SP Antiquity [WB] Shadows in the Desert - An Ancient Middle East Mod

[Sahran]

Whats up with the hoplite in the 3rd Nebuchadnezzar picture?

Gotta love dem impaled people. I thought that was a device of the middle ages.

Like it touches on in Matmhohair's reply, the Greek mercenaries seem to have found widespread use in the Middle East prior to the Persian's dominance. I remember reading some particular anecdote of one who was serving right in that 6th-7th century period. Interestingly enough Akhaioi and Aegeans had a similarly broad use as mercenaries. Not quite to Mesopotamia, but they were used by the Hittites and Egyptians and I believe by some levantines, too. Oddly enough there's a well noted fresco of explicitly african troops fighting with (or against) the Akhaioi, which has led some to theorize they made use of Nubian mercenary light infantry.

Matmohair1: Appreciate the Hebrew concept art, some good stuff worth pursuing in there.

Zimke Zlovoljni & Lynores: Thanks! I really appreciate the kind words, though now I'm scared I have an expectation of quality to meet now! 

On the topic of sea battles, I think it is something we'll pursue for 1.0 in a system like you've got with TPW, Lynores. But we'll need to do our own ships, Kuauik already did an amazing Egyptian one (which can still work in a general sense for anyone), so we'd probably just need one more.

And like mighty Ritter says, can't give a percentage. 

 

[Lynores]

If there's any possibility given the map you'll use, I would just recommend you do the new travel system with actual ocean terrain instead of triggering the parties to terrain checks and ship icon changes, as you've probably noticed, that little bastard needs to go off every second or so and gets the world map stuttering a lot more than it should. I couldn't do that myself since I needed to cover several islands and lands too far that made the more system-friendly method unpractical, mostly due to the necessity of having lords in and out of them and the fact that too many fords tend to crash the game during map load as well.

 

[matmohair1]

Every post of yours matmohair is like a dream

thanks ! , I always wanted to study history & share it with everyone

Spoiler

"Let me do all the good I can, to all the people I can, as often as I can, for I shall not pass this way again."
~ John Wesley

I keep forgetting that the time span in this mod includes 800 years worth of stuff.

- http://www.dbaol.com/armies.htm

On the topic of sea battles, I think it is something we'll pursue for 1.0 in a system like you've got with TPW, Lynores. But we'll need to do our own ships, Kuauik already did an amazing Egyptian one (which can still work in a general sense for anyone), so we'd probably just need one more.

Spoiler

http://****-k.narod.ru/Historical_Arts/New_Kingdom_Egypt/New_Kingdom_Egypt_13.jpg

btw, here's another treat from the horrible histories series 

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[Ritter Dummbatz]

If there's any possibility given the map you'll use, I would just recommend you do the new travel system with actual ocean terrain instead of triggering the parties to terrain checks and ship icon changes, as you've probably noticed, that little bastard needs to go off every second or so and gets the world map stuttering a lot more than it should. I couldn't do that myself since I needed to cover several islands and lands too far that made the more system-friendly method unpractical, mostly due to the necessity of having lords in and out of them and the fact that too many fords tend to crash the game during map load as well.

I shouldn't ask this since I haven't even looked out for that new system myself but would ...nah, forget it. I'll shall just find it myself.

 

[aronccs]

best mod for asia!

 

[Feragorn]

If by Asia you mean the Middle East three thousand odd years ago...

 

[Zimke Zlovoljni]

Some Scythian tattoo

http://artmagik.webs.com/siberianhorseman.htm

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[matmohair1]

cool !

 

[kozakyespana]

I'm not sure Koazakyespana. We started this spring and other mods with a similar great ambitions (like AOCII, though I don't know when you guys started your work) have taken over a year I think.

Just a preview on what I'm working on next, to show work is continuing. I was worried the lamellar/scale would look off, but I am actually impressed with it so far. Base model is Llew2's, clothing part & arms are kuauiks, lamellar is mine. Only just started though, I want to edit the model (see if I can't have an impromptu "Metal neck piece" or have the lamellar go down to the skirt's edge) have to colorize the lamellar, thin the waist and replace arms with clothed model.

It's based off early era Mitanni, so it'll be for the Hattu of the Hittites. Hattu is Syria in Akkadian tongue, which is lingua francia enough to be the Greek or Latin or Arabic or English of this setting and world. And so you aren't confusing Hattu and Hittite (and because I like indigenous terminology more than modern), the Hittites are called "Nesili" in SITD based off what they called themselves & their language.

Right now most have ethnic nationality names, I think Egypt is the only one that isn't - mainly because "Kemet" doesn't sound as awe inspiring as Egypt. Might be persuaded otherwise.



Make that 75%. Normalmap and specular left, and possibly attempt the bronze neckpiece. I think this is my new favorite piece. 

Alright, I'll be waiting 

 

[Quang]

How about adding 1 new faction China? It's a great faction like the great Persia. Sorry about my ideal!!!

