GLADE Team Project: Dark Magic

[Sir modman]

Download Dark Magic v 10.02.04

List of changes after version 10.01.22:
•   Fixed some bugs titi found:
    o   Acolytes now show unique animations when walking unloaded to harvest or mine
    o   Added bats to particle proj for Sorceress
    o   Slowed down Sorceress death animation to ¼ of before
    o   Fixed Dark Mage proj to be timed correctly
    o   Fixed Dark Mage proj offset the best I can (it seems that it is impossible to modify the z axis in practice for a parabolic type)
    o   Dark Elder now has charge animation implemented
•   Added meeting point to Sorceress
•   New icons:
    o   Generic melee attack
    o   Re-did Acolyte (original was hard to see)
    o   Cancel orders
    o   Dark Elder air attack
    o   Dark Mage attack
    o   Shadow Walker
    o   Imp
    o   Earth Serpent attack
•   Changed Divination Crystal texture to have a golden sphere, and to make team color easier to see.
•   Implemented construction and destruction models for the Oblivion Portal

//EDIT:

Screenshots
Alliyp Proj
Alliyp Splash 1
Alliyp Splash 2

[ultifd]

Cool.  
Downloading right now...

EDIT:

Video(s)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXc4sxbpQMM

Thanks! I'll probably make a better one later when I have time... 

I also updated the wiki.... http://glest.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Magic_Faction 

[titi]

Yes, this version is much better!

Ok now for some problems I see:
1. in gods_bane/models are still 3 linux inkompatible units.

2. the way dark magic produces energy
If the energy tower blood_fountain is killed, there still is an unvisible unit which has a view size. Whatever it is exactly but you can see enemy units at this point although there is not even any of your units.
Another problem is the behaviour of the AI. It always trys to attack these unvisible units! Though when your teammate is killed the enemies will no longer attack you. All attack waves which are started from now go to the point with the unvisible units. Maybe we should think about the way energy is produced. I would vote for a classic energy production...

3. Is there only the dark mage which can attack air units? Maybe I didn't played often enough yet, but in the game i played all cpu player and me had problems with defending airattacks.

[Sir modman]

@ultifd: Thanks for the video.  One way to improve it would be to also show the base, and all of the cool buildings there.  So basically a whole game from start to finish.

@titi:
1.   This is a problem, but we should have that fixed soon.  I’ll not upload all of Dark Magic with it, only those three in a separate download.
2.   This is a serious long-term problem.  I was hoping GAE would have a way to fix this when I first implemented that energy-creation method, but maybe I’ll have to revert back to old-fashioned methods until then.  Tell me, does GAE already have a solution?  If so, we can easily make this GAE compatible, and also release a vanilla version too.
3.   This is odd.  A lot of the units in Dark Magic should be able to attack air.  Early in the game, Sorceresses should be available as well as Dark Mages.  Harpies also attack air.  I think I restored the Wyvern, too.  The Dark Elder and the Alliyp also attack air, just as the God’s Bane does (but you said that unit gave you troubles, for which I apologize).

[ultifd]

EDIT: Here's a new video... in the end Youtube sucks... but it's alright... (the quality) 
watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF6Pjc5IR94 
the quality of the original video was great...then when Youtube... 
-----------------------
No problem,
I'm going to upload another video, showing the base for a second or too...
The problem was the CPU Ultra Dark Magic was too slow... they didn't do much.
So I finished them of in 2 minutes...

but I thought I was going to have a big battle...

I'll probably try to make another one...  
but I need to find a better video converter...a high quality one.
Mine(s) are just ok.
Not bad, but ok...  

[~Phoenix~]

Does the energy have negatively recharging health

[Sir modman]

Does the energy have negatively recharging health

That is an available idea, which I could consider.  The problem with it, though, is that it would become a pain in the arse if your energy was constantly degenerating.  Also, it means you have to constantly spend resources on attaining energy, which are not returned once the energy unit dies.

Another not-so-annoying thing is that once the energy unit dies, it will count as a death in your statistics.

