vidamir
Sergeant at Arms
Brytenwalda is one of my favorite mods, and over time I've made some various fixes, tweaks, and scene changes for my own use that other people might wish to try. If you want to use any of these files, just unrar the package into your Modules/Brytenwalda folder. PLEASE remember to backup your files first, in case you want to remove these changes for whatever reason. Let me know if there are any issues.
EDIT May 8th 2013: Added new tree fixes. Added 2 versions of spear buffs file.
EDIT April 28th 2013: Minimal UI file added
EDIT April 27th 2013: I updated the scene updates file to include some more fixes that were suggested to me. Please redownload if you tried it out earlier.
Tree Updates
This file fixes several problems with Polished Landscapes in the Brytenwalda Graphical Submod. It fixes one tree with textures that have problems in the alpha channel, removes the snowy bushes from the all non-snowy landscapes, and replaces the trees that look like pipe cleaners with proper looking trees. This file includes the tree fix posted further down. If you only want the alpha channel issue fixed and do not want snowy bushes swapped out or the pipe cleaner trees replaced, skip this file and download the one below. This update requires the graphical submod! If you are not using the graphic submod, you don't need this.
Before downloading and installing this, you need to install Hunterwolf's excellent fix here. This corrects other tree problems. Once you have that installed, download this file and let it overwrite his.
Here's what is changed:
Download: http://snk.to/f-ctmarf8p
Minimal UI
There was a great minimal UI mod for original warband that I wanted to use, but it did not work with Brytenwalda. So I made my own. If you would prefer to play with a smaller, less decorative UI, this file removes the shield health icon and replaces your health and horse health bars with thin, partially transparent, dark red bars. Before and after pictures:
Download: http://snk.to/f-ct3ao5ic
Polished landscapes weird tree fix
You do not need this file if you are using the tree update file above! Only use this if you just want the one tree with alpha problems fixed. First, apply Hunterwolf's excellent fix here. This should correct the vast majority of issues with the trees. You may still have one specific tree that looks like this:
This will fix that one tree.
Download: http://snk.to/f-cdzjahto
Child face texture update
I love that Brytenwalda has children. Whenever I play other mods, I always look around villages and it feels lacking that everyone is the same age. But the children in this mod are using a man's face texture, and it does look a little odd seeing a kid with a five o'clock shadow. I changed the texture to make them look younger (or at least to make it look like they bothered to shave).
Before and after:
Download: http://snk.to/f-chil6m9t
Shield normal map fixes
If you play this game with a shield, you've probably noticed a pattern etched on the surface of your round shields when you look at them in a certain light. This is a problem with the normal maps of all the round shields in the mod — they use the normal from a single shield with that pattern stamped on it, so all the shields end up with that design carved into them. I've updated the normals of all the round shields and some of the pict shields to remove the patterns in them.
Before and after:
Download: http://snk.to/f-ch5sg3mh
Spear buffs
Spears are one of the dominant weapons of this time, but they are sort of unwieldy in Mount and Blade and harder to use than, say, axes or swords. I thought this was unfortunate, because I love to play spear/shield in Brytenwalda, but I feel less effective than when I use other weapons. Oddly, one of the easier ways to use a spear is to put your shield away and swing it 2-handed like a staff, which is silly. To compensate and make spears more of a threat, I've greatly increased their thrust damage and increased their thrusting speed. The differences between light, medium, and heavy spears are more obvious now — light spears are faster and do less damage, heavy spears are slower and do more damage, and medium spears are somewhere in the middle. Named spears now do more damage than spears available in shops. This only affects 1-handed spears — 2-handed spears did not have this issue and were therefor not touched.
I have also created another submod that overhauls spears that includes these updates and also allows for both overhand and underhand attack animations. It is available for download here.
If you use the TML submod, download this file: http://snk.to/f-cd1nekcd
If you do NOT use the TML submod, download this file: http://snk.to/f-ct3wxq03
Scene updates
Brytenwalda is absolutely gorgeous with the graphic submod. There are very few games set in this time period (which happens to be my favorite) and to have the ability to play this mod and run around exploring all the beautiful and authentic-looking scenes is a joy. The towns, villages, and castles — man, those castles are amazing! — are all so beautiful that I never find myself teleporting to the mead hall or the armor seller. Instead, I run through the scene on foot to get where I'm going and it just never gets old.
I've made some changes to about 35 of these scenes over time. With the graphic submod, in some of the scenes there were trees growing out of houses or sprouting right in the middle of the road at the entry point, and some issues with rocks or plants floating above the ground. Most of the scene updates are just simple fixes to correct these issues, although there are a few scenes where I added a lot more vegetation, changed the terrain, or added things to explore.
Many of these scenes are used multiple times and I did not apply the changes to all the identical towns/villages. This way there's a little more variety in the different scenes. In the post below this, I will include before and after shots and descriptions of all the changes I've made so you can decide if you would like to play with my updated scenes.
Quite a few plants were added in some cases, so I would not recommend using these updates if you are already struggling to run any of these scenes. And remember, these scene changes are only for people who play with the graphic submod!
Download the scenes: http://snk.to/f-c7p3ypk7
EDIT May 8th 2013: Added new tree fixes. Added 2 versions of spear buffs file.
