Ancient TW - Original HTW Troops > Editing , Improving & Modifying

[dimitrios the samian]

For those not in the know , the troops used in Ancient TW are the originals created by the Hellenic TW team & those by Duke John , I believe ? . ( if they are some peopleI have missed please let me know ) The same team that brought us HTW began another mod & when it was about 50% ? of the way thru their Bronze Age Mod ceased , that is until Macsen stepped in & revived it & released it , the rest is MTW Modding History & it continues .:2thumbsup:

Macsen with the troop bif plates available has gone on to create a plethora of troops by mixing & matching weapons & shields .
In the beginning modding was all new to me , as were Cdrives , folders , tga's , bmp's , photoshop etc etc
I did manage to create a Review Panel & I caught the bug :laugh4:
With such a variety of soldier types already fielded in Macs mods , I have started my journey into the animated side of things only recently & I'm enjoying it immensely so far .
I am familiar with RTW & have seen many hours of battles on later releases , but the reviews of the players is the same frustration followed by more frustration , superb I candy yes , but MTW still has the best tactical battlefield AI of all !!
Anyway , I will repost a few pics from last week & my modding journal continues here .

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This figure (bif) is the first one im going to finish & send to Macsen to use .
It is a very popular one , Originally used by HTW for Akondistes , Toxotes , Cretan Archers , Light Archers , Skirites , Peltasts & Thrasian Peltasts .
Well when I'm done they will be much improved . All will have belts + sandals or leather footwear & a mixture of swords & quivers .
I will look at making a Thracian bif & I have plans for a different Cretan Archer ( more on these two later )
So back my first project , I did have a slight problem creating the new bif but it has been solved ( covered in the main thread)
I will continue the work necessary so these poor little guys look like they are wearing & fighting in more than a plain tunic :laugh4:
In the interim only today , I doodled on PS for a while & created two more , just one pic one 1 plate , but its a start , here is a peek

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Anyway , I'm back working on the Akondistes & Peltasts as of spare time tomorrow.
More soon on those as it become available ......
cheers

[macsen rufus]

Hi Dimitrios - looking like you're really getting your teeth into the animations!

I'm not sure which release of Ancient you have, but it's probably been superceded where Thracians are concerned. I now have this BIF for them (plus tribal archers and agrianes and hyrcanians, iirc). I think it was one Duke John let me have years ago:

https://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l148/macsen_rufus/Ancient/PLATESURCOAT_H_f1.jpg

[dimitrios the samian]

Yes nice bif that one !
I have it & eventually I will see these "tribal archers and agrianes and hyrcanians .~:) as I think they are made of the same bif but different shields & weapons ..... ( I'm beginning to understand most of the mechanics behind it now)
Anyway Mac , I have Hellenic TW & your first ATW2 ...( the one with its own map)
Your 2.53 & Roman TW3 available for download here have the wrong textures/men .( at least for my 3 attempts at dl them)
When you get a chance replace your latest 2.53 here at the Org & i'll be up to speed ! ~;) ........... I hope :bow:

[macsen rufus]

I won't be re-releasing 2.53, as it was the 'catch all' package. All of its scenarios will be parcelled out between ATW1 (Bronze Age), ATW2 (Eastern) and ATW3 (Roman), and hopefully many errors and omissions will be corrected in each package as it comes out (well, we can all live in hope :laugh4: )

And not to put any ideas into your head, but when I turn towards the Diadochi scenario in due course (weeks if not months away yet, alas...) I am going to need some African hoplites for the Ptolemies :creep: I think just a change in skin colour based on the Macedonian hoplite bif should do the trick.

EDIT TO ADD: thanks so much for forwarding that screenie of Stazi's brilliant discovery, it's quite amazing. See here (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?133244-Middle-Earth-campaign-map&p=2053704105&viewfull=1#post2053704105) what I'm doing with it.

[dimitrios the samian]

I won't be re-releasing 2.53, as it was the 'catch all' package. All of its scenarios will be parcelled out between ATW1 (Bronze Age), ATW2 (Eastern) and ATW3 (Roman)

And not to put any ideas into your head, but when I turn towards the Diadochi scenario in due course (weeks if not months away yet, alas...) I am going to need some African hoplites for the Ptolemies :creep: I think just a change in skin colour based on the Macedonian hoplite bif should do the trick ......

Howdy Mac ... sounds great , coz I was only campaigning on the V2 Edition , so im looking forward too seeing the "Age of Charoits" in the right setting & all improved ofcourse :bow:
Ok , About that bif , I think I can do it no problems , what im going to do is join a photoshop forum & get some tips as I know its a lot easier than drawing 260+ Helmets :laugh4: , I reckon one full plate of helmets & then its just matching them up & giving them a quick clean ....

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I have this bif , it is from BKB's work , its the akondistes from HTW ...
Q ? ..Would the animation suit a Hoplite that you need ?

[macsen rufus]

That's a nice looking BIF, but from what I've been reading, Ptolemy's African hoplites were equipped in the regular Hellenistic style as with his native Egyptian hoplites. That's why I was thnking the Macedonian hoplites with a good tan would be the easiest route to go... :book2:

I've been looking at the Babylonians today, so will start a thread for them whilst it's still fresh in my memory.

[dimitrios the samian]

Yes , i liked it too , will come in very useful .
I will go with the second route , its definitely easier
Just tanning up the Macedonians to get to our African Hoplites .
& I will also change something simple on their uniform to make them unique ~;)
If you can Mac , post a pic of the Bif plate so we don't get our wires mixed .
............................................................
In the meantime , I can send you this bif if u like to begin using it ............ even like this it is useful .
When the time arrives at a later date I can tidy him up .
Let me know , going over to the Babylonian thread now .
cheers

[macsen rufus]

Macedonian Hoplites:

https://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l148/macsen_rufus/Ancient/HlPlArHm_H_f1.jpg


On the plus side, there's not a lot of skin showing, so shouldn't take tooooo long :clown: looking at it, there's not a lot of scope for other tweaks, so the skin tone alone will have to be enough.

