Unit Request Thread

Yes, if you identify them as such in the .fxsxml file.

For future reference to everyone that is requesting new units I will try to explain the basics of making new models for CiV.

A model consists of three basic components: Mesh, Armature, and Effects. Think of the mesh and armature as the skin and bones of a unit; the skin defines how it looks and the bones define how it moves. To change the appearance of a unit is very easy and is normally called a "rig" because the skin (mesh) is replaced but the bones are not; the skin is "rigged" to an existing unit skeleton. If you change the appearance of a warrior with a new skin it will still behave just like any other warrior unit if the bones and effects are left alone. Rigs comprise the bulk of unit requests because many mods only need to modify the appearance of game units. They are also very easy to make.

On the other hand, fantasy and sci-fi modders (as well as modders of specialized ship and aircraft units) run into the issue where the animations and effects themselves need to be altered. There aren't any dragons in Civilization V, for example, so taking the skin of a dragon and trying to rig it to a swordsman animation simply will not work. For these types of units you will need bones linked to animations that are not found in the base game. Until recently the only way to do this was to find another game where you could import these custom animations into CiV (which is usually from Civilization IV). If you can't find existing animations to import then you need to build them from scratch, a very arduous and time-consuming effort.

Animations and effects for units are actually defined in artdefines (SQL or XML) and in two files: the .fxsxml and the .ftsxml. No modeling is required to change these features. See my tutorial (in my signature) to learn more about how these files operate.

Hope this helps.

 

By chance does anyone know of an unit model that could look like this:


or like this?

 

I'd be a happy camper if someone ported this mortar-man from civ 4. This guy belongs in the mid to late industrial era. http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=21593

 

Basically what i meant, yes. I can't word very well, so its good that other people can!

I use Youtube. Film and Video Game soundtracks are good things to search.
Then i use Youtube to Mp3 (website, just google it)

 

Ah I see yeah that makes sense. So how to replace the mesh though? That's in your signature?

I have a question for you Hoop. My question is why in God's name do you want that in civ for?! Or something resembling it? It's horrid!

Ah okay, yeah I didn't want that so it's okay. I was going to use Youtube as well, yeah Soundtracks seems to be a good source of music. There's a website for it? Good that makes it easy.

 

I've made some Tlingit warriors with rifles - see here.

 

The tutorial for simple rigs are Wolfdog's tutorials here (Blender 2.49) or here (Blender 2.7x).

Full conversions (to convert custom animations) are in Deliverator's tutorial here.

 

The great Janboruta has recently blessed me with leader art, so I'm wondering if anyone has any new interest in helping with my previous Civ IV conversion request for the Kuikuro:

Two units from Bakuel's Civ IV Filipino Unit Pack:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=24133

Specifically, the "Filipino Spearman (Ipugao)" and the Filipino Axeman (Kalinga Headhunter, Loincloth)".

If you are also up for a little more complicated of a request, to also remove the weapons and shields from the units (so unarmed but otherwise unchanged, same animations, etc.).

Anyway, please let me know and thanks in advance to anyone who might be interested in helping.

DJSHenninger was kind enough to convert the units for me, in case anyone else wants to use the model:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=14252761&postcount=1872

 

Whoever takes this request into their hands, i think it would do CL a big favour for their Igorot civ to have the Botoc Headhunter converted too!

 

I think pretty much every unit in that pack has been requested at some point or another. Uncluding the cannon.

 

Are they suppose to be Civ4 - Civ5 conversion tutorials?

 

No, but oftentimes they are. For rigs all you need is mesh from any game that can convert into a format that Blender can import (usually .obj). For full conversions you will either need to make your own animations or import .nif/.kf files from games that use that format. Since Civ IV uses that format they are the most commonly used.

 

Quick question - does anyone have a Japanese Musketman unit?

 

No (not yet anyway). There aren't many ethnic musketmen, period. There is a very good Japanese rifleman by bernie14, however.

 

Perhaps someone could rig a Samurai model or something similar to the Musketman's skeleton? Would that fit?

 

That could work, if someone could replace the kabuto with a Vietcong-style conical hat.

 

Like the Swordsman or the Pikeman here?

 

Something like that, yeah.

 

Those were the units I was thinking of, since I've seen them in Ethnic Units.

When do you need it by? I might be able to do this in the next couple of days - since the models are already in CiV form, it shouldn't take too long to put them on the Musketman's skeleton.

 

Within a week, hopefully.

Thanks a lot for doing that, by the way.