Betrayal at Calradia 0.2 - a Midkemia Mod for 1.x - Released July 15, 2009

[Geroj]

I wanted to post a few comments.  First, the tough part about this mod, is since it is based on a book series, there are very few visual images to reference.  It has also been a while since I have read these books, or played any of the computer games, so that makes it difficult to decide how exactly they should look.  So anything that people can remember, the more specific the better, is a help.  But right now I'm planning on just using or re-texturing native items since most of them should fit and allow me to get 'close' to what I think each faction should look like.  Right now the kingdom and moredhel have a lot of placeholders for weapons and armor, so I want to fix them up.

These images below came from crydee.com (the author's official site) and shows a few of the races:

        Human                Moredhel                Dwarf                      Goblin                    Troll
   

Kingdom, Kesh and Tsurani are basically supposed to be humans.  The goblins and trolls that are currently in this mod don't really match these pictures, but those models came from Fantasy Mod, and personally I think they are good enough so that I'm not sure its worth creating new models for them.  I would love to add Dwarves and was planning on just making them humans with beards...  But technically they should be fatter and shorter than humans, so if somebody wants to work on a shorter/fatter body model (we can use native head) with a few armor variations that would be cool.  A better model for the fireball and possibly some other 'ammo' for magic (maybe an ice bolt, lightning bolt, other suggestions?) would also be neat.  I'm not sure we can do a 6-legged horse, and I've heard there are some problems getting a new horse model into the game, so I think its acceptable that the Tsurani captured a few of them since I think I remember that from the books.  But otherwise, I really don't see a need for a ton of new models for this mod.  The main issue is honestly going to be time, so if anybody wants to help out then let me know.      But I think if we can clean up the map a little bit (add some bridges, fix a few weird areas, etc), outfit the faction troops more appropriately, and switch a few of the mercenaries/outlaws we will have a pretty good base for this mod which should be playable.  Then after that we can expand further and work on the details, etc.

I thing thats good, i have some models from my mod for Morrowind -maybe i rig it on MaB skeleteon and you can use it

 

[HokieBT]

by the way, if anybody has some good sound effects for the trolls, goblins, dwarfs, and elves I could use some for their grunt/die/yell/etc sounds.

 

[Marchris]

Just dropping in on this thread..I am a 3d animator and modeller and may be interested in helping out a bit with this mod if you need anything in particular..(though I don't have too much experience modding M&B itself.)

This mod has great potential if executed correctly, the Midkemia setting is one of, if not the best (next to Geroge R.R. Martin's stuff) for M&B's mechanics.

I would like to bring up that I believe I read somewhere that Fiest didn't want fan creations of his work, maybe someone could confirm that?  I could be mistaken.


Will be keeping an eye on this project either way.

 

[HokieBT]

Just dropping in on this thread..I am a 3d animator and modeller and may be interested in helping out a bit with this mod if you need anything in particular..(though I don't have too much experience modding M&B itself.)  This mod has great potential if executed correctly, the Midkemia setting is one of, if not the best (next to Geroge R.R. Martin's stuff) for M&B's mechanics.  I would like to bring up that I believe I read somewhere that Fiest didn't want fan creations of his work, maybe someone could confirm that?  I could be mistaken.  Will be keeping an eye on this project either way.

thanks for the offer and its nice to see people interested in this mod.  Right now I can't think of any models we definitely need since I think I can get most of the items from the native game and I have permission from Highelf to use some of his items from Fantasy Mod for the elves, troll, goblin, etc.  As you can see from the beta release, we're getting close, but we still need to fix a few issues with the map and better equipment for the troops.  Once we finish that, we can get a better idea of how the game plays and what area's we can improve with new models.  Its been a while since i've read the books, so feel free to make suggestions or comments.

 

[Geroj]

Just dropping in on this thread..I am a 3d animator and modeller and may be interested in helping out a bit with this mod if you need anything in particular..(though I don't have too much experience modding M&B itself.)  This mod has great potential if executed correctly, the Midkemia setting is one of, if not the best (next to Geroge R.R. Martin's stuff) for M&B's mechanics.  I would like to bring up that I believe I read somewhere that Fiest didn't want fan creations of his work, maybe someone could confirm that?  I could be mistaken.  Will be keeping an eye on this project either way.

thanks for the offer and its nice to see people interested in this mod.  Right now I can't think of any models we definitely need since I think I can get most of the items from the native game and I have permission from Highelf to use some of his items from Fantasy Mod for the elves, troll, goblin, etc.  As you can see from the beta release, we're getting close, but we still need to fix a few issues with the map and better equipment for the troops.  Once we finish that, we can get a better idea of how the game plays and what area's we can improve with new models.  Its been a while since i've read the books, so feel free to make suggestions or comments.

