kordofan.

I don't suppose you'd be interested in doing some Scottish skins

Cheers,
Harlechman (Clare)

[Duke Malcolm]

Ahh, I'll see what I can do. I have exams soon, so not much, but can certainly try. Just tell me what to do, and I'll have a shot.

[dclare4]

Hi KM,

Right now 3DSMax modelling is at the premium - ZTW has two superb modellers now but with the breadth of the project (and for the sake of time) more are of course welcome. The Scots play a major role in the Cape campaigns from the very start in 1796 - the mod starts with the second British invasion in 1806 though - to the final Anglo-Boer war. They will be well represented by the following:

Highland Brigade - A composite of the various Highland Regiments in the British Army not covered by specific numbered/named units.

93rd Sutherland Highlanders - Napoleonic and Early Periods
91st Argyllshire Highlanders - Cape Frontier Wars
74th Highland Light Infantry - Cape Frontier Wars
92nd Gordon Highlanders - Advanced Period (Majuba)

Each named/numbered unit will consist of four Line double companies (though this is under discussion now), a Grenadier company, a Light company (though later units will probably see the two combined in a sort of shock/skirmish unit), sometimes a pioneer company (the 93rd will certainly have this), Regimental Colours and for the Guards and Highlanders only, a regimental band (hoping that specific tunes/voices can be allotted to specific units like the Velites, Hastati, Triarii,etc. in RTW vanilla - the Guards could play British Grenadiers, the Highlanders can play Cock O' the North, Hieland Laddie, etc.)

I'm especially looking forward to the band - it will have the bandmaster of course, drummers, pipers for the highland regiments and brass players (any suggestions which one?) for the guards.

And as a bonus, the highlanders can later be modified into any sort of Scottish mod that comes around ( hint, hint!)

Cheers,
Clare (Harlechman)

[dclare4]

One immediate thing I'd like to know is the colour of the Band uniforms for the 93rd during the Napoleonic Wars - I know the 42nd wore reversed colours of white and the Gordons apparently wore yellow and red but what about the 93rd? And who would wear reversed colours? The bandmaster and who else? Would pipers attached to the companies wear reversed colours or just red with additional drummers lace? I'm looking to texture the bandmembers soon Pictures would be nice ;)

Clare (Harlechman)

[Duke Malcolm]

Ugh, unfortunately I have lost all time, I've lost much time to studying now... I shan't be able to do any modelling or skinning until mid-February...

[dclare4]

That's okay KM, perhaps if you have even a bit of time or just from what you know you can help out with the Scots units. I'm having a tough time getting the 93rd into shape for the Blauwberg battle - it's the first big fight of the Sutherlanders! We plan to have regimental colours, grenadiers, pioneers with axes and aprons and of course a pipe band and a drum corps. Now this last one's giving me the problems. I've never actually seen a real pipe band so I'm not sure about the arrangement of the players - ditto for the drums. I'm thinking for the pipes we have the Bandmaster officer up front, flanked by two drummers (officers) and the rest behind are pipers. For the Drum Corps it's a base drummer flanked by two drummers (the big ones, not the base but they're pretty big) but what do I know! Would you know how they're supposed to look/be organized? ZTW would be most grateful!

Thanks very much,
Harlechman (Clare)

[Duke Malcolm]

Ah, I think (from the Edinburgh Tattoo), the Pipe-Major is up front, followed by the pipers then the drummers. I'm not sure of the numbers, though

[dclare4]

A bit of rotten news - apparently there's a hardcoded provision that says you need to have one of three formations - horde, square or phalanx (no idea why they included that last one) with all models. I was really hoping that at least WEDGE would be allowable as this places the 'officers' up front in the grand old style with one leading and two following, followed by the rest in wedge formation. This would have been great for the Regimental Colours and the Band. Alas, I am forced to use square (horde is too chaotic and its needed for the civilian types, while phalanx - unless it can be modded - just doesn't work) which places the bandmaster et al at the sides of the formation. Sigh...

