0 A.D's Built-in Encyclopedia

[ShadowOfHassen]

I made some changes to the Han field pr

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/79

 

It's ready to be looked over, then merged.

[Vantha]

Han market

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/83

Quote

In the first century BC, after the Han had defeated the Xiognu (a nomadic people inhabiting the lands north of the Han Empire), they were able to secure the Hexi Corridor, a long, narrow passage leading through an otherwise ungracious and hostile terrain. Through the Hexi Corridor, the Han now had a safe connection to the West and established trade routes leading into the wide and unknown world. This trade network, over a staggering 6400 kilometers (4000 miles) long, is today called the Silk Road. It led from the Han Empire through Middle Asia to present-day India and all the way to Europe, where there was another powerful empire centered around the Mediterranean, one that, in size, even rivaled the Han Empire. Yes, I am talking about the Roman Empire.

Of course there is a reason it is called the Silk Road; among products like various materials, foods, livestock, and jewelry, one was especially sought after. Yes, you guessed correctly: it was silk. Silk, almost exclusively produced by the Han, worth multiple times its weight in gold, was brought into all corners of the world, even to the Romans.

But not only goods were exchanged; traders transmitted their beliefs, customs, and knowledge to the people they encountered. The Silk Road is the first example of globalization in human history.

 

[Vantha]

Han Trader (even though we already created a mixin for traders, Zhang Qian's story fits very well and it's worth writing an extra text about him)

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/84/files

Quote

In the Han dynasty's early days, the Xiognu, a hostile people inhabiting the lands north of the Han empire, were repeatedly plundering the border regions. The Xiognu were nomads and rode horses, which made them extremely difficult to fight against. For that reason, the Han saw no choice but to pay tribute to the Xiognu in order to make peace. However, despite the tribute payments, the Xiognu kept on pillaging. And thanks to the Xiognu and other natural barriers, the Han were almost completely cut off from the Western part of the world.

When Emperor Wu planned to finally put an end to the Xiognu, he sought allies and figured the Yuezhi, another nomadic people to the west of the Xiognu, would be willing to help. The Yuezhi had recently been defeated and their king humiliated by the Xiognu. Emperor Wu sent an envoy, Zhang Qian, to try to form an alliance with the Yuezhi.

The mission, however, was very dangerous, as he had to travel through hostile lands. And, not long after his departure, Zhang Qian and his companions were captured by the Xiognu. Zhang Qian was surprisingly left alive and held as a captive. He took this opportunity to closely examine the Xiognu, their society, life, and fighting style. And when the chance arose, Zhang Qian fled to resume his mission. A mere ten years had passed.

He eventually traversed the Xiognu regions and arrived at the Yuezhi. Those were, against his expectations, not keen on starting a war against the Xiognu. Still, many of the rulers he met were open to building relations with the Han. Zhang Qian spent another year there and studied the cultures of the peoples he encountered. This region, today the Stans in Central Asia, was previously completely unknown to the Han. And, since two hundred years prior, Alexander the Great had conquered this region and established colonies there, Zhang Qian even came into contact with ancient Greek culture, a society thousands of miles away from the Han dynasty. He even saw highly priced Chinese products that had found their way to this (for the Han) exotic place.

With his newly acquired knowledge, Zhang Qian then returned to the Han dynasty. On his way, he was captured by the Xiognu again, but this time, after “only” one year, was able to escape again and successfully make his way home. He had been away for a total of 13 years.

 Even though he had failed his original mission of forming an alliance with the Yeuzhi, Zhang Qian brought valuable information. From his narrations, the Han realized how highly foreigners valued Chinese products and recognized the need to finally beat the Xiognu in order to set up a safe passage to these newly discovered lands. His great knowledge about the Xiognu proved to be a big advantage for the Han in the war. When they had finally defeated the Xiognu, trade routes were set up along the path Zhang Qian took towards the west. This trade network would later even reach the Mediterranean and have a big impact on economies and cultures all over the world. It is today famously called the Silk Road.

