SP Oriental Way of the Ninja, new mod that is desperately looking for help.

[s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

I browsed the mods in development, as well as the mods currently out there.

I am going to start working on a module that focuses on a certain part of Japanese mythology, Ninjas. Now I have all the reference I need, actual books written by martial artist masters, even a book entitled Nin-Jutsu, by Doctor Tsuneyoshi Matsuno, yes, he has a doctorate of Nin-Jutsu. If you are up to it, you can even watch a documentary he made on Nin-Jutsu on YouTube.

I have someone to come up with different clan names, heroes, towns, and the basic story line.
I am a student at the University of Idaho majoring in Visual Technology and Design, so I can help with modeling.
Weak spots so far are probably coding itself, I know basic coding, but nothing to undertake something on this scale.

This will be a total conversion, new map, new towns, new weapons, new armor. Some stuff will be recyclable, but most stuff will be new.

Anyone who would like to help, please send me a private message, those with any ideas, please post as well, community input on weapons and armors will be greatly appreciated and thanks will be given.

This is my first year in college, at the end of the year, we are supposed to have a project to show to everyone, I've talked to my professor, he has allowed me to have the aide of others to undertake this project. Everyone will be noted who either helped with the creation, or with just ideas.

FIRST UPDATE: September 18, 2009

There will be five different "kingdoms." These will be called "Clans." All 5 are historically based. The clan structure goes as such: There will be one Jonin, master of the clan. 3 Chunin, serve directly under the Jonin. There will be 10 Genin, who serve under the Chunin.

Each Clan will have 4 cities and 10 strongholds. Fiefs will be distributed accordingly.

The clans are:

隐藏

Iga
Jonin-
Chunin-
Genin-

Koga
Jonin-
Chunin-
Genin-

Ashikaga
Jonin-
Chunin-
Genin-

Manriki
Jonin-
Chunin-
Genin-

Hanzo
Jonin-
Chunin-
Genin-

UPDATE: September 19, 2009

I am working on modeling a few of the weapons, this is difficult for me since I primarily used CAD programs as opposed to programs used to model people and such. I am used to modeling buildings but I can not get a good free CAD program to model some buildings to post on here, I will keep looking so I can actually do what I am good at.

List of new weaponry to be included, all traditional Nin-Jutsu weaponry:

隐藏

Ninja Tou: A short curved sword, resembling a Katana, though several inches shorter. Special items in the mod will be usable with the Ninja Tou...
The Bo, Jo, and Hanbo: These were staffs of different lengths, 6 feet, 4 feet, and 3 feet respectively.
Kusarigama: A chained sickle-type weapon
Shuriken: Of course, though many different varieties of throwing weapons will be included.
Metsubushni: Blinding powder
Jutte: A iron staff made with a pocket to catch swords to disarm opponents...
The Yari, Naginata, and the Bisentou: The Yari was a spear of 10 foot length, the Naginata was a halberd of 10 foot length, and the Bisentou was a war-halberd used for slashing and bludgeoning opponents to death.
Tessen: The war fan, a Japanese fan with bladed edges.
Shuko and Ashiko: Japanese claw weapons, worn on the hands like gloves, can be used to catch swords, used a slashing weapons due to the steel portrusions.
Yumi and Ya: Yumi, meaning bow, and Ya, meaning arrows. Small bows that were easily concealed and fired poisoned arrows...
Kusarifundo: A chained weight, used as a blunt weapon over several feet of distances.

UPDATE: September 22, 2009

I've finally acquired the help of some other people interested in taking up the proverbial sword, the mouse, and helping to mod this wonderful game.

megalink and mastaninja will hopefully make it so I don't screw up this intended mod.

 

[Ambalon]

It's a very time consuming activity and you'll probaby need at least a year to release a good playable version, so if I were you I'd review this project of yours, though I don't want to ruin your motivation. Anyway, if you showed something you'd probably have a bigger chance of getting someone to help you, one lousy model is already something.

 

[s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

Thank you, I don't know how the community here works that well. Though, I can tell that the modding community is huge, the largest I've seen for any game in fact.

I'm an Architect and Visual and Technology Major so the best I can do with models would be a town or castle. Weapons wouldn't be difficult as well.

Do you know of any good modeling programs? The only one I have available to me is through my department but it is only on the lab computers, students aren't allowed a copy unless we pay 795 dollars for it, which is a bit steep.

 

[Grim Reaper]

I can tell that the modding community is huge, the largest I've seen for any game in fact.

With all due respect to the brilliant modders and developers here, there are communities out there that are lot bigger. The Source engine, the CryTek games, the Unreal series. I somehow think they're a lot bigger than the folks here. So either you don't see a lot of communities, or eh. But still, not trying to be mean or anything just saying.


Either way, good luck with the mod.

 

[CryoNomad]

Girlfriend? Pics or she doesn't exist.

 

[MoToM]

Thank you, I don't know how the community here works that well.

Girlfriend? Pics or she doesn't exist.

There is a quick lesson on how this community works. Obsessed with the female form.

 

[s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

It will be up to her if she will let me post a picture of her. I don't know if she wants you all to see my ugly mug next to her.

Anyways, what I meant by "largest modding community," was that with, say, the Source Engine, you will have one completely converted mod come out, then here will come another. The second one really isn't that different, it's just a copy with a few changes here or there. GunGame for example is just slightly changed from the original gameplay. Rather than buy your guns, you "level up" to new guns. There are hundreds of variations of GunGame, the only difference between them is the order of the guns you get.

