LordGood Posted October 1, 2017 Report Share Posted October 1, 2017 holy crap I didn't know lions could be that chill 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2017 (edited) @LordGood Boom! "Drops the mic..." Perfect! I love the way the lions are patiently waiting for their Mediterranean snack. That look... About the lions, the trick is to keep them well fed. Having a sharp stick handy at all times also helps. Also, don't try this at home... Those heavy chains remind me of those Nigerian circus hyenas: Reveal hidden contents Edited October 1, 2017 by Sundiata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 (edited) The kingdom of Kush: NEWS! Vox Populi (mod) makes an updated and playable version of the Kushites available! After Delenda Est(download here), a second mod, Vox Populi (by @Hannibal_Barca) , has now featured the Kingdom of Kush as a playable faction, debuting many new models by @LordGood, replacing all Ptolemaic (building) placeholders, and adding many new units created by @wowgetoffyourcellphone, with additions like new weapons and hairstyles by @stanislas69. About Vox Populi: "This mod tries to address the main "weaknesses" of the current release: it aims to balance "op/up" units, it adjusts technologies and introduces some variety along the way As the name implies (Vox Populi = Voice of the People) , this mod is open to all suggestions of the 0 A.D. community and there is a high chance that if several "known" players agree on a suggestion, it could be added in here." Download here: https://wildfiregames.com/forum/index.php?/topic/22869-vox-populi-the-ultimate-balance-mod/ Special thanks to everybody involved in the development of this faction so far. Progress over the last few months has been considerable, largely due to the efforts of LordGood and Wowgetoffyourcellphone, and now Hannibal_Barca has given us the distinct pleasure of trying out all the new goodies for ourselves, in-game, along with many new balance considerations, aimed at improving gameplay. Thank you all! Screenshots: Reveal hidden contents I played a rather lengthy game and had loads of fun! Played against 2 very hard AI's, but they were busy massacring each other so I had time to set up a nice little fortified town and satellite settlements. Temple guards, guarding a temple.. - Pervy Priest: My child, it's been a while since I saw you in the temple. Is everything alright? - Probably Underage Girl: Oh, I'm fine, just been real busy, you know... - Pervy Priest: Too busy for Amun? Why don't you step inside for an offering of milk and sensual... Huhummmm... I mean ritual oils, my dear. - Probably Underage Girl: Euhm... No thanks... I have errands to run... - Pervy Priest: I have incense [smiles creepily] - Probably Underage Girl: Ok, I think I'm going to go now... [walks away in an awkward hurry] - Pervy Priest: Ok, but remember, Amun is always watching... Always [whispered softly under his breath]... An army on the move. A zebra watches. He knows they're not here to hunt him. It's something else they're after. Target acquired "That Ptolemaic scum doesn't stand a chance!", "YEAH!!!", "Attaaack!", "Kill those imposter-Egyptians!!!" Holding the high ground, raining down death. Meroitic noble archers and Nubian bowmen don't only look great, they're awesome at killing stuff from a safe distance. In the aftermath of battle, the High Priest gives praises to Amun for delivering a glorious victory. Behind him, a Meroitic swordsman overlooks the carnage, surrounded by death, existential questions race through his mind: "Is this truly the glory of Amun?", "Was it really all worth it?" "Oh god, I killed so many people! Am I a monster?" "Have we become the enemy?", "I never knew victory smells like a pile of fresh corpses defecating all over themselves..." Edited October 4, 2017 by Sundiata 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion.Kanzen Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 Quote - Pervy Priest: My child, it's been a while since I saw you in the temple. Is everything alright? - Probably Underage Girl: Oh, I'm fine, just been real busy, you know... - Pervy Priest: Too busy for Amun? Why don't you step inside for an offering of milk and sensual... Huhummmm... I mean ritual oils, my dear. - Probably Underage Girl: Euhm... No thanks... I have errands to run... - Pervy Priest: I have incense [smiles creepily] - Probably Underage Girl: Ok, I think I'm going to go now... [walks away in an awkward hurry] - Pervy Priest: Ok, but remember, Amun is always watching... Always [whispered softly under his breath Expand WTH...lol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balduin Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 @Sundiata are the Kushites complete in Delenta Est and Vox Populi? Is there anything left in the unit, building or tech tree which is not in either of the two mods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 (edited) @balduin The building set is essentially complete ( @LordGood is a 3D modelling machine...). I still need to do my final research and reference posts, including architecture stuff. I will then create an architecture-revision post, for the final draft of the building set. So suggestions can still be made. The only building that LordGood modelled that isn't in either of the mods, is the (oh so important) Amun temple. In @Hannibal_Barca's mod, the original Amun temple is cut in half. You can build a generic temple (which is actually an Apdemak temple), and then choose to upgrade it to an "Apedemak temple" (actually one half of the original Amun temple), or an "Amun temple" (the other half of the original Amun temple). I think it's an attractive option for gameplay, but not historic, and to be honest, I really want to see LordGood's original (complete) Amun temple in-game. It's such an amazing model (my favourite), and it's the most recognisably