@Mahazona: Thank you!

To bad that most of the link pics are down now, but I could gather some cool stuff!

Man they where doing good stuff!! wtf they changed so much?

Look at this archer, correct armor, lots of details like the extra weapons, etc.



And we got this..



I dont even..

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Also do you remember that I got some critics about the new "improvement" walking that I was trying to do.. that they looked like pimps? hahaha

just look at how this units move:



yeah mine was a little more exagerated, but I was on track.

Now look at this pic:



Really nice terrain design, big awesome looking castles, good mountains that blends with the terrain, rams with people inside..

I dont get it, its like they where doing something cool but then.. (?) maybe they fired the original graphic artist or something and got a new one :S

Also you can see how the archers of the first render look on the tiny size, they are on the pic too.

I found this things, that I dont know if they where promotional art, or was unused assets because you can recognize stuff that are still on the game.

-Woad raider braveheart style:
http://i.imgur.com/oiIWIQi.jpg

-Vikings:
http://i.imgur.com/pMgvaHy.jpg

-Paladin:
http://i.imgur.com/YF6JbWT.jpg

-Knights
http://i.imgur.com/BzcbbwB.jpg

-And this, that looks like probably the menu background?
http://i.imgur.com/AWKkSvZ.jpg

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@HockeySam18: Yep you are right also Cysion linked me to the forgotten post mortem article.
A long read but a really nice one
It makes you see things from other perspective.

http://www.forgottenempires.net/age-of-empires-ii-the-forgotten-post-mortem

More people should read it, to bad I couldnt comment because some register things needed that I didnt get it how to do it.

That is a nice pic from the old game you can see lots of units used back then.the brown crossbowman in front of the blue one is the cho ko nu.cavalry on the side is the cataphact. the big archer pic is the outlaw unit for what I have read.Like you said they must have changed from going to a historically accurate look to cool looking units.

Btw has anyone seen a full unit of the janissary?It would still make a cool unit for the archers of the eyes.

[This message has been edited by Mahazona (edited 11-23-2014 @ 10:14 AM).]

I'm not sure who sent me the beta Trebuchet but its in the mod im working on, Age of Civilizations, its up in the blacksmith, its a UU for a civ.

Quoted from Jorgito_aqua27:

Look at this archer, correct armor, lots of details like the extra weapons, etc.

That's not an early archer, it's a completely different unit (that was cut) called the outlaw.

Wow, these walls look so much better than the ones in the final game.

Litude nice to know, can i ask from where you know all the information?
I also saw yesterday all Videos on your Youtube Channel !
Very intresting.

[This message has been edited by Kallehagen (edited 11-23-2014 @ 02:12 PM).]

@Litude: wait, they had an outlaw on the game? kinda like a gaia unit that attaked everybody?

I cant believe that so many awesome stuff where removed

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This question is aimed to any data expert:

In the TC when you create villagers, they appear randomly the female or male villager.

Is possible to recreate that for the military buildings?

Lets say that I make 3 different looking champions, and when the player click on the creation icon is it possible to get randomly the 3 dif versions of the same unit?

You know Jorgito, I was asking myself the same thing two nights ago... lol. Imagine if we could get at least two differents looking units by ordering the game to create one. That would be incredible!

But I'm affraid that is a hardcoded thing in the TC.

[This message has been edited by DerWerwolf (edited 11-23-2014 @ 03:51 PM).]

@Mahazona :
If I remember well there is actually a janissary graphic set in the AOK alpha version you should take a look

In the TC when you create villagers, they appear randomly the female or male villager.

Is possible to recreate that for the military buildings?

Lets say that I make 3 different looking champions, and when the player click on the creation icon is it possible to get randomly the 3 dif versions of the same unit?

This is hardcoded to the villager IDs and cannot be used for any other unit. I also asked this a while ago. Sadly not possible.

Those beta units are better than most of the final ones.

Anyone know how to get ahold of those beta units?

@Litude: wait, they had an outlaw on the game? kinda like a gaia unit that attaked everybody?

It was suppose to be a gaia unit that would attack trade carts.there is still the outlaw hidden in the editor but that unit is just like a wolf and will attack any villagers or military units.

The ninja I posted is of the infiltrator which was suppose to be undetectable for the enemy unless he attacks them.This awesome feature will come in the feature

All the beta stuff is cool, but more than graphics, I like the concepts that they left behind.

Like the OMTBO or something like that, I was supposed to travel off the map and trade, then it would bring you resources from outside...

But I think that the graphics are better than new ships, like this one, looks more realistic, I guess...


