Pentagenesis: The Future Is Immortal

[Neomega]

These top posts will change from time to time, to reflect current changes and news

Time to get back to work for me.

For those who do not know, Pentagenesis was an attempt at a full conversion of civ III to a sci-fi turn based game, whose story lay in the colonization of a new planet, by beings evolved from humans, now immortal, but branching into five separate races.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=102263

I eventually stopped work on it, to hone my 3d skills, knowing civ IV would be 3d.

I chose to save any announcements until I was sure I could get truly customized graphics and models into Civilization IV.

I can probably also do terrain editing, as it is heightmap based, and I know how to check models in Blender, and perhaps build overlays for special buidings and units. But I have not looked into it yet.

I will be lead story writer, and lead designer. I will also probably take over low poly modelling and texturing.

Here is who we will need to make this happen:

Technical Civilopeda Writer(s):
makes sure links are working correctly, makes sure important, non-storyline information is noted
+blackheart

Python Programmer(s):
make the game an unrecognizable, brand new experience for the player

XMLologist(s):
First to see the new models in actions. In charge of inserting in all models, and design implementations correctly
+woodelf
+Promenthus


Artist(s):
Blender preferred, but maya, max wings, or any other blender compatible program is acceptable. Mostly focusing on high-poly, single mesh models. I will work on the texture baking and creation of low poly models, but of course any one is welcome to help in those capacities as well.
+Killamike718

Civ IV experts:
Basically, this is where suggestion comes in. In all honesty, I do not have time to play civilization IV much, due to my ambitions. But when I do play it, I still find it highly addictive, allthoguh I have never come close to beating it on Monarch, which has frustrated me greatly.


Concept Artists
If you have any original sci-fi sketches, post them here, and I will attempt to convert them into a civ IV unit, building, icon or whatever else you may draw up. If exciting enough, maybe a wonder movie.

 

[Neomega]

Leaders and civs:

the mutant leader KarTaka


lopoly(1350 tris, including spear) model is rigged, textured, but not animated. This is a highpoly/lowpoly comparison render.

"naked" Autocyon, highpoly, lopoly model not started yet

this is what the worker will look like (with a lot less polies, of course), and then I intend to ad more stuff to the infantry.

 

[Neomega]

Terrain and Resources:

The planet is not yet set in my mind. Alhtough i promised liquid metal seas to someone who complained about my purple seas, I am considering it actually being set on a planet once inhabited by an unknown species, full of ruins.

 

[Neomega]

UNITS:


Ahh the most fun and easiest part to imagine, yet the hardest part to create.


human or clone laser infantry (680 tris, a little high):




Armored Transforming Assault and Command Core (ATACC)



Autocyon General

http://rapidshare.de/files/14467858/General-C9CH47divx.avi.html

here is a little 520kb avi, 640x480, 4 second of a model I am working on, 4998 tris, for a contest called domination war over at cgchat:

http://www.cgchat.com/forum/

It is too high poly count for either the RTS I am working on, or the mod, except perhaps as a cutscene, or as a leaderhead, but I plan to make a superlow poly version as well so it can be in Civ IV.


Supply Truck

 

[Neomega]

Buildings and terrain improvements:

This part can be started now, as I can already create buildings and export them. I am brand new at this, and do not know how to do special effects or anything.

 

[Neomega]

Religions:

In civ III Pentagenesis, religions were based on race, and I never got around to impelementing them, they were only mentioned in the civilopedia, and there were only 5.

In this version, I hope to have 6 religions. A nation's religion are what determines which religious victory it can persue. In the list below, the name of the religion comes first, followed by the victory name, and then by what I would like to see available to the player once the game is over, if they wish to continue playing. In italics is just a note of what race is usually the carrier of what religion.

Deus Ex Machina = Mechanical Evolution = Mechaforests begin to grow on the map at a rapid pace, creating eyes for winner, and energy and shield production bonuses (cyborg)

Stella Cyonis = Star Communicator = Great technology rate boosts (autocyon)

Blood Brotherhood = Superweapon = eats up units, leaves cities untouched, has recycle 4 to start (mutant)

Collective = Collective Memory Core = every city captured immediately becomes happy, no unhappiness in any cities, culture triples (clone)

Natural Order = Natural Immortality = no unhealthiness in any cities, every citizen only consumes 1 food (human)

Dimensionism = Past Time Machine = map restarts, except winner gets to start with 2 units of their choice (autocyon)

Ancientism = Genetic Resurrection = no unhappiness, culture triples, technology boost (human)

A eighth option, will be no religion, sort of free religion

Free Will = Planetary Confederation = winner choose 2/3rd's of civs as vassal states (cyborg)

Also on my wish list would be religious cooperation, so nations with the same religion can work collectivley on the same victory, but I don't think that will happen.

