AoVaF maybe to be made for MTW2 instead...

[Rodion Romanovich]

Like the title says - AoVaF will maybe be made for MTW2 instead... The lack of skinners at the moment (we've however many coding volunteers), plus a lot of IRL undertakings means there's simply not enough resources to create AoVaF for RTW/BI as it seems now. I don't think I'll be able to take the leader position in an AoVaF mod for MTW2 however. What are your thoughts on this?

[Epistolary Richard]

Hmmm... it would seem a shame. Waiting for MTW2 after all means downing tools for x months until the game's actually released and even then it's highly unlikely that we'll have the same modding scope then as we have now with Rome. Remember it was only when Vercingetorix made the xpak programme that we could even get at unit textures, it was only when he made the cas exporter that we could change models. MTW2, especially with its variable model/texture referencing, could well be even more complicated.

Given that the smart money's riding on a end of October 2006 release, in my opinion we won't be back to position where we have enough modding knowledge for full modding for at least six months.

I would say waiting for MTW2 means not making any significant progress for around 15 months. Given the likely changes, both in the features and the team after that you may as well start a new mod.

[Bar Kochba]

but if we us rtw or bi are we gonna be able to bring it out b4 mtw2 otherwise people might just not want to plzy it

[Greek_fire19]

Could we maybe at least get a custom battle release for RTW? Or even a limited release with just the units you have and a simple campaign?

Whatever you choose is fine, but it seems a shame to have to wait a year or more to see those lovely berserkers in action.

[Rodion Romanovich]

@Greek_fire19: I personally don't have a problem with releasing what has been done so far, and I don't think the others mind either (but I'll check just to be sure). Apart from releasing that package I and the other coders might be able to release a stripped down simplified version with placeholder skins for most not yet finished units. But there's still some significant work that is needed for that to be possible, so it'll take 3 months at best before such a release could be made. If that project hasn't enough support we can release the package containing our latest internal release pretty much right away. But balancing is needed before it'll at all be playable so I think we should at least do some more stuff before releasing anything. In any case don't worry - I'll try to get something released

[Agraes]

AOVAF is one of the mods I expect the most. It's a shame that the community didn't support it further. I don't want to see it 'dead' until MTW2.

I know how hard it is to get a full mod - ATW have been started for months but there still mountains of work to do, even with a strong team.

I wasn't that enjoyed with the announcement of MTW2 - simply because it implied that most of mods should be out before it... I hope I can play with AoVaF one day.

[Duke John]

Why don't you reduce the campaign map with the factions that you have finished? Something like Viking Invasion? The factions that you have finished, but do not fit in this campaign, can be used for historical/custom battles. At some point a modder might use it for another mini-campaign.

M2TW will be even more complex, so if you can't finish this mod for R:TW then I wouldn't put your hopes on M2TW.

Cheers,
Duke John

[Ragnor_Lodbrok]

In my personal opinion you shouldn't switch from BI to MTW2, it'd take too much time to convert all done work etc.

[Rodion Romanovich]

I think I've decided to make a release for BI then, but some help from the community will be needed. I'll post the research lists we have so far, and anyone who wants can comment and help out finishing them for us. Then we can do the coding. Hopefully there'll be more skinners showing up when the basic coding is done.

[edyzmedieval]

Good boy.

When can we expect a primary BETA?!

[Csatadi]

I'll post the research lists we have so far, and anyone who wants can comment and help out finishing them for us.

I hope Meneldil's request to the provinces will appear here, too. Thats very important. I hope the readers will help in the campaign map regions.

[Rodion Romanovich]

I had in mind posting all the research lists when they're semi-ready. Too bad I'm so busy IRL at the moment. Anyone else in the team: feel free to post the lists here because I'll be very busy for at least the rest of the week and maybe next week too.

[Germanicus91]

Why don't you reduce the campaign map with the factions that you have finished? Something like Viking Invasion? The factions that you have finished, but do not fit in this campaign, can be used for historical/custom battles. At some point a modder might use it for another mini-campaign.

I agree with the idea of trying to release a mini version of the full proposed AoVaF. So your fan base has something to get their teeth into into the full version of AoVaF comes out later and at your leisure.

How about a mini-map for Scandinavia and northern Europe, so we could have fun playing as the Vikings and Germanic nations?

I agree with others too that waiting for M2TW to come out may mean no release for AoVaF until 18 months or more into the future. And it looks like M2TW will be quite different to what is planned for AoVaF.

Just my two Euro-cents...

Keep up the good work! :-)

[ahlerich]

so i take it u guys continue for bi?
i follow this mod since november and its my favorite thing im waiting for for rtw..i however also allways was worried if it will ever finish because of all those (great) ideas that kept on beeing added so it seemed for me the mod content grew faster than its progress. this is no critic and i dont want to say im the smarty that knew it all the way, i just was worried. i finally after 3 month even made an account today to also reinforce u to continue and better release a lite version...with all the banners some units it still be a great addition to the other mods around

a few arguments against waiting for mtw2

-it might be released a few month later then estimaed now
-it might have a crappy ai in the beginning like rtw
-all the other arguments stated earlier from other ppl
-u might need a hell of a box to run mtw2 which some ppl might not have/ wanna buy right aways for mtw2
-mtw mods lived way longer then mtw(1)
-for rtw aovaf would be a gr8 mod that put a whole new time playable
-in mtw2 ur mod would just be a variation of the timeline {roughly} provided in the main game
-lots of your work might not be able to import and therefore useless

