Unique / Custom Settlements for Strat Map

[Sin_]

Hey everyone, so decided to create some unique settlements for the strategy map, and creating this thread to showcase them and discuss. The intent for these is to make them historically accurate for the starting period.

Constantinople





I'll look into adding Galata tower and the chain, although the SSHIP peninsula is a little too small for it and expanding it could make it look odd.

Cairo

[Sin_]

Next one I'll look to make is either Rome or Jerusalem.

[Jurand of Cracow]

These look wonderful!

[j.a.luna]

Really cool and historical unique settlements!

[keksimir]

Phenomenal!

[Max.1985]

This is amazing. Please. Make this available for us to download.

[keksimir]

Making a unique settlement for every historic capital of the factions in the game would be awesome. I am positive the mod authors would add your work into the mod.

[Jurand of Cracow]

Making a unique settlement for every historic capital of the factions in the game would be awesome. I am positive the mod authors would add your work into the mod.

I have no idea how to do it, and integrate it, but I'm equally positive - if you make a minimod / patch that can just be applied to the mod, we'll do it. I'd guess it's possible since we've got such beautiful cities in the Tsardoms. Btw, you may use their stuff as we've got agreement to use our assetts mutually (and I already see my work in their patch for the Kiev faction).

[Khevsur]

Caucasian towers will be interesting - In the snowy mountains of the Caucasus

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vain...r_architecture
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svan_towers
https://www.google.com/search?q=:wub:...&bih=560&dpr=3
https://www.google.com/search?q=muts...&bih=560&dpr=3


A rock city in the south of Georgia
https://www.google.com/search?q=vard...novo&prmd=imvn

[Wallachian]

Yeap feel free to use and update/modify the settlement models from Tsardoms

[Sin_]

I have no idea how to do it, and integrate it, but I'm equally positive - if you make a minimod / patch that can just be applied to the mod, we'll do it.

It's pretty easy - I'll put a download up with instructions, but basically be a case of remove these sub-folders, replace with the ones in the download.

[j.a.luna]

Hi @Sin! Do you have more images and new strat map models for other settlements? I love your work! Give more historical flavour to sship mod!

[Sin_]

I've updated Constantinople with Pera (Galata) and given the city a better moat and made it look more like it would have before the 4th Crusade based on historical reconstructions that have been done. Interestingly enough, I didn't realise the Hagia Sophia was originally covered in white marble, but what we mostly see nowadays is what's left of the marble and the undercover red limestone.

Some of the reconstructions are below, with a link to one of the website showing it in further detail:








https://www.realmofhistory.com/2020/...-13th-century/

[j.a.luna]

Wooow really awesome as feel new model for Constantinople!!! I think is the best strat map model for Queen of the cities that i have ever seen! I would like see other famous settlements or historical capital for the mod!

On the other hand, also you make battle map models? For example double wall and monuments in Constantinople and you can see on the battle, Divide and Conquer mod (LOTR) have unique settlements but i think they have a lot of modders and it too much work...

[Max.1985]

This is so awesome!! Such a great work.. The SSHIP with this will be even better.

[Sin_]

Mostly there with Jerusalem - while doing the research for what it looked like I found that the Dome of the Rock doesn't look exactly like it does today with the blue mosaics and golden spherical dome. All the depictions and sources I found from or closer to the crusades has it as a pointed dome, and a jade colour:







I'll post some screens of it in a bit.

[Sin_]

Some screens of Jerusalem:









I've used that first cartography I posted of Jerusalem as some inspiration for the colouring of the walls. In reality they weren't as pink, although they were made from a light-pink limestone, which is probably why the cartography had it as that - still I think it adds some nice contrast (which is good given the engines resolution isn't the best) and gives it some uniqueness but open to some feedback.

I might also make the Church of the Holy Sepulchre a little plainer and smaller, given the detail doesn't stand out too well and it's also far bigger than it should be, even for a strat model really ... it's as large as the Hagia Sophia and overshadows the Citadel

[Sin_]

Wooow really awesome as feel new model for Constantinople!!! I think is the best strat map model for Queen of the cities that i have ever seen! I would like see other famous settlements or historical capital for the mod!

On the other hand, also you make battle map models? For example double wall and monuments in Constantinople and you can see on the battle, Divide and Conquer mod (LOTR) have unique settlements but i think they have a lot of modders and it too much work...

Thanks - yes will look into a unique battle map for Constantinople. The modelling itself wouldn't be difficult, as I have a ton of textures for it, however the devil is in the detail in terms of walkmeshes and getting it into the game, so will have to see.

[j.a.luna]

Thanks - yes will look into a unique battle map for Constantinople. The modelling itself wouldn't be difficult, as I have a ton of textures for it, however the devil is in the detail in terms of walkmeshes and getting it into the game, so will have to see.

Yes ! It would be great for unique battles!

Regarding Jerusalem i think is pretty cool have these "light-pink" walls and if it is historical so be it then...
But i see that Acre and Ascalan have both Vainilla model of castle...Is this for some reason?

-And we said that by having unique models there would be no problem if they increased in settlement level, for example to a huge city... Would Jerusalem continue to have the same model? As well as the rest of "normal" cities, they would continue to have the generic model...

[Sin_]

But i see that Acre and Ascalan have both Vainilla model of castle...Is this for some reason?

I changed them to Middle Eastern, as it didn't make sense for it to have European architecture. Unfortunately the models for these aren't the best, so I might make them less cartoon Arabic in the future. I've changed it to Greek for the time being as it looks a little better.

Ascalan is owned by the Fatimids, so have left it as Middle Eastern.

And we said that by having unique models there would be no problem if they increased in settlement level, for example to a huge city... Would Jerusalem continue to have the same model? As well as the rest of "normal" cities, they would continue to have the generic model...

Yeah it's got the same model for all of the upgrades. I haven't hit the engine vertices limit yet, so will see how it goes. The existing SSHIP models, although better than standard SS haven't been optimised i.e. Jerusalem and Cairo have less vertices than a SSHIP Middle Eastern city. So if I hit it, I could possibly optimise the existing SSHIP ones if I really needed to.

I've played around with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre a little, made it smaller and improved the textures a little:



I think the next city I'll look at is either Venice or Rome - I'll have a look at the ones for Tsardoms since Wallachian is happy for me to do so, and aim to improve the textures and reduce the vertices of the models.