190 replies to this topic

[robnkarla]

Well here are some screenshots taken from the 1.05.02 release. I've been debating whether to include the skies or not, but it just seems that it is eyecandy added to eyecandy. The different camera angles are much more important to me than the actual skies. I'll be updating more as they are ready, but here you go:

1) Faramir, Boromir, Pippin (skins by Nazgul), Gondor Soldiers with HQ skin, & gondor spearmen by Argolis


2) Create a Hero attacks a goblin cave


3) A shot from inside the Elven Castle


4) Shot of Imrahil on the new angle (Model by Nertea)


5) The normal angle of Imrahil


6) Citaldel Guards from BFME+ by Cahik_ (Replaces the Dunedain Rangers)


7) Gondor Pikemen by Argolis


8) Fountain Guards (previously Citadel guards)


9) Another shot of an Elven Castle


10) An Elven Army attacks a Cave Troll


11) Eomer (Credit to Celeglin and TEA team)


12) Gamling (Credit to Celeglin and TEA team)


13) Theoden (Credit to Celeglin and TEA team)


14) Footmen of Ringlo Vale (Model by Nertea)


15) Morthond Bowman (Model by Nertea)


16) Axemen of Lossnarch (Model by Nertea)


17) Spearmen of Pelargir (Model by Nertea)


18) Merry skin by Nazgul


19) Rohan Barracks (Credit to Celeglin and TEA team & Rob38 for buildups and damage states)


20) Royal Guard on foot (Credit to Celeglin and TEA team) 1 battalion available from level 3 Barracks


21) Rohirrim skins by Nertea and Nazgul


22) Upgraded Rohirrim skins by Nertea and Nazgul (No more uniform HA look or change of hair color)


23) Rohan Elven Warriors


24) Upgraded Rohan Elven Warriors


25) Royal Guard on Horse


And again, credit for the basis of the camera system goes morgoth946 & The Four Ages. It is currently a 3 button system that you can see in some of the screenshots. I am also working on one more style of camera, that I don't want to announce until I know it works they way that I want.

Edited by robnkarla, 26 July 2007 - 10:04 AM.

[Xingdao Fan]

~~first comment~~ ^.^

Very good, I like all those HQ skins and models, but won't that cause extra lag in the game?

[fehik]

Will you include the skies or not?

[robnkarla]

Most of those skins are already in game for 1.05.01, I was just showing off the new camera angles. So if you have lag in 1.05.02, it's not likely to change too much. I've thought about splitting the textures in their own .big file. Then I could have two versions for low-res and high-res depending on what you computer can handle.

That's just an idea, and not sure if I will do it.

Fehik - as for skies, I'm going to play around with them, and depending on the time I will include them in some form in 1.05.02. I'll let the beta testers judge whether they are worth it. They really look nice in screens, movies, & specific settings but in overall gameplay they do not work as well. So if they are not in 1.05.02 they will be in .03. I'll then take a poll of everyone's opinion of them on whether they are worth including. Also, I don't want to lag the game too much.

To me, the camera angles are much more important than the skies, but then that is just me.
Robert J.

p.s. I also added some more screens for Rohan

[Allathar]

Wow... The new camera angles give the game so much extra... I wonder why EA didn't put it in, cuz it looks simply awesome...

[Xingdao Fan]

I like the new skins. The only thing I don't like is Éomer changing textures. I mean, Celeglin made a great model, but it doesn't look like Éomer. I prefer the one we have in-game.

[Nertea]

Very cool looking.

[Ergopad]

Gotta agree that Eomer kind of looks odd... The rest are just great!

About new units, (Footmen of Ringlo Vale, Spearmen of Pelargir, Morthond Bowman and Axemen of Lossnarch) of what faction they are, Arnor?

[fehik]

I think, that you should add the new camera system to fortress maps too, like Minas Tirith, Helm's Deep and such.

[Allathar]

Or simply to all of the maps, if possible.

@ Ergopad: they come available after you made an alliance with the Southern Fiefdoms in the inn.

Edited by Allathar, 15 July 2007 - 04:29 PM.

[astrinax]

They are all great, my only critisism is the new few sothern femdom units eyes look kinda creepy. and I think the skins should be a bit darker

[Elendil the High]

Looks very nice Rob cant wait to it comes out

[Devon]

skies are definatly worth it, but i would only put them in bfme1 revisted maps, and fortress maybe to stop the big file from being to big .

the only thing that annoys me is that none of the rohirrim really have white horses, so eowyns disguise is completely useless .

but those screens are awesome! I can't wait!

[robnkarla]

The skies are already included in the game, just not used - well at least a few of them. I'll play with them and probably include them.

As for the rohirrim horses, I'll be adjusting those as well. I don't like the fact that all the heroes have white horses and all the units have brown/grey/spotted/etc. I'd like to mix it up a little. Heroes should have their own unique horses, but in the case of some, like Eowyn, they should blend in. Also, the units should have a greater variety of horses.

While the new camera system add very little to the gameplay, it's just fun to see the game in a completely new light. You can watch it from the orcs point of view while the cavalry flatten em, you can actually be inside the castle if you want as the enemy is pounding you with siege. It's just plain fun. The skies just add a little more realism to it, but I think the camera is what makes all the difference.

[Devon]

but the skies make everything so much more beautiful! lol.

actually, its not what they do, so much as what they don't do. For instance, i find in some of those screens that instead of really looking at the units my eyes are drawn toward the big black abyss where the sky should be but isnt make sense?

[robnkarla]

That I completely understand. The black abyss make it feel.....idk maybe like a huge moving chess game instead of a war. It actually takes some of the realism away.

I'll see what I can do with the skies, but no promises. I don't like promising something will be added when it will not work out exactly (or close to) the way I want it.

[Nazgûl]

Holy heck... I've never seen my skins in those angles before...
I love it!!! We wants it too...

In return for unlimited access to my skins, you can help us set it up (just like you've started to do my friend)

A W E S O M E.... allthough, I do wish for skies too though. The black void of nothing is a bit... uhm... scary? And if I understood you correctly, the weird border between sky/void is only visible on lower settings?


Btw: the "Rohan Elven Guard", are those my skins, or just similar? (Can't really tell in that angle =P)

[Sûlherokhh]

This is a sweet screenshot parade! *clapping hands*
Great work on the angle. Sorry i wasn't much help to you. I kinda got stuck on some other coding.
Still, i think working on the sky is worth persuing. I'll get back to you on that later. Good work!

[robnkarla]

Thanks Naz and Sul,

Yeah, once I get this up and running I will help SEE get this as well. I figured we can form a partnership of stuff if that is all right with you. The coding is not too difficult, but as far as I can tell it will need to be added to every map. (I'll help you add the scripts to all the maps that you need, and so forth.)

As for the Elven skins, we both pretty much did the same thing, though with some differences. Their texture is Haldir/(another elven unit for the helmet) based with the coloring of the Elven Warriors from BFME1 as well as dyed hair. They just look similar since we took the similar approaches.

As for the black hole in the sky, its there on more settings other than very low. The only way to remove it is to increase the depth of field for all settings for the map which DRASTICALLY can increase lag, but on the smaller maps it is not as bad as the large 8 player maps.

I'll PM you with the code and everything and we can talk

[Nazgûl]

You got a deal partner

I suggest that we leave the "void" for all settings except Ultra High. That way people can choose themselves (if this is not automatically that way). I mean... not many would use thia angle for gameplay anyways... I think most would uuse it like I would; for enjoying the view in calm situations, getting nice screens and just adding a bit of that epic feeling that EZ promised from the beginning in their advertising

I'm off for some sleep, but see you later friend =)