I thing new models of weapons will be good, because mods with native weaponry are so numerous, and for myself i saw that models from MaB ver 0.7xx -they are still same

 

[HokieBT]

I put the flame staff from the 'Curtains of Fire' magic mod into the game.  I tried using the 1-hand pistol animation but it shoots at a 45 degree angle up, so it seems like we may be stuck with the musket animation, I'll play around with it a little more tho.

 

Geroj created this Dwarf which looks awesome, and I'll probably use this black armor (from Geroj's Morrowind mod) for Nighthawks or Black Slayers (probably minus the helmet tho)



Random questions/comments:

- adding more factions requires more coding than I want to do right now, so any new races will probably be mercs or outlaws for now
- I was thinking about having Dwarf's as mercs, any suggestions for their upgrade path?
- I was thinking about having Nighthawks as mercs, any suggestions for their upgrade paths?
- Should Pantathians serpent men be mercs or outlaws?  What color were they and any suggestions on upgrade paths?
- I found a place I could download the Betrayal at Krondor soundtrack (http://www.queststudios.com/quest/bakcd/bakcd.html) should I include this?  The sound quality isn't that great and is somewhat digital since it was done in 1993.

 

[Scully]

Your goblins don't look like goblins!

 

[Chabel]

Spoiler

Those armor kinda remind me of Oblivion's Daedric armor, which are great.
Also, i love the dwarf, it looks good

 

[HokieBT]

Thanks to the nice people on the forge, magic is looking better, here are some screenshots.



also, how do these look for Pantathian Serpents?  Roy Losey created these models which I can use, I think they could have different colored scales, so we could potentially have color variations, but I don't remember exactly....

 

[UggaBugga]

This mod is amazing, even for a beta.

 

[sepa]

Thanks to the nice people on the forge, magic is looking better, here are some screenshots. [...]

Sorry, but these look like laser beams, not magic. Is it possible to add some random variation of the 'beam'? To make each particle vary a bit in X/Y ?
It should look like:

Particle(SequenceNumber).X = Particle(SequenceNumber-1).X + Rnd(-5 to 5) + correctionX
Particle(SequenceNumber).Y = Particle(SequenceNumber-1).Y + Rnd(-5 to 5) + correctionY

and every 5 or so sequence numbers it should be corrected to the right course (simple check if current sequence.x and .y is +/- 10 of the target X/Y path, if not, put the 1/experiment_with _this_value of the difference as the correctionX/Y).
U think this may work? Honestly, I have no idea how it is made in the first place, but the way I would have it done will allow me to do the above

Of course, it can miss, but then, why not make the 'every 5 or so sequence numbers' dependant on Magic skill? The better the skill, the more 'straight' the beam

Hope I am helping, not babbling

Btw, tomorrow my new PC should arrive, so hopefully I can edit the map And play on MAX detail again )

Have fun,

 

[HokieBT]

sepa - I agree this doesn't look perfect, but I think it does look better then the 3d model of a fireball I am currently using, right?  I called this magic 'flame strike' and there is also a fireball one that does a big explosion.  As you described it is possible to modify the color, size, direction, duration, etc. of each effect, but I haven't quite figured it out yet to make better variations.  I posted a message below asking for an overview of this concept, but even if nobody replies I think we can include one or two of these in the next release, and eventually expand it and make them better.  Congrats on your computer, I tried to 'fix' the map but did more harm then good, so if you are able to work on it that would be a big help!
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,57113.msg1477972.html#msg1477972

 

[sepa]

Sure it looks better, but it's still not perfect
I fully understand that this is beta etc etc, it was just an idea how to make it better, nothing more. I'm just a perfectionist and a moaner, hehe.

I'll get to the map ASAP, but this will be next week probably - I gotta assemble the PC etc, and my time is very limited, coz I got afternoon shift this week, weekend is already covered by a trip to friends in Bristol, and my little daughter demands her share of my time as well

 

[loroke]

Hi HokieBT, this mod made me registered to post my suggestions.

Random questions/comments:

- adding more factions requires more coding than I want to do right now, so any new races will probably be mercs or outlaws for now
- I was thinking about having Dwarf's as mercs, any suggestions for their upgrade path?
- I was thinking about having Nighthawks as mercs, any suggestions for their upgrade paths?
- Should Pantathians serpent men be mercs or outlaws?  What color were they and any suggestions on upgrade paths?
- I found a place I could download the Betrayal at Krondor soundtrack (http://www.queststudios.com/quest/bakcd/bakcd.html) should I include this?  The sound quality isn't that great and is somewhat digital since it was done in 1993.

