Ethnicae - Mac / PC compatible Mod

[coffee junkie]

Wow ... Interesting indeed. Let's talk together so.

Alright CJ, I know I haven't contributed anything in nearly half a year, so for that reason alone you should give me . But I feel like you should listen to me right now...

You are doing too much for no reason.

Pretty much most of these civs you are creating units for are either already handled by great unit makers (and you know it), or have enough randomly assembled units that you don't really need to reskin them, which is what you are essentially doing.

mmmh ... As a Civ lover and a modest modder, I'm interesting in everyone"s work so yes, I have assembled many units and many mods. But when I have a closer look on a unit and when I open the .dds file ... Gosh ... Many of them ( I mean really many ) have crappy skins. My point of view.

I can easily understand it's not other ones point of view for sure and maybe I'm an arrogant mind ( a typical frenchy attitude ) but I really think I can enhance many skins. And not only.

Here a typical example :

Maybe you don't see all the work. It's not so obvious after all ... I used Blender to correct the body on 2 parts : the shoulders ( the arms were a bit disconnected from the body, a bit like a barbie doll ) and the upper leg ( a bit too straight for an almost naked unit )

Then I worked on the texture :

Before :

After :

This unit is a creation of Ambrox62 and his work is greater than mine because he did the mesh, what I'm unable to do for now. Was my work unnecessary ? maybe yes, maybe no. And maybe someone will enhance in a better way what I did and then, it will be a good thing for civfanatic community.

Idem for this WW1 rifleman/machinegunner already posted somewhere below :

A small job in Blender ( the feet and the hands ) + helmet, then a head replacement in Nifskope, then, a texture work ...


Before :

After :

I think you should either focus on flavoring civs that don't have a nice set (like Babylon, Netherlands, Zulu etc.), or focus on flavoring things (like workers, and missionaries for example) that need flavoring. There are plenty of LHs that could use a simple "makeover" as we call it in America (and if you are not familiar with the term, it is basically turning a disgusting person, way more often than not a woman, into something reasonably, man I want to use a different word, bang-able). That's all you should be focused on, honestly the units are cool, or even sexy, but it is a waste of your time. I hate to say this, because I intend on ripping your units, but honestly, the work you are putting into them is unnecessary.

You are partially right but I think you didn't read all the posts of this topic. There will be workers, settlers, scouts, ALL ethnic flavored in this big update of ethnicae and it will include ALL civilizations ( including Babylon, Netherlands, etc ... )

The Zulu are an already done job ( somewhere in below posts )

I love the work of Bakuel because his meshes are so interesting with a heavy knowledge of uniforms beyond history. But I really really don't intend to use only his creations. I could spare me much time using his textures but then, I would miss a way of learning more and more ( my favorite hobby ) and as my target is to render ethnicae coherent from A to Z : the textures of Bakuel just don't fit this target ...

And as we say in France : "c'est en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron" which means : more you practice, more you learn ...

I don't intend to work on leaders ( except the 2 ones I already did which are so ... "unfinished" + the leader I prepare for an upcoming civilization which will be in ethnicae : Pacific ) Any help will be welcome !

Unless, of course, we join forces...

Asap I finish ethnicae, I plan to make a new ( but no original ) mod based on "Game of Thrones" with as many details as possible. If you are interested ...

I wanted more than once to work with some other civfanatics members on a common project but in vain for now. for different reasons I think.

EDIT: I have a buttload of units you would absolutely love, even ones from Bakuel that aren't released. You should PM me.

You make the offer ( and a such interesting offer ! ) please, pm me and I will answer for sure !!!

EDIT 2: I mean, c'mon man, when you were making Portugese units you can't tell me you didn't regret the time you spent on them. I sincerely mean this in the best way possible, but you know as well as I do that it is a waste of your talent.

The lack of choice makes me mad. Always. Both Carthage and Portugal made me frustrated. Not because you think I wasted my time, but because the lack of choice and so the lack of possibilities. Bakuel made the only available units. with the ones of Danrell. And I'm not yet good enough to make new entire meshes of units in Blender or 3DS Max. But I have to finnish ethnicae. A bit obsessional ? Not at all. A simple fact.

The 2 first versions of ethnic mix more were just a beginning and a quite poor job indeed. Now, time is coming to go further and to do a much better job !

