WH Fantasy Mod Preview

[embryodead]

First, some screenshots (about 200k each):
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/wh_prev_01.jpg - Wood Elves, late game
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/wh_prev_02.jpg - Ironclaw Orcs vs. Tilea war
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/wh_prev_03.jpg - Techs 1st era, from Goblins' perspective
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/wh_prev_04.jpg - Techs 2nd era, from Chaos perspective
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/wh_prev_05.jpg - Techs 3rd era, this time from Reikland's perspective.

This fantasy mod is based on the Warhammer world, so it implements ideas from all strategic and role-playing games of this family, rather than just WHFB army books... But what is important, it was made to serve just as "fantasy mod", not only for WH fans, but for everyone who wants a break from history.

Brief overview:

- 5 Culture groups: Human, Southern, Elven, Dwarven, Chaotic.

- 20 Factions. More could be included if there are units availble. Current list:
Reikland (The Empire),
Bretonnia,
Kislev,
Tilea,
Estalia,
Norsca,
Albion,
Araby,
Khemri,
Cathay,
Nippon,
Dolgans,
Karaz-Ankor (Dwarfs),
Ulthuan (High Elves),
Naggaroth (Dark Elves),
Loren (Wood Elves),
Ironclaw Orcs,
Red Eye Goblins,
Chaos,
Sylvania (Vampire Counts).

- Each faction has different set of units, some share common ones like peasant, cavalry etc. 117 custom unit animations are used now.

- 3 fixed governments: Monarchy, Despotism and Chaos. They are used to force relations between factions, so for example Chaos, Orcs and Goblins will be hated by everyone from the very beginning (and vice versa).

- Tech tree made from scratch - 3 eras, 64 advances, from ancient times to magic and gunpowder. All advances are available to all factions, but they get different things at various points.

- 17 Bonus Resources (11 new), 11 Strategic Resources (7 new), 9 Luxury Resources (2 new).

- Reworked city improvements to match fantasy mod, with some stuff unique to The Old World.

- 31 Great Wonders, most based on the Warhammer world.
The Great Bazaar,
Bugman's Brewery,
Pyramid of Eternity,
Black Pyramid of Nagash,
Al-Alnon's Garden (aka Oasis of Thousand and One Camels),
The Spice Road,
Lighthouse of Manaan,
Unseen Library,
The Oracle,
Vloedmuur (aka Sea Wall),
Fireworks,
Citadel of Sunset,
Wind Mastery,
Vaul's Anvil,
Castle Drachenfels,
Dwarven Workshop,
The Witch Hunt,
Magic College,
The Moot,
Tarnhelm's Keep,
The Great Forge,
The Cursed Pit,
The Heart of Chaos,
Anvil of Doom,
The Fountain of Life,
Palace of the Wizard Caliph,
Cure for Red Pox,
Errantry War,
Pillar of Skulls,
The Tower of Zharr-Naggrund,
Warpstorm.

- 7 Small Wonders
Heroic Epic,
Iron Works,
Palace Fortress,
Alchemists' Guild,
War Academy,
Dispel Magic Sphere,
Raise Dead.

- All techs, units, improvements, wonders etc. have civilopedia icons and usually at least brief entries. Terrain, city graphics, aerial city view and population heads are changed. My motto is 'no missing graphics!'

- There are many special units such as spells & sorcerers, undead, chaos cultists, halflings etc. Flying units and spellcasting are well implemented. "Barbarians" are real threat now.

My fantasy units were made with this mod in mind, and I'm still working on more. The mod is more or less complete, I already played it several times. Before I post it, I want to finish all units from my list, leaderheads for elves and some minor graphics for city view. I also work this way, so the mod will have no unfinished stuff, units substitutions etc. Of course all content of the mod will be publicly available for other modders, mostly released before the mod.

If you want to help me
- Any comments/ideas are welcome
- I could really use some fantasy war machines for little empty 3rd era, as a finished unit or articulate poser model, especially for the Dwarfs and Goblins. Same goes for the navy. If anyone's interested I can post some pictures.
- I don't have era splashes
- The mod will be under 100 MB (EDIT: not anymore ), but not much less... If anyone has a free hosting to offer that would be really
awesome, otherwise I hope it will be possible to post it here, probably in two parts: base with static leaderheads
(around 80 MB) and animated leaderheads patch (around 50 MB).

ETA: this month! (really)

 

[BeBro]

I´m not that much into fantasy, but this looks very cool

I would help, but currently I have too much other stuff maybe later.

 

[Yoda Power]

Cant wait to play

 

[zulu9812]

ha-ha! so another soon-to-be-lost soul is having a stab at doing this!

 

[embryodead]

Why zulu? Instead of endless discussions I actually made the mod, have my word on it. I need 10 more units + 3 leaderheads but I consider myself able to do that, I already did 15 units. Unless you mean GW (if there were already problems with that here let me know ok?).

 

[Raw is War?]

It looks class!! I can't wait to play it either!

 

[zulu9812]

who are the Dolgans???

 

[piedude]

Brilliant work embryodead. Keep up the great work!

But, I wont be D/Ling it since im not into the fantasy scene.

 

[mrtn]

Originally posted by embryodead
...But what is important, it was made to serve just as "fantasy mod", not only for WH fans, but for everyone who wants a break from history.

Good!

Originally posted by embryodead
...If you want to help me
- Any comments/ideas are welcome
- I need idea and graphic for a wonder that enables building of "Firestorm" spell (equiv. of nuke). It may have something to do with chaos or warpstone (spell could be renamed Warpstorm etc.), I haven't found any good idea yet...

