-Tibertus
-cdvader

For a while, now, I've been playing around with a few ideas for a mod. Originally, I wanted to do an "Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings" module but there was a lot of stuff I didn't like and I ended up scrapping the plans.

What I decided to do was list the things that I liked the idea of, for a mod and see where they all fitted in together.

Here's the short list that I came up with:

• Motte & Bailey Castles
• Light Cavalry (No cavalry archers, though. Cavalry javeliners, on the other hand, I like)
• Light armoured, two hand sword wielding, troops.
• Heraldry
• Larger scale, both literally and a feeling of
• New sieges, siege towers etc. I'd like to redisgn how they work and change things about.

Yeah, so it's a crap list but it really helped me get a clearer picture of what I wanted to do.

Factions

Cadrogh (cad-rog) - Celtic-Style faction. I want kilts (the ones that go over the shoulder, not the skirt variety). Light armoured troops, pikemen, two handed swordsmen, light cavalry. Traditional celtic stuff.

Cadroghan Troop Tree

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_______________________________________--- Cadroghan Scout --- Cadroghan Cavalry
______________________________________/
Cadroghan Clansman --- Cadroghan Clan Elder --- Cadroghan Chieftain --- Cadroghan Warlord
_________________\
__________________--- Cadroghan Spearman --- Cadroghan Pikeman --- Cadroghan Trained Pikeman --- Cadroghan Veteran Pikeman

Jerske (yersk-eh) - Nordic faction. I felt the inclusion of one of these to be necessary. Lots of round shields (every troop will have a round shield, of some description, except bowmen). Axes, throwing axes and fairly weak longbowmen.

Jersk Troop Tree

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Jersk Recruit --- Jersk Raider --- Jersk Warmonger --- Jersk Warrior --- Jersk Raven Warrior
_______________________\
________________________ --- Jersk Bowman --- Jersk Longbowman

The Battenwert Empire (bat-ten-vert) - Frankish-style faction. I hope to be able to create a Two-handed throwing axe (like in age of empires). Heavy-er cavalry. Not big plate armoured Paladins. Nothing like that. Also, Crossbows.

Battenwert Troop Tree

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________________--- Battenwert Peasant Crossbowman --- Battenwert Veteran Crossbowman
_______________/
Battenwert Trainee --- Battenwert Militia --- Battenwert Infantryman --- Battenwert Axeman --- Battenwert Elite Axeman
________________________________\
_________________________________--- Battenwert Knight --- Battenwert Knight at Arms.

The Maduhlla States (ma-doo-lah) - Desert Archer style faction. Moorish style, Cloth armour. Lots of very skilled archers, light infantry and light cavalry. Scimitars.

Maduhlla Troop Tree

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________________--- Maduhlla Archer --- Maduhlla Desert Archer --- Maduhlla Desert Ranger --- Maduhlla Master Archer
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Maduhlla Tribesman --- Maduhlla Hashshashin --- Maduhlla State Guard
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______________________________________--- Maduhlla Cavalry --- Maduhlla Mamluk --- Maduhlla State Mamluk

The Nundukh Khanate (nun-duk) - Timurid (ish) -style faction. I want a mainly mounted faction but, as I said, I'll be avoiding horse archers. They'll have mounted javeliners, lamellared horses. Actually, lots of lamellar.

Nundukh Troop Tree

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Nundukh Nomad --- Nundukh Apprentice --- Nundukh Captain --- Nundukh Colonel --- Nundukh Khan's Guard
________________________________\
__________________________________--- Nundukh Skirmisher --- Nundukh Heavy Skirmisher

I'd like to hear from you, you can just post thoughts about the idea, suggestions. Whatever.

Team Positions

Notice to all potential team members: I am looking for team members that are willing to do a lot of hard work. I am not in the habit of recruiting team members that will do a bit of work here and there. So you need to have plenty of time to spare, you will need to be easy to contact (msn is preferable), you will have to be acceptive of criticism (but not afraid to challenge my decisions). It's not all bad, though . Being a member of this team, you will have a chance to be part of something great. This is a very ambitious project but one which I intend to dedicate a lot of my own efforts to and I believe, the end result will be something special. You will also have access to a hard working leader. I will be available to contact very easily, I can deal with your problems and concers, I will listen to your thoughts and criticisms. If you are up to scratch and fit the criteria, you will have an excellent time, working for this team.

• Scener. I'm looking for a dedicated scener with a fair bit of time on their hands. I'm looking for someone with a willingness to learn and try hard. (Ideally, with a passion for Motte & Bailey castle making)

Signatures
















Palisade wall. It'll be used for the Motte & Bailey castles. They'll be smaller than that, when they're put in the scenes.

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Palisade Gatehouse. I used transparancy on the wings render, so you can see the spiral staircase and platforms.

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First Motte & Bailey.

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New, very large, Motte & Bailey.

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New Kilt

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Oh, didn't know you had a thread here untill Tintin just linked it.
Sounds nice, especially that about Motte and Bailey. What do you mean with your "heraldry" point, though?

Yeah... I didn't really expand on that point.

With heraldry, I just want to see a lot more of it. I want banners hanging in the streets of towns, hanging off gatehouses etc.

I've also got ideas in mind to make all armours a bit heraldric (kind of like age of empires 2). I've looked into it, a bit but I don't really want to go there, just yet.

