[Altered Melee] Ancient Empires

[Vinz]

It looks like a Maghar.

Is it a Maghar?

 

[Ragnoras]

err... look at the skin!... are masgherslike that! besides i tried my best!

 

[Heinvers]

err... look at the skin!... are masgherslike that! besides i tried my best!

Yep, just a lil more brown as Cakey said.

 

[Ragnoras]

ok so how could i improve it! quick! before Pson comes online!

 

[Vinz]

If it is a Celt, the face should look human.

 

[Ragnoras]

ok... but i haven't got the colour for it! but i hope the blood stained effects are ok..

 

[Vinz]

Make it look a bit paler, nearly like this.

(C)lick

 

[Ragnoras]

Oke Worikng on it!

May i present you

My update:.. much more humanic

"]

And sorry for double posting!

 

[Pson]

just add a mercenary for the macedonians

That could work, not for just the macedonians, but I've thought of adding more mercenary camps to represent more civs that are not included or famous mercenaries.

A few thoughts on the new updates:

*If you are adding slingers, and their range is higher than that of archers... i really think you should reduce the archers range to accomodate for this, otherwise slingers will essentially become artillery.

*What will be the role of slingers? Is there enough justification for 4 different ranged unit types in the map?

*You should upload more screenshots, here and on ModDB!

- Range is slightly longer than that of archers, starting at 750 instead of 700 and upgrading to 950 instead of 900. Siege have starting of 1000+ and even more upgraded.
- The reason for including them is mostly historical and fun (slingers in wc3 at last!) but they also function a bit differently that archer with the extra range, increased attack speed. In the late game they turn out even more different. Archers get a bit more durable and have the fire attack, while slingers get a bit more dps heavy with no counter role.
- I'll post some, haven't touched the map much though, mostly messing with other things.

@Templassassin, about egyptians, the last autonomus egyptian rulership ended in 525 BC with the invasion of king Cambysses of Persia. Since then, Egypt would be ruled by Macedonians (under Alexander, and later Ptolemy), Romans, Sassanids, and a number of other foreign groups. If you were to make a map about the pharaonic period, it would have to be set a thousand years before the timeframe of this map, and it would instead have to involve countries such as the Assyrian Empire, the Hittite Empire, Mycenaean Greece, etc.

That would be an interesting map to say the least

@Fingolfin, let's just say that even in 1000 (approximately) BC, Ancient Egypt's well fare declined.

You could have an early classical period game/map with Athenians, Persians, Spartians, Scythians, Thracians, Egyptians etc (even add pre-persian conquest Phoenicians, Babylonians etc) The timeframe would be somewhat limited, but egypt, even if in decline would be quite a power in it's last 5 or so centuries. I could even cheat and include them in my game since they revolted several times, but only with short-term results. Plus, since they game focuses a bit more in the Hellenistic period, the Ptolemaics are more appropriate instead.

An earlier timeframe would also be interesting, as it's kind of a forgotten era, but to my kind of limited knowledge of it (I'm mostly in Classical, Hellenistic and early Roman times of antiquity) the unit variety would be lacking a lot. No war elephants, no ranged siege weapons, few cavalry and ship types. Chariots, the highlight of this era, are said to be hard to implement in wc3 looking good.

Ladies and Gentlemen
may i present you! my first skin ever!

The Celtic Woad Warrior that i promised!: Promised fulffied! for the woad
warrior

Please give comments and tell me how to improve it!

Pson: you may tell me if you want to download: no download link yet!

Not bad for a first effort However, besides the skin color, he looks too orc-like to fit with the map style which turns more and more realistic (blame fingolfin).
Btw when did you promise to make a woad warrior? I can't remember.

 

[Ragnoras]

Page: 10

http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/2570692-post146.html

also update on 11

 

[Pson]

Sorry I missed that.. I was trying to remember if we had a discussion about it.

 

[Fingolfin]

I still think this needs a lot of work....

First of all, his skin collor is really strange. It looks extremely orange and not very germanic. Second, you should give him pants in checkered cloth, kinda like this or this. Thirdly, the horned helmet makes no sense to me. Sadly, removing the horns is not as easy as adding alpha texture to them since that would leave a hole in his head, it would instead require some model editing. What you CAN do though is add some alpha texture to those frickin tusks of his, they don't even look human. Finally, i don't see any actual woad... it just looks like his arms are bloody.

EDIT: New skin tone is much, much better, but please still consider the pants. I also realized alpha wont work on the tusks due to teamcolor.

@Heinvers: I know right!! It would be a cool map.

 

[Heinvers]

I also realized alpha wont work on the tusks due to teamcolor.

Well, then a lil' model meddling is required :/

That is if Pson doesn't mind a few extra kilobites.

