===[TASK]=== Kushite Units, Unit Textures, and Unit Props

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

3 hours ago, wackyserious said:

@Sundiata Would this work for the elite Meroitic pike infantry. Extending the loincloth downward is a bit complicated since it can cause texture seams. But I will try to experiment with it.

Please please, do not use player color like that. It is very inconsistent visually from other textures to do that. I'm talking about making the whole armor soft player color.

I tried some of your Greek armor textures with all that player color all over the linothorax and it did not look good. It washed out a lot of detail.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

5 hours ago, wackyserious said:

@stanislas69 can you tell me the name of the armpad attach point? I tried to attach it to shoulderpad_L and it is not compatible.

 

5 hours ago, LordGood said:

the pikeman shield mesh is oriented differently from the standard shield meshes

Use shield_arm attachment point like the other pikemen and adjust the model from there.

[Sundiata]

6 hours ago, wackyserious said:

They look fantastic! I think they actually look better than the robed version I was suggesting earlier.. This unit texture looks perfect to me as it is. I'm satisfied  

I was really tired yesterday and didn't even notice you using the simple necklaces... They look awesome, and much more appropriate than the large royal ones... Thanks! 

Kushite units are really coming into their own... Thanks for all the hard work people!

[niektb]

Gee, that was what you call a productive weekend  excellent work guys! Keep it going! 

[Sundiata]

Chief Memes

I put to use some pictures I took of the local chiefs over here in Akuapem, during our traditional Odwira festival in 2013...

 

 

[wackyserious]

Found this on the main Kingdom of Kush thread.

On 8/12/2017 at 10:58 AM, wackyserious said:

 

[Sundiata]

@wackyserious, could be a nice variation for the upper tier Meroitic swordsmen and Kush cavalry.

[wackyserious]

Finalizing the Meroitic pike infantry textures. Each of the three groups is a possible texture for each rank.

[Sundiata]

@wackyserious Nice!! Remember, 2nd tier should have a single simple necklace.

How does this guy look on the units? Should go well with the linen or scale corselets..

 

Edited January 22, 2018 by Sundiata

[wackyserious]

What about the first tier swordsman?

Sword and pike infantry both use the same texture. Only up to 4 necklace variants, 2 types per linen armor variation to reduce spec map and space.

[wackyserious]

@stanislas69 @LordGood @wowgetoffyourcellphone

Is it possible to create a shoulder prop/mesh for necklaces (marked in red) where it will work similar to the tree leafs in the game? Where only the images above the alpha channel appear?

[Sundiata]

@wackyserious 1st tier swordsmen could start out with linen corselet, but if you prefer bare chest, that's also fine. Just thought of something: you could give him one of the variations of Wowgetoffyourcelphone's Blemmye tunic for the camel units. Would be nice to see some more of that. Maybe give him that wicker round shield LordGood made (but scale it down a bit to be the same size as the rhino hide shield.

[Sundiata]

@stanislas69 I have a final (I think) unit-prop requests: the Kushite skullcap (if you have time of course)

Currently I believe you're using a retextured mesh of the padded cotton skullcap for the bronze skullcap. I think the mesh works well for the padded cotton, but looks a little awkward and unrealistic as a bronze skullcap. The skullcaps are supposed to be really tight fitting, with more rounded edges and cut-outs for the ears:

Here are examples of simple skullcaps, as well as elaborate royal skullcaps.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I opened an issue on github for it

Edited January 22, 2018 by Sundiata

[LordGood]

while possible it is a bit impractical to have the necklace on as an alpha prop. It would require extra geometry weighted exactly the same as the collar area of the mesh is to prevent it from glitching through the model itself.

[wackyserious]

8 minutes ago, LordGood said:

while possible it is a bit impractical to have the necklace on as an alpha prop. It would require extra geometry weighted exactly the same as the collar area of the mesh is to prevent it from glitching through the model itself.

I thought it would help add a good amount and variety of necklaces while maintaining a low amount of skeletal textures.

[wackyserious]

Quoting this for reference

On 8/24/2017 at 10:02 PM, Sundiata said:

The Kingdom of Kush: Unit: "ranked" Nubian Spearman

0A.D. Concept Art, by theanonymouscontributor/sundiata collaboration 

 

The following unit in a series of dedicated concept pieces, was a collaboration between a dear friend and artist, who provided me with the sketch, and myself, who adapted and coloured the piece. This anonymous contributor took his time to familiarise himself with the common attire and weapons used by Meroitic Kushites, and using the before presented references created a series of sketches he now put at my disposal. The first in this series of collaborations features a ranked version of the basic citizen soldier, a "Nubian Spearman".

He has one ostrich feather tied to his for-head (or alternatively fixed on top of his head), short locks (potentially coloured reddish) and a decorated sash (geometric shapes of red, black and white). He is wearing a very modest "body armour", of layered cotton around his torso, and caries an oval shield, made of a light wood, or wicker frame, over-spun with cow-hide. Armed with a simple spear, with a stone, bronze or iron spear-tip, depending on rank, and similarly adorned with a necklace made of beads, glass, bronze or gold, and an Ankh, a very popular and powerful symbol among the Kushites. 

