28 replies to this topic

[robnkarla]

Well, I thought I'd start up a topic all about forged blades. There are a coupld of goals for this:

1) Gather feedback on forged blades upgrades
2) Identify all units that have problems with the forged blades (blocks behind buildings, etc.)

So first, I'm beginning to go through and at least make sure there is consistency among the units within a faction. There are lone units that have red/green/white/blue etc. as everyone knows, and I am working on making them the same.

While doing this, I'm debating on how I want to do forged blades effects. While there are many options, I still want to keep the forged blade glow of the different colors. As for the reasons - they are easily identifiable, already on all the units so less work, and for good or bad I just can't imagine Uruks not having red forged blades.

So what I was thinking was giving each faction a different tint or at least making red and white or any colors. One thing that I am intending is to tone down the color, so the tint is just slight on some and a little more on other factions. Maybe, Gondor - white ; goblins - green ; isengard - red, etc. So just let me know what you think.

Example of the "white" forged blades on the Gondor Soldiers:



Second, I've begun going through and fixing all the bugs with the units and the "log" effect and other things associated with this. I've done some like the Gondor Pikemen and such, but I could use help on identifying all of the problem models. Also, I could use a list of units that have the selection problem as well.

Robert J.

[Shikari]

Sounds like a great idea, i'm all for keeping the fx as the gameplay just wouldn't be right without it.
I'm gonna go through and make that list as I have nothing better to do today

My opinions on the colours would be - Gondor - White, Isengard - Red, Goblins - Green, Mordor - (Black Orcs none or black) Evil Men - Dark Red (more muddy colour than isengard), Elves - blue, Dwarves - White or Gold if that could be made to look good. Angmar is supposed to be 'dark iron' so grey if its possible to make a grey glow. Arnor - Silvery Blue

I'll post the list when i'm done.

Edited by Shikari, 02 September 2007 - 12:39 PM.

[Devon]

gondor: white, rohan: white or blue, elves: white or blue. dwarves: white, arnor: white or blue.


mordor: dark red, isen: red, goblins: red, men of the east: dark red, angmar: dark purple


imo, there should be that much different, because theyre all 'forged blades', just an improvement of the craftmanship.

[Shikari]

Ok, here's the list I made. It's pretty much all the forged blade units have, any selection problems and other visual bugs.

Gondor

Citadel Guards
- No forged blades FX
- No fire arrow FX
Pikemen
- Turquoise forged blades FX (All other Gondor units have blue glow)


Arnor - All use blue Forged Blades unless labeled otherwise.

Dunedain Soldiers
- No heavy armor skin
-No forged blades FX

Dunedain Archers
- No heavy armor FX
- No fire arrow FX
- Construct Unit Tooltip reads: 'Arnor Archers'

Imladris Warriors
- No silverthorn arrow FX
- Tooltip reads: 'Lindon Warriors'
- MouseoverTooltip reads: 'Elven Warrior'

Dunedain Rangers
- Tooltip reads: 'Rangers'
-Construct Unit Tooltip reads: 'Ithilien Rangers'

Arnor Tower Guards
- Tooltip reads: 'Dunedain Royal Guards'


Arnor Knights
- Tooltip reads: 'Dunedain Knights'
- Horseshield Upgrade is not avaliable

Mithlond Sentries
- Missing Palantir Image


Rohan - All use blue Forged Blades unless labeled otherwise.

Yeoman Archers
- No heavy armor skin
- Construct tooltip reads 'Rohan Archers'

Elven Warriors
- Tooltip reads 'Lorien Warriors'

Yeoman Soldiers
- White Forged Blades FX'

Rohirrim and Rohirrim Archers
- No heavy armor skin


Evil Men

Harad:

Haradrim Lancers
- Cannot purchase the Harad banner upgrade
- Tooltip reads: 'Haridrim Archers'

Haradrim Guard
- Cannot purchase the Harad banner upgrade
- Tooltip reads: 'Guardians of the Black Serpent'
- Cannot purchase Forged Blades upgrade

Haradrim Warriors
- Pink Forged Blades FX

Haradrim Cavalry
- Named Haradrim Lancers which is the same as the lance throwers.
- Blue Forged Blades FX

Black Serpent Guard
- Have blue forged blades effects on their spears despite not having the upgrade

Rhun:

Brigands of Rhun
- Cannot purchase Forged Blades
- Cannot purchase banner carrier
- No toggle weapon anim

Corsairs of Umbar
- Blue forged blades FX
- No toggle weapon animation
- No banner carrier

Easterling Riders
- Red Forged Blades FX

Easterlings
- Blue Forged Blades FX

Easterling Warriors
- No heavy armor skin
- Red forged blades FX

Soldiers of Rhun
- Cannot purchase forged blades

Easterling Archers
- Cannot purchase upgrades

Wain Riders
- Selection Issue

Mordor

Orc Pikemen
- Have goblin upgrades, none of which are purchaseable
- Selection issue

Black Orc Warriors
- Can purchase heavy armor and forged blades, but there is nowhere to buy the upgrade from.