And, yes it would be nice to have that other BIF - I'm sure it could be useful assuming I can find enough spare folders, and also assuming BKB is okay with it being used in another mod (fully credited, of course).

And re:


I won't be re-releasing 2.53...

I'd suggest you check your email :bow: and note my new address, as well. My hotmail one is a pain to use now.

[dimitrios the samian]

Howdy Mac .... yes its easy darkening up these boys !
I think a shade or two lighter than the Negro in original VI .
I'll send that other Bif to you at the gmail address .
Transfer working :2thumbsup:

[dimitrios the samian]

UPDATE :
After almost 2 weeks , I can say I have made progress .
My first mission is to finish the generic Hellenic bif , heavily used & I am at almost 20% on that .
I will be buying a cordless mouse as i'm currently working on the laptop so that should speed it up considerably .
I have been regularly unpacking the bif & remaking & all good so far (color palette wise)
...................
re: PTOLEMAIC AFRICAN HOPLITE

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I spent a few hours & experimented a bit & im happy with the result .
It is tricky around the greaves & helmet , but easier around thighs & arms .
I will tidy up the fac colours , purple & green on these as the purples on tunic are messy ( straight lines overlaid on curves )
& adding a belt makes it look more robust & better depicted on screen .
I'll officially start on these once I send Macsen the first finished bif , as its used extensively in Rise of Persia also .

[macsen rufus]

Aha! They do look like African hoplites, excellent :2thumbsup:

[dimitrios the samian]

thanks Mac , good to know you like em !
I will be away for 3 days , but the good news is i'll have my mouse on my return & mid week next week I will send you the first bif to give him a trial run .
Take some time out for some campaigning ok :2thumbsup:
cheers

ps ..... thumbs up also on the site you used for uploading , downloaded the installer successfully

[dimitrios the samian]

I'm back !!
Looking forward to using the mouse to finish of the first bif .
Then onto the African Hoplites .
I'm feeling the need for a Thracian specific bif after that :yes:

[macsen rufus]

Welcome back!

I've been busy in your absence - delving more into the possibilities opened up by 'province resources' especially. I have now added two more new province-unique buildings to add a bit of historical context and some game features.

However, I have discovered that there is a hard limit on the number of buildings the build_prod can contain, and with the 50 province resources tied up, that means I've now filled my quota. SO.... if I'm going to implement all the ideas I have I'm either going to have to reduce the number of provinces that can have a dedicated PR building, or maybe define some as more generic items so their functionality can be used in a range of provinces. (eg maybe a generic 'Greek colony' or 'Khorasan highway' resource instead of the four or five separate province resources used to define them so far). Ultimately that means I have to make some hard decisions about which provinces HAVE to be completely unique, and which can just be part of a group.

I've also done a fair bit of tidying up, especially around era transitions, done some new dismount options, added another new unit, got rid of some anachronisms in the unit_desc texts, made more offices etc etc - and of course added as much to the "to-do" list as I have cleared off it :clown:

[dimitrios the samian]

Howdy Mac ...
Its good you been busy & making progress ! :bow:
I'm not familiar with Stazi's discovery & its uses , but stick to yr motto "gameplay always comes first"
Grouping them is a good option & the bottom line is "not all provinces need them" even if we play on larger maps or smaller provinces .
Make those hard decisions mac & remember , altering a few things & creating alternate strartpos files for variety & more challenges !
........
I'll be back finishing of the first unit , you will receive a 90% finished one to try out :yes:
I'm a bit in the dark on how it manages to go thru its Javelin phase ?
I have read all that's written about it by DJ & Wellington but still unsure ........ but deep down I know I can improve it immensely , as at present it seems to be just frozen , then cranks 3 animation phases before resting still for another 9 , I figure we can have a much much better Javelin animation .
I'll check out some custom battles on HTW with it & we can both have a look at later next week , to try & understand it better .
Going over to yr Athenian faction thread now .

[macsen rufus]

As far as I can tell, the animation cycle is hard-coded for any missile unit that isn't an archer (ie doesn't have its weapon drawn on the unit bif directly). If you look in the textures folder, along with the unit_W and unit_S files, there is also one called 'aim.txt', which contains a single number. This seems to be the FRAME number at which the action is frozen - eg when the javelin is held back before throwing. The figure used is generally the 'fight' action-cycle, as that basically involves casting the arm back and forth - it's just as easy to load a javelin into it as any other (melee) weapon. Note that in the actionspage data the 'shoot' co-ordinates for the weapon defined as javelin will show up in the first few (six or eight?) frames of the cycle and then cease to be rendered once past the point where it is 'thrown' and the missile graphic takes over. Given that you can't change the way the animation is handled, all you could change is the position of the arm perhaps, by adding in another set of four figures to use for the 'throw' action, which will require extra matching weapon and possibly shield-placement co-ordinates. And to be honest, that's heck of a lot of work for a change that doesn't really address the problem, and that no-one will notice anyway.

[dimitrios the samian]

Thanks for the enlightenment Macsen ..
I understand a little more now about this facet of animation ......... but the first thought that crossed my mind was the Slingers : their shoot cycle involves a lot more than the Javs . hmmm , more questions but for now I will leave it be as is , because its sufficient :quiet:
........................................

Macsen said >> Don't forget, there is very little scope left for new textures BIFs as all the space is currently used up - every new variant means culling something else, so there's not much mileage in minor tweaks ...........................