Higher ranking Nubian spearmen could wear a leopard pelt, three feathers, and the same decorated sash could also run diagonally across their chest. The decorated diagonal sash can also be used for a ranked, bare-chested unit. Lower ranking Nubian spearmen would just go bare-chested, without feather and have a plane sash.

 

"Do I smell Romans?"  

 

 

 

[wackyserious]

On 9/17/2017 at 3:06 AM, Sundiata said:

The Kingdom of Kush: New Kingdom Egyptian depictions of Kushites

As I said before, I have a collection of large reference posts to make. I'm desperately trying to round off my research, but every time I try to get out, it pulls me back in  I'm just fact checking and arranging everything according to subject. It's a lot, so brace yourself!

I will begin this new series of reference posts with a modest collection of New Kingdom Egyptian depictions of Kushites. These predate 0AD's timeframe by more than 500 years, but, you might have noticed a staggering level of cultural continuity in the Southern Nile Valley, one that is visible when comparing Meroitic reliefs to Napatan and even earlier New Kingdom examples. This continuity will be clarified more elaborately in future posts. It makes these references useful, especially in regard to the color palette and designs used in various Kushite attires. 

  Hide contents

A restored mural depicting kneeling Kushites. Curiously, the lighter skinned bearded fellow in the middle (Egyptian/North Nubian?) is wearing a type of garment that is identical to the type of garment worn by later Napatan and Meroitic Kings and Queens. This might be the "King's son of Kush", a vizier to the Pharaoh, overlooking his dominions in Kush, during the Egyptian colonisation. If so, it would lend credence to the idea that the Napatan Kingship evolved from this office after the Egyptian withdrawal.

 

Kushite Noblemen

 

More Kushite Noblemen

 

Even more Kushite noblemen

 

Kushite captives being offered to the gods by the Pharaoh.

 

More Kushite captives

 

The execution of a Kushite noble/royal (?), by the Pharaoh.

 

Kushite mercenary archers

 

A "Nubian" archer, betrayed by the feather in his hair (Egyptian archers don't use the feather). It wouldn't be much of a leap to think the epsilon axe wielding soldier to his left is also of Nubian origin. He's wearing something similar to the archers in the above picture.

 

A chariot team, and heavy infantry axe/spearmen in the New Kingdom army. Their comparatively dark skin-tones and hairstyles betray a southern origin. The Kushite association with chariot making and horse-handling strengthens this notion.

 

What's interesting is that the features of the men in the last image are literally identical to those of modern Afar men. Their hairstyles, skin-tones, shape of nose, right down to the barely discernible moustache, are exactly the same. Afar currently inhabit the Danakil desert between Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti, but are known to have lived as far north as the port of Suakin in Sudan, as late as the Middle Ages. Their ancestors would have been frenemies of both Egyptians and Kushites.

 

And finally, some Kushites trying to chat up a young lady in a playful scene

 

 

 

[wackyserious]

@Sundiata I have uploaded the curved thureos shield with cow hides (First two in the front row in the screenshot) What will happen to the egyptian style shields that the Nubian spearmen were currently using? Will they still use it?

Those shields are using mod/public resources, no license issues.

[Sundiata]

Just now, wackyserious said:

What will happen to the egyptian style shields that the Nubian spearmen were currently using? Will they still use it?

Nah, those were just placeholders.. I think these oval shields should be the standard Nubian shield. It's the most basic, but probably most widely used, and most recognisably Nubian shield. I think they should keep it throughout all 3 tiers. Keep the fancy Egyptian looking ones for the more special units (especially Napatan).

 

[wackyserious]

@Sundiata If there are no more issues, I will be uploading this later when I get back home.

@wowgetoffyourcellphone Fixed the transparency of the padded cloth to reduce its lightness and level it with the player color, as suggested.

[Sundiata]

Just now, wackyserious said:

If there are no more issues, I will be uploading this later when I get back home.

Nothing I can think of. They pass with flying colours! 

[Sundiata]

@wackyserious, I forgot, upper tier pikemen could have the Egyptian style cow-hide or hypothetical giraffe hide shields. But I guess that can be done easily enough later? 

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

1 hour ago, wackyserious said:

@Sundiata If there are no more issues, I will be uploading this later when I get back home.

@wowgetoffyourcellphone Fixed the transparency of the padded cloth to reduce its lightness and level it with the player color, as suggested.

That's... not what I meant. But you do you dog. You wouldn't make a muscled cuirass be player color, right?

[wackyserious]

I was assuming that they dyed the quilted cloth That was the reason why the player color was faded in the earlier designs.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

2 hours ago, wackyserious said:

I was assuming that they dyed the quilted cloth That was the reason why the player color was faded in the earlier designs.

They don't look bad here, it's just putting player color all over the armor runs contrary to the rest of the textures.