I kown that ethnicae is far away behind diversica and varietas delectat in terms of downloads ... But I try now to make ethnicae like a real alternative. You see, I told you I'm a bit arrogant ...

I hope you are going to rip a lot of my units ! And I'm happy to see you joining the topic. Action at last ! héhéhéhéhéhé


EDIT : Added the name of Danrell for Carthage and Portugal units creation .......................... Remember, even incomplete, my post doesn't intend to make an offense !

 

[Dumanios]

Hey, Danrell's made some Portuguese guys also!

 

[coffee junkie]

Hey, Danrell's made some Portuguese guys also!

Yes you are right, and I used them a long time. But I was searching something else.

There is none offense to anybody and I love Danrell work ! But I have something else in mind. My choices. after all

 

[flying toaster]

If I may include myself in the discussion a little bit, I do understand CJ's "creative" choice we'd say.

He's more about trying to learn by himself to level up his skills and mod than trying to fill in the blanks and release asap ( if I understood well Capo's point ) nor is it to fill in an envy to play with some units and release it. Which isn't either what everybody else do !! I mean, some are better at meshes and other at getting everything well aranged, CJ looks good at texturing and making everything a bit more neat.

Which is why the civ community isn't stagnant, all modders are trying to make the whole machine go fowards toward one goal : make the perfect mod : the one that is beautiful, unique and realistic.
-> thus, all modders make creative choice. Some prefer Bakuel's unis, others Danrell, etc.

If I got it right, I think CJ's point is more about trying to be a real alternative that, yes pick some units from other but also is uniquely flavored ( which is why we do see his work all over other's place ) and thus, become a real mod, really something different than just a mixed up of good units from all over civfanatics like a "my-most-like-units-mod".

But that's just my opinion

 

[Keinpferd]

I don't get this discussion at all. Just do your thing, coffee junkie. In other fields of creation it's just common business to rework and rearrange things, even if they're already good. And sometimes the retouch comes out yet better than the original, which should make everybody happy.

What's next, coffee?

 

[coffee junkie]

I don't get this discussion at all. Just do your thing, coffee junkie. In other fields of creation it's just common business to rework and rearrange things, even if they're already good. And sometimes the retouch comes out yet better than the original, which should make everybody happy.

What's next, coffee?

The next civ at work will be ....... Greece !

 

[flying toaster]

In other fields of creation it's just common business to rework and rearrange things, even if they're already good.

Exacly what my unconscious wanted to say

 

[coffee junkie]

Flying Toaster ... Thanks for your support here and in the modern units thread

I'm pretty sure you're a militant of the F.F.U on Civfanatics you know ..............Freedom For Units

Guys, I wish you all a zen night : 4 AM here, going to dream about units and battles and civ stuff from other things ...

 

[coffee junkie]

GREECE

Spoiler :

Different inspirations here :

Firaxis, Ambrox62, Bakuel ...

Coming very soon : cuirassier ( similar in style to the musketman )

I'm still working on the chariot because I'm not satisfied ... the shield, the helmet ... Dunno exactly but it's not as ok it should be

Spoiler :

 

[coffee junkie]

ROME

Spoiler :

Different inspirations here :

Firaxis, Aranor, Danrell, Bakuel ...

About the roman shield, it's going to be a curved shield ( as it should be ) : same shield and same texture than shown in pictures, but curved in Blender. Except the spearman who will have a different shield ... Will update the pictures soon

Coming very soon : musketman And as Greece, still working on a chariot. As I have to create one for Polynesia ( and surely other civilizations ), I will make a batch a bit later

So ... some pictures will change quite soon

Oh ! Almost forgotten : added a musket man and a warrior ( and so pictures ) to Portugal ...

 

[Keinpferd]

Holy Mary! More a collection than an army, but a very convincing uncorny immense individual collection. Good example how the completely unrealistic works like investigation free journalism. No! No criticism at all. I love it.

 

[coffee junkie]

Holy Mary! More a collection than an army, but a very convincing uncorny immense individual collection. Good example how the completely unrealistic works like investigation free journalism. No! No criticism at all. I love it.

I don't understand ...