I think the upgrade path for dwarves could be Dwarf Warrior, Dwarf Veteran, Dwarf Sergeant. And of course they should have 1h/2h for axes.. high ironflesh, moderate power strike. Could I suggest maybe a companion that could be a Dwarf Warleader?

Nighthawks should be outlaw as they are consider a mercenary guild that works alone.

A suggestion for Pantathian Serpent Priest, they can be some of the Lords for the Moredhel faction. Or a magician class since you are including magic system in the mod. Possible Path Panathian Serpent(PS) Initiate -> PS Acolyte -> PS Priest -> PS High Priest? Maybe I will go through the books to find what colors were they.

 

[HokieBT]

Hi HokieBT, this mod made me registered to post my suggestions.

I think the upgrade path for dwarves could be Dwarf Warrior, Dwarf Veteran, Dwarf Sergeant. And of course they should have 1h/2h for axes.. high ironflesh, moderate power strike. Could I suggest maybe a companion that could be a Dwarf Warleader?

Nighthawks should be outlaw as they are consider a mercenary guild that works alone.

A suggestion for Pantathian Serpent Priest, they can be some of the Lords for the Moredhel faction. Or a magician class since you are including magic system in the mod. Possible Path Panathian Serpent(PS) Initiate -> PS Acolyte -> PS Priest -> PS High Priest? Maybe I will go through the books to find what colors were they.

thanks for the feedback, its nice to hear people are interested in this.  I'll use your upgrade paths for the dwarfs and panthanrians, and I was thinking about having the panthanrians as a separate outlaw faction, but you might be right that I should just mix them in with the moredhels.  I think the Nighthawks were an assassin guild (if I remember correctly) so I think my current plan is to just make them a really high level mercenary, so they are very expensive but deadly.  Anyway, I've been making some changes and adding in more items, I hope to post an updated version next week.

 

[HokieBT]

Geroj created some new items for the Tsurani, check out these screenshots!

 

 

[Rashar]

Hi.
Great mod! I've played only a little but so far so good.

I've just looked on troops tree and as far as i remember... Moredhels and Eledhels do not use horses. However, in "honoured enemy" moredhels had a small company of human cavalry.

I do not know if it will help but here are some quotations from books about armies.
Keshian trueblood general of Inner Legion : "he wore the black armour of the Inner Legion the core army of the empire"
Izmails"[...]black-clad warriors appeared.  Each wore turbans of black, with face coverings that let only the eyes exposed. Long flowing robes were designed for easy, quick movement, and each had a black scabbard scimitar at his belt. [...] Izmalis, the nearly legendary Shadow Warriors of Kesh."  "superior warriors, spies, sometimes assassins." "They are fanatic; when they pledge to kill or protect someone they will die before they will shame their clan with failure."

If you would like to have more of those just PM me.

About Nighthawks, personally I would not mention them as bandits or mercenaries. They were possessed by Nalar(The "nameless" god of evil) as far as I remember. So I suggest that u should not mention them at all or make some special quests with them.

Oh and about Panthathians they were not many of them so i think that placing them as moredhel heroes would be the best option.

Those are only my suggestions, hope that they will help you. Keep up the good work, while I'm going to play the beta

 

[BeastMaster]

Tsurani armors looks great,but maybe they should only be in blue colour,because they look like power rangers in different colours...But thats just my oppinion.

 

[Alastwr]

Eledhels do use horses, as does Moredhels. The Eledhel have there own horses, the white ones that only an elf or a trusted of the elves can ride. Though they would probably be the only type of calvary, be in a small unit, and be very elite.

Moredhels have calvary, in Darkness over Sethanon they use them when they attack the warrior fortress in the northlands, the one under the command of an exiled Black Guy. I believe they where likely used by the hill clans of the Moredhel, rather then the Mountain or Forest clans.

I'm a bit of a Raymond E. Feist fantic and know pretty much all there is to know from every book he's written, except the new one, we in New Zealand have get books way after everyone else.

Just a note, remember that the different colours of the Tsurani show the different clans. So the green present in the screenshots would be the Acoma, considering that this is set in some warped place where the Tsurani are invading at the same time the Moredhel are invading and the great empire of Kesh invading, then the Acoma would not have a very big presence.

 

[Rashar]

Eledhels of course have their white horses but they use them rarely, nearly never and if they do its only for few of them. So it is very limited and we can say they do not have cavalry at all (heroes/lords could use horses).
About moredhels you're right. Maybe those were only forest clans that do not use horses. I get confused after reading "honoured enemy" it looks like I have to read the first saga again.

Btw. I found that typical Eledhels were blond and had blue eyes,  moredhels dark hair, dark eyes, nothing about skin.