Shadow Realm Community Expansion - Development

[Refineus]

I have a few concepts of reskinned spiders for the "Elder Spider unit.

Let me know if anyone of the textures is interesting to add to the shadow realm expansion.

1. A dark green/light teal

2. A dark blue towards cyan

3. A violet one with teal spikes

4. A dark gold/green/brown with grey spikes

5. A more similar cooler as the elder bone dragon with a warm tone of violet/brown and gold with blue spikes.

 

[Refineus]

I tried some things to retexture the lost mariner for a new unit. I must say that the Lord of the Deep is actually a more pleasant unit to retexture and has more "water" feeling over the lost mariner to have as an Elder unit.


But I will do some attempts with all the elder units except the one which is complete. When I have time.

 

[Refineus]

5 kinds of Elder Frost Dragons

1. A baffling dark iced version.

2. A darker cyan one.

3. A dark, really dark one with darker textures applied.

4. A crystal ice elder with more snow in its wings.

5. A lighter, but still mature

 

[Rodmar18]

Eyes.

1) Have eyes to be of same hue as the general skin (spider, even dragons)? I mean, can we have a blue spider with red eyes?
2) There could be a difference between vanilla and elder creatures: glowing eyes, fiery eyes, or "magical white" eyes (such as dragons #2 and #5).

Also, it would be helpful to upload the vanilla creature as well, I think.

 

[Refineus]

1) Have eyes to be of same hue as the general skin (spider, even dragons)? I mean, can we have a blue spider with red eyes?
2) There could be a difference between vanilla and elder creatures: glowing eyes, fiery eyes, or "magical white" eyes (such as dragons #2 and #5).

Nah, it's possible to add any colour to the eyes.

I can add some sort alteration with light or something on top of the spider. A ghost transparency colour or something-


I made some custom Icons for some of the structures. I'm guessing that many are still placeholders for the mod still

 

[HousePet]

Shiny.

 

[Refineus]

I made some more on the schematics.

Do they represent what we want to achieve?

I believe I have to figure out something for the Gemstone mine, but then I need to improve the model a little if to make an icon representing it. The issue with Gemstone mine is that the Crystal tree rises above the dark flow rock quarry mine in-game and the general model is too dark making it too hard to see in the game.

Edit: I also added the Warband camp for the Shadow Realm monster spawn. So I made 12 icons in total.

I put them in the folder AoW3-Shadow-Realm-expansion\icons\Structures

They are ready to be imported to the game and to be used.

 

[Hiliadan]

Great work Refineus! You learnt texturing now (or is it your girlfriend as you mentioned)? That's very useful for the Expansion!
For the Elder Spider, my preference goes to 1. dark green/light teal, 2. dark blue, 5. violet/brown. Maybe #5 as a first choice.
For the Elder Privateer, were you also able to change the weapons as we initially planned? The 2nd screenshot looks better than the first, but I'm not entirely convinced by it (no suggestion though, sorry).
For the Dragons, they look amazing. I prefer the 3rd, darker one. We probably need to work further on the "Elder" aspect, just like for the other Elder Dragon, where several tries were required to come up with the best look.

Did you pay attention to the memory load of your textures? What are the size of the .clb?

For the icons, I'm unconvinced by the first Ancient Ruins and Tomb's icons. I think they do not need / should not be too different from the normal Ancient Ruins and Tomb, as these are basically the same sites, except for defenders (and it's not even operational if I remember correctly). The 2nd icon you suggested for Tomb is better though.
For the Hollow Grove, it seems a bit blurry, and it is hard for me to understand what it is.
Same for the Beacon of Light, due to the small size of the icon, it's hard to grasp what it is.
For the Glass Furnace, Larvae Pool, Magic Rift, Forge of Dreams, Heart of Shadows, I really like them.
For Archon Fort and Celestial Pool (especially the Fort), I think it could be framed better to make it easier to get what they are.

Nice work in any case, we're close to having very nice additions to the Expansion, and looking forward to the other Elders' texturing.

