Europa Barbarorum 2 Making the Models

[sertorio67]

Greetings Europa Barbarorum fans.

We were so pleased with the reception our video got we wanted to show in more depth the wonderful work our unit artists and historians have been doing. Focusing on the units that appeared in the video we are going to introduce you to the modellers, skinners and historians who helped bring these units to life in such stunning detail.

Unit Conception

We've completely changed how we tackle the creation of units from when we worked upon Europa Barbarorum I. In Europa Barbarorum II we wanted to bring a little order, not only in the creation stage, but also in the all important conception stage. Over the many long years that Europa Barbarorum I was in the works we had many researchers leave us and with them we lost some of the all important information that we wished to pass on to you. When EBI was released there were obviously some areas, particularly with units, where people were sceptical about accuracy. Unfortunately in many cases we were unable to answer their queries satisfactorily, much to our regret, because some of our historians who had worked upon those units using privileged information had left us and we could not contact them.

We don't want this to happen in Europa Barbarorum II, so we have endeavoured to make sure that any unit is adequately researched and furthermore that that research is archived so that when Europa Barbarorum II is released we can answer any questions our fans have with the decisions we have made. We want people to be inspired and to learn something about the ancient world we choose to represent in Europa Barbarorum, and to do that we have to be more respectful of the historical research that we use and make sure that it is available to all when the time comes.

How this works with unit conception is relatively simple. When a unit has been discussed within a faction's specific thread and it has been okayed by our Unit Co-ordinator and Lead Historian it is then given its own specific thread, which we call Unit Conception Threads (or UCs for short). This then holds all the information, including links to articles, pictures, quotations, or other sources of information that have been decided upon. Then this unit is assigned to a modeller and skinner/s for creation. During this creation process new issues may arise and the UC thread is there for correspondence between the unit artists and the historians so that any discussion is recorded and any changes noted for future reference.
Videos

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Unit Creation

As you may have noticed units appear a little differently in M2:TW. By allowing variance within a unit, CA have opened up a new, and very beautiful, world for us to represent our time period’s soldiers with ... and in doing so have also created a ton more work to do. Whereas in Europa Barbarorum I a unit would generally have perhaps 5-6 different skins tops (and many would have less), in Europa Barbarorum II we have 5-6 different skins for just one faction. In Europa Barbarorum I we could get away with the Koinon Hellenon skin having one type of pattern on the Linothrax for Peltastai and Makedon having another, in Europa Barbarorum II we need 4-5 different patterns for just one faction. At first glance it does appear as if the task of skinning our units has multiplied by 5 times. However, we should not be so hasty to judge. When one door is closed another is opened, and with some degree of heterogeneity within a unit it allows us to have some degree of homogeneity between units.

We are, in essence, developing a modular approach to unit creation. Where a new helmet or shield is created it is saved as a separate piece and catalogued and archived so that when another unit needs to use the same armour of weapon then it is as simple as adding that piece to the base model. At the moment this is still in its early stages as the database is not fully stocked yet, but eventually it will take very little time to model new units as the parts for it will already exist.

The same is also true for the skins, but this has an even greater impact on how the units look in Europa Barbarorum II. There exist now, two types of skins, Figure and Attachments, and they are assigned individually for each faction and for each unit. This not only allows more detail on the skins but allows us to quicken the skinning process dramatically. The Figure texture, for example, can hold the faces, torso, legs and arms; elements that can be shared between several factions without losing the appearance of heterogeneity. The Attachment texture, on the other hand, can hold the shield and helmets; elements that we can vary by individual faction as these are the most parts of a soldier most obvious to the player. As you will see for the Hoplitai skins by Martelus Flavius, the Figure skins are shared between factions, while the Attachment skins have been created in the old style: one for each of the main factions, one regional, and one mercenary.

But there is also another way we can reduce the number of skins necessary to create the units we need. By carefully mapping the models to the textures (where each element within a texture is associated with a face or number of faces on the model) we can use the same textures for different units. The Hoplitai Figure textures, for example, can be applied to any unit that also have the same elements (Linothrax, helmets and the like): these include the Thureophoroi, the Phalangitai and others. Not only that, but the Attachment textures have also been used for other units as well, including the Hippeis and Phalangitai. As these are the most common elements to the player they allow for some homogeneity within a faction's armies, whilst maintaining the look of a multitude of warriors from different lands and different cities all serving within the same force.