Kushite monumental structure apart from the pyramids. It's so historical... I know its size is a bit awkward, but that's the point! These structures were awkwardly large, and I don't see why this most important type of building in Kush can't be represented as such. It's size will be warranted because special techs will be researched there, making it important. It will be their special building, and yes, I know, they already have pyramids, but Kush can be a faction that demonstrates a greater architectural diversity. A benchmark for other civs. The most logical way of differentiating/diversifying the civ's from each other is allowing them to build their iconic structures (not just one special building, but potentially several). Just to clarify why the Amun temple can't be a wonder: there were at least 8 of these monumental temple complexes in ancient Kush. I have some idea's for the wonder as well, but more on that later. Optionally, two mercenary camps for Nuba and Blemmye mercenaries can still be modelled, giving access to cheap trash units (Nuba) and camel units (Blemmye) New textures (Kushite specific reliefs) need to be created. I hope to do this myself (creating outlines and color-schemes), and @Lion.Kanzen (photoshop magic). Generally, the textures can still use a small rework (at least some white plaster for the CC and other important buildings), but more on that in a future architecture post. Building props, like stone ram- and lion-statues, and statues of Kings still need to be made. Icons for buildings, units and techs. Some units and structures need renaming, and we need to start looking for native names as well. We will use the little Meroitic that we know, modern Nubian and Ancient Egyptian as the base-languages for Kushites) The units still need a lot of work. Some are already (almost) perfect. Others are still using mainly ptolemaic placeholders, which work well for now, but they'll have to be replaced in the coming months. @wackyserious was making some really nice progress a little while back in this thread, but those units haven't been implemented yet (not entirely finished yet). @wowgetoffyourcellphone, with help from @stanislas69 created a bunch of new units, implemented in Vox Populi. The main things that needs work for units are: shields (shape, pattern, decoration) bronze scale armour (corselet), for champions Heroes: Piye and Amanitore need to be replaced with Nastasen, Arakamani, Amanishakheto or Harsiotef (see time-period). Amanirenas should remain. weapons: sword and scabbard, Epsilon axe, narrow armour-piercing axe and a large hooked blade-axe, or a mace-axe still need to be modeled cavalry: Noble cavalry lancer needs to be modelled (I'm still working on an illustration) feathers for the Nubian units. Techs: Most techs are generic for now. Kushites have a very expansive history (lot's of info in this thread), and I believe we can create an almost exclusively civ-specific tech-tree for this faction, if in name only. So the tech-tree probably still needs a lot of work in terms of specifics and naming. I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting... As you see, most of what still needs to be done actually relies on us, providing the artists and modders with the correct information and references so they can continue working. I'm falling behind on my part (I've been quite busy lately), but I'm trying to get my last reference posts organised, so I can move ahead and create good illustrations of shield types and provide indigenous names and other more specific things. Edited October 5, 2017 by Sundiata 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordGood Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 easy, build the temples back to back to back and then upgrade them accordingly ta-da whole model 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan` Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 On 05/10/2017 at 10:44 AM, LordGood said: easy, build the temples back to back to back and then upgrade them accordingly ta-da whole model Expand That's that's cheating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 On 05/10/2017 at 10:44 AM, LordGood said: build the temples back to back to back and then upgrade them accordingly Expand Why didn't I think of that, lol! But that still doesn't take away the discrepancies: We have a perfect Apedemak temple: but the model is now used as a "genereric" temple. Apedemak temple upgrade turns it into not-an-Apedemak temple... We have a perfect Amun temple: This is now cut in half and replaced with something that is not an Amun temple... Why??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannibal_Barca Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 On 05/10/2017 at 10:18 AM, Sundiata said: Heroes: Piye and Amanitore need to be replaced with Nastasen, Arakamani, Amanishakheto or Harsiotef (see time-period). Amanirenas should remain. Expand This has already been done in the version coming out today 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannibal_Barca Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 On 05/10/2017 at 10:18 AM, Sundiata said: I think it's an attractive option for gameplay, but not historic, and to be honest, I really want to see LordGood's original (complete) Amun temple in-game. It's such an amazing model (my favourite), and it's the most recognisably Kushite monumental structure apart from the pyramids. It's so historical... I know its size is a bit awkward, but that's the point! Expand I'd be ok with this but first need to have icons for both of them. No, the usual temple icon will not do for the Apedemak one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Servo Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 unfinished Vox kd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion.Kanzen Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 What you need? Exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion.Kanzen Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 Ok you need relieves first make non color outline and then copy and apply colors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion.Kanzen Posted October 7, 2017 Report Share Posted October 7, 2017 Reveal hidden contents What about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2017 @Lion.Kanzen That's from an album cover: "African Queens" by The Ritchie Family (1977). Taking it back to the days of disco Reveal hidden contents The crown on the far right looks like something Kushite Queens would wear, but I think it's better to stick to the primary sources (the many reliefs posted in this thread) as the reference for such things. There's already a lot of accurate examples of crowns for both men and women. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balduin Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 (edited) @Sundiata I found a source which mentions that the Kushites used poison on there arrowheads: Quote "When scientists and historians looked at the arrowheads, there was a very odd coloration on them. Most of the historians and scientists suspected it was poison. So the Kush had used poison arrows to defeat and fend off intruders. (36-38)" Expand Source: http://bmssancientcivilizations.wikispaces.com/African+Kingdoms @Zophim found a better source in this comment: The following Wikipedia article references the same source as @Zophim : Sudanic fighting forces versus Persian, Roman and Islamic forces Do you think the poisoned arrows should be in the game? Edited October 8, 2017 by balduin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion.Kanzen Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 On 07/10/2017 at 8:35 AM, Sundiata said: @Lion.Kanzen That's from an album cover: "African Queens" by The Ritchie Family (1977). Taking it back to the days of disco Reveal hidden contents The crown on the far right looks like something Kushite Queens would wear, but I think it's better to stick to the primary sources (the many reliefs posted in this thread) as the reference for such things. There's already a lot of accurate examples of crowns for both men and women. Expand I love the art of that album. I so polished. So perfect concept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 @balduin Yeah, they were known to use poisoned arrows. It could be one of the ranged techs... @Lion.Kanzen The crown on the right looks like the crown sometimes worn by the winged goddess Isis. Golden wings of a vulture. Princesses or Queens could possibly wear it in emulation of the Goddess. Isis in a relief from Meroe: Notice the winged serpent symbol on top. This is one of the symbols on the Egyptian shield-placeholders in Kush. A good use of existing placeholders, it seems 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 The Kingdom of Kush: Voyage a Meroë, au fleuve Blanc: au-delà de Fâzoql dans le midi du royaume de Sennâr, à Syouah et dans cinq autres oasis, fait dans les années 1819, 1820, 1821 et 1822 : accompagné de cartes géographiques, de planches représentant les monuments de ces contrées, avec des détails relatifs à l'état moderne et à l'histoire naturelle In this post, I will be sharing 60 plates from the book, "Voyage a Meroë", written and illustrated by Frédéric Cailliaud (a French naturalist, mineralogist and conchologist) and Jomard, Edme-François (a French cartographer, engineer, and archaeologist). As with the Lepsius Collection, I'm sharing all of the plates relevant to ancient Kush because of their rarity and historical value in general. What makes the plates so valuable is that they represent the earliest archaeological survey of Kushite remains in Sudan. Many of the sites have since been destroyed or degraded. These plates were produced between 1819 and 1822, just over a decade before the infamous Italian "explorer"/treasure-hunter, Giuseppe Ferlini destroyed over 40 Kushite pyramids in his search for gold... As such, these plates illustrate the most complete and in intact state of Meroitic pyramids in "modern" times, as well as many details on temples now lost. If you pay attention, you will see that the Lepsius expedition, some 20 years later, surveyed many of the same sites, and gives you an idea of the quality and accuracy of the works. About Frédéric Cailliaud: "He travelled in Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia, collecting minerals and making observations. He was a part of the military expedition that his patron Viceroy Muhammad Ali sent south to conquer the Kingdom of Sennar, but also marched further into Fazogli where Caillaud searched for outcroppings of gold while the commander Ismail, son of Muhammad Ali, enslaved locals and slaughtered all who resisted him. Although he failed to find any sizeable deposits of gold in the mountains along the modern Sudan-Ethiopia border, he did make a sufficiently detailed survey of the area to be published after he returned to France in 1827. "Shortly after his return, he published Travels in the Oasis of Thebes, with never-before-seen information on the people and places of the Western Desert. His Travels to Meroë (mer-oh-ay) not only offered similarly pioneering information on the peoples and regions south of the Nile’s first cataract, but also constituted the first scientific survey of Sudanese monuments. In addition, he brought back a large corpus of correctly copied textual material that, along with objects in his newly acquired collection, helped the historian Jean-François Champollion decipher the hieroglyphic language of ancient Egypt. So esteemed were Cailliaud’s contributions to knowledge that in 1824 he was awarded the French Legion of Honor."