Yes I understand this now , my plan is this minor tweaks to existing major important bif plates only eg, belts,quivers,footwear etc etc "eye candy/realism"

Macsen said >> There's differentiation in weapons, shields and formations, and for the sake of textures space, I think that's all we can afford, compared to others that give us a better return (like Indian infantry and African hoplites )

.... I totally agree "better return" , when you get your textures/men cull list done let me know & we continue on :yes:

[macsen rufus]

Yes, slingers.... I've been thinking about them recently. What's awkward is the 'standing shoot' thing, because a sling that pauses halfway will look odd. I'm going to have to spend a day looking at animations very closely to see what I can do :2thumbsup:

[dimitrios the samian]

Yes, slingers.... I've been thinking about them recently. What's awkward is the 'standing shoot' thing, because a sling that pauses halfway will look odd. I'm going to have to spend a day looking at animations very closely to see what I can do :2thumbsup:

Howdy Mac ! , yes please do :bow: , take a closer look & do some experimenting , we really should have had the Javelin troops much better depicted than what we got given in the original & in HTW .
Imagine the classic Olympian style Javelin athlete ! wow ! , but I'm thinking that wouldn't work b'cause its travelling forward as its going thru its motions ,
but ...... a rocking arm & shoulder back & forth would make a big difference !
& I would take great pride in drawing that up if your close look is promising .

I will send you a preliminary slinger bif animation that I have drawn up (all 12 plates) & take a look at it on BifReader .
If you are successful in your investigations , then it would be worth my time drawing up the remaining 3x12 plates . ( so it does not take up a complete folder ) :2thumbsup:
Be nice to retire that googly bowling animation we have now .:laugh4: ( though its passable for a slinger) for now .

[dimitrios the samian]

UPDATE :
My first bif is 60% done .
I will send it by email to you Mac so you can check that it is going ok on the battlefield .
I have redone the bows also ( a bit thicker & longer), so just check that also so their is no clipping present .
That bif plate will be ready next week & then onto the African Hoplites .

[macsen rufus]

Thanks, Dimitrios - I shall look forward to meeting the new guys :2thumbsup:

[dimitrios the samian]

New guys sent ..check yr email :yes:
Been doodling around , skinned up a generic Biblical Unit .
Tell me what you think guys .
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[Leith]

Hi Dimitrios! I like your work. The slinger looks good enough. I am going to post a screenshot of Macedonian Pikes. Hope you like it.

18644


Here is another for Royal Pikemen:

18645

[dimitrios the samian]

Wow !!!!
Leith , they are very very nice !
I'm sure Macsen will want to use them in the mod .

We can look forward to some great Mods with an extra bloke like yourself & Western offering help .
You know , I already have many questions & ideas I'd like to share with you & us all here .
Anyway , Im in the process of finishing some skinning ,, African Hoplite/Pikemen for the next instalment "Diadochi".

I can see different legs on the royal Pikeman , did you build these up from scratch or just mod the Hellenic ones ?
cheers

[Leith]

Hi there Dimitrios! Glad you like them. It might be a good idea to change your African pikemen a bit more. Changing the skin colour will make them different but not attractive enough. You might want to fiddle with the helm or change the armour colour into silver or dark bronze for example. I think the Karkades and Immortals bifs should also change into something more attractive yet foreboding. The Spartan Hoplites bif is something that needs more work. I have an alternative bif for the Spartans which I will show below, complete with shields and icons too:) I may be able to help with the Persian units too if you require my assistance. For the record I have modified the Hellenic bifs by editing most of them pixel by pixel. Difficult, yes but look at the result :)

Spartan Hoplites
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Standard Hoplites
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Here is one possibility for a heavy Eastern/Persian unit. It's still work in progress.

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[macsen rufus]

Looking good all round - I think we're gooing to need more variety of hoplites fir the Diadochi scenario when that comes around. And those 'biblicals' look like good additions for the North African and Hebrew roster, too :2thumbsup:

I don't have a lot of time before scooting off to work, so I'm going to continue in the main thread....

Edit to add: yep, the boyz arrived on the doorstep. Probably a bit jetlagged, but I'll unpack in the morning and see if I can make them jump around some (it's 2am now, so best left til after some sleep...)

[dimitrios the samian]

[QUOTE=Leith;2053706669]....... It might be a good idea to change your African pikemen a bit more. Changing the skin colour will make them different but not attractive enough. You might want to fiddle with the helm or change the armour colour into silver or dark bronze for example.......... I think the Karkades and Immortals bifs should also change into something more attractive yet foreboding....... The Spartan Hoplites bif is something that needs more work. I have an alternative bif for the Spartans which I will show below, complete with shields and icons too:) ..............I may be able to help with the Persian units too if you require my assistance. For the record I have modified the Hellenic bifs by editing most of them pixel by pixel. Difficult, yes but look at the result :)
[QUOTE=Leith;2053706669]

Hello Leith ...

Your Hellenic units look great mate ! pixel by pixel Wow ~;) ,
Im sure Macsen will use them all ... just send him a pm & you can email them to him .

I must also comment on your great Unit Panel Icons , they look great mate , jut a quick lance & you can differentiate the Hoplite Troops , did you do those also ?

I know the work required is enormous , but I feel we are so blessed with this great game & even moreso that we have banded together again & all have skills & enthusiasm to boot .

ok re:African Hoplites ,Yes I agree they would look much nicer "slightly different" feel free to draw up a front side & two oblique views for us to have a look :yes:

I thank you for yr offer to help & I accept ........ for the meantime lets keep pixeling the time away :dizzy2:

Do share your thoughts or a few pics on the Kardakes & Immortals & I will start a thread later on & post pics in that thread of what we currently have now ( Hellenic & Bronze & ATW).