And there is the idea of non-autopropelled siege weapons:

They also made one attack for each villager job, without including that they left behind some nice graphics:


But one of the things that I really put interest is this unit, it looks nice...

It has the normal attack, and an animation of shield cover...

So I ran into a research to find if its possible to add two attacks (or just two animations), but I didn't found a way to do it.
Also tried to make the unit auto-attack arrows with the shield cover animation. It didn't work, perhaps I made something wrong, but its a nice idea.

I've tried to make the old formations, its a button where you can stick togheter the selected units (like pressing Shift+1,2,3...) but when you click in one unit, you select the entire group.

And then, you can choose your formation (Also has the "horde" formation, which makes units to not join formations, like in line)

After pick a formation, you can add more units to the formation or rotate... the 5th button disarm the formation, allowing to select one unit at time.
And the 4th button makes units to change position in the formation.
For example: If you have infantry in front, and archers behind, that button will tweak their position.


But anyway, bringing back those old features is kind of impossible, even if you know something of programation, the code is too big. We can play with the data, but it always will have some bugs or problems.

That is a pretty cool idea you posted.can we give 2 walking animations to a unit?

Yes, I made a unit with two animations, one running and other walking.
And I assigned the running anim to the "attack ability" (just like the Wolf has, or like the villagers when they are going to collect a resource)... so the unit always march with the walking graphic, but when you order to attack it runs. Like if it is charging at the enemy.

Must try this... It's a nice idea too.

i need the beta trebuchet, can someone help?

Sure man, here you got... You just have to fix the anchors.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bueo1a9gi2mprbk/AADoP2GdHMpgER6GtnuWmfqGa?dl=0

furik, i am in depth to you. thank you very very very much!
also the beta ram has other animations than the one above?
and the carrack too?

[This message has been edited by DJeronimo (edited 11-24-2014 @ 01:19 PM).]

Yeah id be note rested in that beta ram too for like an Iron Age ram

Yes, I made a unit with two animations, one running and other walking.
And I assigned the running anim to the "attack ability" (just like the Wolf has, or like the villagers when they are going to collect a resource)... so the unit always march with the walking graphic, but when you order to attack it runs. Like if it is charging at the enemy.

Must try this... It's a nice idea too.

Yes Furik that's a good idea, especially if you make a spear knight with the stand up spear during walk and the pointed straight ahead spear charge when run to attack an enemy, also with this method can be gived an alterantive attacking graphic, but I just want to know yf you or somone else know why there are two strings sets for each grafhics except for the attacking graphic...

Another question, someone know who create the Advanced genie editor tool?

[This message has been edited by AFFA the cleric (edited 11-24-2014 @ 02:55 PM).]

Affa: Keisari Tapsa


A problem I had when trying to have a wolf-like attack running was that it only worked when a single unit was tasked to attack. If several were tasked, then they only moved at normal speed.

does someone have the beta deer stag shown in the previes above?

What beta deer?I cant see any deer...
Anyone have a full set of actions for that female villager in Furiks post?

In the graphics of AOK there are included two animations of the beta deer, but as far as I know, it's just the gazelle from AOE1.

About the beta female villager, I have just an animation, the mining one. It's 75 frames but the problem is it's in Alpha pallete, so you have to convert the slp to AOK.

Also I have a complete slp set of a dressed male villager, but only for the build/repair action. In alpha pal, as well.

The summer season is really close and as you guys know I always dissapear for like 4/5 months.

So dont freak out raging that this will be never finished,etc. I will come back sooner or later like always.

______

The first unit reskin that I made have



40k downloads! I know that it is not much, but I never tought that so many people will like to play with something that I made.

That make me a little nostalgic haha.

I remember how I started.. discovering this page and having no clue about anything due to my extremely bad english, getting amazed by the works posted here by Wild fire team, Joseff Bugman, Sud commander, Agammenon, Kor, Draugaer, etc.

I remember also when I started making copy/paste graphics.. it was so friken complicated! Is almost imposible to make a unit that doesnt move like he have some serious parkinson disease problems and shakes like crazy.

The first one was a barbarian version of the woad raider based on a book cover of a multi adventure type of book (I was really young back then haha)


Then I started to make 3d units based on the Lord of the rings

My dream was to replace all the game graphics with new ones, so I decided to make bigger units with different shading. Also since they where my first 3d models I didnt wanted to make them fit on the game, but instead create a new game.

Thanks to Matt and Pulkit, now that is possible on TOME


But fantasy themes eventually bored me and I wanted to make some cool medieval looking stuff with knights covered on heraldry, mainly with those crazy outfits that where used on the tournaments.