however its ur decision

somebody made a huge mao (2x as big then normal) in th twcenter. i donno if u noticed it. i donno if u guys have a map completed already. why not take that map cout out eg britain, scandinavia and europe to constantinople or so, add and rename provinces (there islots of space for many) and work with that as an platform and implement what u have there.
the idea of a viking invasion kinda thing sounds great to me too

im a little ungifted home modder that currently takes of the cream of every good mod out there to create my personel best of. i would find it sweet if u guys could offer ur units (model,texture,skin,sprites,ui,banners..)and ur map if u have a finished one, buildings etc for download so ppl can use it so or so.
hehe maybe that sounds selfish but if i had any skills/equippment for moddeling i d help out. unfortunately im useless. u think you could consider that?

[Rodion Romanovich]

Our map is one of the parts that is closest to ready ATM. Plus the adding of features isn't a big problem with so many coders, what we lack is mostly skinners (and research for some of the parts, but we're getting that now, it seems). So the mod will continue fine and we'll probably add many of the ideas, but some units will just have to use placeholder skins unless we can get a few more skinners. I don't know about the others but I'm personally remaining semi-idle until more skinners show up. I think the entire team would get back the "fighting morale" and continue working quite a lot if we'd get indications that it'll be possible to get the skins done for this mod. It's not nearly as tempting to do coding if the end-result will still only be a mod with placeholder skins. Anyway, I've not taken any offense but am merely informing you that your theories are unfortunately wrong, which means your solutions to the problems aren't possible... I think that if only a few skinners would show up this mod would get started and start progressing quicker than ever in a matter of days, and we'd be able to release some kind of beta in two months.

[Agraes]

You should have a look at TWC mod workshop, there are some new skinners that have recently register out of there, and searching after some work in mods

[Rodion Romanovich]

Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look at it

[palissa]

I dont know if is ethic in the mod community, or it isnt, but why dont ask some of the super artist, like tomte or other, to help you with some textures and skins?
He said he did some various type of textures that can be mounted with few changes and in very fast time, to make units very fast :)
All those armored infantry, or such, or vikings, can be done like that :)

Please pardon me if this idea is ridicolous :) but outside here seems existing dozens of artist that just can make skins at very fast rate.

Of course i am undecent artist, and know nothing of drawing, i am good only in accountant and with number :)

Bye

[Csatadi]

I dont know if is ethic in the mod community, or it isnt, but why dont ask some of the super artist, like tomte or other, to help you with some textures and skins?

Your idea sounds logical. If the hill dont go to Mohamed...
Where can we found this guy?

[palissa]

I saw TomteofDoom works both in Blue Lotus and in Ran no jidai mod,
very talented painter, in my humble opinion.
Seems he can make dozens of skins in few hours.
I guess you can convince him easily to make some skin for some viking, or armoured people, providing him some research picture, which i am sure you have dozens :)
He did all armoured samurai, just drawing each piece of armour (arm, leg, torso, helmet and so on) and mounting them on the varoius type, or so he said, probably creating a storeroom of armor pieces, that cna be mounted with ease.
Bye

[Rodion Romanovich]

Ok, we should try to get all our research together then so the valuable time of the skinners we can find time isn't wasted. I'll be more active from next week on and will help finalizing all our lists. We can look into our concept pics in more detail then and maybe draw red rings around which guys we mean for which unit...

[Leonin Khan]

what are we going to do now??? ps im the stranger

[Rodion Romanovich]

We'll keep working but it seems many have left. I personally am busy IRL for the rest of this week. Then I'll hopefully get more time. I'll try to see if skinners can be recruited etc.

[Leonin Khan]

maybe i can do something else...thats not 2 much work but must be done...cuz my initial work cant be done without skins and pics...

[Csatadi]

Leonin Khan and others:

We need research about armies - Legio knows exactly the uncovered factions.
Need research with the provinces:
Province names
Settlement names
Rebels name
Religion Percentage
Resources
Hidden Resources
Starting Owner
Starting Buildings
Special Building
Mercenaries available
Any important thing e.g. historical personages even if rebels, local units etc.

The strategic map is ready you can see in the Campaign map section and the province and settlement names are almost ready. The problem is now I cannot present such a map with the names.
The modern Spain and the Carpathian basin are well covered with dates but all the others not.
Im making such a map so just a little time and I can put it to the list.
If you are familiar with some countries you can help to collect the backgroung infos and later sending connected the exact provinces.

Anybody can help us in this process - making the final campaign map and collecting datas.

[Leonin Khan]

well if i get the info i could make it all work but im afraid im not the right person to collect it.

if somebody could give me the names i could insert them into the right place and if someone would give me the starting locations i could place the armies and stuff

[Csatadi]

Legio is the team leader. If he would get you in the team maybe you could help us to create the map for researchers I mentioned before.

[Leonin Khan]

im already in the team mate :P i do the unit stats and i was one of te first on the mods...atleast of those who are left now anyway.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Like I said I'm busy for the rest of this week at least. We should really have a secondary leader to take over leadership stuff when I can't, or maybe I should degrade myself and promote someone else? Anyway I'll have a look at stuff next week probably and see if there's any chance of putting this thing together.

[Leonin Khan]

i dont think you should...everybody can be busy sometimes...np...youve done a great job m8...keep it up...assign meneldil or somebody to take over while your gone then