[1] He was curator of the museum at Nantes from 1836 to 1869" -Wikipedia- I will simply share the plates in their original order. Download the images to appreciate the details (they're very HQ). Naga = Naqa Ouad-Beyt-Naga = Wad Ben Naqa El-Mecaourah = Musawwarat es Sufra Assour = Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Mont Barkal = Gebel Barkal (Napata) Nouri = Nuri Voyage a Meroë, the plates: Reveal hidden contents Wad Ben Naqa, Typhonium of Bes pillars with Hathoric capitals (WBN200) Naqa, Temple of Amun with kiosk in upper image. Lion temple and Hathor Chapel in lower image. Naqa, Hathor Chapel, also known as the Roman Kiosk, because of it's Greco-Roman elements. Naqa, Lion Temple of Apedemak Naqa various temple plans Famous pylon of the Lion Temple in Naqa featuring King Natakamani and Queen Amanitore. Reliefs of a procession of gods and a procession of goddesses and royalty on either side of the Lion temple in Naqa. Back-side of the lion temple in Naqa Facade of the Amun temple in Naqa Plans of Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure and the smaller secular enclosure. Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure, the central temple Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure, central temple plan Musawwarat es Sufra, the Great Enclosure, plans and column details Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë. This rather large pyramid actually belonged to Amanishakheto. One of many pyramids completely flattened by Giuseppe Ferlini. He actually found a large horde of gold in this one, dubbed Amanishakheto's treasure. Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Pylons at Begrawiya Royal Necropolis at Meroë Nuri Royal Necropolis Nuri Royal Necropolis Gebel Barkal, the site of Napata, and home of Amun Gebel Barkal, the site of Napata, and home of Amun Gebel Barkal Royal Necropolis Gebel Barkal Royal Necropolis Gebel Barkal reliefs Gebel Barkal reliefs Gebel Barkal reliefs Gebel Barkal Royal Necropolis Gebel Barkal Royal Necropolis Spiralling peak of Gebel Barkal and ruins of temples Gebel Barkal and ruins of temples Gebel Barkal and plans of temples Gebel Barkal relief of King Senkamanisken Ruins of the Great temple of Amun at Gebel Barkal. Probably the holiest site in all of Kush. Gebel Barkal and ruins of temples Plan of the Great Temple of Amun at Gebel Barkal Boat stand or altar from Gebel Barkal Boat stand or altar from Gebel Barkal Gebel Barkal, ruins of temple B300, the Temple of Mut, with columns with Hathoric capitals and a Bes shaped pillar. Gebel Barkal, plan of temple B700 Gebel Barkal reliefs Gebel Barkal reliefs Gebel Barkal reliefs Gebel Barkal reliefs Gebel Barkal reliefs Gebel Barkal, temple B300, the temple of mut with Bes-shaped pillars leading in to a rock cut part of the temple. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion.Kanzen Posted October 10, 2017 Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 Its very interesting make a good portrait of them with that helmet, like Liz Taylor Obviously with a Kushite face, a female Kushite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2017 (edited) The Kingdom of Kush: A (very) Short History A very compact, crash-course in Kushite History I still have so much to do, but still managed to get bored, and made a very short, simple storyboard on post-Egyptian Kush (using Storyboard That). Just for fun. Basically Kush for dummies. A useful intro for school-kids and people looking for a bite-sized 5min introduction on this history. Individual scenes: Reveal hidden contents Edited October 14, 2017 by Sundiata 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balduin Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) @Sundiata I like that short storyboard. Maybe we can have later a campaign for the Kushites or a small tutorial in which the player will get introduced to the Kushites with a storyboard like this. However, even though you published it here. We cannot use this comic stripe anywhere else, because of licensing issues. Their are two main issues. The text is your intellectual property and you did not grant explicit permission to use it under e.g. a Creative Commons license. Secondly, the images in your storyboard are not licensed. But in the case of the images, it is unclear how much work did you used from storyboard, for example human actors, buildings and background images, compared to how much is your own creation. If the majority of the actors, buildings and background images are your own drawings/creation then you would be able to grant permission under a Creative Commons license. Edited October 15, 2017 by balduin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundiata Posted October 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 @balduin lol, I just made it for fun because I was bored, it's entirely created with storyboardthat.com, so it's definitely not meant to be in game. By the way, everything I write and produce which is published here is free for all... On 15/10/2017 at 3:16 PM, balduin said: Maybe we can have later a campaign for the Kushites or a small tutorial in which the player will get introduced to the Kushites with a storyboard like this. Expand As long as it's a much more mature style than this, it would be a nice idea for all the civs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowgetoffyourcellphone Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 On 15/10/2017 at 3:28 PM, Sundiata said: @balduin lol, I just made it for fun because I was bored, it's entirely created with storyboardthat.com, so it's definitely not meant to be in game. By the way, everything I write and produce which is published here is free for all... As long as it's a much more mature style than this, it would be a nice idea for all the civs. Expand I agree, a nice animated storyboard for each civ would be pretty cool. I have not seen such a thing in any other RTS. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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