Arcane Wars 0.82beta file

After many delays version 0.82beta is at last released.

Main features:

- system of foundation spots that are generated on random maps serving as placeholder for Enclaves and kingdom dtructures.

- first two Enclaves, Rhaksha and Slaanri that works as sub-nation allowing recruitment of unique companies.

- vorpal resource removed from game and replaced with Khaldunite Shards resource that can be stockpiled like Gold and is used for casting Global powers solving most of problems with exploiting powers at start of battle. Khaldunite Shards are produced as secondary resource by any structure that produces Mana inluding Mana Mine.

- created models and portraits for Ranged Captains that are now used as standart captains for Ranged companies helping to keep ranged company formations more coherent.

- nerfed HP and attack stats for most of elite units to make them less OP compared to units from vanilla game, hopefully it will improve a bit multiplayers gameplay, forther balancement will be needed in future.

- added few units from Kohan Ahrimans Gift, like Mounted Archer for Humans and Maelstrom Destroyer(original Maelstrom Engine) they are for now implemented for testing purposes and their placement will change in future, for now units are more accessible.

- numerous bug fixes from 0.79beta version including fixed problem with error that could occur during generation of random map.

If it will be possible for me to continue developing this mod next version will be aimed to change system how Sov. Citadels are build and reworking system for usage of kingdom points, updating system for Global Powers, adding at least two more Enclaves and reduction of objects/effect used in mod.

Have fun,

Darquan Mortis

Development notes for 0.82 version from article:

Hello everyone,

took me longer then expected to stitch together some new images from work in progress on mod and basic overview about what's going on.

added images:

Haroun Lanterns

- minor tweak in visuals for Haroun settlements used as experiment with animations and creation of custom texture file for model combined together from different models.

Day Cycle

- experiment with implementing day/night cycle to game, respective parts of day can have properties and triggers attached to it, for instance during night supply and control radius can be reduced, or provide buff for undead and shadow units for night and penalty for day, etc.

Maelstrom Engine

- recreated unit from original KIS and KAG games, complete with on death and attack animation, probably will be integrated as unit provided by one of Enclaves.

Rhaksha units and Enclave

- images of work in progress on new units and Enclave for Rhaksha, units are reworked to make Rhaksha look more like their original version from KIS and KAG, including experiment on recreating "Mommy Rhaksha" Ceyahdev as potential titan unit for their enclave. In right part of image are original units used as Rhaksha in K2 for comparison.

Slaanri units and Enclave

- same as with Rhaksha, work in progress on Slaanri who will probably offer quiet large range of units, but lack titan unit.

Work on next version:

Lot of work was as images show delayed by learning how to work with NifSkope and Blender more properly, so still have lot to do in terms of template editing to make game system overhaul for next version, for now I only list most important changes that I work on and need to finish them before release of next version:

Enclaves and foundation spot

- in next version of mod will incorporate first four enclaves, that will work more or less as smaller settlement comparable roughly to village or town and will provide new units for player that captures it. Enclaves along with some monster lairs will be placed over foundation spot that will newly generate on random map and along with enclaves will be used for most of kingdom structures, that will allow reduce number of settlement spots to original value.

Changes to Sov. Citadels, kingdom system

- experimenting with new templates that would allow construction of Sov. Citadels as unique structures without need of consuming 11 kingdom points. If new system works kingtom points will become more versatile "resource" that can be used to limit elite units and titans or to construct more kingdom structures. Among changes are also new templates used for titan units that can limit strongest units to one instance regardless on number of available kingdom points.

Changes to Global powers

- after release of 0.78 and 0.79 version it is clear that global powers work, but need some limits of usage to prevent situations like spam of thieves to bankrupt one player(AI loves to do that moment it finds first of players building, or from start if explored map is used). For now I'm trying to activate faction experience in game that is originally used to limit general powers in AA, unfortunately mamaged to only unlock it in game, but failing to create visible widget that shows actual amount of experience owned. Second limit that can be used is to remove vorpal as resource and instead create resource "Khaldunite dust" that will work in same manner as gold. Both of this options can be used to limit Global powers as they won't be available in large amount from start and their income can be further limited separately from gold.

Global powers need further adjustments, like better descriptions and "casting" cost, just not sure if I can prepare them for next version.

Most of these changes require experimenting and adding new templates to game, so unfortunately can't say how long it will take to find some way to make it work and test it properly, same as I still have to test more new units and models, lot will also depend on fact how much spare time I'll have for development of mod. I'll try to update this article from time to time when I've something new about progress, must admit that addition of Enclaves although useful to wrap up game system for mod is also lot of work, especially in case of Slaanri and Rhaksha as both of them have only two models in original K2 game, hope that next two enclaves will be bit easier to make.

That will be for now all, thanks to all players that showed interest in my mod even that it is still unfinished and in testing stage, hope that I'll be able to finish next version prefferably sooner then later.

Darquan Mortis

EDIT: 02.08.2022

- finished work on models and animated portraits for range captains that will be automatically used as basic captain for ranged companies and ranged siege companies, took me some time to create and finish them from original models from game, but hope that result is worth it. Made few basic tests with them and it looks like they help a lot to keep ranged companies more coherent after increasing their attack range compared to original.

