[Release]KCC (Kostic Chronology Costumes) - included in the SSHIP 098

[Khevsur]

I would be delighted if our friend @umbracatervae777 would post his work on Google Drive, for example, so that I could download it.
I will replace Georgia's old units with theirs.
He would just need to provide me with his unit_models folder containing the .mesh and .textures + his export_descr_uni.txt file and his battle_models.modeldb file


I don't understand why he still hasn't done it.

I wrote personally to @Umracatervae777. I hope he will reply us soon and share the files with you

[j.a.luna]

@Kevshur and @kostic Couldn't you please ask @umbra by private message if he could attend to your requests and pass on the work already done so that it can be added to sship mod?

On the other hand, Kostic, could you answer the aforementioned topic about the Norman Knights? I think it is historical to keep these Norman knights in Sicily as it was, right?

Finally I also wrote to him privately, to at least see if he can lend his units so that all his work does not fall into oblivion and can be played and enjoyed in sship mod...

-With regard to the Norman knights, I thought that perhaps a good option would be to make them as an AOR unit, recruitable in the Regions of England, France, Normandy and Southern Italy, for the Sicilians they could also be recruited in the Norman strongholds perhaps. So if it would be feasible to add the feudal knights for Sicily and England in their Landowners.
And even add them as mercenaries available in those areas (as historically the Normans were, great mercenaries at the service of other kingdoms such as Byzantines, Italians, Germans...)

[umbracatervae777]

I might be release a mini-mod for Georgian units in the next couple of months. After all, for every units it's almost completed for the base appearance (early era with some high era). While the rest will be done later on

[Jurand of Cracow]

I might be release a mini-mod for Georgian units in the next couple of months. After all, for every units it's almost completed for the base appearance (early era with some high era). While the rest will be done later on

this would be really welcome! Looking forward to it!

[Khevsur]

I might be release a mini-mod for Georgian units in the next couple of months. After all, for every units it's almost completed for the base appearance (early era with some high era). While the rest will be done later on

It seems my dream is coming true. Do you want to communicate in discord? It's more convenient there- khevsuri is my discord

[Goffredo85]

kositc are we still supposed to replace the files with the ones within "data XIII" once we reach the XIIIth century now that your mod is included in 0.98?

[kostic]

kositc are we still supposed to replace the files with the ones within "data XIII" once we reach the XIIIth century now that your mod is included in 0.98?

Indeed, the data folder in the dataXIII folder can be used by copying it over the original data folder. I advise carrying out the operation around 1230/1250. This will bring some small changes to a few units (appearance of certain horses for covers, replacement of western banner holders, etc.)



I must complete this file later, because it can quite easily correct anachronisms that the game engine does not handle.
Unfortunately, the content changes very little for the moment and I hope to be able to expand it when I have time. Likewise, I would like to be able to create a data XIV folder, a data XV folder in the same spirit... but I'm not there yet!

[j.a.luna]

@kostic definitely the unit "dismounted sergeant at arms" is in dire need of a rework, currently in the game they are anachronistic because they appear for various factions (germans, france, polish) in the year 1190-1200 and have a 14th century appearance with coat of plates and brigantines it takes away a lot of immersion from the game, plus I think they have disproportionate stats to be "sergeants", they have 9 attack and 20 armor, as if they were feudal knights! Let's see if you can fix it for the next version please...

Also the unit "dismounted boyars" has the old vanilla model, but its horseback version "Boyars" has Rusichi models, would it be possible to add the same Rusichi model for its dismounted version? I think the Rusichi models could also be used more for sship mod, for example for the Eastern spear militia and Slavic levy archers (ugly vainilla models)

[kostic]

This will please you, I redid the "armored swordsmen" or "dismounted sergeants at arms" unit today because it hurt me too much to see these sergeants with 14th century armor in the middle of the 13th century...
I revised their statistics downwards with regard to knights on foot.


For the dismounted boyars I put this in my list.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Khevsur]

I really like the colors and the design of the ornaments. However, why does everyone have the same helmets and weapons? There was no difference? In Hungary, there may have been weapons characteristic of nomads.

[j.a.luna]

Thanks Kostic! We will no longer see those anachronistic armors on those units! Maybe it would be good to rename them swordmen sergeants or lesser nobles for their stats...I think I also think the same as Khevsur, maybe you could give the Hungarians and Poles helmets and armor that are more Eastern European and not so Western, right?

And what year should this unit appear? in the heavy mail event (1190-1200) or later for their types of armor and shields?

[Khevsur]

Thanks Kostic! We will no longer see those anachronistic armors on those units! Maybe it would be good to rename them swordmen sergeants or lesser nobles for their stats...I think I also think the same as Khevsur, maybe you could give the Hungarians and Poles helmets and armor that are more Eastern European and not so Western, right?

And what year should this unit appear? in the heavy mail event (1190-1200) or later for their types of armor and shields?