 

[Ragnoras]

Thanks for the support! I fell much better, i shall try to mke it better! i think i ould add a longer pant and persahps an icon for it too!


Also: Steppe Hardness: Decided to make an icon of it since the orc hand is quite funky

Download link:

 

[Pson]

Well, then a lil' model meddling is required :/

That is if Pson doesn't mind a few extra kilobites.

If/when the Celts are added, there will be a need for such a unit anyway. And according to fin's advice on compression I should be able to include almost double the resources I have now.

Thanks for the support! I fell much better, i shall try to mke it better! i think i ould add a longer pant and persahps an icon for it too!

Also: Steppe Hardness: Decided to make an icon of it since the orc hand is quite funky

Download link:

Thanks, this will come handy
BUT, don't start improving random things you see in the map without asking, many of them are placeholders and you might waste your time in things not needed. Unless you want to do it for practice.

On another note.. I want to make the computer players have somewhat of a personality like in age of mythology, taunting the player etc.

I can't seem to find a trigger function displaying chat text as if it was posted by a player and a net search didn't help. Is there such a function?

I've also changed the AI approach a bit and I hope it will work now. Even if not totally varied per faction as i wished, it will have differences, and will also support difficulty levels now. Of testing it

 

[Ragnoras]

ok i shall try; im still working the woad warrior/adding pants so he isnt sexy!

what 2d job have youbgot for me; cause ive fallen in love woth ur projet

 

[Pson]

You could recolor the icon for the medium-heavy-elite archers to copper and gold color for a start.

 

[Fingolfin]

On another note.. I want to make the computer players have somewhat of a personality like in age of mythology, taunting the player etc.

I can't seem to find a trigger function displaying chat text as if it was posted by a player and a net search didn't help. Is there such a function?

I've also changed the AI approach a bit and I hope it will work now. Even if not totally varied per faction as i wished, it will have differences, and will also support difficulty levels now. Of testing it

There is no action for this but you can easily mimic it. Just use "display text message to [all players]", then use [color string] + player name of [cpu player] + ":|r " + [your message].

For the color string, you might need some if-statements. Use a global string variable, then do:

if [cpu player] = [player 2] then set tempString = "|cff0042ff"

The hex values for the player colors are:

|cffff0303player1|r
|cff0042ffplayer2|r
|cff1ce6b9player3|r
|cff540081player4|r
|cfffffc01player5|r
|cfffeba0eplayer6|r
|cff20c000player7|r
|cffe55bb0player8|r
|cff959697player9|r
|cff7ebff1player10|r
|cff106246player11|r
|cff4e2a04player12|r

"|r" marks the end of the string coloring. I am sure you know all this from making tooltips. Btw, if you get the JNGP editor, it has an integrated string colorizer which can actually be quite useful!

 

[Pson]

Great thanks! Surprisingly I managed to make it work quite easily. I'm also thinking of the best way to display the starting ones, since spamming up to 7 AI messages at the game start might look bad. Any Ideas? Could they be coded to appear on the first time you scout each computer player?

I'm starting to list some basic taunts/messages to include (suggestions are very welcome):

Game Start:
Romans: The die is cast!
Athenians: Democracy will be spread by the sword!
Spartans: New helots will sow my fields!
Carthaginians: Great riches await for my people across this land!
Macedonians: It won't be long till I'll be drunk, feasting in your palace!

Defeat:
Romans: Fortuna favored you.
Athenians: Pesky tyrants only live for so long.
Spartans: You only won by numbers.
Carthaginians: The treasury has run dry.
Antigonid Macedonians: My treacherous allies didn't help enough.
Seleucid Macedonians: If only I didn't have such vast borders to look after I would have crushed you beneath my elephants' feet.
Ptolemaic Macedonians: I do not mourn, for no other pharaoh will ever reach my greatness.

Macedonian Dynastic Choice
Antigonid Macedonians: The Antigonid Dynasty now rules over our people.
Seleucid Macedonians: The Seleucid Dynasty now rules over our people.
Ptolemaic Macedonians: The Ptolemaic Dynasty now rules over our people.

(Generic?)Town Center Lost
-That was merely a village!
-Do you really expect a truce now?
-This will end with your capital in flames!
-You seem to love the color of blood!
-That did hurt, but it's only a scratch!
-The more you kill, the more of us will rise against you!

