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Sundiata

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Everything posted by Sundiata

  1. Sundiata
    So just to be clear, lion-man will be the "Apedemak's Temple Guard", or "Apedemak's Faithful", and khopesh-man will be the "Napatan Temple Guard", or "Amun's Faithful". Obviously champion units. @niektb @wowgetoffyourcellphone Maybe a choice between either structure and thus recruitable unit wouldn't be so bad indeed. Amun temple is more expensive, but offers more techs. Apedemak temple cheap, but less tech? I'm so undecided... Maybe a late tech from the wonder makes both buildable? Same for the merc camp. You either build a Nuba merc camp (round huts, with a high, pointy thatched roof, 1 big and 2 small huts), or a Blemmye merc camp (2 roundish tents covered in animal hides and a simple rectangular brick structure with flat roof). Can they be built in neutral territory? Merc camp references:
  2. Sundiata
    @LordGood Can I use them for "promotional" purposes? And can I share them outside of 0AD context, like general history stuff? Of course giving props to the creator (link, name?)
  3. Sundiata
    @LordGood Really, I just want to emphasise again how cool I think these illustrations look! I really love the way you're using the references. The details, like that trapezoid sash underneath the loincloth of the khopesh wielding unit. The sandals. The bronze skullcap. His ankh on a chain of golden/bronze spheres, his elaborate "Egyptian" necklace and the bronze scale armour is the exactly the same type as I'm using for the noble lancer. It's a very intuitive use of the elements we can be relatively sure of. After intensively scouring the internet and books for more than half a year, I can say with some confidence that these illustrations (especially the axe-men and the khopesh guy), are the most accurate tentative reconstructions of Kushite melee units from the Napatan and Meroitic period ever created/published! Their value can't be underestimated... In terms of height, Kushites were known to be very tall, even by classical writers. Related tribes in the southern Sudan are among the tallest ethnicities in the world today, like Dinka who have reached average heights of 1.83m (men at c. 1.90 and women at 1.80!)
  4. Sundiata
    @LordGood Man, you're on fire! The speed at which you work astounds me. I'm just here gathering courage to continue my own illustrations, which take days and even weeks, lol... A heads up, I'm working on the Noble Meroitic Cavalry lancer, but I keep rethinking the concept based on the recent references I'm finding. I'm sort of set on how it should look now, just need to adjust what I already did.
  5. Sundiata
    @wowgetoffyourcellphone Man, awesome! If there's any unit that should/could have a club, it would be the Nuba mercs, and the body painting and primitive look is perfect for this particular unit. Good job! The maces in Lion's image are very similar/the same as the mace-heads found in Kush. They're an option too, but I think they might have had a semi-ritual/symbolic purpose, used by nobles and royals for executions, and perhaps for palace guards, as illustrated in the shared image. Maybe maces and clubs could be alternate variations for the Nuba mercs? The following post depicts 6 different mace-heads @niektb That's kind of what I'm worried about. Kushites are going to be so "badass" people will complain, but I don't want to handicap them or sell them short either, so this is a subject that will need to be discussed further.
  6. Sundiata
    I totally understand your point, and it's valid as the break from the Napatan dogmas was political and eroded the power of the priests of Amun, but it didn't destroy it. Outwardly, the Kings still revered Amun and built Amun temples until the third century AD. Many important sites feature both temples. But I do really like the idea, and it does emphasise the evolution from Napatan to Meroitic Kush quite nicely.
  7. Sundiata
    @LordGood Wow, fantastic looking unit! The scale armour looks really cool. The lion head dress, as an imitation of Apedemak, looks amazing. Detail on the axe... mmmm One awkward request though, the lion temples are mostly in the southern half of Kush around Meroe, where people were very dark skinned. Could you darken him up to show this defining ethnic feature of Meroites? @wowgetoffyourcellphone I'm not familiar with the project, but you can definitely go ahead with it for DE. For TM/vanilla, let's see what players prefer. It's interesting though, I just think it would be nice to be able to build both temples on the map, but maybe that's just my obsession with the aesthetics and historicity of the game.
  8. Sundiata
    @LordGood Although for now, they're not in the list of units, they could/should be recruitable from the Apedemak temple. I'm definitely not opposed to epsilon axes. One of the total war mods that feature "Apedemak's faithful" also equips them with those axes.. The thing is, Kush has a relatively large list of potential units, and I don't really know where the limit is. I'd like to see as many as possible, but I'm scared people might complain about them becoming overpowered. Any thoughts?
  9. Sundiata
    @LordGood
  10. Sundiata
    I like these:
  11. Sundiata
    I think it would be nice to see visual upgrades for individual CC's, like the Han Chinese fortified CC upgrade, with a territory and defence bonus. Village phase CC's should be more rudimentary, cheaper and weaker. I think not being able to build too close to another CC (your enemy or your own) is a good thing. I also think you shouldn't be able to start a new building (including CC) in range of an enemy military structure, or in the vicinity of enemy troops. I think this would positively influence the use of CC's and prevent other forms of building rushes.
  12. Sundiata