Over time we will be able to revisit some of these re-used skins and change and reorder elements as we see fit, but for the moment this methodology allows us to realise our units that much faster.
The Historians

abou - Historian / Arche Seleukeia Faction Co-ordinator

In my second year at university I began taking Latin, which eventually turned from a curiosity into a minor for me. At some point I got my hands on Rome: Total War and pulled an all-nighter playing it the first time, which began this downward spiral into this current hobby. Eventually, I began reading more and more about the Hellenistic era while at the same time becoming bored with RTW vanilla. I started to focuse on the other socio-political powers that eventually made way for Rome out of sheer curiosity. Most things that I read at that time made it seem like everyone besides Rome was an idiot, which didn't seem right.

I don't even remember what queries I entered into whatever search engine I used at the time, but I stumbled across EB. After about nine months of playing the game, there was a call by the team for the creation of historical battles. This, combined with my interest in the “mistakes” of history managed to get me entrance to the team. With due time and growing knowledge, I managed to become FC for the Seleukids.

In the real world, however, I spend my time studying for a degree in veterinary medicine.


keravnos - Historian / Epeiros & Koinon Hellenon Faction Co-Ordinator

Old geezer here, much older then the new young guns around. Even if I have studied Law in Athens Law school, my greatest love and hobby has been Hellenistic History, as far as I can remember. My surname is the most common in Greece, and my name is a movie starring Keanu Reeves (No I am not called Matrix). Back in 2006 I answered the call for someone to try to put into the game the voice commands that the Ancient Greeks used themselves. Following suit on Teleklos Archelaou steps and with the kind assistance of good old Xenophon, the ancient greek voicemod became a Reality. As I became more involved, I too started to notice some errors, and tried to fix them.

A proud member of the Baktrian faction, and a Faction Controller for the Epeiros and the Koinon Hellenon, two of the not as known factions as the main Diadochoi, aka the Ptolemaioi, Seleukidai/Seleukeis and Makedonia. Epeiros, well, it is a sure soft spot for me as I was born in Ioannina (Epeiros present day capital) and have been to some excavation sites of that era. It was a thriving culture that was annihilated completely by Aemilius Paullus in 167 BCE. It is a challenge to try to re-establish the unique characteristics of Epeiros, or Apeiros as it would be called by the majority of its inhabitants at the time. As for Koinon Hellenon, the challenge is different. How to accurately portray the evershifting realities of that time and place, with Koinon (League) pitted against Koinon, and many of those joining together to form a "Sympoliteia" (League of leagues), which ruled supreme in the region until both Achaian and Aitolian leagues fell to the Romani war machine. Forming Koinon Hellenon will be tough, as it was historically. Even as the player starts as commanding the Chremonidean league, the stated goal would be the formation of the Koinon Hellenon (League of all Greeks), as was done by Antigonos Doson, a Makedonian King, which comprised Epirotes, Phokians, Boiotians, Akarnanians, Thessalians, Achaians and Makedones in 224 BCE. Just not from the Makedonian side.

I guess the stated goal of anyone involved in EB is to create a modification that would teach history while allowing for a great game. If anyone can walk away from playing EB and goes pick up a historical book of that era, then that is a job well done for me, and for all of us, I think.

O'ETAIPOS - Historian / Makedonia Faction Co-Ordinator

Another old time member, I joined in the February 2006, just after the first public release. I had been admitted at first to take care of the ships. During almost 3 years I have helped in unit concepting, solving history questions, 2D graphics etc. Currently I'm Faction Coordinator for Makedonia, my favourite successor state and my real world theme of studies. I finished my MA thesis in classical archaeology ("Weapons of the Macedonian phalanx") this June and I have been accepted to a PhD program.

Though the TW engine is not ideal, as it only provides a very simplistic structure for us to build on, we are working hard to put as much depth and realism as possible into this game. I hope EB2 will provide the best image of the ancient world available in playable form.

paullus - co-Lead Historian / Getai & Ptolemaioi Faction Co-Ordinator

I joined EB in late 2006 first as a beta-tester, then as a historian for the Getai. Over the last two years I've become Faction Coordinator for both the Getai and the Ptolemaioi. In the real world I'm a graduate student working on my dissertation. As regards both factions, I want to find ways to depict them in ways that reflect current research. An actual ancient kingdom or empire was considerably more complex than the relatively simple institutions we find in Total War games. Working with a popular project like EB gives me a chance to 1) share recent research with the public, and 2) delve into the arms and armor sorts of questions that we don't usually work with all that often in academia. I would love to see EB2 reach the point where I could confidently use it in a classroom setting to demonstrate how armies fought one another or how governments ruled their states.
fuente
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[Ergion]

Me gustó más el otro avance, aunque bueno, menos da una piedra. Me he fijado y parece que las falanges de picas ya funcionan mejor, no? (último vídeo).