Yeah I kinda remember that formation from the Waterloo movie - had pipers up front then drummers following. Would the Argyll pipers and Bandmaster be wearing reversed colours (Yellow faced Red)? I think the drummers might be in traditional red with extra lace.

Thanks very much,
Harlechman

[GiantMonkeyMan]

here are a load more pics for you that sundjata keita and dclare/delancey have been churning out


firing animation done (but the projectile is still not done)


shoulder arms animation


the staff of the 24th Foot


Here's another WIP shot from Natal courtesy of 'er Majesty's Jollies Soldier and Sailor too...


and an alternative zulu/african skin for you

you can thank sundjata for the new anims (well done!!!) and delancey has noted that a demo could be out soon

GMM of the Zulu Total War Team

[GiantMonkeyMan]

here are another set of screenies for you to drool over

our new logo (probably):


a group of naval infantry are ambushed by Isandhlwana troops in slolen red-coats:


a night battle:


and a wip officer (edit- note the gun... it is a little chunky but Sundjata is working on it)

[ShadesWolf]

Ive just finished watching my free copy of Zulu Dawn that came in the Mail on sunday and I thought of this mod straight away.

What is your plan for releasing the mod, ie - I mean timescale.

[Sundjata Keita]

Well we are hoping for a release well before medieval 2 comes out so we have time to refine the mod before it does. I can't say exactly as we still have a lot of work ahead of us but you should expect a VERY early version in a couple of months.

[Cesare diBorja]

Awesome, Gents!

Y'all know how to 'Rock and Roll'!

wahoo!, yehaa!, yeaaaaaaaaaa! and all that good rubbish

Cheers

diBorgia

[Dhampir]

This looks interesting. I'm very interested in the historical period; in fact, I'm doing a term paper on Sir Bartle Frere and the opening of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War.

Is this mod just doing the time of the Anglo-Zulu War or are you starting at the rise of Zulu power, around the time of Shaka?

[Lodric]

...

[GiantMonkeyMan]

This looks interesting. I'm very interested in the historical period; in fact, I'm doing a term paper on Sir Bartle Frere and the opening of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War.

Is this mod just doing the time of the Anglo-Zulu War or are you starting at the rise of Zulu power, around the time of Shaka?

thanks for the interest... it is also a period in history i enjoy and sorry for the slow reply

our mod will probably encorperate 1800 - 1890 roughly but our campaign isn't fully decided yet and i think Sundjata and delancey are focusing on the units before they decide on the campaign
but if you want to help with ideas for the campaign PM me or go to out main forums at http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=41

thanks,
GMM of the Zulu TW team

[Dhampir]

thanks for the interest... it is also a period in history i enjoy and sorry for the slow reply

our mod will probably encorperate 1800 - 1890 roughly but our campaign isn't fully decided yet and i think Sundjata and delancey are focusing on the units before they decide on the campaign
but if you want to help with ideas for the campaign PM me or go to out main forums at http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=41

thanks,
GMM of the Zulu TW team

I'll check out your forum.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

this is a wonderful magazine (a place where they store ammo and gun powder etc) made and skinned by Sundjata, he is now working on more buildings

as always... if anyone wants to join Zulu Total War then pm either me, Sundjata Keita or dclare and we are sure we can get something for you to do... whether it just be research, skinning, text editing, modelling, mapping or anything we would be happy to accept

GMM of the Zulu Tw team

[GiantMonkeyMan]

here are some concept work on faction symbols:


rebels- it shows a zulu holding a rifle so it could be used for any sort of rebel


possible african factions


possible british and boer symbols - the first one (in british pink) shows queen vic

[Duke Malcolm]

Nice stuff. Perhaps a deeper pink for Britain, though, closer to red.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

another building for you guys... atm Sundjata is making more building etc but since we are keeping it as an update for later

[Radier]

Very nice guys!

Love the faction symbols.