(Generic?)Enemy Town Center Destroyed
-A great monument will soon stand were your dirty dwellings used to polute the earth!
-That cute town had weak rulers!
-You shall only find peace in the afterlife!
-Strike hard, brave sons of our fathers!
-Surrender now, before more of your people suffer bitter, scalding ends!
-That was just the beginning of new glorious conquests!
-Do I smell something burning?*
-Give up now!*
-All hail, king of the losers!*
-Nice town, I'll take it.*
Macedonian: Did I mention that I am a god now?*

*stolen from age of empires II/age of mythology taunts. I can't seem to trace the awesome list of age of mythology computer messages online though.

EDIT: A new screen, as requested, Slingers in game.

Image

 

[Vinz]

That is awesome! The portrait looks bad though.
In exchange for more models, yoh can compress them with Mdx Squisher and Map Optimizers.

 

[Heinvers]

Looks cool. I love the environment as well. Cheers

 

[Ragnoras]

is that the new environment?

Also: which archer icon?

The militia?.. the normal archer?

Edit: Working on it!

Super Eidit!

Ready!... blue guy is heavy
Gold is elite

 

[Vinz]

Um, where is the download link?

 

[Pson]

That is awesome! The portrait looks bad though.
In exchange for more models, yoh can compress them with Mdx Squisher and Map Optimizers.

Thanks! Portrait is from the worker unit I had selected.. the unit in general could use some polish.

Um, where is the download link?

For the map? I can pm you the current version if you've got your pc fixed. Will need some small edits though first.

Looks cool. I love the environment as well. Cheers

Thanks! The environment is not final though.. will be updated for sure and might even change a lot.

is that the new environment?

Also: which archer icon?

The militia?.. the normal archer?

Edit: Working on it!

Super Eidit!

Ready!... blue guy is heavy
Gold is elite

Damn, I was a little too late in the reply. I ment the arrowhead Icon, used for the "Medium Archers" tech, in copper for Medium, the existing colour for Heavy and in gold for Elite. I'd like you to use real copper and gold colours, not yellow and certainly not blue.

One more screen

Image

Three AI armies mutually besieging my allied AI town and the new thingy I'm working on, in-game score display like in the Age Of Empires games.

One more question on the taunts and a small issue that bugs me:
1) How should I detect when an AI is defeated, so it sends it's "goodbye" msg? Player leaves with defeat doesn't work even when I use "is computer" condition. I guess it is only for exiting the game.
2) I've tried to link it with another trigger and it makes some sense, but I can't make it work either. It's a trigger that's supposed to turn herdables/capturables neutral hostile once someone loses all of their buildings, to prevent needing to scout for them, especially since their map display is turned off.

trigger

• Lose Herds
  • Events
    • Unit - A unit Dies
  • Conditions
    • ((Triggering unit) is A structure) Equal to True
    • (Number of units in (Units owned by (Owner of (Triggering unit)) matching (((Matching unit) is A structure) Equal to True))) Equal to 0
  • Actions
    • Set Player = (Owner of (Triggering unit))
    • Set UnitGroup = (Units owned by Player matching (((Matching unit) is A structure) Equal to False))
    • If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
      • If - Conditions
      • Then - Actions
        • Unit Group - Pick every unit in UnitGroup and do (Actions)
          • Loop - Actions
            • If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
              • If - Conditions
                • Or - Any (Conditions) are true
                  • Conditions
                    • (Unit-type of TempUnit) Equal to Chicken
                    • (Unit-type of TempUnit) Equal to Sheep
                    • (Unit-type of TempUnit) Equal to Elephant (change for AI, NE)
                    • (Unit-type of TempUnit) Equal to Horse (change for AI, NE)
              • Then - Actions
                • Set TempUnit = (Picked unit)
                • Unit - Change ownership of TempUnit to Neutral Hostile and Change color
              • Else - Actions
      • Else - Actions
    • Set TempUnit = No unit
    • Custom script: call DestroyGroup(udg_UnitGroup)

 

[Ragnoras]

Can you give me the download linkfor this map?im wroking for the arrowheads

 

[Pson]

Can you give me the download linkfor this map?im wroking for the arrowheads

Cheers Here's the map for anyone wanting to try the current version, I'd love it if more people came back with feedback. Posted since in the following days I'll be less active, not always with internet and almost always without my pc/wc3.

Mind that I've updated several things, especially triggers and AI, and not tested them enough, you might find issues. For example the late game crash reappeared once and while AIs are more effective in general, they still need work and especially the spartan one is at times not keeping up with the rest.

 

[Pson]

You'll find the icon I mean in the map.. It's also used as the archery range building icon. If you're still not sure ask me. No point in working on anything randomly

 

[Ragnoras]

ahhh! for the Archery??? shall i will extract it out of your map>!>!>!>!?????

 

[Pson]

ahhh! for the Archery??? shall i will extract it out of your map>!>!>!>!?????