Goblins - All units use blue Forged blades unless labelled otherwise.

Goblin Pikemen
- Red Forged Blades FX

Dwarves - All units use blue Forged blades unless labelled otherwise.

Men of Dale Soldiers
- White Forged Blades FX

Men of Dale Archers
- Green Fire arrows from some angles
- Selection issue

Isengard, Elves and Angmar are all consistant in the colour of forged blades


Hope this helps

Edited by Shikari, 02 September 2007 - 07:11 PM.

[Gherrick]

Rohan should have green because they have green colours on their shields etc. Goblins, Mordor, Isen = Blood Red , Evil Men- Crimson Red(Dark Red), Dwarves= silverish, Elves= golden, Angmar= chilly blue.

[Vithar-133]

The Forces of Darkness
Mordor and Isengard should have forged blades that are the same red as the Beserker's sword, Goblins should have a brown red color or maybe a purple color, Angmar should have a light ice blue, Men of the East should have a pale red or pale blue.

The Free Peoples
Arnor, Gondor and Rohan should have either blue or silver forged blades, the Dwarves should have a dark blue or lighter silver, Elves should have either gold or light green on their forged blades.

[Smeagolfan24]

I say that the Rohirrim should have more earth-tone colors. The Elves should have a lighter variation of these, foresty colors. The Men of Gondor should have more metallic and naval colors. Isengard could have a sort of darkened multi-color FX, to reflect Saruman of Many Colors. (No rainbows, however!) Mordor should be black, Rhun a dusty tan, Harad a deep red (almost scarlet), and Angmar a grey. Those are my ideas.

[Ergopad]

Definately golden glow for Rohan, as they armors were also golden. Blue would work with elves and light blue/white for dwarves (like mithril).

[Allathar]

FoL:
Rohan green, Gondor white, Elves a light silvery shine (like the Elves Frodo and Sam encountered after they left the Shire in FotR movie), Dwarves silvery-blue, Arnor white.

FoD:
Gobbo's some sick-poison green, Harad scarlet, Rhun a light golden glow, Isen metallic red, Angmar a very cold blue, Mordor red.

[robnkarla]

Well, here is the first update. I've also made sure all of the units have correct selection bounding boxes as well as forged blades settings. Gondor with white forged blades:







Robert J.

[Shikari]

Looks great Does my huge list help you at all?

[robnkarla]

It most definitely helps!! I've been using it as I fix different models. (So many small things need fixing.)

[Clement]

Hey rob, how are you doing that?

I suppose that you're not going to rebind each unit? I don't think so... Are you editing them with the HexEditor? And are you doing the same thing for the Obbox problem?

I can't believe that you're redoing each unit, so there is something behind that, and I'm curious

[Juissi]

I can't believe that you're redoing each unit, so there is something behind that, and I'm curious

I have to say the same thing

[snoopyzero]

thats cool
it looks great

[robnkarla]

It's hex editing. So much can be done with this, including adding the perfect size obbox to a unit that does not even have one. Once you get the hang of how the file is all laid out, you really can do a lot of things with it.

I'll probably write another tutorial on all the different things you can do including how to remove all those pesky bugs on models post export.

Edited by robnkarla, 05 September 2007 - 04:20 PM.

[Juissi]

I'll probably write another tutorial on all the different things you can do including how to remove all those pesky bugs on models post export.

Because mostly I just forget to use the boxes but it can indeed be very annoying...If hex editing can solve it, it would be awesome to have a tutorial about all the possibilities of hex editing.

[robnkarla]

Here is what I'll do - I need to take screens for the texture retention article. Once that is done, I'll create a generic "Hex Editing" tutorial with a page on each thing that can be done, forged blades settings, bounding boxes, changing the texture animations, model settings, etc. Just recently I took the mounted aragorn model I use and added all the settings for a proper Anduril fx back into the mod all through hex editing.

I just don't want to re-bind stuff unless I absolutely have to. Hex editing is my type of modding.

Robert J.

[Clement]

I just don't want to re-bind stuff unless I absolutely have to. Hex editing is my type of modding.

Oh, and a nice way apparently, you're modding in a new way, it's amazing!

[Just west]

I just don't want to re-bind stuff unless I absolutely have to. Hex editing is my type of modding.
Robert J.

U are not using a very good w3d importer if you are having to re-bind.