 

[Refineus]

Great work Refineus! You learnt texturing now (or is it your girlfriend as you mentioned)? That's very useful for the Expansion!

Yeah she shown some tricks with Photoshop. We may sort out later how to use alpha layer to hide things in textures on actual models.

For the Elder Spider, my preference goes to 1. dark green/light teal, 2. dark blue, 5. violet/brown. Maybe #5 as a first choice.
For the Elder Privateer, were you also able to change the weapons as we initially planned? The 2nd screenshot looks better than the first, but I'm not entirely convinced by it (no suggestion though, sorry).

Replacing weapon should not be to difficult if its attached like normally. Have not looked in to the mod editor.

I agree regarding the spider. Can also add glow effect similar as the bone dragon.

For the Dragons, they look amazing. I prefer the 3rd, darker one. We probably need to work further on the "Elder" aspect, just like for the other Elder Dragon, where several tries were required to come up with the best look.

I have few layers that may look similar to the ones. When I return from vacation I can add the third one.

Did you pay attention to the load of your textures? What are the size of the .clb?

They will be in lesser size than the elder bone dragon due textures being a bit smaller than 1024 x 1024 which is not necessarily required. If it is they will be the same size when added. If combined clb with all elder units into 1 we can probably save a bit. I added all textures displayed here in a separate mod just for showcasing.

For the icons, I'm unconvinced by the first Ancient Ruins and Tomb's icons. I think they do not need / should not be too different from the normal Ancient Ruins and Tomb, as these are basically the same sites, except for defenders (and it's not even operational if I remember correctly). The 2nd icon you suggested for Tomb is better though.
For the Hollow Grove, it seems a bit blurry, and it is hard for me to understand what it is.
Same for the Beacon of Light, due to the small size of the icon, it's hard to grasp what it is.
For the Glass Furnace, Larvae Pool, Magic Rift, Forge of Dreams, Heart of Shadows, I really like them.
For Archon Fort and Celestial Pool (especially the Fort), I think it could be framed better to make it easier to get what they are.

I figure that some are less as expected, while the ones I reskinned from other icons are better represented. Obviously I will apply similar method to finish the mediocre and experimental ones.

Nice work in any case, we're close to having very nice additions to the Expansion, and looking forward to the other Elders' texturing.

Yeah I figure when I will return from vacation I will set up all icons, retexture the remaining elder units and add them to main branch. I will also make icons for them as well.

 

[Refineus]

I updated some of the icons and applied them inside the mod.

Hollow Grove, Ancient Ruins, Archon Fort and Beacon of Light has the same fashion as the rest of the icons.

 

[Refineus]

I chose well Option 5# if this represents Earth so well here it is. Set up and ready with new icon

 

[Refineus]

A blue Phoenix as mentioned earlier with blue flames as well.

 

[Refineus]

Before I go through with Elder Eldritch I need some feedback on the Eldritch unit. Here are a couple of variants.

My own preference for an Elder Eldritch lies 6 or 7

Let me know what you think?

1. A dark teal/Violet one.

2. A dark teal with red influences.

3. A dark teal, with more hidden teal spots.

4. A more scarce version with brown influences. More lightly tone.

5. A darker red towards orange/red.

6. A dark purple/blue more crystal look with white patterns around making it more mature.

7. A more mature and whiter with darker violet pattern similar style as 6.

8. A dark white version with again a whiter tone on violet.

 

[HousePet]

I actually like #1.

 

[Refineus]

4 New Heroes. Filling up the Hero rooster towards 14.

7 Male and 7 Female in total. All classes featured.

The new ones:

Terica the Headhunter - Female Archdruid
1+ Shock damage
Hero + Leader Slayer ability

Skills
Revive instinct and Root Spears.


Calaheart the Inquisitor - Male Theocrat
Repair Machine Ability ( Heal Shrine of Storm = profit! )
Vow of Poverty stack Ability

Skills
Divine Protection, Slayers Doubt.


Magus the Condemned - Male Sorcerer
Doom Gaze Ability

Skills
Sphere of Protection
Magic Fist


Valrynia the Overseer - Female Warlord
Defensive Strike Ability

Skills
Last Stand and Shout of Intimidation

 

[Rodmar18]

I wonder...