    I'm not an expert on the Xiognu, but I'm pretty sure Lion's references on shamans is entirely spot on! It's the oldest form of spiritualism, pre-dating Buddhism, practiced by Xiognu, Mongols, Huns and Turkic people alike. This is a nice visual source on Xiognu, from "a special exhibit about the ancient Xiongnu people held at Henan Provincial Museum in Zhengzhou in April and May, 2012": https://www.flickr.com/photos/101561334@N08/albums/72157636669830915/page1 Special Exhibit: Xiongnu, Henan Provincial Museum, Zhengzhou: Yes, I know, it looks similar to Native American attire... This is simply explained by the Siberian origin of many of the first settlers of North America. Their spiritual beliefs were born out of the same substrate. Anyway, we can be pretty sure those references are what "priests" really looked like, and what the shamans of their Mongol descendants still look like today! And some more really nice paintings of the Xiognu: Also remember that these Xiognu lived in close proximity to, sedentary populations, which they often dominated, including the (northern) Chinese, and Silk Road cities. These urban populations would have provided the Xiognu with some of their equipment, and influenced them culturally and materially.
  13. Sundiata
    @Tiber7 Imagine a young and inexperienced Roman soldier, caught out of formation, in complete panic over the furious horde of frenzied Kushites storming his position... He just lost his nerve and forgot training
  14. Sundiata
    @LordGood One annoying remark I have is that the Roman soldiers look pre-Marian reforms, and this scene takes place between 24BC and 27BC -ish...
  15. Sundiata
    @LordGood I'm speechless... Looks amazing as it is, please do finish it though History is being made here people! This is the first painting to depict a battle, up close, between the Romans and Kushites, to have ever been published to my knowledge! History is being made here!
  16. Sundiata
    The Alabastron of Kush Alabastron are a type of luxery pottery, common in the ancient world, which were originally developed in Egypt. They generally have a flat rimmed top, thin neck and a long, rounded bottom. They were often used to hold oils and perfumes. The Alabastron of ancient Egypt (and Kush) are made from a specific type of Alabaster (hence the name), a soft mineral rock, which can be shaped to be as thin as an eggshell. They are basically some of the finest types of ancient pottery. It seems that most of the Alabaster used for the production of these vessels found in Kush, throughout the Napatan and Meroitic period, originate from Egypt. This type of rock is only thought to be found there. The vessels may have been already shaped in Egypt, before export, only for the Kushites to apply the finishing touches. They added cartouches, other inscriptions and carvings, and golden, silver and bronze decorations to the rims of some of these vessels, using typically Kushite metallurgy techniques. I first came across a significant collection of the alabastron from Kush, reading through a pdf discussing the composition, and origin of the material used in the production of the examples from King Aspelta's tomb. It also discusses some of the international contacts of the Kushites in the ancient world, and can be read here: http://www.gizapyramids.org/static/pdf library/bmfa_pdfs/jmfa06_1994_14to40.pdf The Alabastron of Kush:
  17. Sundiata
    This guy actually used 0AD music, as the soundtrack for his airial shots of the ruins of Kabyle, one of Thrace's most important cities. Although I don't know what time-period these ruins date from.
  18. Sundiata
    The Kingdom of Kush: The Roman bronze lamps and silver goblet From the pyramids of Meroe, I present 4 Roman bronze oil lamps, in exquisite state. Bronze oil lamps of Meroitic manufacture are also known, but are distinct from these imported Roman examples. These lamps are from at least three different tombs. Interestingly, a large number of other Roman lamps from around the empire are shaped in the form of stereotyped African heads. One of the most intriguing Roman objects from yet another pyramid at Meroe, is the silver Roman goblet, probably depicting Emperor Augustus in a judgement scene. Quite possibly one of the items looted from Aswan, Philae or Elephantine, in the war with Rome, or a later more peaceful acquisition through the exchange of royal gifts, between the two states. The amount and quality of items from ancient Kush, of both magnificent local manufacture, as well as high quality, foreign luxury imports, keeps astounding me. The level of artisanry reached by the craftsmen of the Royal workshops, their architectural wonders and their often intense interactions which other major powers of classical antiquity, and their continued ability to resist foreign invaders and maintain their territorial and political integrity for such a long time, completely reshaped my understanding of Sudanese history. These people didn't live on the fringes of the known world, Meroe was an international metropolis in it's own right. They didn't just imitate ancient Egypt, they inherited it, and adapted it through the ages. For more than 1350 years after the collapse of the New Kingdom, The Kings of Kush were crowned as the beloved sons of Amen-Re, Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt. If only in name, they definitely tried their best to live up to the reputation of Pharaohs of the Two Lands. These items are all from the mfa, Boston collection. The lamps: http://www.mfa.org/search?search_api_views_fulltext=nubia+lamp The goblet: http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/goblet-with-relief-decoration-145865
  19. Sundiata
    The Horse trappings of Kush I will present some of the often cited horse trappings from the horse graves of the pyramids at El Kurru, and a set of bridle rings from Meroe. They are remarkably intact examples of horse-decorations and clearly illustrate the ostentatious nature of Kushite Kingship and cavalry traditions. The materials used in their production is bronze, silver faience and cowry shells. Many of these pieces were found around the necks of the buried horses, and in combination with the earlier posted silver and bronze horse trappings, and bells, would have been majestic spectacles of wealth. These images were sourced from the gift that keeps on giving, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston: http://www.mfa.org/search?search_api_views_fulltext=nubia+horse
  20. Sundiata
    I think the Greek looking, rectangular public structures from Seuthopolis, yes, and round rural buildings perhaps, but only wooden shingles, I think. Thatch would be more common in rural setting.
  21. Sundiata