As too briefly mentioned, the Barsaglieri is a creation of Bakuel ... I just changed the trousers of the rifleman following these examples :

The Rome Axeman is Bakuel's Thraex I re-texturized.

The Rome Maceman is a creation of Aranor : I did nothing except use it to create a knight and a pikeman

I think I'm going to make 2 different folders for Rome and Greece for Medieval/Classical ages :

- One with Antique units

- One with true Medieval/Classical units ( Savoy colors surely )

What do you prefer ???

 

[Keinpferd]

I don't understand ...

The point I was trying to make, was… Let me show you with pictures.

Terrific! A straight ten out of ten.

The trousers of the Bersaglieri are very realistic, so no investigation free journalism here, at all. What was this Keinpferd thinking?

Now, I want you to look at this early Roman republic hastati kind of legionary by Walter Hawkwood:

First I thought, goodness, this helmet is ugly shaped, the face is even uglier, and the metal of the armament is much much too golden for it's supposed to represent bronze (doesn't come out well in the screenshot, but it's really shiney in the game). All in all, the body of this soldier completely lacks of contrast, that means, flesh tone, cloth and armament are more or less the same on the brightness scale.



That's a modern replica of a Montefortino helmet type. The original is exposed in the British Museum in London. That clearly shows, Walter Hawkwood didn't exaggerate with the shinyness of the metal. Thank god, the guy doesn't look like George Clooney. The fabric of the tunica must be unbleached linnen, therefore a dirty beige tone, so the lack of contrast is unavoidable, if you're going for ultra realism. After all, I'll give Walter Hawkwoods legionary also ten out of ten, but for all different reasons.

There we go, I like both beauty and realism, and who says, you have to take one side? So keep up the good work, coffee!

 

[coffee junkie]

Added Spearman and Longbowman to Rome units pictures.


The greek spearman you show is not mine at all. I just enhanced the pixels, the shield, some details here and there. I dropped down the texture from 512 to 256. I don't know who did it. I found it in another mod : xyth's History Rewritten.

I understand your point. Be back later to talk about

 

[flying toaster]

Hahahahah !
You guys are funny talking about details such as realism and beauty.
You reminds me of girls fighting over lipstick !

Your work is really well done CJ : I like the mustache on the Italians

 

[coffee junkie]

This topic is getting worse and worse ... After sexy, G.Cloney, here comes the lipstick !!!!!

Guys, what's going on with you ?

 

[flying toaster]

Actually, the reference to George Clooney with the Romans wasn't good in my opinion -_-
Should have been that guy ... Gerard Butler I think his name ... just sayin'

So ! That's not all but I have those new pair of high heels I bought for xmas, you know, I have to try them right now !

 

[coffee junkie]

Going to rename this topic .........

Gentlemen ( and obviously ladies ), this is now the brand new Rocky Horror Civ Mod !

 

[coffee junkie]

Today, I added and changed pictures to France civilization because it is mainly my draft/testy civilization and because I changed some textures.

I did so in order to begin my next mod based on "Game of Thrones" ... I finally found some really interesting pictures and files to work on

As I find the result not bad at all, and as I'm working in parallel on the next civ : Netherlands, this work will be used for it.

For the lazies among us ( and I'm the first one ), to avoid to go to page 4, here the new frenchies.

Will post Netherlands asap I finish.

Spoiler :

Keinpferd ... I fully understand your point and yes, I agree. The target is to make both esthetic and accurate ( historically ) units. Of course. My work is in progress as you already know it. But please, indulge me, stop saying my units are "sexy" or so, because this is not my goal.

First, I have to clean up all the textures I'm currently working on and then, I will work again to render even more and more realistic and historically accurate the units.

It's a huge job : I counted yesterday : 850 units !!!
I don't complain since I'm found of improving my mod and I'll be glad if people around rip the mod to take the units and improve themselves what I did

So, my priority is to create my own database of units textures to work later faster to improve them. I know ... a bit useless since it comes late in time, and since Civ V is out but sometimes, we're doing this kind of stuff

Have a nice journey !

 

[flying toaster]

a new mod ?
wow !!

well, you're work on Ethnic Mix More is a longtime work : sounds like you always have new idea to improve it and make it like you want. wouldn't you be the kind to be eternally unsatisfy with one's work ?