New Models for Cualli Civ

Turret

Turret

Chieftain
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
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Hello everyone, I am finally going to start contributing to one of my favorite games by creating some new unit model and animation for the Cualli Civ. I am creating this thread for a couple of reasons.

1) I want to get an Idea of what unit people want most, voice your opinions. If nothing stands out I personally was going to start with making a swordsman unit since they are using a human model at the moment. Also if people have art of what they think truly represents the Cualli visually please share it so I can use it as reference. I am looking at using the Kolsehvahn leader art as the backbone for my designs but the more art I have to get ideas from the better.

2) Secondly I need help from a technical standpoint. This would be my first creation specifically for a game like this and to be used in a mod. So if anyone can share any information like whats the max polylimit and texture size for the models, or how to open models that are already in the game would be a great help. I will be using Maya to work so I need to figure out how to get models in and out of the game. Links to tutorials or just information I can read over is also great.

Thanks for any help and I will try my best to make some really cool models that people will enjoy to play with in game.
 
As far as I know the Cualli should have art for everything. It's just mostly the same as the Mazatl Art.
The thing is that the pedia just displays the standard graphic for the unit, as long as you don't start a game with a civ that has unique art.
So if you click on the swordsman before you start a cualli game, it displays a human one.
After you start a cualli game it displays the correct lizard version of the unit.
 
Anyway i think that it would be really cool if both tribes get different models/textures.
Also i dont really like the current mazatl models/textures .. they look kinda cheap.
 
Turret said:
Hello everyone, I am finally going to start contributing to one of my favorite games by creating some new unit model and animation for the Cualli Civ. I am creating this thread for a couple of reasons.

1) I want to get an Idea of what unit people want most, voice your opinions. If nothing stands out I personally was going to start with making a swordsman unit since they are using a human model at the moment. Also if people have art of what they think truly represents the Cualli visually please share it so I can use it as reference. I am looking at using the Kolsehvahn leader art as the backbone for my designs but the more art I have to get ideas from the better.

2) Secondly I need help from a technical standpoint. This would be my first creation specifically for a game like this and to be used in a mod. So if anyone can share any information like whats the max polylimit and texture size for the models, or how to open models that are already in the game would be a great help. I will be using Maya to work so I need to figure out how to get models in and out of the game. Links to tutorials or just information I can read over is also great.

Thanks for any help and I will try my best to make some really cool models that people will enjoy to play with in game.
Click to expand...

Can't really help with tutorials (god knows all I can do is reskin units), but the Modding Tutorials Forum should help.

As for art.... Here are some examples for the Cualli:

http://volcanico.deviantart.com/art/Gor-Rok-the-white-Lizard-118051319
http://jwilsonillustration.deviantart.com/art/SS-Slik-125903108
http://sansyu.deviantart.com/art/Lizard-Man-142121496 - Future leader, actually

And here's one for the Mazatl, showing the difference between the two.
http://i44.tinypic.com/2mr8i9e.jpg - Future leader... Bask in his awesomeness. :lol:

Biggest differences: The Cualli use a few pieces of armor tops, never a full set. They rely on innate abilities, as to do otherwise is to appear weak and beg for your underlings to usurp your position. The Cualli have more spines/horns/etc. The Mazatl, on the other hand, appear more noble, have no issues with a full set of armor, have few (if any) actual spikes.

shoggi said:
As far as I know the Cualli should have art for everything. It's just mostly the same as the Mazatl Art.
The thing is that the pedia just displays the standard graphic for the unit, as long as you don't start a game with a civ that has unique art.
So if you click on the swordsman before you start a cualli game, it displays a human one.
After you start a cualli game it displays the correct lizard version of the unit.
Click to expand...

They do, yes. It's just all used by the Mazatl as well (may be a slight skin color difference, not sure), and is pretty crappy.
 
Thanks for the images Valkrionn, I guess the best option right now would be to make a new generic infantry type unit and then a disciple type to replace the ones in game. I am thinking the second lizard picture you linked would fit the infantry best and then the third would be the shadowy disciples. Do you have a link to the leader art used in the game right now?
 
I could be high on varnish fumes right now since I just finished the table, but aren't there some lizardfolk models for a lot of Cualli? I thought we had almost everything except great people.
 
There are lizardfolk models for a lot of the units but they are just re skinned people and I am looking at making some really nice units that look and move differently. Been reading up on how to do this and looks like I will be better off working in 3DS max to get all the animation and stuff done. Still looking at how many polys I can use and once I find that out I will start working on a unit and post some screenshots soon.
 
I know the thread is for the cualli, But I really liked the "mazalt" picture... very noble-ish.
 