I'll link them to you online:
Arrow

See for example those 3, to understand what versions of it I need
Helmet Copper
Helmet Iron/Silver
Helmet Gold

So what's needed is to recolor it to the gold and copper versions. Could you also please edit that huge picture out of your previous post, since it now serves no purpose and I want people to spot the help I've asked for more easily?

 

[BandolXD]

I keep lurking on this thread, I don't know why. How's the filesize ? +

 

[Pson]

I keep lurking on this thread, I don't know why. How's the filesize ? +

Maybe the combined spamming power of cakes, ragnoras and mine grab your attention Filesize is currently at 7,46 MB without any compression and from what people say I'm pretty sure that's a good sign.

 

[BandolXD]

This is a mod right ? Will you able to remove the mod without making Backup file of Warcraft ?

 

[Pson]

It's not a mod currently, just a map and will stay like that for quite a while. Not sure what will happen in the semi-distant future though.

 

[BandolXD]

Oh, it's a mod. But I still hope for a mod version c:.

 

[lokharke]

I saw the pic of AI attacking your Ally, and saw the gold mine. Do u have any plans to use another model for Gold mine? And maybe make workers mine the gold mine? like acolyte animation? I think fingolfin can find a way. (he is v good).

 

[Pson]

I've actually been thinking that there's a huge lack of alternative goldmine models and it is strange. Even a simple one with a structure and a different rocky part (made using the wc3 rocks) would be refreshing.

Fin even has different gather systems that can support multiple extra resources desplayed in a multiboard, but I'll like to keep it simple in that aspect.

The undead mining style wouldn't fit very well imo, since it only supports five workers per mine and I use more, and they would anyway look strange standing symetrically around it.

One another note, I've opened a brainstorming thread on terrain for the map in the melee nation group.

 

[Ragnoras]

how do i download the icon of the arrowhead?

EDIT!: got it

 

[lokharke]

I've actually been thinking that there's a huge lack of alternative goldmine models and it is strange. Even a simple one with a structure and a different rocky part (made using the wc3 rocks) would be refreshing.

Fin even has different gather systems that can support multiple extra resources desplayed in a multiboard, but I'll like to keep it simple in that aspect.

The undead mining style wouldn't fit very well imo, since it only supports five workers per mine and I use more, and they would anyway look strange standing symetrically around it.

I knew fin had a way! Ok, then we just have to wait and see. No beta releases to us? Can u give me pastebin link plz? I only have like 4-5 days max with warcraft.

 

[Ragnoras]

ASlso there's somtring wrong!!! when i play as red player! i got some cavalry and elephants at the another AI's starting base base!

the arrows

 

[Pson]

Hey, I'm a little inactive lately, relaxing during the few days between two short vacations. I'll come back in force soon.

@Ragnoras: Thanks for the interest and effort but even now the colors are quite far from what I requested. You could have a more experienced artist assist you in this, as I have no clue on skinning and how to achieve the right colors. Or just let it go at least for now, it's not a top priority thing.

 

[Vinz]

I tried the Copper Arrow to kill some time.

 

[SuperbAvalon]

You know, I play Age of Mythology EE online quite a bit and this sounds just like that haha Great idea and good work. If it's anything like it, it's going to be awesome. + Rep

 

[Pson]

I tried the Copper Arrow to kill some time.

That's more like it, thanks.

You know, I play Age of Mythology EE online quite a bit and this sounds just like that haha Great idea and good work. If it's anything like it, it's going to be awesome. + Rep

It will certainly have similarities many with those, as well as AOE I & II, 0 AD and other RTS games.

What do you people think about reducing the pop cap, possibly including other changes to balance it.. the lategame is somewhat lackbuster and I think WC3's design for fewer troops is to mostly to blame, especially the 12 unit selection limit.

 

[Sunreaver]

Pson do u Play AOE3

 

[Templassassin]

Pson do u Play AOE3

everyone loves AoE3

 

[Vinz]

I think that is made up for by the Ctrl groups, so it will be how fast reflexes are to press the group hotkeys.

 

[Sunreaver]

everyone loves AoE3

Yeah I love it very much, What's your favourite race. My Favourites Races are Sioux, Indians and Spanish.

 

[Templassassin]

Yeah I love it very much, What's your favourite race. My Favourites Races are Sioux, Indians and Spanish.

i like France, Iroquois, German, and Russia

 

[Sunreaver]

German is a bit Imba. Haha,I love them too. But the Indians can get vey hard to defeat if they train thousands of Elephants. Camels are useless for indians.

 

[Templassassin]

German is a bit Imba. Haha,I love them too. But the Indians can get vey hard to defeat if they train thousands of Elephants. Camels are useless for indians.

yeah elephants are strong... but camels can be killed by a mercenary with 1 attack only