- finished basic templates for inclusion of Enclaves on random map, hope to have some time during weekend to test them and see how AI is able to work with them or if there are some unexpected problems that will need more attention.

EDIT: 12.09.2022

- finished work on updated version of Slaanri Kohan captains and models for their units, it required to learn how to build polymesh and weighting it to existing bones, so it unfortunately took longer then I thought. These Kohan captains was already added in AW 0.7 version, but used only reskined portraits and generic models for slaan units from original game. Added screens of Portraits and models for units for respective Kohans, unit screens also include origial models from game for comparison.

- started with tests of enclaves and updated system for global powers, so far it looks like everything works properly, with bit of luck I should have next edit for article with more details about release of next version and screens for updated models of Slaanri and Rhaksha units to keep them up with what I've learned when working on Slaanri kohans.

EDIT: 26.10.2022

- finished work on new unit models for Rhaksha Enclave and prototype model for Titan unit Ceahdev that still needs some work and for now lacks portrait. Instead of Slaanri they will work more like quick raiding companies, with high damage output, but mostly fragile.

- finished some details for global powers, like tab icon and targeting decals so they fit more to games fantasy narrative.

- finished converting vorpal resource to another cost resource(same as gold) used now for casting powers instead of gold, that fixed problems with exploit of using powers right from start. Small drawback is that game isn't able to differ between cost resources and players get same amount of Gold and Khaldunite shards at start of game, cost for powers had to be increased. To simplify things a bit shards are produced as byproduct of mana production and any structure that produced mana now produces shards as well, amount produced will need adjustments after some testing.

- with most of graphics finished for Enclave units I'm slowly moving back to balancing implementation of Enclaves to game system and their generation on random maps along with adjustments to kingdom structures. With bit of luck it will go faster then learning how to edit models in Blender and in next article update I should have at last info about releasing new version of mod. Unfortunately with all delays this year there probably won't be time to fix campaign and mod will be released as another test version, just more suited and balanced for multiplayer games.

EDIT: 7.12.2022

- finished implementation of foundation spots and enclaves to editor and random map generator, enclaves will be generated on foundation spots, remaining foundation spots will have monster camps placed on them after clearing camp kingdom building can be build on spot to limit their placement on map.

- new cost resource Khaldunite shards used for Global Powers created bug in most SAI variants when AI aimed only for settlement development ignoring company recruitment and expansion, managed to create basic fix for that, but AI now recruit companies more often and is more aggressive with partial disregard for its own economy.

- created separate template for Titan units that allows to have separate experience levels for them to prevent them from gaining new ranks too quickly, created new company icon and base decals for easy identification of Titans on battlefield.

- added "aerial scouts" command to Keeps and settlements upgraded to Citadel, that allows to send untargetable scout unit to map location, will explore map on its path and temporarily remove fog of war, upon reaching target location return back to its point of origin.

- unfortunately wanted to have finished reworked sov. citadel construction system at this point, but complications in real life prevented me to do more, for that I'm not sure if I'll be able to release upcoming version of mod in second half of December as planned. Need to finish at least that and balancement of random map generation along with kingdom building availability and some changes to units to make mod more suitable for multiplayer games, for sure won't be able to fix campaign and it's probable that full day/night cycle will be absent too. Will add at least one update of this article before release of next version of AW mod.

EDIT: 12.04.2023

At start of this edit I must apologize to fans of mod that it took me five months to came up with news about progress in mod development, unfortunately complications with health and in private life took turn to worst and time I could spend on mod got reduced significantly and didn't wanted to post more official info until having idea when I can release next version of mod.

Now back to progress in mod development:

- due to stress on game engine caused by units using several texture files for their model I've had to create new textures compiled into one file for all ranged captains and their portraits, Slaanri melee units, Maelstrom Destroyer and several others, there is still plenty of older units and structures that need same unfortunately it isn't in my power to compile all textures for this version of mod and will have to do it over time in future.

- changed attack Global spell for Nationalsts from Crimson Spirit to Crimson Comet as Spirit version of spell could cause fatal error and for now I wasn't able to identify which part of spell can cause error.

- Created new models for Human Royalist models for Balistae and Dragonfire balistae to better represent Human build warmachine. Screens of new versions can be found in image section of mod page along with example of compiled texture for Dragonfire.

- Updated model for Ceyahdev titan to better match its 2D original from Kohan AG as well as created first version of portrait for her. Created new captain unit for Rhaksha named Overlord as well as portrait. Screens of models/portraits can be found in image section of mod page.

- Updated/remastered models for Slaanri melee units and created new model for foot Slaanri captain as I'm for now dropping idea of giving them any cavalry units or models. Screen of updated models and screen of compiled textures for them can be found in image section.

- at this moment I've cleaned dev version of mod of unused files and slowly making last test before release, there are still some minor things to do like icons for updated and new units and another check if I've missed something(I'm pretty sure that I'll miss something anyway due to size of mod, but better to keep mistakes at minimum). If anything unexpected won't happen players can expect AW 0.82 in week or two from this edit.