A visual experiment: Would you like Civ3 to look like this -->

[Anastazi]

Outstanding! I would love to see this stuff implimented ASAP.

I'm with Redking. Why doesn't Firaxis think of this stuff?

Anastazi.

 

[Willem]

Originally posted by embryodead
I guess no one will like me for what I want to say This mixed formations like those Tercios, look really great, so, this would be good for certain historical scenarios, but I don't see a point in making whole game like this, (or the future Civ4!). This is strategic game, where figures represent units, warbands etc. and thats okay for me. If every unit has from 1 to 6 figures, I imagine myself being totally confused. Huge map, hundreds of units... thousands of figures. 1 Tank was 1 unit... now I see 2 tanks... 3 horsies... almost like in RTS (oh no)... me confused

As this idea has extremely good response, I expect that most mod/scenario creators will stick to it. I'm pretty addicted to customized civ stuff, mods, scenarios etc. so the main reason I am saying this, is because I would like have a choice when downloading someone's scenario, to get the "ordinary" version. In other words, I like this and will surely download it as soon as its released, but I am afraid of this becoming a standard, and in some cases the only "option".

There's no reason why you won't be able to mix and match. If you don't like how a particluar formation looks, you just use the originals.

 

[cgannon64]

Good idea! Perhaps, with this, you could have partial victories, and units could merge to become full strength, or have different formations to change their attack/defense/speed points; the possibilities are endless!

CG

 

[Schizo_Angel]

Theres going to a be a lot of suggestions for units losing men when they lose health, but the thing is it, it won't work.
Sorry to spoil the fun guys

 

[RedwoodTree]

if individual "soldiers" of the "unit" died as the hit points of the unit declined during battle.

Also, if you have pikemen and longbowmen on the same square, how would that "mix"?

 

[Steph]

Some other testing. The size of the frame is the same as the one used for my 6 units animation.

 

[Kentonio]

Would be even better
if individual "soldiers" of the "unit" died as the hit points of the unit declined during battle.

As Schizo_angel said dude, that wont work im afraid.

Kentonio

 

[Steph]

Here is a 3 Jetfightet squadron

 

[computerdude113]

WOW!
THE SQUARDON LOOKS GREAT!

This is turning out to be great!
If someone is interested, i'll try and do this to the dinos that came w/PTW so we can have dino armies, would be kinda interesting having a Raptor or T-Rex hunting pack after a spearman.
Another idea would be, at least for the dinos, would be to have the origonal dino ug to a pack of two, which ugs to a pack of 3, ect, each getting stronger.

 

[Steph]

A bomber and its escort

 

[BobTheTerrible]

How many "new" units are being worked on? I see Napoleanic infantry, and pike/musket combos. And how long do you think it will take for the mod to be finished? I'm really eager to download this once it is finished.

 

[Civddict]

best thing since Civ 3 appeared on shelves

 

[GIDustin]

Only one problem with Stephs version. WHen combining 2 units into the same frame, the pallettes are not always the same. As you can see from the pic above, the Bomber has lost some of its detail. If the SBB could make a storyboard with 16 million color pallette, and keep the colors as they are, then the person converting the unit can create a combined pallette to cover all the colors used. Some people may not mind the graphical sacrifice in order to get formations, but if possible, lets do it with the detail as well.

GIDustin

 

[West German]

You should be able to be in the same square as someone you're in a military alliance or MPP with.

 

[Boris Godunov]

Oh...my...god!

YES! PLEASE keep up the work on this! It's amazing. This is something I've wanted for a looooooooong time!

 

[Steph]

Originally posted by GIDustin
Only one problem with Stephs version. WHen combining 2 units into the same frame, the pallettes are not always the same. As you can see from the pic above, the Bomber has lost some of its detail. If the SBB could make a storyboard with 16 million color pallette, and keep the colors as they are, then the person converting the unit can create a combined pallette to cover all the colors used. Some people may not mind the graphical sacrifice in order to get formations, but if possible, lets do it with the detail as well.

GIDustin

The unit is also a bit nicer in Flicster than in the gif.

In fact I don't think missing to many units is a good idea, otherwise it will be VERY diffcult to find stats for all of them, given the limited possibilites of civ 3 ( we really need a civ 4!)

I did this mostly to check that in the automation process, I never mixed the position : with only spearmen, its hard to tell if you put one at the place of another!

SBB produce a true color bmp, except for the shadows ; there it used the colors of the first units for all the other. It's just afterward that I have played the palette of the first unit to produce the FLC, losing some colors in the process. But if someone wants to adapt the palette to keep all details, the raw material is there.

 

[Steph]

Originally posted by West German
You should be able to be in the same square as someone you're in a military alliance or MPP with.

I think it's time to make things very clear. I understand all of the remarks and suggestions made by everybody, but I fear a lot of you have hopes that will not be fulfilled, at least with civ3.

All the changes we are speaking of here are ONLY COSMETIC changes. It is not possible to change the mechanism of the game :
- No change of formation if the unit attacks or defend
- No change if the unit takes loss or reinforcement
- No change if several units are stacked together
- etc, etc.

Perhaps a new thread "suggestion for civ4" would be better for all these remarks.

 

[Kryten]

Great work Steph! Without you this project would never get off the ground.

However, you seem to have forgoten one small thing....
.....although we can increase the frame size of the units, they must still fit within the map tile.
And I'm afraid the limit on elephants is about two max.

Here's an example. The green 'grid' is exactly the same size as a map tile.....

 

[GIDustin]

I must agree, the 2 elephants look better than the 3. (And not because of the pallette either )

GIDustin

 

[GIDustin]

So, how will this project get going? If you just convert regular civ3/PTW units, you wont be able to post due to copyrights (I think). Does this mean everyone must do this themselves, or how do you plan on making this modpack a reality?

GIDustin