Question , Do you use the Green& Purple for faction colours on the units ?
Do you use Photoshop or another program ?
Have you re made a complete new bif plate yet ? ...( I really want to learn this )

re: pixel by pixel >> I have made a big discovery in the way I re-skin , cutting time down by a huge amount (more later as I refine it & then share it here )

cheers for now Leith & some more eye candy ~;)

18651

Mac .... meet Abdul , Mohamed , Habib & his mate , Slingers !!
No more Vikings pretending to be Greeks or Easterners :laugh4:
more on progress later .

[macsen rufus]

Ok, I have the tunic guys, mostly belted and booted. I can get them working as is, I think, without too much trouble and when the final plates are done just update it again.

Familiar story - you send guys to the front and some corrupt quarternmaster nicks half the boots to sell on the black market :laugh4:

[dimitrios the samian]

Good news ! they work fine :bounce:
Im looking forward to seeing them in beta testing & beta form , hehe .
I'll have them finished before the first Full Release of ROP.
In the meantime , I'll plug away on the other troops .
cheers for now , back in 12hrs , zzzzzzzzzz

[Leith]

Hello Dimitrios!

Regarding unit icons, I sometimes take them from other mods designed for RTW. I resize them and change them slightly or heavily depending on the situation.

I always include the faction colours in my bifs one way or another. However I sometimes focus on one major colour for the bif while preserving a small room for faction colours. Case in point, red is the major colour in the spartan Hoplites bif but the shoulders are blue reflecting the faction colour.

I usually do all the modding/editing using Photoshop but I use CorelDraw to get the bmps into the only mode the MTW engine approves of : the 8-bit mode.

Regarding Egyptian/African pikmen, I'll see what I can do. I hope you will not lose your enthusiasm for modding MTW :)

[dimitrios the samian]

Regarding Egyptian/African pikmen, I'll see what I can do. I hope you will not lose your enthusiasm for modding MTW :)

You need not worry ...I'm hardcore like yourself Macsen & the others late to the party !!:laugh4:

[macsen rufus]

Quick update:

A few reformed Cretan Archers giving the Scyths some gyp (now armed with added belts and sandles :2thumbsup: ) I've also added the new figures to the folder for the Egyptian troops which use the same body (Djamu, Nakhtu-aa etc)

18652

[Leith]

Those cretan archers look great! :yes::2thumbsup:

[Leith]

Hi dimitrios! I have done the first frame of the African/Ptolemic hoplites. Notice I had little time to do it and that many things might change according to your feedback. The spear for example will change into a dark-colored pike to go with the dark skin of the unit. The shield will definitely change.

Ptolemic Hoplites Back screen
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Ptolemic Hoplites Side screen
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[dimitrios the samian]

Quick update:
A few reformed Cretan Archers giving the Scyths some gyp (now armed with added belts and sandles :2thumbsup: ) I've also added the new figures to the folder for the Egyptian troops which use the same body (Djamu, Nakhtu-aa etc)

They look good mac & im pleased that my crude additions look nice from afar .
I will make them better ( quivers & sword holder ) before the Official release of ROP .
Ok Question ?? I see them onscreeen with both Bows & Swords ... hmmmm :idea2:
I will open another thread tonite specifically on Archers .



Those cretan archers look great! :yes::2thumbsup:

hehe , thnx Leith but they are just the Generic Toxotes & Light Toxotes .
I have something very very special planned for the fearsome Cretans !!
Your two pics below don't work ( at least for me)
& Mac Use them now as need be .... but i'll put it on the to do list so you get these boys in Egyptian gear ~;)

[macsen rufus]

I see them onscreeen with both Bows & Swords ...

True - the animations are set so that in walk/stand/run etc they carry their melee weapons, and as this bunch are hiding in the trees, not many of them are actually shooting, most are just standing.

I took a closer look at some toxotes in another battle, and I think the faces need to be looked at. Did you edit those, because it seems like the colours of the faces change a bit between frames, giving the effect of synchronised gurning as the animation cycles through when they are standing? Of course it might be an indexing thing, which I haven't checked yet.

[dimitrios the samian]

No need to waste precious time Mac
its not indexing or anything ... its my archaic skills .
I already knew this , especially on the standing bifs ! ( check there sandals ) :no: not nice enough
Their flesh will be all nice in tone soon , once I get cranking to finish them with my new technique :yes:

[Leith]

H! Sorry about the images not showing! I re-uploaded them. I want to learn more about this unit. Is it going to be the elite unit for the ptolemics? Is it a pike or spear-armed unit?

[dimitrios the samian]

Nice unit Leith :2thumbsup:...
We will check with Mac on what he needs/wants etc for these troops .
But in the meantime i'll finish mine of also.
Keep up the good work .

[Leith]

Thanks! I am looking forward to seeing your new bif! :yes:

[macsen rufus]

I understand that they were equipped like any other hoplite unit of the time (so would be pikes as per the Hellenistic fashion of the late 4th century BC). They would be on a par with with other units, not the elite corps. The Ptolemies also raised native Egyptian hoplite units, but I'm not sure we need to use up an animation folder for every skin tone. Looking good so far - the shields look a bit flat, but I'm a dab hand with lighting effects to get the domed effect :book2:

[dimitrios the samian]

Thanks! I am looking forward to seeing your new bif! :yes:

It will be ready in a week , I'll post some previews in a few days , with some options tinkered with on helmets ! :2thumbsup:

[dimitrios the samian]

The Ptolemies also raised native Egyptian hoplite units, but I'm not sure we need to use up an animation folder for every skin tone. Looking good so far - the shields look a bit flat, but I'm a dab hand with lighting effects to get the domed effect :book2:

Agreed , we don't want to use up all the folders , but we do want the negroes !! :yes:

[Leith]

Thanks for the info! The bif is far from complete. I will equip them with a dark pike and the shields will change too. I am not happy about the complexion either. That's the problem with MTW: you only have 50 bifs for all the units.