[Gale Geha]

Pues tiene buena pinta el mod, este cae segurísimo vamos.

[Alaursu]

Personalmente, espero con más ganas el EB2 que el ETW...
(pero es que soy un poco viejo cascarrabias, tambén es verdad) :D

[Ergion]

Personalmente, espero con más ganas el EB2 que el ETW...

Y no pocos piensan como tú. Las batallas navales y los soldaditos con mosquetes van a atraer a muchos jugadores nuevos pero otros muchos jugadores seguirán prefiriendo una ambientación en la Antigüedad o en los tiempos medievales, de hecho me da que éstos serán mayoría. EB2 será una opción muy atractiva si se tiene en cuenta la altísima calidad que tiene el EB1.

[ReloK]

Una pregunta muy....inculta. Sobre EB, que tal era el balanceado de unidades?

[Gale Geha]

Mejor de lo que puedas imaginar.

[Hereje]

Escrito por Alaursu

Personalmente, espero con más ganas el EB2 que el ETW...
(pero es que soy un poco viejo cascarrabias, tambén es verdad) :D

Yo tambien, pero no solo el EBII, si no mas mods que estan por venir....

[Lotario]

Video,EBII - Phalangitai

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[Ergion]

Lot, esee vídeo ya se posteó aquí:

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[Lotario]

Valla,pues nada,,saludos

[Lotario]

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[Hereje]

No me acaba de convencer los escudos que han puesto.

Creo que podrian ir más rapido si King Kong les ayudase con los modelos cuando acabe el TATW..total no hay mucha diferencia de dificultad entre hacer una unidad del LOTR y un hoplita.

[Berg-i-dum]

Hola amigos hace tiempo que os sigo e incluso posteé en el anterior foro. Estoy intentando convencer al grupo de Europa Barbarorum para de que una vez aparezca la facción Celtibera en la nueva versión, como muchos llevamos tiempo esperando y sin comprender demasiado bien la situación actual. Se agradecería vuestra ayuda para conseguirlo, especialmente me refiero a Ergion, este es el post que he abierto en su foro:

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Un saludo!.

[Lotario]

Hombre,a mi lo que me gustaria es que añadieran a Hispania como otra faccion mas del juego,por que eso de que las unidades hispanas salgan dentro de la faccion Lusitana la verdad no me mola mucho.

[Gale Geha]

Interesante conversación la que se está dando allí, lástima que no sepa demasiado de este tema que si no iba.

[Ergion]

Escrito por Berg-i-dum

Hola amigos hace tiempo que os sigo e incluso posteé en el anterior foro. Estoy intentando convencer al grupo de Europa Barbarorum para de que una vez aparezca la facción Celtibera en la nueva versión, como muchos llevamos tiempo esperando y sin comprender demasiado bien la situación actual. Se agradecería vuestra ayuda para conseguirlo, especialmente me refiero a Ergion, este es el post que he abierto en su foro:

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Un saludo!.

Hola, Berg-i-dum.

Creo que has estado registrado con ese mismo nick en nuestros anteriores foros y me alegra verte de nuevo por aquí.

Bueno, voy al grano: no eres el primero al que veo abogar por poner una facción celtibérica en EB y después de leer tus razonamientos en ese hilo creo que dejas bastante demostrado que a nivel historiográfico si hay una facción lusitana en EB debería ver con tanto o más derecho una facción celtibérica. El problema es que veo tu misión poco menos que imposible de realizar, al menos con EB1, quizá si hubiese alguna opción con EB2. Te explico porqué pienso así:

El equipo de EB1 no cuenta con miembros españoles y en cambio sí cuenta con varios portugueses. Esto no siempre fue así, y en un principio, cuando la facción hispana era la íbera, si que había al menos un español en el equipo que trabajaba para la facción hispana. Los portugueses suelen ser muy nacionalistas y además el que era (o es) su líder, que siempre fue uno de los pesos pesados de EB, era portugués y además de estos portugueses que parecen ponerse automaticamente a la defensiva en cuanto sale un español a a defender posiciones similares a la tuya, a veces llegaba a parecer no solo un portugués exaltado, sino un portugés "antiespañol", llegando a hablar de lo español y con los españoles con cierta aspereza; me refiero a Aymar de Bois Mauri. Si usas el buscador avanzado los foros de la org poniendo su nick como autor y la palabras clave Spanish, Spain, celtiberian, o spaniard seguramente podrás encontrar algun post de los que yo te digo. Pasado el tiempo vimos como Aymar pasó a ser líder principal (o casi) de EB1, como desapareció el miembro español para el equipo de Iberia y como de una facción íbera se pasó a una lusitana, apareciendo nuevos miembros portugueses para esta nueva facción (¿quizá está todo relacionado?) O sea, que tal y como están las cosas, con tanto portugués en el equipo de EB sin ningún español o prohispano que te apoyase desde dentro tu misión la veo imposible, sobre todo porque para meter a Celtiberia tendrán que quitar a Lusitania u otra facción. Lo peor es que cuando un forero español ha intentado aconsear asesorar en el equipo de EB Aymar parece betarlo y tratarlo de una manera bastante seca, rozando la hostilidad (busca los mensajes de un tal Artabri en los foros de EB y comprobarás por ti mismo lo que quiero decir).

En EB1 con todas las plazas de facciones cubiertas y estando el patio como está (siempre en mi opinión) tu tarea la veo complicada, pero en EB2 puedes tener alguna opción porque además de haber más huecos para meter facciones extra, creo que el equipo y el líder de EB2 no es el mismo que el de EB1. Yo de ti, si te mola el asunto,, intentaría sondear el terreno mirando en la lista de miembros quiénes son los líderes de EB2 e intentaría hablar con ellos a través de mensajes privados a ver si se puede hacer algo. Con respecto a lo de de pedirme ayuda a mi concretamente, bueno, podría postear apara apoyarte pero no podría argumentar mejor de lo que ya lo has hecho tú, además que a mi la gente de EB no me conoce de nada, fíjate que ni siquiera me cogieron de betatester para sus primera betas... así que imagina el peso que pueden tener mis palabras cuanto todo está dicho ya... Hace tiempo sí que tenía algún contacto con un español de EB que curraba para la facciones nómadas (Angadil) pero creo que también está ya retirado, o al menos hace mucho que no sé nada de él.

[Berg-i-dum]

Gracias por esa información Ergion. Algo de esto que me comentas tenía entendido y he comprobado en alguna ocasión, ya que aunque llevo siguiendo EB desde sus inicios mi inutilidad con el inglés me ha impedido interactuar en el foro hasta ahora. Recuerdo en algún foro debatir con aquel Agandil que estaba mas bien vinculado con el desarrollo de los pueblos orientales de las estepas. Recuerdo como creo que incluso logramos una nueva división provincial de las regiones del norte hispano con Galaecia, Asturia y Cantabria, eliminando por falta de historicidad una provincia vascona y otra serie de desbarajustes en el mapa.

Ciertamente es un tema tabú e intratable para el staff lusitano que tenemos en EB, ya habrás podido ver como ha llegado a caldearse un poco la discusión cuando creo que yo he sido bastante respetuoso para con el desarreglo Historiográfico que tienen montado. En cuanto he comenzado a dar datos concretos a sus teorías han comenzado desplantes innecesarios.

No tiene sentido que por el mero hecho de la figura de Viriato se le de tamaña importancia a la facción lusitana con respecto de la celtibera, encontrando en la lusitana unidades que realmente son celtiberas, unas por armamento pesado que emplean muy diferente al propiamente lusitano que era ligero y otras por ser directamente celtiberas, iberas, gallaicas o vasconas.

Es complicado que den el brazo a torcer, mas cuando si crean una facción celtibera, tendrían que reconfigurar toda la lusitana o eliminarla por cosas como las indicadas arriba sobre las unidades. Pero bueno al menos daremos algo de guerra en un asunto tan subjetivado como este en el que los portugueses cuentan con mayoría y mayores dotes en el idioma inglés.

Un saludo!.

[Lotario]

Lo que esta claro es que no poner a Hispania como una faccion mas del juego es una gran cagada..............

[Lotario]

De todas formas yo personalmente no les pediria nada....se les nota que son nacionalistas y anti españoles,no le pidais nada por que sencillamente no van a mover un dedo,dejarles que sean felices con su gran Lusitania virtual.......