 

[Neomega]

Model and texture naming convention:

One of the most important things I learned modding Civ III was that it is essential to have a naming convention. This aided in the ineveitable restructuring. When one could call from memory the name of any unit, because of a strict naming convention, it was much easier to do overhauls when necessary.

If anyone has any suggestions or insight on thier naming conventions in their own mods, I'd be happy to hear it.

 

[Neomega]

Civics.......

 

[Neomega]

Promotions

When attacking enemy units, there should be a chance for auto-upgrading to certain weapons the enemy had, if conditions are right. (Improvise, looks like a computer chip icon)

RNG determines amount of money collected when enemy unit is destroyed, higher levels also include repair abilities (scavenge, looks like rotating circles)

Fortify max can go up with the defend promotion. Fotify max goes up 10 for each promotion, and 2 extra percentage point per turn, so it still only takes 5 turns to reach maximum fortification. For instance, defend1 moves max fortification bonus to 35, and adds 2 per turn, so every turn, a 7% bonus is accumulated by the unit, until after five turns when it reaches 35 (defend, looks like shields, lvls 1-4, and castles level 5-7) The higher levels also begin to add unit self healing bonuses.

Repair repairs mechanical units. Autocyon cannot use heal. mutant, clone and human infantry cannot use repair, cyborg infantry can use either repair or heal. Reapair is represented with a wrench, heal with a red cross.(Area Repair, Repair, heal, Area Heal)

 

[Neomega]

Some assembly required

 

[Neomega]

This space reserved for post hoggers only. Sorry.

 

[Neomega]

I'll take this one too, just in case.

 

[woodelf]

YES! I can finally post!

The first mod I ever played for CivIII is getting a fantasic remake.

Count me in for any playtesting or XML work you need Neo. I'll also skin any models you eventually make.

Great news.

 

[vbraun]

I can't wait to see this. I would be willing to help with this.

 

[Neomega]

OK Woodelf...

Some unit previews:



human or clone laser infantry (680 tris, a little high):



Armored Transforming Assault and Command Core (ATACC) (hi-poly model in progress)

 

[Neomega]

I can't wait to see this. I would be willing to help with this.

Since you know blender, you'd probably be best off doing hi-poly modelling.. would that interest you?

Basically, all materials would need to have no transparency or specularity, and be one mesh. There are also some rules to modeeling hipoly models that I could show you, that you could carry with you for other, more advanced hi-poly modelling.

From a write up on "tangent space normal mapping" I wrote at elysium:

http://www.elysiun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=58727&highlight=

Of course, there will be no "tangent space normal mapping" in Civ IV, (not that I know of, allthough the gamebryo engine is capable of it) the baking principles apply. I don't really want to paint the textures, I want to bake them, because low poly models cannot be used in wonder movies or cut-scenes, so the hi-poly models could serve two purposes.

+never have faces perpendicular on your hi-poly model to the faces to be baked to your low poly model. Notice on the cube, all the faces have been sort of "bevelled". If you render a detail that is 90 degrees to the face you are rendering, you will not see anything.

(see the "O" in the sample for what happens if you use perpendicular faces .blend)

+remember, the silhouette will let you know the details are TSNM details. The silhouettes never lie. That is why your details should not jut-out, or sink in too much. One of the best tricks, I found, was to sink in, and then fill the carved out area with details.... leaving the silhouette rather flat.

(see the "U" and the "E" for too much jut and sink. See the "sphere" for a good detail using the carved out technique I described)

+you cannot have any overlapping faces on your UV map*

 

[vbraun]

Since you know blender, you'd probably be best off doing hi-poly modelling.. would that interest you?

I could give it a shot, though I will not have much time because of school. I'll be reading this and trying it out over the weekend.

 

[woodelf]

I'm going to nod like I have a clue what you guys are talking about....

Let me know when you need any grunt work done Neo. If you need ideas tied together in XML or whatnot. I've spent the last 3 months fiddling with a lot of the files to edit civs, units, and buildings. I might even be ready to dip into Python with the Lunar mod starting up.

 

[Neomega]

I'm going to nod like I have a clue what you guys are talking about....

Let me know when you need any grunt work done Neo. If you need ideas tied together in XML or whatnot. I've spent the last 3 months fiddling with a lot of the files to edit civs, units, and buildings. I might even be ready to dip into Python with the Lunar mod starting up.

Ok, sounds good Woodelf.

 

[Neomega]

I could give it a shot, though I will not have much time because of school. I'll be reading this and trying it out over the weekend.

Actually Vbraun, I forgot, It doesn't even have to be a single mesh, multiple objects would be fine. And any help you need with Blender.. of course... heh.. I know ALOT about it, since I have spent my freetime for the past year on it, so feel free to ask any questions.