 

[ShadowOfHassen]

Han farmstead and Corral

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/85

One thing to note, I wrote a text similar to the Greeks for the farmstead (as follows)

Quote

After the harvest, the Han stored grains such as rice and wheat in granaries in case of siege or famine.

However, the translation for the structure real word means farmhouse. I which could be taken as "house of a farmer"

[Vantha]

Han crossbowman https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/86

Quote

Although many ancient civilizations constructed crossbows, the Chinese were without a doubt the ones using them the most extensively. In the Han dynasty, crossbows were mass-produced and by far the most widely employed ranged weapon, especially among militias. The use of crossbows proved to be an important advantage in battle for the Han, most notably in the wars against the Xiognu, a nomadic horse people. The crossbow was a truly revolutionary weapon for several reasons.

Firstly, crossbows were very easy to use. It took years, if not an entire lifetime, to master the bow. On the other hand, even people who had never held a crossbow in their hands before could, with as little as a couple of days or weeks of training, learn to fight with the crossbow. Aiming, for example, was very easy; Han crossbows even had a scale built in, indicating how high to aim to hit the target at a specific distance. The low effort needed to train a good crossbowman was especially advantageous for the Han because their armies largely consisted of militias. When war broke out and the Han dynasty raised an army of peasants equipped with crossbows, each was as dangerous as a professional archer after years-long training.

Secondly, crossbows were cocked differently than bows. It was placed on the ground, and the bowman squatted down, grabbed the bowstring with his hands, and pulled it upwards. Because this movement utilizes arm, back, and leg muscles, more force gets exerted than through the motion of drawing a bow. This meant the crossbow could be tensed higher and fire arrows at a higher speed compared to bows. In fact, according to experiments, a Han crossbow required almost double the pulling force of a typical bow used by the Xiognu. But it also launched the arrow at 20 percent higher speed, up to 50 percent greater distance, and with a higher penetrating power. An arrow hitting its target caused dangerous, if not lethal, damage, even through the Xiognu's typical leather armor. In this regard, the Han crossbow was far superior to the Xiognu's bows.

Why only “in this regard," though? Well, the crossbow had a major drawback, and that was reload time. A bow could fire arrows multiple times faster than a crossbow. Crossbows were too slow to actually stop cavalry charges. To compensate, Han crossbowmen shot alternately to keep a continuous hail of arrows. And, because of the way the crossbows were cocked, those with this high level of required pull force were exclusive to infantry.

 

[Vantha]

Han Archer

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/87

Quote

Archery was always a central aspect of ancient Chinese culture. After all, one of the Six Arts, an age-old curriculum created in the second millennium BC, was archery. And to only mention two famous names, Confucius and Lie Zi, two very important Chinese philosophers, were both avid archers.

In the Han dynasty, however, because bow and arrow were rivaled by crossbows, they saw comparably low usage on the battlefield. At least among infantry units. For a long time, archers had mostly been placed on chariots, but the Han also started employing mounted archers to counter the powerful Xiognu cavalry.

  But bow and arrow were not only used in combat but also for hunting, various rituals, and as a sport.  

 

[ShadowOfHassen]

An article for the Han house

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/89#pullrequestreview-1790043617

[ShadowOfHassen]

I'm trying to work on the article on Han women, and I think a quote from the "Lessons for women"  by Ban Zhao would be appropriate. However, there are two problems. First that the books I have and on the internet only have excepts of the book and second you can't quote much of a copyrighted book.

The work itself is (clearly) in public domain, and there is a copy of the text is on Wikisource (https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/女誡 ) The issue is its in Chinese. I've tried using Google Translate and while I can somewhat get an idea on what the work is about, I don't trust a Google Translate to be accurate enough to quote.

 

I suppose what I'm asking is: Does anybody know someone who can translate ancient Chinese?

 

[Gurken Khan]

@AIEND?