I am sure there would be many helmets of foreign shapes in England, Germany, Hungary and Poland.
There are many helmets on historical reconstruction sites. For example,

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I found Polish helmets on this site

https://www.historicalreproductions....sh-helmet.html
https://www.historicalreproductions....le-c-1250.html
https://www.historicalreproductions....le-c-1297.html
https://truehistoryshop.com/shop/bas...un-xiv-xv-a-d/

Hungarian helmets
https://truehistoryshop.com/shop/hel...gele-xiii-a-d/

Of course, it is difficult to sculpt new helmets and make new things. Now I'm learning blender. I definitely have to start making units - it's my dream. If no one has added new weapons before. Hopefully it will be me

[Marble Emperor]

To add specific equipment for a shared unit (a unit shared across multiple factions, such as sergeant swordsmen) to appear for just one faction, like Hungary or Poland is impossible. You would have to take up an extra unit slot and make Hungarian sergeant swordsmen a new standalone unit, or you would have to add Eastern European style helmets for all factions, like England and France. Unfortunately, that’s just how the engine limitations are in medieval 2.

[kostic]

To add specific equipment for a shared unit (a unit shared across multiple factions, such as sergeant swordsmen) to appear for just one faction, like Hungary or Poland is impossible. You would have to take up an extra unit slot and make Hungarian sergeant swordsmen a new standalone unit, or you would have to add Eastern European style helmets for all factions, like England and France. Unfortunately, that’s just how the engine limitations are in medieval 2.

This is not entirely true. By working on the textures and adding mattes, we can still obtain some variations with the same unit (see my scouts).
This work on textures is delicate and takes a lot of time. I quickly corrected this unit because it was often found in large quantities in the game in the 13th century and it spoiled the immersion for me.
I note that this version of "dismounted sergeants at arms" could be improved for the Poles and Hungarians such as these examples of helmets provided by @Khevsur.


@j.a.luna: (I no longer know what event triggers their appearance but in my game with the Fatimids I saw them arrive after 1200)

[Khevsur]

If you can, send me the blender file as a sample (without convention- just blender work file) - the helmet should be adjusted to the man's head, so that I can make it in the appropriate size. I think I can already make forms. Then you use it.

[Marble Emperor]

True, you can accomplish this with texture and model manipulation, although I cannot do this with mine because they are already too vertex-heavy for the most part.

[j.a.luna]

Kostic, could you leave the new files of the modified Sergeant at Arms to copy and paste into my August version? In my current campaign I see that many Polish armies are made up of this unit and it is very annoying to see them with plate armor in the 12th-13th century as you know... I also think that Jurand should see his recruitment in the AI because there are many units of them and they have a huge cost and stats so that the AI has armies of them...

[Goffredo85]

As always your units look wonderful. But maybe a more in depth reasoning on faction rosters should be made. maybe the look of dismounted sergeant at arms was right but they were just available too soon. as of now there seems to be several inconsistencies with units looks and their relative stats or between units with similar equipment but wildly different stats. by addressing things on a unit by unit basis you risk retouching units stats/looks several times in order to get things right. maybe establishing clearly which units should be available to which factions and when, how should they look for every upgrade level and what stats they should have, before working on actual textures/models could help give your effort more focus. just my humble opinion ofc.

EDIT: With the partial plate event in 1300 dismounted sergeant at arms became available from castles too (they were available from towns only before this event). This reinforces my idea that it was their early availability from towns that was the problem rather than simply their looks. Regarding the partial plate event the description said that it should happen around mid 13th century, but it actually happened in 1300. this event unlocks both the chivalric units and the coat of plates upgrade. this lead to the strange situation where my feudal knights and bodyguards where stuck with conical helmets and proto great helms up until 1300 only to upgrade to them at the same time when chivalric knights appear equipped with true partial plate armor. i suggest splitting the event in two parts, thus making available the coat of plates and great helms with relative upgrades by the mid 13th century and then making the chivalric units appear during the first decade of the 14th century, or probably even later.

[kostic]

Ensuring that the armor and costume timeline is consistent and that upgrades arrive at the right time is indeed a real headache with M2TW !


- First there is indeed the choice of the event which will make the unit appear in recruitment, but only for the base unit. This does not take into account upgrades (ug1, ug2, ug3)


- Then each city or castle would have to have the 4th level of armory so that, for example, the feudal knights appear as they should have in the second half of the 13th century (I have not yet reviewed the ug2 and the ug3 for this unit)
As not all armories are built at the same time, we can indeed end up with unwanted gaps in the game.


- The only solution that I have found for the moment (but which I have still very little developed) is to create a data folder for each period of significant changes (for the moment data XII data XIII) which would overwrite obsolete files based on the period played. Having little pure computer skills, I found no other solution than to have the player do the operation manually.


Concerning the "armored_swordsmen" or "dismounted sergeants at arms" unit, its upgrade remained that of a 14th century unit (which I will gladly rework later) and I just changed the appearance of the base unit , @Jurand having told me that he didn't know what other unit to put instead.


You see that managing the appearance of units during the game is really not something simple based on the experience I have...

@j.a.luna : For those impatient who would like to benefit from my latest improvements, you can apply this patch to the August version.
It will modify the battle_models.modeldb and
slightly the EDU while improving some units, including these famous "dismounted sergeants at arms"
Tested on my August version.

[Khevsur]

@kostic your work will be integrated in the next update of the game?


The new French units are very nice...