I actually was trying to fit my graphics on the game this time and help other moders with this graphics, but saddly was impossible. Be the lighting too shinning, the unit poses different than the vanilla units, or just the models beign slightly bigger but they didnt fit.. they looked different.

Some people accepted it and enjoyed it, and some others hated them.

When Kor decided to take the big step and face the hate of some people to incorporate some of those new medieval graphics on his Age of Chivalry I was really happy because his mod will become a new game also, like it was happening with TOME.


And then I got the amazing oportunity to help some guys with a project called "The Forgotten"

I will always going to regret my lack of free time to help them out as I wanted, but I am going to be always in debt for the chance that those guys give me

Is amazing to have something that you made on the official game that you love and have been modding since always.

The Indian wonder for example was one of my first 3d models that I was trying to fit on the vanilla game:




And then I got interested on the game of thrones universe, I was working on it but got discouraged by my lack of knowledge on data editing and the fact that I mostly dont like the armors of the tv show, but If I aimed to do my own design that could have caused some rage that I preffer to avoid. So eventually quited it.




So finally I got back to the common medieval themes.

________

Its been a long time since I started, I want to believe that I improved some how. I still need to learn a lot and I hope to one day be able to at least get close to the quality of Ensemble Studios.

I know that I will never be able to make my graphics to fit on the game because is nearly impossible.

Not because they look better or worst or just different, but because of how the people have the vanilla graphics inserted on their brain. Anything new will destoy his childhood memories.. but still that will not discourage me to create new stuff


Sorry for the long nostalgic post, but I wanted to share it.

_______

Since I have like less than a month free and I am "close" to the 50k downloads, I want to try to release a second version of the reskin mod featuring at least the graphics for each building set as it was the original plan and is easier to achieve.

Once I get back on april, I will get time again to work on each civ like I was doing.

_________

All this beta research was really usefull for me, because I could understand better how the units where made, and which was the original art direction for them.

First I tought, "I could try to remake the vanilla units changing the stuff that are wrong"



But.. yeah they look different, but still I dont feel confortable with the progression, on the 90% of the campaigns the man at arms are used as crusaders, etc. So that look is not ok.

Then I made this second version:



I like this ones, but they dont fit on the vanilla time frame, they will suit better on Age of chivalry that does a really well job showing how everything changes and have a good representation of the 15 century.

And then I made this:



I like this one because they suit better the time frame of the vanilla game, the champion is good enough to represent the 100 years of war and the rest are good enough to represent the older battles.



I know that the 2 top units of the alpha line dont belong but they make sense on the progression that I posted.

The problem with my older reskin mod is that the units where made to "look cool" but the armor doesnt make much sense kinda like the vanilla games do.

So on the new version I am trying to be as much accurated as I can.

Also I learned a few new tricks so the units should look better, the metal and chainmail should behave like metal instead of white shinning spots or plain grey shades.

I will let this here so you can compare the vanilla models with the new ones:



Thank you for your time, cya around

Palette conversions aren't too bad with turtle pack. Just use the merger and shear tool to extract the slp to one bitmap, then use slp editor's bitmap conversion tool on said bitmap.

The biggest problem I've had while doing this with AoE I graphics is with player colors not mapping to a player color in the new palette. For the record, orange works very well in AoE-AoK conversions, though it does result in multicolored blood in decay frames.

Nice armor progression Jorgito

Really nice post, Jorgito. It's always a treat to see your work

Great post Jorgito it really shows the dedication you have for modding.

Since I have like less than a month free and I am "close" to the 50k downloads, I want to try to release a second version of the reskin mod featuring at least the graphics for each building set as it was the original plan and is easier to achieve.

This would be most welcome and hope you will add the missing units in to the reskin mod.

Great job Jorgito. Your units look a lot more realistic and detailed than the aoe ones, while your own models have also really improved over time.

[This message has been edited by Jan dc (edited 12-01-2014 @ 04:20 AM).]

Hey Jorgito do you have that barbarian version of the Woad Radier there or is it up on the blacksmith? I think it would fit perfectly as a preceding unit to the regular Woad Raider unit in my project if you wouldn't mind

Its in the Blacksmith in one of his pack included.

It didn't have all the frames if i remember correctly.

Amazing as always, jorgito. I appreciate the historical development of your models.

Every time you release a new set of pictures, I get excited about the new possibilities. And then you release a new, revised set and I get excited again.

I think I'm learning to just sit back and wait until you finish. I'm sure that it will be excellent, no matter what you do.

Mahazona
you correct, the SN frames are still the original Woad Raider