    Render Dump

    Sundiata replied to Stan`'s topic in Art dev

    And maybe you should showcase your models in a context, a simple environment, and play with light settings to really show them off a bit...
  22. Sundiata

    Render Dump

    Sundiata replied to Stan`'s topic in Art dev

    @stanislas69 I think the model looks just like a building that would have stood in the Thracian Seuthopolis. You did a great job! As with everything in 0AD, the job is never done... You've definitely improved a lot, from what I've seen. I'm no expert, but I think textures are pretty hard, even for the most experienced artists. I think the texture on your tower looks really good by the way!
  23. Sundiata
    Obviously pathfinding and graphics are both very important. Working on either doesn't exclude the other. Especially if certain techniques in one field can benefit the other. Those in the graphics department need to do the best they can, and those in the pathfinding/coding department just the same. I think they're both absolute priorities for 0AD.
  24. Sundiata
    Level of Detail is a must have, in my opinion. Isn't that the only way of showcasing all that beautiful details of the models, when zooming in, without crashing the computer when zooming out?
  25. Sundiata
    Yes, the second point is how do we get passed those performance issues? Other games have created massive scale, natural and realistic maps before, why can't 0AD create playable maps like that, without sacrificing beauty? 0AD has become a platform to create naturalistic art! It just needs to become playable, for the game to reach it's true potential. I remember the guy who created that map saying something like being able to reach 50 pop or something on that map before lagging out, so many years ago... I believe we could do better today.
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