Imperial 2 tech tree (***Full Release*****)

[Mr War]

Ingame in MG. It shows fine in the viewer and is twice size of regular arrow. I cannot spot material differences in the XML compared to regular archer

[John.d.h]

Is it specified properly in the xml?

[Omega]

Can you post the XML and model please? Or even better, the entire unit's folder?

[Mr War]

whole unit folder here http://www.mediafire.com/?5k6vsi2fnencrbc - please note that this is still a WIP obviously without much animation and unbalanced attributes etc. The projectile is heavyarrow.g3d

[Mr War]

Did anyone have any luck? I tried rebuilding the heavyarrow completely, I tried resizing the Tga and fiddling with the xml.

More productively I also swapped the g3d for projectiles used by other units (norse flying axes, air ballista arrow etc) and these worked. So it's the g3d file or tga. So I have the unit operating with air ballista arrow but would prefer to know what was wrong and be able to create my own projectiles.

[Omega]

Did anyone have any luck? I tried rebuilding the heavyarrow completely, I tried resizing the Tga and fiddling with the xml.

More productively I also swapped the g3d for projectiles used by other units (norse flying axes, air ballista arrow etc) and these worked. So it's the g3d file or tga. So I have the unit operating with air ballista arrow but would prefer to know what was wrong and be able to create my own projectiles.

I didn't get a chance to look at it yet, sorry... Though, how big is this model? For odd reasons, if a projectile is too large, it does not show up or shows up glitching with a flicker of a gigantic projectile. No clue why or what causes it...

[Mr War]

pretty sure it's not too large. I switched the projectile to be the same g3d as the war machine itself (looks dumb obviously) but that showed up.

[ElimiNator]

Particle models can not have a animation, on blender its timeline must me start"1", end"1".

So the battle machine would not work.

[Mr War]

Ah, I used the destroyed one which is currently unanimated

Will double check the frame count on my arrow

[will]

Your model does have an animation - it changes size

I didn't know about the particle effects needing models to only have one frame limitation.  I wasn't expecting it either!

[Omega]

Your model does have an animation - it changes size

I didn't know about the particle effects needing models to only have one frame limitation.  I wasn't expecting it either!

Yeah, that was initially noticed a few years back when someone tried to create a spinning axe. It should be a feature request...

[Mr War]

Animation seems to have been the prob so no animated flames on my fire arrows then

I got it working, thanks man

[Omega]

Animation seems to have been the prob so no animated flames on my fire arrows then

I got it working, thanks man

Just add a particle effect to the model as well to make fire.

[Mr War]

I uploaded an alpha testing faction folder - see first post.

This is just a test / preview of the feel etc, far from finished. You can build a few buildings (tower, generator, keep) etc.

Infantry not started yet.

[Hagekura]

I have downloaded your alpha and took a look at it's models and textures.
The Buildings are very well done.
Their textures are elaborate, I felt some sort of favorable WABI SABI impressions from them. The Keep is majestic and the generator fits well with steampunk theme. and I am impressed at they have very nice construction models for each. Unit's and command icons are very good too. to sum up, I'm looking forward to further development of this mod.　

btw I suggest you add "difference engine" building or upgrade in your faction. It will fit well with steampunk theme.
What kind of benefit will the upgrade or building have is up to you (I think increase unit creation speed or harvesting speed might fit with difference engine).

[will]

everyone has to watch the building-a-castle animation!

Very nice original mod - it would be nice if its balanced well with magitech

[Mr War]

I'll have to research what a difference engine is ;-)

Glad u liked the scaffolding it's not as detailed as on some other peoples models because I concentrated on low Polly count . There are only ten triangles in the entire scaffolding it's a bottomless box with a scaffold texture wrap using transparencies

[Hagekura]

I'll have to research what a difference engine is ;-)

Glad u liked the scaffolding it's not as detailed as on some other peoples models because I concentrated on low Polly count . There are only ten triangles in the entire scaffolding it's a bottomless box with a scaffold texture wrap using transparencies

It's a very smart way to make the scaffolding indeed. I must study from your model. 
Difference Engine is a first "programmable" computer in the history made by Charles Babbage(1791-1871).
Also it's a title of the famous Steam-punk novel "The Difference Engine" written by Gibson and Sterling. 