[dimitrios the samian]

Thanks for the info! The bif is far from complete. I will equip them with a dark pike and the shields will change too. I am not happy about the complexion either. That's the problem with MTW: you only have 50 bifs for all the units.

I understand you my new friend Leith ,,
Complexion is so so difficult , I struggled with my first lot ( Caucasians) but thnx to my skills improving on Photoshop they will eventually be just right for the full release ! :2thumbsup:
I think negro skin is much more difficult ( I am using 3 shades at present )

I reckon , Re do the darker African tone on 1 full bif plate & I will explain to you how you can transfer it to the other 11 bifs ( saving many many hours & days of work )
cheers

SANDALS - CUT & PASTE

From one 3 standing figure set to other 11 plates in quick time .

18733

[dimitrios the samian]

GENERIC BIF PLATE

18732

Finally made more break thruth's !
A huge one just today ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ~D for me & ATW anyway that is

[dimitrios the samian]

When I posted up that bif plate above , I managed to find all the co-ordinates as listed in the Textures/Men/ActionsPage & I drew them onto the Plate manually & in white .
Now almost 3 weeks later I finally have learned how to load them into the plate by using Readbif 23c .

18777

Now how I wish we had a manual on using Readbif !
Anyway at least for now , I can check to make sure all the bows stay with their rectangle .
Later I hope I can do much more .
.........
Question .
Can I reduce the Sheilds by half ? .. I read somewhere it can be done .

I understand its for detail , but why do they have to be bigger than the soldier ? :beam:
Spears & other weapons are ok for now .
I will also remove 14 & 13 the 2 dying rectangle as they take up to much valuable space .
Rectangle 15 & 12 will suffice for death & I will also draw/tuck the figures right arm over his abdomen , thus narrowing the rectangles down .
By doing this operation , I will have an extra line & half :2thumbsup:
So much can be done Archers can eventually stand , run & walk with their bows !!
Likewise Peltasts holding a number of Javelins instead of a spear etc etc .
but more later .....

[dimitrios the samian]

Been doing a bit of side work on creating a new Slinger & I noticed something very very interesting & useful .
The actual Sling drawn on the 12 bif plates is different ! ...it opens as its being released .

I have not seen this on other BifPlates ( perhaps I didn't notice ?)

This is a great discovery that silently went unnoticed !
To the artist that created this for Hellenic .... well done mate ~:cheers:

Lots of food for thought & more options available to all now .

This for me is huge as Archers & Javelin men can now be better depicted on the battlefield .

No more shoeless troops with just tunics potraying 3 diff types of Archers & Peltasts ..... one day soon perhaps ! :yes:

[Stazi]

Now how I wish we had a manual on using Readbif !

You probably already know this but maybe you find something useful in the guide below (wrote by the author). It's called Quick Start guide but it covers most of the readbif functionality.

Quick Start

1) load \Textures\Men\Peasent\Peasent.bif by 'Open file' menu.


2) load \Textures\Men\Actionspage\FedualSergents.txt by 'Load anime rect' menu.


3) click the 'Sort Anime Seq into Actions' button.


4) select the 'walk' action in the list.


5) use right mouse button to bring up the popup menu.


6) choose 'Load all Shield' in the popup menu.


7) goto Textures\Men\Items\Shield1\FedualSergents\ and click "open" under the open
dialog.


8) click one of the 4 angles' images.


9) click 'Add weapon or shield' button.


10) click one of the 3 images under 'add weap..' panel.
now you can see the preview image with a virtual shield on the left side.


11) the preview image can be zoomed in.


12) when you entered new data into the edit-box, and click the 'ok' button,
the old data will be cleared and the new data will be recorded.
if you enter the correct data the preview image will be updated, too.


13) the checkbox 'extend weapon' is used to predict how the weapon is drawn in
game.you can enter different numbers to see how the preview changed.


14) the virtual weapon or shield is in while color if they are drawn after the
soldier.and they will be in other colors if they might be transparent in that
situation.and this is what the checkbox 'draw item first' used for.


15) when you click the 'sort anime seq..' panel. you can drag the image of
seq 0 (in the top 3 images) and drag the image over the angel's box, then
drop the image to make the change.


16) you can click one of the top 3 images to choose the anime sequence.
then you click the 'add weapon...' panle to choose the frame you want to look or
add the weapon or shield. you can get the (x, y) pair when your mouse move over
the preview. the center point for the soldier was marked as a red point.
just try some (x,y) pairs and you will see how the data is used.


ps: This program might be failed under WINXP. you need to take your risk
for using this program. if you have problems with this program, you can write
it down on the org. I will fix the bugs ASAP.

[dimitrios the samian]

brilliant !!!
This is huge , thnx stazi .
So much more accuracy & much quicker time , as we begin using the larger BifPlates .
Im sure macsen will find this guide useful also

18921

Works fine with XP .

[macsen rufus]

Don't worry, I've already got the T-shirt - that's what I was referring to when I said I'd discovered how to do the shield and weapon positioning properly for the Armenian cataphracts and the prodromoi ~D

[dimitrios the samian]

nice !
now I know how also , thanks to the guide stazi posted !
there will be two of us working in that field when need be &
saves you writing it up for me :laugh4:...

[dimitrios the samian]

Howdy Guys ....
Just a quickie .
The two all new Hellenics ..

18963

18964

& I paid some love & respect & a quick re-skin to our original Slinger

18965

He won't be touring all over the Ancient World in service anymore :laugh4:

[macsen rufus]

Hi DtS,

Just downloaded the new BIF, thanks for that - will give it a whirl tonight :2thumbsup:

I've been giving ATW3 Roman Wars bit of a spin the last couple of days, as it's years since I last played it. I'll be doing a v1.1 of that with updated icons etc, but for now it's available to download in its v1.0 form - the download link thread has been updated to suit.