[Vantha]

3 new articles:

Han pikeman:

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/92 Quote The Ji was a very popular weapon in the Han dynasty. It consisted of two blades. Firstly, the forward blade: it was sharpened on both edges as well as towards the tip—essentially like a sword blade. Secondly, the sideward blade: it was set at a 90-degree angle from the forward blade. This blade typically measured half the length of the forward blade and was sharpened on both edges and towards the tip as well. The two blades of a Ji were forged as one piece and tied to the pole, with the sideward blade running through a hole in the pole to increase stability.         The Ji blade itself, as well as the pole it was attached to, came in all different sizes depending on their purpose. The chariots' Ji was held with both hands and had a long pole with only a small blade. The cavalry's Ji was shorter and had a larger blade. Some infantry used a similar one. However, other variations of the Ji for foot soldiers had a much shorter pole and were wielded with only one hand. This left the other hand to carry a shield, or maybe a second Ji. The blade alone could also be used as a short-range weapon, like a dagger. The blade, on its own, was also light enough to be thrown like a knife.         The big strength of the Ji blade laid in its versatility. It could, like regular spears, be used for spearing and thrusting. But the forward blade, being sharp on its sides, also allowed for slashing and slicing. The sideward blade could be used for pecking and piercing movements and was also sturdy enough for pushing or pulling. And unlike most spears, pikes, or halberds, the Ji was also very suitable for defense. While the pole and both blades could, of course, block incoming attacks, it was the shape of the blade itself that gave it its remarkable defensive capabilities. In the right angle between the forward and sideward blades, the Ji could catch the enemy's weapon and redirect it.

Han catapult:

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/90

Quote

Unlike ancient Western civilizations, the ancient Chinese did not use tension or torsion mechanisms for catapults. Instead, their catapults were man-powered: A long horizontal beam was attached to a hinge that was mounted on a framework. A sling was fastened to the end of the beam's back arm. Ropes hang down from the (shorter) front arm or from a short cross beam mounted there. The team of men operating the catapult stood below the shorter arm. On command, they all simultaneously pulled down the ropes, causing the beam to rotate, the sling to open, and whatever projectile was placed in the sling (usually a stone) to be hurled forward. Such catapults are called mangonels, or traction trebuchets.         When mangonels in the early Middle Ages also found their way from China to Europe, they proved to be superior to the traditional catapults there, powered by the tension of a bow or the torsion of sinew bundles. This was for several reasons: Firstly, they were simpler to construct and operate. Secondly, because of their mechanical simplicity they could be reloaded faster and fire at a higher rate. For the same reason, they were also way more reliable than the traditional torsion artillery. For example, in contrast to those, a mangonel's performance was not affected by damp weather conditions. Lastly, it could easily be scaled up or down for different needs by increasing or decreasing the number of men pulling the ropes. All in all, mangonels were more user-friendly, so to speak.         In fact, the largest recorded mangonel in ancient China had 250 people pulling 125 ropes. The framework itself was still only a few meters large, which meant all 250 people were cramped up in a very small space, around 33 square yards (40 square meters). This particular mangonel hurled stones of around 132 pounds (60 kilograms) more than 250 feet (75 meters). The largest ever recorded even required 600 pulling men. However, in the 12th and 13th centuries, mangonels were eventually displaced by the new counterweight trebuchets, which required fewer men to operate.

 

Han spearman:

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/91

Quote

In the Han dynasty, the typical combination of spear and shield was rivaled by other, more advanced weaponry. However, ordinary spearmen were still very common. This was because shields and spears required low effort and expertise to manufacture. And fighting with a shield and spear was quite easy to learn, which was important because Han armies largely consisted of militia.         Ancient Chinese spears were usually 10 to 16 feet long (3 to 5 meters). Like many ancient Chinese weapons, they had leaf-shaped blades sharpened to the edges and towards the top. Ancient Chinese spears were also characterized by their red horsehair tassel. The tassel indicated elite status and is said to have distracted enemies and protected the shaft from blood.         The distinctive Chinese shield was called “Shuang Hu Dun.” It was usually made of wood covered by lacquered hide. It measured somewhere around 30 inches (75 centimeters) in height and 18 inches (45 centimeters) in width. Its signature mark was its unique shape; the Shuang Hu Dun was almost rectangular, but the edges ran specific curves. The reason for this peculiar shape remains unknown to this day.