Whether you graphic modders could help correcting a vanilla flaw.

Because your Shadow Elf raptor mounts (both heroes' and exterminators') are good. I believe they always display fine whatever the tactical map and the lighting settings. Don't they?

In the opposite, vanilla raptor mounts (both heroes' and cavalry's) have glitches some times; they are displayed half white under certain lighting settings or on certain tactical maps (desert?). Or it's my graphic card?

Couldn't something be done here?

If we know what the files are (and what they are supposed to do), I can try to find out how they are supposed to link together in the mod files.
If there is actually an error in the modified graphical files, I won't be able to do anything unless the engine gives me some sort of error message.

It's about to compare a Draconian raptor rider and a Shadow Elf raptor rider, only their mounts, on some tactical maps. I'll try to get a reproductible case. If we are able to correct the issue for raptors (wether on the unit models, or in the tactical map settings, then perhaps we could also correct a similar display issue with manticores, if I recall correctly. I only hope that it's not connected to hardware. (Aren't you experiencing these half-white mounts as well? If not, then better let this as it is, indeed).

 

[Refineus]

It's about to compare a Draconian raptor rider and a Shadow Elf raptor rider, only their mounts, on some tactical maps. I'll try to get a reproductible case. If we are able to correct the issue for raptors (wether on the unit models, or in the tactical map settings, then perhaps we could also correct a similar display issue with manticores, if I recall correctly. I only hope that it's not connected to hardware. (Aren't you experiencing these half-white mounts as well? If not, then better let this as it is, indeed).

I doubt there is something. I'm not sure that I see something at all. Which part should be white?

 

[Rodmar18]

Thank you so much for your time! If models are clean, then it should be the lighting settings on tactical maps, or my rig?

I have a handful of old screenshots from last year, but I won't spam this thread. Like on the screenshot below, all of them involve red raptors on tropical (and Sun Spire) and volcanic maps. I'm not sure about the manticore mount, but golden wyverns do have the issue as well. When the issue strikes, all the raptor units are affected, and only their right side is white. But whether the issue strikes or not is not systematic, iirc. I should play Draconians again.

To be honest, I was a bit unsettled when I stumbled on this green hero's mount on subterranean (only in unit panel, not tactical map), and more so when two minutes later, the display was normal again. This smells of memory corruption, doesn't it?

Whatever the cause, I'm positive that I've never had the issue with Shadow Elves raptors so far, be it on the UG layer, in the SR, or at the surface of a RMG map.
This is only why I submitted the issue in this thread.

 

[Refineus]

Thank you so much for your time! If models are clean, then it should be the lighting settings on tactical maps, or my rig?

I have a handful of old screenshots from last year, but I won't spam this thread. Like on the screenshot below, all of them involve red raptors on tropical (and Sun Spire) and volcanic maps. I'm not sure about the manticore mount, but golden wyverns do have the issue as well. When the issue strikes, all the raptor units are affected, and only their right side is white. But whether the issue strikes or not is not systematic, iirc. I should play Draconians again.
View attachment 637549
To be honest, I was a bit unsettled when I stumbled on this green hero's mount on subterranean (only in unit panel, not tactical map), and more so when two minutes later, the display was normal again. This smells of memory corruption, doesn't it?

Whatever the cause, I'm positive that I've never had the issue with Shadow Elves raptors so far, be it on the UG layer, in the SR, or at the surface of a RMG map.
This is only why I submitted the issue in this thread.

I never seen this problem. One notable difference in comparison to vanilla vs shadow elf is the texture is bigger on the vanilla 1024 vs 512 or something.

You should suffer from other units in particular Dragons that uses bigger textures. I would probably look on memory front first.

 

[Rodmar18]

I'll run a memory test and try to track what other unit exactly may exhibit this bug. Your hypothesis on large textures is worth to be tested. In case memory is not faulty, only too few in capacity, or some graphic setting/driver is the culprit, I have 4 MiB RAM and a HD4890 video card on Linux.