EDIT April 28th 2013: Minimal UI file added
EDIT April 27th 2013: I updated the scene updates file to include some more fixes that were suggested to me. Please redownload if you tried it out earlier.
Tree Updates
This file fixes several problems with Polished Landscapes in the Brytenwalda Graphical Submod. It fixes one tree with textures that have problems in the alpha channel, removes the snowy bushes from the all non-snowy landscapes, and replaces the trees that look like pipe cleaners with proper looking trees. This file includes the tree fix posted further down. If you only want the alpha channel issue fixed and do not want snowy bushes swapped out or the pipe cleaner trees replaced, skip this file and download the one below. This update requires the graphical submod! If you are not using the graphic submod, you don't need this.
Before downloading and installing this, you need to install Hunterwolf's excellent fix here. This corrects other tree problems. Once you have that installed, download this file and let it overwrite his.
Here's what is changed:
These trees which look like pipe cleaners:
... have been replaced with this tree model (in 3 randomized variations).
These snowy bushes that appear all over non-snowy landscapes and all random battlegrounds:
...have been replaced with dry branches on the ground.
And this tree model:
...is fixed.
... have been replaced with this tree model (in 3 randomized variations).
These snowy bushes that appear all over non-snowy landscapes and all random battlegrounds:
...have been replaced with dry branches on the ground.
And this tree model:
...is fixed.
Download: http://snk.to/f-ctmarf8p
Minimal UI
There was a great minimal UI mod for original warband that I wanted to use, but it did not work with Brytenwalda. So I made my own. If you would prefer to play with a smaller, less decorative UI, this file removes the shield health icon and replaces your health and horse health bars with thin, partially transparent, dark red bars. Before and after pictures:
Before:
After:
After:
Download: http://snk.to/f-ct3ao5ic
Polished landscapes weird tree fix
You do not need this file if you are using the tree update file above! Only use this if you just want the one tree with alpha problems fixed. First, apply Hunterwolf's excellent fix here. This should correct the vast majority of issues with the trees. You may still have one specific tree that looks like this:
This will fix that one tree.
Download: http://snk.to/f-cdzjahto
Child face texture update
I love that Brytenwalda has children. Whenever I play other mods, I always look around villages and it feels lacking that everyone is the same age. But the children in this mod are using a man's face texture, and it does look a little odd seeing a kid with a five o'clock shadow. I changed the texture to make them look younger (or at least to make it look like they bothered to shave).
Before and after:
Before:
After:
After:
Download: http://snk.to/f-chil6m9t
Shield normal map fixes
If you play this game with a shield, you've probably noticed a pattern etched on the surface of your round shields when you look at them in a certain light. This is a problem with the normal maps of all the round shields in the mod — they use the normal from a single shield with that pattern stamped on it, so all the shields end up with that design carved into them. I've updated the normals of all the round shields and some of the pict shields to remove the patterns in them.
Before and after:
Before:
After:
After:
Download: http://snk.to/f-ch5sg3mh
Spear buffs
Spears are one of the dominant weapons of this time, but they are sort of unwieldy in Mount and Blade and harder to use than, say, axes or swords. I thought this was unfortunate, because I love to play spear/shield in Brytenwalda, but I feel less effective than when I use other weapons. Oddly, one of the easier ways to use a spear is to put your shield away and swing it 2-handed like a staff, which is silly. To compensate and make spears more of a threat, I've greatly increased their thrust damage and increased their thrusting speed. The differences between light, medium, and heavy spears are more obvious now — light spears are faster and do less damage, heavy spears are slower and do more damage, and medium spears are somewhere in the middle. Named spears now do more damage than spears available in shops. This only affects 1-handed spears — 2-handed spears did not have this issue and were therefor not touched.
I have also created another submod that overhauls spears that includes these updates and also allows for both overhand and underhand attack animations. It is available for download here.
If you use the TML submod, download this file: http://snk.to/f-cd1nekcd
If you do NOT use the TML submod, download this file: http://snk.to/f-ct3wxq03
Scene updates
Brytenwalda is absolutely gorgeous with the graphic submod. There are very few games set in this time period (which happens to be my favorite) and to have the ability to play this mod and run around exploring all the beautiful and authentic-looking scenes is a joy. The towns, villages, and castles — man, those castles are amazing! — are all so beautiful that I never find myself teleporting to the mead hall or the armor seller. Instead, I run through the scene on foot to get where I'm going and it just never gets old.
I've made some changes to about 35 of these scenes over time. With the graphic submod, in some of the scenes there were trees growing out of houses or sprouting right in the middle of the road at the entry point, and some issues with rocks or plants floating above the ground. Most of the scene updates are just simple fixes to correct these issues, although there are a few scenes where I added a lot more vegetation, changed the terrain, or added things to explore.
Many of these scenes are used multiple times and I did not apply the changes to all the identical towns/villages. This way there's a little more variety in the different scenes. In the post below this, I will include before and after shots and descriptions of all the changes I've made so you can decide if you would like to play with my updated scenes.
Quite a few plants were added in some cases, so I would not recommend using these updates if you are already struggling to run any of these scenes. And remember, these scene changes are only for people who play with the graphic submod!
Download the scenes: http://snk.to/f-c7p3ypk7
