Show-case Multiple-Mod Unit Demo Download

[Dol Guldur]

I was thinking about this the other day. Maybe somebody has already done it. I certainly am not not going to, but in case the idea is not out there and some might think it good then I posit it here for others to chew over...

Name: To be decided

Purpose: to show-case up to 20 released Mods in a single download for members of the forum.

Advantage: single download for the downloader to test out the units of up to 20 mods (rather than 20!).

The Org would select, by criteria to be determined, 20 released Mods. This could even be a rolling league.

Each Mod would, if in agreement with the project, submit up to 12 units from a range of their factions coded into one faction (DMB, DM, EDU, EU, cards and cas and texture files/sprites). It would also submit a generic custom-battle location name and image (this will have to reference a vanilla co-ord so the area chosen would thus have to be quite bland). Each mod would also submit a loading screen which can include their website/mod information and images.

A Compiler would have to merge all the unit-build files of course. There might also be some extra work in terms of things such as modded projectiles etc.

I'm sure there will be some fiddly bits and the whole thing may seem a waste of time - then again maybe it will synergistically work out ;)

Just a thought.

[Nero]

I for one think it's a fantastic idea. Will be nice to smash Persian soldiers with Uruk-Hai from FATW, or some medieval army overrunning Iberians from Iberia TW.

[Dol Guldur]

Yes, well there's that aspect to it as well. Modders could post information about their game in some of the unit description text - and replace some of the unit info cards (just a bigger pic of the unit card really) with pictures from their mod such as maps, building TGAs etc with the relevant text beneath.

[paullus]

Sounds like a great idea, if you can get people to cooperate. It truly would be quite a lot of fun to put EB's Baktrian agema against Chivalry's foot knights or, as previously mentioned, some Uruk Hai! It'd be a good opportunity to advertise different mods and their strong suits to people who may not have even heard of the mod before.

[Isnogood]

I think it's a brilliant idea !

By the sound of it however, this would take a rather long time at that scale and you need your own mod team:contacting all the teams, putting the stuff together...

How about starting with 3-5 mods with nothing too fancy in the beginning, I mean, if some of the mod teams decide to go with the idea I'm pretty sure they want to show off a little, just a hint at what it is, that sets their mod apart from the others,i.e. 4th Age or LotR want to implement some of their resized skeletons and new animations, NTW and Citadel want to show firearms etc.

I think therefore it would be better to start with a few mods, only showing off some models, to introduce the concept of this showcase to the mod teams and fans alike and then release updates with new mods and features, that way it's also alot easier to keep track of the work.

If you are in need of help I would do so gladly, I know how to make sprites and have access to 3ds Max for the purpose of making UI or fixing minor bugs.

[paullus]

oh yeah, you'd probably run into problems with skeleton and model limits, don't you think?

[Dol Guldur]

Not if each faction (and thus mod) was limited to 12 units or so - a default vanilla model (and thus unit) could even exist on each faction that would contain information about the mod in its unit scroll (a sort of generic click-me "Mod Diplomat" to sell the mod to players).