[Leith]

The new slingers look great, dimitrios! Good to know you haven't given up on Roman Wars, Mac! :bow:

[YanBG]

Nice work Dimitrios and you say you are not a designer, that's art then!

[macsen rufus]

It'll be nice to see different slingers on the battlefield at last - it's bugged me for quite a while that they all had the same body. Staff slingers especially need to be different....

@DtS - check your mail, some goodies on their way to you by way of a sneak preview :quiet:

[dimitrios the samian]

The new slingers look great, dimitrios!

thanks Leith ....


Nice work Dimitrios and you say you are not a designer, that's art then!

Thanks Yan , I guess a bit of both then ~:)


It'll be nice to see different slingers on the battlefield at last - it's bugged me for quite a while that they all had the same body. Staff slingers especially need to be different....

Yes macsen , soon we'll have Slingers with correct animation for the Hellenics first & eventually for all factions that can use them after a reskin .
I made the Staff Slingers very different so we can tell them apart very easily & at a distance also even when standing ~;) & they are both made/morphed from the existing Hellenic Bif using a technique I have pioneered & will eventually share if others are interested , ofcourse I freehanded with some added touch ups & additions required .

Also macsen when we get to the stage of creating the new 640 BIfPlates , "have faith" we will do it in co-operation so its smooth uniform & adaptable ~;) & pssss .... I also had co-ords worked out a few minutes after looking at them a 2nd time after emailing you :yes: .

Ok im proud to also announce that both the Staff & Rope Slingers have a reload & twirling motion before releasing there lethal volley .
I want them to have their own full stand walk run & fight rectangles/animations ...
& To be honest it will be so f@#in great to finally "almost" be able to see who's who & were on the battlefield !! :laugh4:.....

At present im about 50 to 60 % on them & they are definitely coming before X'mas , I will keep you all informed on progress in my bi-monthy updates .

Now , about the Barbarians/Northern Slingers , at the moment its only the standing figs .

Perhaps if time permits macsen , you can post a screen pic of them standing in the wings depicting them in the heat of battle .
Ofcourse we will not see the reskinned one's in full motion but with them standing nearby we will get a rough idea on how good they look onfield ....

Briefly , I was never planning on doing anything with them , but I knew I could at least get them to at least stand more menacingly then that silly upright corpse like pose they have .
I took a quick look & a smile began to form , I just used frame 2 of their sling animation & it was perfect for their idle/stand .
So I just removed 2 rectangles used by the dying animations & the 4 standing frames fitted in perfectly with a pixel to spare :laugh4:.

So now one day down the line I will create a much much better Slinger for the Barbarian/Northern .

You know truly , I have grown to love these guys & that is the reason a proper Slinger for factions that will continue using the long pantsed long haired Barb version is forthcoming ............. truly we are lucky for the creators ( thanks Flip) as even a superb Javelin thrower can be made with this Barbarian Bif .
(( I have draughts))

Anyway guys , you all be well & safe .

[macsen rufus]

Good to know you haven't given up on Roman Wars, Mac!

Indeed not, that was part of the motivation that got me going again ~D

Here's a quick preview of some of the new icons:

18996

[macsen rufus]

I finally got round to using the new BIF for slings with their new more menacing standing pose:

19139

[dimitrios the samian]

they are the same old original ones , but they look so much more realistic using frame 2 ~:)

[dimitrios the samian]

3 Hoplites fit neatly onto one 640 Bif Plate .

19206

Potential for troop variety has more than doubled , future looks great , providing the engine can run it .

[dimitrios the samian]

Drafted up some interesting troops the other day when it was raining ...
The rain gave me 3 or 4 spare hours to mod , but after 2 hours of monotony I needed some variety .
I've been drawing in by hand the 200plus Quivers & Sword holders required to complete my first project ... ( Hellenic Peltast/Archer)
It will eventually be done , but monotony gave way to some creativity !

Ok ....
Born this time are another variety of Heavy Eastern (( Assyrians or Babylonians ))

19244

I must thank Leith as he sent me one plate of his reskinning work .

19245

& the original from which it came from .

19246

I also used the HTW Peltast & little bit of PSP freehand to get the Helmet pointy & ear flaps/sides on it as well as some cutting in around the armour & tunic .

Leith do you have a full working Bif of these ? ...12 Plates .
I really like the silvery/grey texture you acheived .
cheers

[macsen rufus]

Nice - I think we could find a role or two for those guys :2thumbsup:

All to the good if the Middle Eastern area becomes more varied visually, and they would be good for the Assyrian/Babylonian/Armenian/Urartuan rosters across the various mods. You're definitely picking up speed and refining your skills on this - the way we're going 2017 could see some major overhauls :bow:

[dimitrios the samian]

thanks mac ........
I hope Leith has the full 12 Bifs done up like this ~:)
When we first met he sent me these & I liked them very much .
So I put them aside without really knowing what I could do with them ( back in July) .....

Nice - I think we could find a role or two for those guys ........
....... most certainly can , with only 3 genuine Eastern Bifs at present a few more was a must do .
I reckon they both should arrive by late 1st Quarter 2017 .