[Mr War]

Ah, a babbage machine. Or more latterally any large mechanical computer, maybe even steam powered

That takes me further from medieval though so maybe a follow on mod which has more of a civilizations feel where the emphasis is on upgrades etc and the factions span multiple ages from maybe Mott and bailey castles to tanks etc

I need to get a single faction mod done first and that idea requires at least two full factions because you cannot balance it with magicyech et al

For steam punk a major influence of mine is Howls moving castle

[will]

idea requires at least two full factions because you cannot balance it with magicyech et al

That is a shame.  Is it not as easy to balance against classic magic and tech factions as it is some other faction you make?  The game-play possibilities when being magitech balanced are multiplied, and the work halved?

It always disappoints me that all the additional factions are so hard to play together precisely because they are not balanced with magitech.

http://blogs.ign.com/MS_AgeOfEmpires/2007/10/16/69083/ is a good read.

I've also read similar interviews with the designers of AoE2 particularly about how they weakened the effect of the longbowman precisely to make the game playable.

(In real life the success of the English (as in the Norman-derived English, so maybe you can say the Englishised French kings?) in invading Europe was limited by the seapower needed to land troops and the poorness of the land they invaded to subsist large armies; in a game without such logistics pressure, a true model of the effectiveness of the longbowman (+ billman) and their challenge to the conventions of warfare and chivalry on the mainland would mean they would have wiped all opposition.  The same could perhaps be imagined of the Swiss use of pikeman later).  But I can't find that on google I'm afraid, only recount my memory.

[Mr War]

Ah, misunderstanding

I meant the civilization style mod needs new factions to balance. Can't go from wooden castle to metal tank and expect it to balance to current form of magitech

Big challenge with my current steampunk mod is not making the various war machines too powerful

[Hagekura]

I think it's okay you don't adopt the difference engine if you think the machine doesn't fit well to your mod's theme.
It was just a suggestion.

For steam punk a major influence of mine is Howls moving castle

I'm glad to hear you like the Miyazaki hayao's film.
The castle looked kinda steampunkish indeed.
Personally I think "LAPUTA(the castle in the sky)" has the most steampunkish atmosphere of all of his films though.
(also the film is the BEST film of his works,in my opinion).

[Mr War]

ah, Laputa is one of his films I haven't seen yet. My fav is Spirited Away, or maybe Porco Rosso. I made a little pilgrimage to Studio Ghibli museum in Tokyo a few years back and they have some of his original sketches and storyboards, especially for Porco Rosso. The imagination of that guy is amazing; he's in the league of HG Wells and Tolkien with the very rare ability to define/invent whole genres where others, even greats, can only enrich what's already out there.

In Howl's Moving Castle, it's less the castle itself and more the airships and battleships I'm thinking of.

(click to show/hide)

Too bad there aren't better images of them on the net, I have only my memories

[Hagekura]

I love porco rosso (in japanese,紅の豚) too.
Yeah his designs of those classical aircrafts and ships and tanks are always amazing. In fact he knows pretty much about those mechanics and has great zeal for them. he wrote an interesting graphic novel "雑草ノート(Daydream Data Notes)"http://www.oi-bijutsukan.com/item-0801015.html and in there you can see how big he has familiarity for those mechanics.
haha sorry, I'm a bit being offtopic, but I'm glad to see another miyazaki's fan.
I'm jealous you have been to Ghibli museum! It's odd I'm japanese but have never been to there,   the museum only accepts limited visitors and have to line in a very long queue to visit, but someday I also want to go there.

[ultifd]

Yeah Hayao Miyazaki is such a great director and animator!
Alpha looks cool!