Turret said:
Thanks for the images Valkrionn, I guess the best option right now would be to make a new generic infantry type unit and then a disciple type to replace the ones in game. I am thinking the second lizard picture you linked would fit the infantry best and then the third would be the shadowy disciples. Do you have a link to the leader art used in the game right now?
Click to expand...

All currently-existing leader art can be found in the Wiki. The Cualli can be found here.

The art for Cuai-Ixl is set to change (don't have replacement art for it yet, just want to change it), and the art of Mihuatl is a bit too armored; Kolshevahn is about right. :lol:

DrunkenOrc said:
I could be high on varnish fumes right now since I just finished the table, but aren't there some lizardfolk models for a lot of Cualli? I thought we had almost everything except great people.
Click to expand...

Yes, but they are crappy. The Lizard art is some of the worst in the game atm, IMO. Which is understandable, given that there are very few artists who would need to make lizards for Civilization, and they aren't in FfH so SeZ hasn't worked on them. :lol:

Turret said:
There are lizardfolk models for a lot of the units but they are just re skinned people and I am looking at making some really nice units that look and move differently. Been reading up on how to do this and looks like I will be better off working in 3DS max to get all the animation and stuff done. Still looking at how many polys I can use and once I find that out I will start working on a unit and post some screenshots soon.
Click to expand...

Yes, 3DSMax is the best bet. I've used it once, and that was just for an improvement... 3rd in the Bedouin Sit line. Were I to do it now, I'd just clone the nif in nifskope, but I wasn't aware of how to do that at the time. :lol:

Any art I do is simply a reskin, and then playing with nifs... All I'm really capable of. Hoping you're able to do more. :goodjob:

Once you get enough posts (and have been a member for... 5 days, I think it is?) I'll invite you to the team forum so you can post the files there. ;)

Calavente said:
I know the thread is for the cualli, But I really liked the "mazalt" picture... very noble-ish.
Click to expand...

You mean Mazatl. :p

But yes, I love that image. Already my favorite Lizard leader, and he's not even in game yet. :lol: Won't be until 1.4.
 
sounds like a plan valk, I am going to use 3ds max purely because maya 2011 doesn't have a nif import/export script made for it yet. Going to have to learn 3ds max rigging and animating though so that should be fun. XD
 
I can't speak to the normal poly count in a model, but I remembered this bit from back when I was perusing the art thread; in regard to the 'new' (back then, nov 2009) Beast of Agares model;

WarKirby said:
The beast is a bit over 1700 polygons. It's certainly among the highest polycount units in the game now.
Click to expand...
 
OK that sounds good, I will shoot for 1200-1500 because by now people should be able to run this basic amount, I mean this has to stand up to some time especially since civ 5 is around the corner. And speaking of civ 5 are there any plans to upgrade to mod to civ 5? probably not planning on it yet since we have to see what they change in code etc.
 
Turret said:
OK that sounds good, I will shoot for 1200-1500 because by now people should be able to run this basic amount, I mean this has to stand up to some time especially since civ 5 is around the corner. And speaking of civ 5 are there any plans to upgrade to mod to civ 5? probably not planning on it yet since we have to see what they change in code etc.
Click to expand...

We have our plans, actually, which you would likely find out about once we can get you in the team forum (rather hoping you can make art for that as well. :lol: We've needed an artist badly), but porting RifE over is not in the cards.

Basically, we feel that Fall from Heaven is not Fall from Heaven without Kael involved. As he's not, we do not want to create FfH for Civ5... So we have our own setting in mind. Still fantasy, though. ;)

Also, you should get on #erebus, both myself and Grey Fox are on right now. Opera is moving atm, or she'd be on as well haha. http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=328588
 
Turret : please, do not use too much polygones....
pretty please ?
we are still many with sub-optimal PC...
 
That is if there were any threads about it in the Team Forum... :lol:

Anyway, good to see we finally have an artist! :p
 
While Civ 4 can display very high-poly models it is recommended you stick to models with about 800-1000 triangles for multi-model units (e.g. most land units), and no more than 2000 triangles for single-model units (e.g. air/naval units). In general though, consider the scale of the units and don't use more detail than needed. For example the F-15 model I used is 1045 polygons, while the P-51 model is ~1400 polygons, and I don't see a reason to add any more detail, in fact I could cut another 200-250 polygons from the P-51 and most people will not notice it.

Source: [Tutorial] Exporting models from 3DS MAX into Civ IV
 
OK well I will make em nice but resist the urge to make them ultra awesome, I will save all that for Civ 5 models =)
 
In case people are wondering and checking the thread repeatedly for updates, work has started on the models, I am just posting them on the team forums now. So you guys will have to wait till they are released in some patch to get a peak at them ;)
 
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