Twitter discussion

[Phalanx300]

http://www.zwaardvechten.nl/content....iewitem&id=761

(click on foto)

You can do anything with his beard for a Germanic unit?

[Tux]

Only if the picture was bigger... Anyway I'm thinking of creating a thread were everyone can post the faces they would wish to see in EB2's units.

This would help us, artists, since we wouldn't lose time searching for useful pics however I would need a volunteer to coordonate the thread. But if no one volunteers then no problem I'll just drop this idea.

[DaciaJC]

I would be entirely glad to volunteer my own face. Are you in need of someone with a full crop of peachfuzz?

[A Very Super Market]

Actually, that wouldn't be too out of place for some Barbarian skirmishers. Or hell, psiloi

[JMRC]

The shield's of curious size though... A bit smallish for a close combat warrior, one'd think, yet he holds his spear as a thrusting spear (and the spearhead is large). Cuuuriouss...

Before too much confusion is settled, let me point out a few things:

- the shield doesn't look from the getai...
- the unit is rendered in a spearmen animation, but it may not be its final animation family
- elite units don't require large amounts of armour and/or oversized shields; the elite status is given mostly by their martial skill or fanaticism during battle.

[-Praetor-]

(...) the elite status is given mostly by their martial skill or fanaticism during battle.

...or extensive experience in tribal warfare and skirmishes.

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

Yay for another barbarian unit that can be quickly slaughtered by javelins.

[Smeel]

...or extensive experience in tribal warfare and skirmishes.

...or being filthy rich, buying the best armor.
(wasn't this the main reason? Allmost all elite units i've know of has been composed by nobles etc etc.)

[Tux]

I would be entirely glad to volunteer my own face. Are you in need of someone with a full crop of peachfuzz?

But what about to volunteer to manage the thread apart from that...

[Phalanx300]

Before too much confusion is settled, let me point out a few things:

- the shield doesn't look from the getai...
- the unit is rendered in a spearmen animation, but it may not be its final animation family
- elite units don't require large amounts of armour and/or oversized shields; the elite status is given mostly by their martial skill or fanaticism during battle.

Yes it does look like a shield you guys would give an Germanic soldier and the rest of the equipment as well.

Seeing Germanics were Iron-Poor this may very well be a Germanic elite, then again the Germanic elite Bodyguard were known as Long Haired Companions.

[Gustave]

Only if the picture was bigger... Anyway I'm thinking of creating a thread were everyone can post the faces they would wish to see in EB2's units.

This would help us, artists, since we wouldn't lose time searching for useful pics however I would need a volunteer to coordonate the thread. But if no one volunteers then no problem I'll just drop this idea.

I agree with you, good idea !

[Ludens]

...or being filthy rich, buying the best armor.
(wasn't this the main reason? Allmost all elite units i've know of has been composed by nobles etc etc.)

There is some truth in this, but wealth alone does not a good warrior make. Often, nobles would have such wealth and status because they were leading warriors, not the other way round.

You needed to be very rich to afford the best cataphract armour, but you needed to be very fit to use it.

[Phalanx300]

Seems like it was a Getai unit afterall, and it seems it wasn't an elite unit either:

Early and Late versions of a getai spearman are in the build and a light cavalryman is also finished by Gustave. Tux made the models. - JMRC

[Gustave]

No, they are 2 different units.

[DaciaJC]

Seems like it was a Getai unit afterall, and it seems it wasn't an elite unit either:

Hmm, sounds like the Dacian light/heavy phalanx.

[Vasiliyi]

you can go ahead and use my face as a unit... I dont quite have a full beard, but theres something..

I posted a picture of me wearing Chain mail that ive made in the Main EB subforum, If your interested. Id be honored..

[DaciaJC]

Working on the Hoplite overhand animations now.10 done, 52 still to do.Trying to do this fast, to begin with the gladius anims ASAP. Praetor - about 1 hour ago from web

Nice to hear! Take as much time as you need, though (this is for EBII in general). I don't see any need to rush.

[Phalanx300]

Thats great! Does that mean we will have 52 animations in EB2?

And for the Hoplite formation, basicly it should look like here on 3:54 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkEO...e=channel_page

They shouldn't move their shield away when stabbing.

[antisocialmunky]

It would also be nice if you made hoplites so they didn't do that slow weird power stab and instead do a quick little straight line strikes like the guy at 3:54.

[-Praetor-]

Thats great! Does that mean we will have 52 animations in EB2?

Not really. Erm, let me explain.

A hoplite animation is not a single animation, it's a family of animations. This family of animations is composed of several (normaly several dozens) of animations that are each used by the soldier every time he stabs, walks, runs, covers, retreats, advances, taunts, celebrates, dies, scratches his arse, etc.

And there's also the transitional animations, which are when the hoplite passes from running to walking (and viceversa), running to charge (and vv.), standing idle to standing guard (and vv.), standing guard to advance (and vv.), standing guard to retreat (and vv.), etc.

So, when you start customizing an animation to be used by a single type of warrior, i.e. the hoplite, considering his long spear and his very wide shield, you have to change quite a broad range of animations inside that animation family to avoid jumps and glitches.

Hence, 52 animations means 52 animations *inside* the hoplite animation family.

[-Praetor-]

For instance, some animations needed for the hoplite are:

Retreat (stand-alone):


Retreat to ready (transition):


Charge to ready (transition):

[machinor]

I could watch the retreat animation for hours and hours. Great stuff!!

[antisocialmunky]

Wow, those are wonderful especially the retreat one. The low camera angle on the bottom one makes him look like he's skipping. All wonderful.

[DaciaJC]

I could watch the retreat animation for hours and hours. Great stuff!!

Indeed. However, I notice in the animations that the hoplite is carrying both a dory spear and a sword in the same [right] hand. Is this intentional?

[-Praetor-]

The low camera angle on the bottom one makes him look like he's skipping.

That was the idea. Nice.

Indeed. However, I notice in the animations that the hoplite is carrying both a dory spear and a sword in the same [right] hand. Is this intentional?

Ah, I forgot to delete the sword when doing the preview. The fact is that the model holds both primary and secondary weapons, every time. When the skin is applied to the model, the alpha channel virtually "deletes" the secondary weapon, or the primary depending which one the soldier wants to use, by making it transparent.

So don't worry, he will only hold the spear during battle.

[The General]

For instance, some animations needed for the hoplite are:

Retreat (stand-alone):
[/IMG]

As others have said, that animation is just beautiful.

How do you get guys to retreat by the way?

[Tellos Athenaios]

It's part of the game. Literally.

AFAIK the retreat formation kicks in e.g. when a soldier retreats back into formation if he pushed too far ahead from his own unit which is set to guard mode.

[Phalanx300]

Whoh thats great!

And yeah as the other said you can now slowly retreat your units without showing your back? That would be a mayor breakthrough if so.

Perhaps you guys can use these videos made by the Spartiatikes Mores Reenactment group, they know their stuff and their Phalanx impression looks the most realistic so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHZt...layer_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2XL...eature=related

[Horatius Flaccus]

Amazing animations!

[The General]

It's part of the game. Literally.

AFAIK the retreat formation kicks in e.g. when a soldier retreats back into formation if he pushed too far ahead from his own unit which is set to guard mode.

Dang. I hoped that there was a retreat order that I just had somehow managed to miss. Oh well.