[Modding] Creating my first scenario

[Cablenexus]

I found out how to have more then one cow on the swamp tiles. Simply added the terrain type here as well:

<AmbientModelAnimationTerrainPresenceMemento terrainIds="1|2|10" percentage="100" />

[pavelk]

I found out how to have more then one cow on the swamp tiles. Simply added the terrain type here as well:
<AmbientModelAnimationTerrainPresenceMemento terrainIds="1|2|10" percentage="100" />

I am not sure what do you mean by this. You meant probably, that you found a way how to have cow(s) on swamp right? The change you did has nothing to do with NUMBER of cows on that terrain.

Is it the darker tile from the forest you don't like? I can imagine. It doesn't really fit the surrounding tiles indeed.

Yes

The swamp tile is a unique Holland map tile

I know and it fits really nicely.

I try to finish the scenario this week to release an Alpha version to you. If you can pack it for me, we can give it to a few testers probably?

Cablenexus, I would really like you to try to prepare it on your own per this http://slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... ip#p729183
I can help you out if you experience any issues.

[Cablenexus]

I am not sure what do you mean by this. You meant probably, that you found a way how to have cow(s) on swamp right? The change you did has nothing to do with NUMBER of cows on that terrain.

If I don't put the |10 there on every swamp tile is only one cow. Now I have groups of cows. I can't remember I changed something else.

Cablenexus, I would really like you to try to prepare it on your own per this http://slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... ip#p729183
I can help you out if you experience any issues."

I missed that part

[pavelk]

If I don't put the |10 there on every swamp tile is only one cow. Now I have groups of cows. I can't remember I changed something else.

I dont really have time to investigate it about I am pretty sure that this is not the reason for more cows on a swamp.

[Cablenexus]

Added some shells to the scrub tiles, they turned out a bit to big

[pavelk]

Added some shells to the scrub tiles, they turned out a bit to big

Welcome to a different planet:)

[Cablenexus]

I simply think there is NOT a magic button that makes the graphics looks from good to fantastic in a few days. That is an illusion. Whatever post effects will be added.

But I think there is still room for improvement and while you might not agree with all the choices, I think the most important part is to let gameplay elements distinct as much as possible from the terrain without doing concession to the terrain and with the limitations of the engine in mind. (no seperate texture lightining etc).
Those limitation should led to simple tricks that other games won't do, like processing effects on the textures at forehand etc.

I already posted a list with changes a few posts before and I add those effects:

- Made forest normal grass tile again to make it seamless integrate with enviroment.

- Made the roofs on forts even darker, so they look less flat (imho).

- Add color variation to different patches of bushes and/or trees. For example light green grass added to scrub, swamp and sand tiles, some orange/red added to grass and plain bushes, some darker trees added in forest.

- Added some potatoes in farms and shells on swamp/desert tiles.

[Cablenexus]

Added some very subtile and minor details:

[pavelk]

Added some very subtile and minor details:

What the hell are those red trees?:-D

[Cablenexus]

Eburones in the woods/hills in East of Holland anno 50 BC

Feel really free to let me know if there is something you like or think is really ugly in the terrain changes I make. My only reference is the game the developer is already working on so much time and what I think is nice myself.
Every input is welcome, if you think something is really ugly, help me with suggestions to improve it. Thank you!

[Cablenexus]

Added some very subtile and minor details:

What the hell are those red trees?:-D

It's blossom. It's pretty general on plain and grass tiles I remember from 50 BC ;-p

[pavelk]

Eburones in the woods/hills in East of Holland anno 50 BC

Feel really free to let me know if there is something you like or think is really ugly in the terrain changes I make. My only reference is the game the developer is already working on so much time and what I think is nice myself.
Every input is welcome, if you think something is really ugly, help me with suggestions to improve it. Thank you!

Once you have a version you feel absolutely happy about, I would like to try those textures myself. I still have a lot of things on my place so I can wait in this matter (textures tweaking) but I am definitely willing to change them if they look better.

[Cablenexus]

Eburones in the woods/hills in East of Holland anno 50 BC

Feel really free to let me know if there is something you like or think is really ugly in the terrain changes I make. My only reference is the game the developer is already working on so much time and what I think is nice myself.
Every input is welcome, if you think something is really ugly, help me with suggestions to improve it. Thank you!

Once you have a version you feel absolutely happy about, I would like to try those textures myself. I still have a lot of things on my place so I can wait in this matter (textures tweaking) but I am definitely willing to change them if they look better.

Really need more input. I feel like an elephant in the room. You put so much attention to everything in the game already. There is really no imagination that I think I can do it better. I played a lot of strategy games and was always forced to MOD and paint in low end tools on low end hardware, in pixelart, games, unreal mods etc. I have a bit knowledge of what to achieve with minimum tools, I don't even have Photoshop, I use paint.net with plugins.