A green tentacle?
This mod seems to be as nice as I expected it would.
Will the civs be balanced, or will some be stronger than others? If they are balanced you might find that the bad guys are wiped out quite early in the game (as the humans seems to be so many more).

 

[Kinboat]

Excellent

From the name firestorm I immediatly thought of the final movie in Warcraft 3 with a wave of fire rippling out from a great tree... Or are you looking for something more like fire raining down from above? Anyway I don't know much about the Warhammer universe but I'd be willing to try out a wonder splash (as well as a building if you need it) along these lines... Give me a chance to stretch my more artistic muscles.

 

[embryodead]

Kinboat -> thanks. as for the spell itself is uses on of your spells animations, the one with biggest explosion

Zulu -> According to official resources ("Somehing Rotten in Kislev" campaign, also mentioned on GW webpage - chaos wastes map) Dolgans are large nomadic, horse-riding tribe living in steppes east of Kislev.
I wanted "barbarian" faction in the mod, and decided to use specific name. City names for them are taken from fansites.

 

[embryodead]

mrtn - game balance
I tried to make the game unbalanced as I could but it's hard, actually the success of each player depends more on starting terrain than anything else...

Anyway, I found out that even if a civ has weak units (2-3-1 and 4-1-1 infantry etc.) it will produce lots of them and can actually beat a faction that has dragons (12-5-2*3), griffins (5-2-3*3) etc. After testing so far, I think I need to boost Chaos a little, other that it seems ok.

 

[KingArthur]

It looks beautiful embryodead. But I've only got a 56Kb modem connection!! I can just see it now: 99% downloaded then my connection drops, aargh.

I expect much of the file size is down to the units(?) I've probably got most of the units and buildings (if they're available on civfanatics- I've got all the ones that you have posted ). Could you provide a download with the bix file only and a table with 3 columns like so:

Original Name Original Author Mod Name

And similarly for the buildings. It would be much appreciated.

 

[embryodead]

KingArthur,
Buildings and other graphics are made by myself or others but edited by me anyway, so no, it is not possible (they do not take much space though).

As for the units, almost all have edited INI's, added sounds, often changed animations (I did a lot of speed/position/artifacts fixed to existing untis). If there will be demand I can prepare "manual-install-version"; I am just afraid of this simply because of work needed to properly install such mod (more than 100 units in final version). This can result in lots of errors that I would not be able to help with.

 

[Kindred72]

Looks awsome embroydead. My only suggestion would be to get more techs in the final version, or at least slow the tech research rate down alot. Otherwise, I can't wait to try it out.

 

[mrtn]

Originally posted by embryodead
KingArthur,
Buildings and other graphics are made by myself or others but edited by me anyway, so no, it is not possible (they do not take much space though).

As for the units, almost all have edited INI's, added sounds, often changed animations (I did a lot of speed/position/artifacts fixed to existing untis). If there will be demand I can prepare "manual-install-version"; I am just afraid of this simply because of work needed to properly install such mod (more than 100 units in final version). This can result in lots of errors that I would not be able to help with.

Maybe you can include the ini's in the download, but not the flc's? If you remove the units (except where you have changed the animations (which?, I'm curious. Is it some ship attacks? )) and the leaderheads, then the mod shouldn't be more than some 20-30 megs, or something? Maybe the King can download that?

I have broadband, so I'll manage.

 

[embryodead]

If you have any ideas for techs let me know - I already exploited everything I could. The only things that comes to my mind are more advanced siege machines, that would be 2-3 more techs in the 3rd era. I wont put more advances just for the sake of it. As for the speed of reaseach, it goes slow, so that you can have enough battles with ordinary units before you get gunpowder, then dragons etc. (yes, actually most wil get 3rd era techs before advanced 2nd era techs, this is to make a choice betwen magic and science).

 

[embryodead]

Originally posted by mrtn
Maybe you can include the ini's in the download, but not the flc's? If you remove the units (except where you have changed the animations (which?, I'm curious. Is it some ship attacks? )) and the leaderheads, then the mod shouldn't be more than some 20-30 megs, or something? Maybe the King can download that?

I said I can try that... but this can cause errors and more people will grab the 20MB version just because it's available... then some will get frustrated @ the mod after civ3 exits with an error after few hours of gameplay.

The changed anims are for example several resized and polished AoK units, Star Wars units with corrected shadows and Y position or Ent that had a frame missing (caused blinking).

 

[Yoda Power]

tech ideas

Gearworks, it could be a prequiste for Mill´s.
Military Formation,(should be a early tech, since almost all WH battles use formations).
Archery, prequiste for bowmen/arhcers or whatever you use
Fanatism, prequiste for Fanatics and Goblin Fanatics
Usury
Architecture(sp?)

 

[KingArthur]

Ok I can forsee that it could cause problems. I have a better idea. What about getting it included in the the next expansion pack (Conquest). Would that be possible? It would give me a reason for buying the darn thing They might be afraid to do that in case of being accused of infringing copyright tho'.

mrtn I could handle a 20MB- but remind me, how big is your Magnamund Mod going to be when its finished

Originally posted by embryodead


I said I can try that... but this can cause errors and more people will grab the 20MB version just because it's available... then some will get frustrated @ the mod after civ3 exits with an error after few hours of gameplay.

The changed anims are for example several resized and polished AoK units, Star Wars units with corrected shadows and Y position or Ent that had a frame missing (caused blinking).