You're definitely picking up speed and refining your skills on this -........
.............& its a simple method that I'm getting quicker at .

the way we're going 2017 could see some major overhauls ........
Ofcourse , adding visual improvements & variety is a must , as is the coding & scripting you do ...
but deep down I feel in 2017 even if 12 months from now , we should resurrect HTW & give it the overhaul it deserves !~;) & its place back in tha active Forums

[Leith]

Hello all! It looks you've been busy, which is reassuring, given that I cannot wait to play the Roman Civil War scenario. Dimitrios, I am going to show you a screen of a unit I wanted to use for my viking invasion 3 mod. It's very similar to the one I sent you before. Its 12 plates are ready in case you're interested:

19253

[macsen rufus]

we should resurrect HTW & give it the overhaul it deserves ! & its place back in tha active Forums

Shhhh! Don't tell everyone ~D

Yep, I'd love to get a final HTW install out of all this.... after all, it was HTW that started me on the modding path in the first place. I just didn't realise at the time where it would lead me.

[dimitrios the samian]

[I]Leith

They looked ok from afar & quickly , but on closer inspection , they are a no no .
their red beards are not black as before & they just don't look middle Eastern !! :laugh4:

........ (( perhaps you still have the other bif or most of it ? ))

If not its ok , I'll get around to it at a later date

I]

[dimitrios the samian]

Shhhh! Don't tell everyone ~D

Yep, I'd love to get a final HTW install out of all this.... after all, it was HTW that started me on the modding path in the first place. I just didn't realise at the time where it would lead me.

Glad you agree , a Deluxe HTW :bow:
Its uncanny , similiar but different with me .
Just one set of Brothel Bifs for HTW & ................... :smart:................... ten years later I'm just getting started .

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :

Ok guys , last update of the year .
Firstly I am still active & fear not I have not given up .
I have been managing to still get a few hours in every few days & steady progress is being made .
All these I display below will see action in the coming few months of 2017 !!

19300

Hellenic Peltast & Archer ........................ approx. 95%

19301

Hellenic Slingers & Staff Slinger , All new animation .......... approx. 75%

19302

Biblical/Eastern , Light Infantry & Archer ...........................approx. 70%

19303

Thracian Peltast & Archers ............ approx. 40%

[macsen rufus]

Keep plugging away, DtS :2thumbsup:

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Judea are eagerly awaiting the biblicals... or is is the Judean Popular Liberation Front.... nah, it's the Popular Liberation Front of Judea... ~D

Otters' noses anyone??? :clown:

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :

Made some spare time again to mod & made some more progress again these past few weeks .

Hellenic Peltast / Archer .... 95%

I finished drawing in all the Bows but failed to calc in the Quivers in previous post :laugh4: , so still at 95% !!

Hellenic Slingers & Staff Slingers ........... still at 75%

Haven't touched these recently .

Biblical/Eastern , Light Infantry & Archer ........... approx 85%

Made major progress on these guys , got all the headpieces drawn in & flowing nicely , they look brilliant !

Thracian Peltast & Archer .......... approx 60%

I'm really enjoying using the cutting & pasting options on Photoshop & these guys are coming along very nicely also !

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :

Biblical/Eastern Light infantry & Archer ......................... Approx 90%

Been focusing all my spare time on finishing this Bif first , I'll continue until I finish this then move onto another , should be ready in a few weeks , spare time is very minimal this time of the year .

cheers

psss .... mac check yr email , have a preview I need you too see .

[zweihander]

Great to see the progress of your mod, did you find out how to use Pose to create unit graphics?

[dimitrios the samian]

Hello Zwei !!

Good too see you posting .
I never did , learn about Poser & cannot create new graphics .

What I have learnt is how to use Photoshop & Bif Reader .
If you go thru these threads , you will get the idea .

I remember way back over at Cegs mod , the conversions from flicster were a bit large .
If you want I have stumbled upon a simple way to adjust them so they are perfectly suited to MTW .

[zweihander]

I remember way back over at Cegs mod , the conversions from flicster were a bit large .
If you want I have stumbled upon a simple way to adjust them so they are perfectly suited to MTW .

Hm. You mean converting Civ3 unit graphic? What kind of adjust do you need?

[dimitrios the samian]

Yes , I should have made myself clearer .
I followed yr thread whilst you converted your first unit & the size was almost correct .

By using a simple procedure on photoshop you can get it precisely as required prior to packing it into a new bif .
Just go to image , resize using percentage & voila !

Later in the year , I may revisit some Civ3 Elephants & Chariots to bring into MTW .

[macsen rufus]

Greetings all,

Good to see you here, Zwei, and thanks for the kind words.

DtS - I have the Biblicals now, and they have come on a long way :2thumbsup: - were you planning to colour up the headdresses a bit more?

Re unit sizes on screen - you only need to change the value in column 24 of the unit_prod, that is the simple way to match BIF figures of different sizes, no need to meddle with the actual graphics content. (That's how I made my Indian and African elephants different sizes for Ancient, despite them using the same graphic source ~D)

I've been a bit quiet of late as I'm working on a new project - and still making some new discoveries. I have the campaign map made and working, factions created along with all their shields etc, names sorted, and am about to get started on sorting out the units - the various factions are still using pretty much viking-era troops, but I have imported some nice stuff from Duke John's library of BIFs and got them working, too. Progress has been very rapid, and I will release more info when it's good to go....

I'm happy to leave Ancient on ice for a while, so DtS, plenty of time for you to finish your new units - no pressure on that score :bow:

[Leith]

Hello guys! Glad to know you are both working hard on your projects. I just wanted to wish you both good luck! I am very intrigued by Mac's new project. I have no doubt it will be as great as his other mods. :yes:

[dimitrios the samian]

DtS - I have the Biblicals now, and they have come on a long way :2thumbsup: - were you planning to colour up the headdresses a bit more?