I have some understanding of what people expect in a 4 x game and that distinct terrain and objects is really important.

That said, all those simple changes in the list everyone can do in a simple paint editor, even better then I can do it.

It's just difficult, for every change I make another "problem" pops up. It's not simple changing colors or textures so they perfectly fit in the already finished total terrain set.
For example that mountain. If I use the same texture and make it grey, it messes up the mountain completely. Only in green (I wanted it that way for my Holland scenario) they look good, if grey they get into problems with neighbouring tiles.
It's simply not something to take lightly.
Your realism is very good, it's just that some of the ideas are made in an aged engine. You have to trick this a bit.

[Cablenexus]

Just getting this error when activating the grid in editor mode.

Application: Aggressors.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.AccessViolationException
at Mogre.ManualObject.Position(Mogre.Vector3)
at Aggressors.UI.AggressorsForm.ChangeVisibilityOfGrid(Boolean, Boolean)
at Aggressors.UI.AggressorsForm.UpdateGUIByStateChanged(Aggressors.Msgs.Msg, Aggressors.UI.UpdateGUIByStateChangedParameters)
at Aggressors.UI.AggressorsForm.MessageOk(System.Object, Aggressors.StateClasses.MessageEventArgs)

Exception Info: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(System.Object, System.Object[], System.Signature, Boolean)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(System.Object, System.Object[], System.Object[])
at System.Delegate.DynamicInvokeImpl(System.Object[])
at Miyagi.Internals.InvokeHelper.Update()
at Miyagi.Common.MiyagiSystem.Update(Boolean)
at Aggressors.UI.AggressorsForm.FrameRenderingQueued(Mogre.FrameEvent)
at Mogre.Root.raise_FrameRenderingQueued(Mogre.FrameEvent)
at Mogre.Root.OnFrameRenderingQueued(Mogre.FrameEvent)
at <Module>.Mogre.FrameListener_Director.frameRenderingQueued(Mogre.FrameListener_Director*, Ogre.FrameEvent*)
at <Module>.Ogre.Root.renderOneFrame(Ogre.Root*)
at Aggressors.UI.MogreForm.Go()
at Aggressors.UI.MogreForm.Run(System.String[])
at Aggressors.UI.Program.Main(System.String[])

[pavelk]

Just getting this error when activating the grid in editor mode.

You alredy reported it once. How long has the game run? Are you able to reproduce it?

[Cablenexus]

Just getting this error when activating the grid in editor mode.

You alredy reported it once. How long has the game run? Are you able to reproduce it?

Difficult, I was not in editmode="true" and I did some clicking around, added some units from different tribes just to make screenshots.

- What I notice is that always when the game crash, my mousespeed is reset to 16 the next time I start the game (set to 13 default).
It can be a coincidence, but I noticed it already before and checked it now four times it happened.

- Was only ten minutes ingame.

[Cablenexus]

- early Germans AI knows how to build a nice roadnetwork!

[Cablenexus]

A comparisson.

I tried to make the terrain more easy to distinct since the beginning. I think I'm happy so far with some of the results.
What I notice. My roads on grass tiles (top of screenshot) are much better visible.

I tried to follow the colorcode from the terrain overlay some of us likes to use. Of course, if you really think the grass tiles needs to be lush and the plains green I can switch them no problem, but then the color used for the terrain overlay for grass and plains should be switched at least.

I made the rivers darker. They had a so much birighter color then the sea tiles.

I changed much of the hue levels from the grass.

I altered all kind of objects ingame like trees and buildings. In both screenshots they are the same. This comparisson is for the terrain only.

[Cablenexus]

An important aspect I want to mention from above image is that the amount of bushes/trees on grass/plain tiles are much lower then in the original game. I set it that way in the files.

To make a real comparisson I should also take into account the fooliage on this tiles. In my opinion one of the reasons the terrain overlay works better. It doesn't lower the amount of trees/fooliage but it makes them semi transperant. That's why you can distinct the different terrains better.

[n0kn0k]

An important aspect I want to mention from above image is that the amount of bushes/trees on grass/plain tiles are much lower then in the original game. I set it that way in the files.

To make a real comparisson I should also take into account the fooliage on this tiles. In my opinion one of the reasons the terrain overlay works better. It doesn't lower the amount of trees/fooliage but it makes them semi transperant. That's why you can distinct the different terrains better.

Interesting, because that's one of my issues with the current implementation. Those semi empty tiles which actually are Forests. Good for variety, but I find myself hovering over all of them when in supply view.