My main priorites, right now, are to replace scenes. Get the Motte & Baileys built because I'm expecting a lot of bugs with the scenes.

Oh, about that banners hanging in the streets, that would be easy, very easy.

Do tell...

Sounds awesome, can't wait

Hey guys, I'm here!

Anyways, good luck with the mod Lust!

Hey Vader, thanks very much.

In edit mode you can just hang some banners around like already happens with castles.

Aye lol, I know that but will they change if the vassal changes?

I think so. Try taking over a castle in Native and see if your banner is hanging about somewhere. :? I'm not near my edit system at the moment, so I can't really check.

This looks like it could be interesting, I especially look forward to the Motte and Bailey castles.

yeah I've got a ton of ideas floting around for the Motte and Baileys. I'm thinking they should act as hybrid castles/villages and I want to impement some interesting gameplay features with them. Things like peasants fighting with the garrisson, when there's a siege.

They should be easier to siege than castles, though. For balance.

Should not be hard, just take the "attack bandit village" script.

That sounds interesting, CapLust; but as a suggestion:

Peasants throwing themselves into battle would naturally only be used as a final desperate tactic; is it possible to ensure they spawn in the last wave?

yeah probably. Tbh, though this is planning way ahead.

First, I want to get all the scenes done.

Understandable; even with my limited modding knowledge, I know scenes can take forever.

They certainly can. I still want to build more scene objects too. Also, I'm doing work for Wutai War and writing reviews. So I've got a lot on my plate, right now.

Wutai War looks like something I could try, especially seeing as I first saw the sigs for it on TW just after I completed Crisis Core...

But back on topic, I understand how time can be limited: I myself loop between LOADS of free time and then a few days of mind-numbing continuous activity.

Yeah I'll try to keep up progress, though. I think I might open a team position, today.

Main Post Update: NEW SCREENS and NEW TEAM POSITION.

I must say, that Motte and Bailey in the screenshot looks damn fun to assault.

If all goes to plan, it will be. I want to have a battering ram break down each set of gates. Currently, I'm thinking something along the lines of: Infantry in the bailey, with archers and peasants in the keep. It's not fully thought through yet, though and I'm scening, for the moment.

Hopefully, I can find someone to help out, soon.

As in break break or break open (doors swing inward). I feel like that's the most generic Motte & Bailey castle I've ever seen. It's like out of a book or something. It would go great with my generic troop mod . Alas, my mod isn't that serious, just troop makeovers.

ha, that's a but harsh, isn't it? I'll definitely be adding variation to the styles of the Motte & Baileys. Hopefully you won't find them all too generic.

For the sieges, I would be making the doors swing inward (that's the plan). I'll probably add some particle effects or something, to make it look cooler.

Generic things tend to be more realistic. He's got a point though, it looks exactly as what I'd pictue motte and bailey to look.

Well I guess that's kind of good, then?

Ja.

Ah, well that's ok then. But I'd still like to have a lot of different styles for the Motte & Baileys.

Main post updated: NEW SCREEN

It looks even more generic now . I suppose it's good though, because generic is normal I guess.

What the hell do you suggest I do?

Make a Motte & Bailey out of candy canes or rape alarms?

Maybe....just maybe....THAT COULD WORK

Or in Morrowin Dwemer style including pools of magma!

Is there a cow model that can be used as a scene prop? I think a pen of cows would be a nice addition to the lower portion of that second Motte & Bailey, which looks awesome by the way.

That's quite a cool idea, actually. I'd probably rig them, though.

I couldn't be doing with static cows, now.

EDIT: And thanks.

I don't know about in the UK, but here cows tend to sit still for a very long time as they're grazing. Lazy things.

Cows don't tend to move much, no, but they do move at times.

Yeah I'll try and get them to walk around a little. You can see I made a little pen for them .

Main post updated: 2 NEW SCREENS

Actually, cows do move a lot in the field.

ha, I'll just rig them like a horse. They'll probably bend down, now and then. That's fine.

NEW SCREENS

Give them the dying horse animations so they're crazy cows

hah, you have a vivid imagination Tintin. Maybe I could do some weird sh*t like that for a witch quest or something.

Main Post Updated: Faction names and troop trees added.

Still looking for a goddam scener.

Sorry to double post. Actually I'm not that sorry.

I really appreciate all the views this thread has been getting (almost at 1000) but it's a shame not many people have posted any thoughts or feedback.

Anyway, not to worry. Just thought I'd show you the current map. I won't post it on the main page yet because it's not quite finished.

nice map man!

I want to play this so badly

Looks nice. Just wondering though, Motte and Baileys weren't build very often in desert areas, were they?

no idea. But scenery eye?
Actually I've done it a few times and it isn't that hard. It take some time but not hard. So if you want. I can do a few scenes for you.

I was just looking at the scene editor at it seems intuitive enough. I could probably do some stuff for you too.

Ahh that would be oh so sweet. Any potential contributers can hit me up on msn "frankelliott555@hotmail.co.uk" and I can let you know what to do.

As for Motte & Baileys in desert areas. I know that wouldn't really add up so I think I'll have to come up with something else for the Maduhlla states. Not a problem, though.

I might do something else for Jerske and the Nundukh Khanate too. Not quite decided yet but I'm open to suggestions.

So wish I knew how to mod This sounds like the nuts of an idea, would love to be a part of it.

The captain be lookin' for scene editors. I'm sure ye could manage taht