 

[Sahran]

It'd be too large a feat, both in the distance of the map (Most or all important chinese cities are far from the rest of our factions), complete difference of the culture (not to mention alxcruel's slings replace the crossbow animation slot), and would domino effect needing more factions to avoid just having this big bloated one all by itself. Ultimately the mod is about the ancient Middle East from the Eastern Mediterranean to Central Asia/India, which is why something like China or the Celts aren't being added.

 

[Quang]

Thanks for your answer. I like Prince of Persia very much so I'm waiting for your mod every day. Keep doing your best!!!!!

 

[Sahran]

Appreciate it, mate.

To keep you all in the loop, what's on the work table right now:

1) I won't have any new armors for a few days due to a test and paper, and admittedly having some fun with BF3. Course don't take that for giving up on modding or anything, the way I work in gaming nowadays is I mod more than I play but when a good game comes along (somewhat rare for the PC nowadays, exceptions of stuff like M&B, DXHR, Bf3, and so on) I indulge myself in the game from having months long absences of anything good - then return to modding soon afterwards. But probably next week is when I'll have the time and ability to get back to it. Unless something new comes to mind my plan is to try and do two or more cuirass variations (principally the V and /\ Segmented), more scale corselets (Egyptian and Akhaioi/Trojan specifically), and normal/speculars for kuauik's work. Maybe try some light armor for the Aegeans if I can. I may reference the 2004 movie Troy for 'some' ideas on armor. I know it's rather ahistorical but you can tell they aren't rooted in complete fantasy - you see the inverse peltes, figure 8 shields and some of the tower shields used with some helmets resembling the Dark Age greek stuff. Basically I'm interested in the leather corselets they have some Akhaioi use - I've seen historically accurate sketches which present similar 'proto tube and yoke cuirass' armor, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. Do know the Iliad specifically references linen cuirasses anyway. If not more tube and yoke cuirass, then we'll just go with the lobster leather cuirasses we know they used.

2) Kuauik may have something to surprise us with given he's our Tony Stark in a Cave  , and is also doing uv mapping and textures for a big set of Alxcruel's stuff (2-3 khopeshes, 3 Aegean swords, some other stuff!)

3) Ritter is working on something that will be a welcome surprise.

4) Alxcruel is also working on something that will be a welcome surprise, but will be revealed further down the line.

5) Lynores is helping to rig kuauik's cuirass to be more 'stiff' looking.

 

[matmohair1]

- http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,116038.msg4288369.html#msg4288369

- http://wabcorner.blogspot.com/2011/06/mycenaean-terrain-wip-1.html

- http://****-k.narod.ru/Mycenaean_Warriors.html

- http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/helmets3.htm

 

[Angry Newbie]

Admittedly having some fun with BF3.

Somewhat off topic, but this. 1000x. I feel like a kid again.

Though i have been playing Red Orchestra 2 Alot more. getting 200% Accuracy with a bolt action is no small achievement.

- http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/helmets3.htm

The helmets with rushes on the top is interesting. Looks like potted plants.

 

[Sahran]

Yeah, Kuauik's done those tiara helmets (both feathered/crested and the plant one). These are all the great Aegean helmets Kuauik did:



Lynores also let me use his conical helmet, which is seen from the early mycenaean period to in some places the 7th century. Will be crested (Red, white, purple), and possibly uncrested.

 

[Ritter Dummbatz]

Awesome new pictures for my collection of just too stupid looking stuff. 

Honestly, the upper right owns them all!

I really like the white plumed one in the middle, I mean, seriously.

 

[Sahran]

If you mean the middle one in the bottom picture I could somewhat pull that off, just remove the cheek guards on Lynores - the crest is the tricky business, if it wasn't such an irregular shape I would try my hand at doing the plume myself. If you mean of Kuauiks, they are very cool - Greek Age of Bronze & Peter Connolly gives it to Achilles (Then Hektor when he takes it off patroclus).

That's the funny thing with the bronze age in general - it competes with the 1500s to 1700s for being hilariously absurd fashions. Cretan/Aegean robes that would otherwise fit classical standards of modesty except for the innocent fact that their bosom is explicitly naked, the bananna hammocks of the Libyans except someone was lazy and only hooked up one end of said hammock, the "skinned a sheep alive and wear it like I'm a wooly booly" Sumerians, the half-robe of the Anatolians and Libyans (it does look interesting but it's still weird), horned helmets for the Sea people and super frilly robes and skirts and such for everyone. Helps to convey that sense of exoticness and foreignness - it's not the cleaned up and sanitized renditions of Greece and Rome (which themselves are probably a product of contemporary British and American cultural lenses rather than reality - I think HBO's Rome is more fitting of the Romans than the cleaned up stuff you had in earlier sword and sandal epics), but something very strange and alien.

 

[matmohair1]

ancient weapons from Arabia

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[Sahran]

Neat stuff Matmohair1. The primitive spear at the top reminds me it would be good to perhaps get some flint or stone spears for certain peripheral groups (by the middle bronze age most people stopped using non bronze arrows or such, but I have heard that bedouin tribes could still be found with flint arrowheads well into the ADs).

If you can find ideas of how pre-Islamic Arabs of the BC period would dress, or perhaps armor themselves, that'd be useful.