I'm happy to leave Ancient on ice for a while, so DtS, plenty of time for you to finish your new units - no pressure on that score :bow:

re: the Headdresses's ........ If need be "Yes" . When you get the finished Bif , run it in game & post a pic .
Then , I can bug you to show me step by step "how to change colors" & I can do it on photoshop ( its made of only 2 colors )

& thanks for understanding & putting the ATW projects on ice till I deliver these bifs , its great news to know you have kept active :2thumbsup:

& Leith , thanks for hanging around & yr support , Im also excited about mac's new project :yes:

[dimitrios the samian]

]: UPDATE :
[/SIZE]
Made only a little bit of progress since the previous update .
Its been crazy hot weather & lots of fires burning around , so time for modding was at a minimum .

I put in those spare hours on the Biblical/Eastern Light Infantry .
They are coming along nicely & I have added some extra faction colour around the edges of there head dress .
These will be finished first before I pickup to finish of the other ones .

cheers

[macsen rufus]

I hope the fires are keeping well away from DtS Manor... still winterish here, but first signs of Spring are springing at last.

As for the new project, I'm getting close to a Beta, I think, so I'll post some bits up in the appropiate corner of the forum.... :2thumbsup:

[dimitrios the samian]

UPDATE

Yes , they skimmed around us last month but others were not so lucky .
I made more progress with the little time available & "I have coloured up the headdresses a bit more"
Not solid colour but they look better still !
I'm working away on the 4 Archer figures now & with headdresses approaching completion on these as well , it will be only their footwear & they will be completed .
cheers

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :
Hello macsen & others
Made more progress on the Biblicals ,taking into account its one of the busiest months before winter arrives , im glad with my progress.
I have completed the four firing frames and even made a sizeable dent in the two dying frames .
I only have the boots to do on all 12 plates & thete done .
These guys will be ready before the next update !!
Till my next update .....cheers

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :
Hello macsen & others
I didn't get anywhere near as much free time this past month so unfortunately the Biblicals are not ready to hit the battlefield yet .
The good new is the spare time I did have I managed to finish the dying frames .....
So all that's left is tidying up there footwear !!
The weather has been unusually still warmish n great ...... the "calm before the storm"
but with winter only weeks away , plenty of modding time will become available & allow me to finish all the projects I started last winter .
Until my next posting .
Cheers guys

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :
Hello Macsen & Leith & others following ...
I only just managed to get back into finishing of these Biblical Bifs .
Winter has been unusually very very nice & I have done very little since my previous update .
Anyway , days are at their shortest & first snows have hit the peaks so its very very close .
I'll have these guys finished soon .......
cheers
DtS

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :

Hello macsen , Leith & others silently following
Great news !!
The Biblical Infantry is finally done .
Great winter weather down under kept me busy in the real world for the past 3 months .... ( weather has been like spring & autumn )
But I put in the 5 or 6 hrs since my last update & have sent Macsen the bif file .
I will pickup on the Thracians & finish them of simultaneously along with the Hellenic Light Infantry , with the all new Slingers & staff Slingers to follow thereafter .
cheers for now

[macsen rufus]

That's great news, DtS - summer here has been a bit like spring and autumn too :laugh4:

I'm just working my way through my browser tabs, so will get to email shortly, looking forward to unloading the new guys (if they're allowed into the country these days, might get held up at the border ~;) )

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :

Gooday Macsen & others silently following , time for another update .
I have put in some time on the Thracians & they are approaching completion .
I picked up again on these Thracians after finishing of the Biblicals .
With the cutting & pasting done previously , I've been freehanding with brushes & they are looking great !
Mac , for these guys to look really good the green-colour on the Thracian's should be a darkish tan or light brown to match there slightly darker coloured knee high boots with those Thracian lapels .
Cheers

I'll post a pic soon .

19969

[dimitrios the samian]

: UPDATE :

Hello Macsen & others .
Its been a busy Spring & Summer but some spare time has opened up
& Iv'e picked up where i left off .
Finishing of the Thracian Peltast/Archer .

20568

As you can see Mac , the Archers have their own 4 standing frames , along with Run & Walk .
Only minor things to finish up , Boot Flaps , Belts , Bows & Quivers .
& Yes macsen !! those are the new co-ordinates all in & pixel perfect .
This layout will be used so i can finish the Hellenics
& perhaps when they see action i''ll even go back & update the Biblicals Bif i finished last year .

[macsen rufus]

Hi DtS,

Cool - nice to see them coming on, let me know when they're ready, I'll have to clear some room on my hard drive to get Ancient loaded up again, cos AGoT has eaten all my disk space ~D

[dimitrios the samian]

mac , don't erase yr AGot just yet ...... more on why later .

: UPDATE :

Ok . long time between posts but great news is i have put in plenty of hours and the progress is showing .
The Thracian bif is almost done , its approx at 95% .
The Hellenic Bif is not far away either , just working on placement of rectangles at present on this bcoz of the unique Rhodian Staff Slinger .
& for something completely new :yes: ............
During these past few months i have begun , in silence on a new Ancient Egyptian !
He will slip in perfectly to compliment our Ancient scenarios .
Pics coming soon ....
cheers
20675

[dimitrios the samian]

*bump*
Sorry for the long time between posts .
I was very ill for almost 4 months & have spent the past three recovering .
I have only just in the past few days picked up were i left of to complete the bifs i have spent lots of time on .
A bigger update will follow .
cheers

[dimitrios the samian]

Thracian Done ......

22130

Coming soon ... Hellenic Peltast & Archer
& Rodian Slinger & Slinger

[Leith]

This bif looks great, DTS. Cannot wait to see more of your work. Good luck

[dimitrios the samian]

UPDATE ....
macsen , i have decided to put the Thracian on a 640 Bif & include a dedicated Thracian Hoplite into it .
22235
So just another few sessions on this Bif & its done !
Once its done , ill email it to you & if you get the time ...
It would be good too see how it performs eg , playing a Battle as Thracia with Hoplites , Archers & Peltasts
To see if perfomance is affected with plenty of troop types all working of the one plate/folder .
cheers