 

 

[Vantha]

Another interesting text: Han cavalry and infantry swordsman

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/93
 

Quote

For a long time, the sword predominant in Chinese warfare was the Jian, a double-edged sword. However, during the Han dynasty, the Dao (a single-edged sword) slowly replaced the Jian as the military's sword of choice for both cavalry and infantry. This was for the following reasons:         

Firstly, reliability: the Dao was cheaper and easier to manufacture and maintain, primarily because only one edge was sharpened. It was also more durable and less prone to bending or even breaking. This was again an advantage of the single-edged blade having a wider spine. However, in comparison to other swords, it also had a very broad tang (the back part of the blade inside the hilt), which improved the blade's steadiness additionally.These were crucial factors for the Han military because weapons were mass-produced in numbers reaching hundreds of thousands and handed out to the armies by the state.         

Secondly, the Dao required—as single-edged swords generally—less training and was easier to master. This was especially important for the Han as well, because their armies largely consisted of militia with little to no combat experience. Another factor was that the early Han were forced to develop a strong cavalry force to counter the cavalry armies of the Xiognu (a nomadic people inhabiting the lands north of the Han Empire). And single-edged swords such as the Dao were more suited for horseback fighting than double-edged swords (such as the Jian).         

Both the Jian and the Dao were wielded in one hand (for infantry, commonly in combination with a shield). However, the Dao's design favored slashing techniques over thrusting: there was hardly any guard (part between the blade and the hilt preventing the hand from slipping onto the blade during thrusting movements) in place. The blade was also often curved towards the sharp edge, and the tip was located on the back side of the blade.

Question just out of curiosity: Why is the infantry swordsman (who I believe is currently not in the game) called infantry_swordsman_special? What's the special part?

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

2 minutes ago, Vantha said:

Another interesting text: Han cavalry and infantry swordsman

https://github.com/TheShadowOfHassen/0-ad-history-encyclopedia-mod/pull/93
 

Question just out of curiosity: Why is the infantry swordsman (who I believe is currently not in the game) called infantry_swordsman_special? What's the special part?

The _special suffix prevents the unit from being trainable from a captured Barracks.  

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Working on sumfin

 

 

Ultimately, I don't know if we'll do a comprehensive in-game, in-UI, encyclopedia, or if I could slap together a nicely made PDF using the History text provided by the good folks here and graphics I put together. We could even make the PDF ("Game Manual") open-source (and translatable?).

[Grapjas]

47 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

in-game, in-UI, encyclopedia

Would be a nice to have.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Some further mockuppery

 

 

 

1. Game logo. The words below the logo could change base on the title of the enabled mod.

2. Click a red button for the main category ("Structures" in this example). Some articles can be listed under multiple categories if they are relevant.

3. A Drop menu quickly slides down

4. And the category header slides out

5. Choosing an item from the Drop menu (3) changes the article's Graphic

6. And the text of the item shows here, complete with a scrollbar on the right. I've only shown the text for the Athenian Civic Center for illustrative purposes.

7. The articles can be cross referenced. We can add inline links to relevant articles (on click), or have tooltips (on hover). In this example, "Solon" is linked because it's the Athenian Catafalque (Relic). "Citizens" is linked to the article under "Civilians and Economics" category that tells about the concept of "Citizens" in the game. "Athens" links to the "Athenians" article under "Cultures and Civilizations." "Greek" links to the culture article. "Council" links to the "Council Chamber" structure article. "Democracy" links to the Athenian civ bonus article. And lastly, "ostracism" links to that technology's article. 

8. Back button and a "Random Article" button, akin to Google's old "I'm feeling lucky" button. 

 

5,6, and 7 could be blank until you choose an article from the drop menu (3), or there can be a generic article and graphic detailing what a "Structure" is. 