There are a few actual mods that stand out, yet many of them aren't that great. Zombie Mod, they change the top half of bodies to look like some sort of monster-blob from a horror movie. They also just change the gameplay dynamics, the darkness of a level, which can be changed through a mod you can get from Steam.

The most common modding I've seen on Source was the creation of maps, I've created a few myself in my high school Visual Technology class, creating a map isn't hard to do, and if you look at most maps that are created, they are nothing to gloat to anyone over, they are quickly made without much of a thought process.

 

[DuckSauce]

The Source engine

Big community yes, although I mostly see it spread apart, if you count indvidual mappers and modellers just doing stuff until they get in a mod team, get tired or get a job then it's even bigger.

I think Mount&Blade has got the biggest I have seen that's all together on one forum. But that doesn't say much.

 

[Totalcommander]

Girlfriend? Pics or she doesn't exist.

ignore this guy hes just jealous cos he dont have a gf
mind you... nor do i

good luck with the mod 

 

[Venitius]

Well good luck. Try reading the Forge if you haven't, I think most modelers here use Wings 3D or Blender. There is an Modder's Resource Pack Compilation, so try those if you want. Remember to credit people if you use their work. Not doing this results in a huge reputation downfall and possibly banning, an example was Swadii. I won't go on about him. There are also a load of unofficial modding tools, most are compatible with the module system, except Item and Troop editor. Thorgrim's map editor makes and edit maps.

 

[s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

I have just tried out many of the mods for Mount & Blade, many were let downs to me, but there were a few exceptional ones that stood out.

Native Expansion gives the original game a great deal of depth, it gives each kingdom their own identity and stand out in a way they originally didn't.

The Eagles and the Wolves was brilliant. A great new map, very large as well. New weapons and items and the art work on some of the shields was fantastic.

Thank you for the modeling programs. I will get to work on modeling either some weapons, strongholds/towns, or maybe even some armor.
I have my own C++ editor I got through the school, I just hope my friends C++ book he has will be enough to help me get things rolling.

I hope I can gain enough recognition for this mod to acquire the help of others in it's creation. Like I said, if anyone has any questions about it, feel free to ask, feel free to put in your input as well.

 

[Corndawg]

This sounds like a big project and I can't wait to see what it looks like in the later stages. As Ambalon pointed out, this is a big undertaking. I wish you and your girlfriend the best of luck, as well as anyone else who volunteers to help.

Edit: Mod Name Idea!

Nin-Jutsu: The Way of the Ninja

or just: The Way of the Ninja

 

[EvolutiveBrain]

"...can even watch a documentary he made on Nin-Jutsu on YouTube."

You shall post the link.

By the way, the idea is great! Keep it up!

 

[s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

This sounds like a big project and I can't wait to see what it looks like in the later stages. As Ambalon pointed out, this is a big undertaking. I wish you and your girlfriend the best of luck, as well as anyone else who volunteers to help.

Edit: Mod Name Idea!

Nin-Jutsu: The Way of the Ninja

or just: The Way of the Ninja

Well, we have the first name in development now, Way of the Ninja thanks to Corndawg.

 

[s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

You shall post the link.

By the way, the idea is great! Keep it up!

Here's the link. This is part 1 of the documentary, just follow the links at the end of the part to go through it all.
Oops, didn't put the link, here it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjGuB5EMYIc

 

[Corndawg]

I must say, the documentary is very interesting.

 

[Swadius 2.0]

I'm an Architect and Visual and Technology Major so the best I can do with models would be a town or castle. Weapons wouldn't be difficult as well.

The models don't have to be original either, you could use the open source stuff (with credits of course ) in an early version and take pictures of it. I'm sure there's got to be something that would fit the area your mod taking inspiration from.

Do you know of any good modeling programs? The only one I have available to me is through my department but it is only on the lab computers, students aren't allowed a copy unless we pay 795 dollars for it, which is a bit steep.

Some of the modelers here user 3d Wings; it's free IIRC. Don't worry if your models don't look very good; your background with visuals should give you a good footing already. Here's something to compare your future models to :http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,20178.0.html.
How to texture is a whole different story though, and totally out of my expertise.

 

[s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

Well, here is a claw weapon I just made, I don't think it's too good.

 

[Heafodban]

It's not bad though, would probably look nice with the right textures. In case you don't already know of its existence http://www.cgtextures.com/ is a good free texture site.

You might want to get in contact with the people from Ohin No Rain http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php?board=42.0 they have a feudal Japan mod (for an older version of M&B) and who knows, maybe you could join their team and add a ninja aspect into their mod? Or request the models they're already created.

Also, how do you plan to add stealth to the game?

 

[s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

Well, after enough work, seeing as how I might be on my own here, I plan on totally converting the game. I'll add new skills, skills into the different "jutsus." No magic will be involved, more of, deceit, such as smoke bombs, blinding powders, and the such. Rather than a random chance of successfully sneaking into a town and getting caught, maybe there is a way I can make it so that YOU have to make the character sneak into the town, or add assassination missions doing the same thing. Or maybe, rather than stealth be involved in combat, I can make it so that on the map, stealth can be a party skill, reducing the chance of being spotted by an enemy party.

I don't know, community input would help decide this. I just hope I can obtain help from the community in actually making this, this semester is kind of lax for me, next semester however, will not be.

This stuff is over my head currently, but I'm sure, with a lot of trial and error, I can do it.