 

Audio:

A cool idea I had would be to play the object's selection sound any time you clicked it from the drop menu. So, click the Civic Center article in the list, the Civic Center selection sound plays as the article loads. 

Click a Technology article, the tech completion sound is played. 

Click a Civilization's article, there can be either a short civ-specific intro sound, or in the article itself can have a little  that plays music from the civ's json. 

[Vantha]

That looks very cool! I like it a lot!

Is it be possible to have some units do their animation (like a GIF) there? That would help paint a clearer picture for the reader, for example how a certain catapult works.

And let me know if you need any help with testing or designing! I have a bit of experience in UI design myself.

[Stan`]

Not yet until Atlas is integrated in the main game. But @trompetin17 hasn't made much progress

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

4 hours ago, Stan` said:

Not yet until Atlas is integrated in the main game. But @trompetin17 hasn't made much progress

Correct thread? 

[ShadowOfHassen]

18 hours ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Some further mockuppery

 

 

 

1. Game logo. The words below the logo could change base on the title of the enabled mod.

2. Click a red button for the main category ("Structures" in this example). Some articles can be listed under multiple categories if they are relevant.

3. A Drop menu quickly slides down

4. And the category header slides out

5. Choosing an item from the Drop menu (3) changes the article's Graphic

6. And the text of the item shows here, complete with a scrollbar on the right. I've only shown the text for the Athenian Civic Center for illustrative purposes.

7. The articles can be cross referenced. We can add inline links to relevant articles (on click), or have tooltips (on hover). In this example, "Solon" is linked because it's the Athenian Catafalque (Relic). "Citizens" is linked to the article under "Civilians and Economics" category that tells about the concept of "Citizens" in the game. "Athens" links to the "Athenians" article under "Cultures and Civilizations." "Greek" links to the culture article. "Council" links to the "Council Chamber" structure article. "Democracy" links to the Athenian civ bonus article. And lastly, "ostracism" links to that technology's article. 

8. Back button and a "Random Article" button, akin to Google's old "I'm feeling lucky" button. 

 

5,6, and 7 could be blank until you choose an article from the drop menu (3), or there can be a generic article and graphic detailing what a "Structure" is. 

 

Audio:

A cool idea I had would be to play the object's selection sound any time you clicked it from the drop menu. So, click the Civic Center article in the list, the Civic Center selection sound plays as the article loads. 

Click a Technology article, the tech completion sound is played. 

Click a Civilization's article, there can be either a short civ-specific intro sound, or in the article itself can have a little  that plays music from the civ's json. 

Yes this is exactly what's needed! Images, text as well as cross links, that would allow us to simplify things so much. Instead of making each article stand alone by explaining the same things we have explained before. Thank you, @wowgetoffyourcellphone I can't wait until this is finished.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

1 hour ago, ShadowOfHassen said:

Yes this is exactly what's needed! Images, text as well as cross links, that would allow us to simplify things so much. Instead of making each article stand alone by explaining the same things we have explained before. Thank you, @wowgetoffyourcellphone I can't wait until this is finished.

Yes, something like this either in-game or offline (and linked in-game) would be ideal. Unfortunately, this is just a mockup.

[ShadowOfHassen]

25 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Yes, something like this either in-game or offline (and linked in-game) would be ideal. Unfortunately, this is just a mockup.

My vote is in game. If eventually we want to do a manual like the old age of empire ages, I'm willing to help edit it. Maybe we could include it in a 0 A.D. beta special edition with tech maps and some other fun swag?

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Hero mockup

 

[ShadowOfHassen]

42 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Hero mockup

 

Perfect!

 

On a scale of 1-10 how hard do you think this would be to implement in game?

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

5 minutes ago, ShadowOfHassen said:

Perfect!

 

On a scale of 1-10 how hard do you think this would be to implement in game?

For me? An 11. For someone who has pre-existing skills, maybe a 5. As long as someone codes the framework, the rest of us can gleefully provide the content.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Environments and Maps (plus Themes)

 

I like the Beige and White themes myself.