[newb]

call me a newb but.. I can't find the wyvern!  ???
I checked in game, in the files of the faction and no folder for Wyvern in the units folder..

[wciow]

We decided the Wyvern should be left out since there are too many units and Dark Magic is already too powerful in the air.

[-Archmage-]

Besides, Wyvern's aren't evil!

I've always wondered why you made this, because Magic is already dark..........

[John.d.h]

Besides, Wyvern's aren't evil!

Wyverns are often associated with death, starvation, disease, etc.  They may not be evil themselves, but they seem like the kind of creature evil forces would love to have on their side.

I've always wondered why you made this, because Magic is already dark..........

Magic isn't really overtly evil.  Destructive, sure, but not necessarily evil.  Some people might think of Tech vs. Magic as good vs. evil, but I think of it as more like order vs. chaos.  Technology is predictable and follows a set of rules (i.e. physics), whereas magic is more of an intangible force, unpredictable and chaotic.  Just my take on things.

[-Archmage-]

Well, first of all they deal in necromancy, second of all they have a skull on their Mage Tower, and third of all they produce and summon daemons and behemoths.
Any mage(s) that aren't evil, would not have/do any of those three things.

BTW, do you think the GLADE Team was a success or a failure?
I don't really see how you guy(s) are going to get to another project.........

Since when wasn't chaos bad, and order good!

Magic as 'mages' know it is not chaotic at all, you just don't understand it, not that magic exists or anything.....

Just making some points and responses.

[tiger]

ok guys finish this up!

[wciow]

I'm gonna devote some time tomorrow to doing a few improvements to DM and submit them for inclusion then call it a day on this project.

BTW, do you think the GLADE Team was a success or a failure?
I don't really see how you guy(s) are going to get to another project.........

I think it has been a success since we have (almost) achieved what we set out to do  . I can't really say much for myself since I only contributed one model, but some of the other guys have worked really hard on this.

I think we should continue to a new project and try to keep a tighter rein on deadlines.

[John.d.h]

I'll TRY to make some time to finish up the Gargoyle animations, and maybe tweak the Harpy a bit.  Is there anything else I was supposed to do that I haven't finished yet?  We just need to call this sucker done already.

[-Archmage-]

Once you call this done, I'll give this mod a full set of evaluations.

Graphics
Details(like armor types and attack types)
Overall

Edit: Amazingly enough as it is the first post is out-of-date.

[-Archmage-]

I got inspired and completely redid your idle animation(from scratch) for the Harpy John, if you like it I could do some more work maybe?

Download

BTW, if you do make changes, upload the .blend, texture, g3ds and anything else, I don't want to have to keep combining things to get the latest stuff, anyway it's a small package so it doesn't matter.

[Sir modman]

Thanks for the reminder Arch.  I've updated the first post now.  The only thing which is not updated is the faction diagram with new images.

Sounds are another thing which will need to be completed at some point.  I will need a variety of voices for that.

I've always wondered why you made this, because Magic is already dark..........

Magic isn't really overtly evil.  Destructive, sure, but not necessarily evil.  Some people might think of Tech vs. Magic as good vs. evil, but I think of it as more like order vs. chaos.  Technology is predictable and follows a set of rules (i.e. physics), whereas magic is more of an intangible force, unpredictable and chaotic.  Just my take on things.

I think the whole Tech/Magic thing was an interesting take in medieval Europe.  Some pockets of people literally believed the Devil lived in the forest.  This is actually the irony of the Salem witch trials, because the Puritans were so scared of the evil in the forest, but there was evil all around them (and to be clear, not necessarily in the form of witches) !

The first time I played a real game in Glest, I had my speakers turned way up, and I sent a couple archers into the forest to attack my enemy.  When I neared the Magic base, two Battlemages emerged.  It freaked me out!  The sounds they made were so unnatural.  This, to a lesser extent, is a simulation of what medieval people were afraid of: gatherings in the forest.  Some of these gatherings were called Sabboths]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_Year]Sabboths (sabbats).  Sabbaths usually involved dancing, singing, and inappropriate sexual conduct.  And they were sometimes also worshiping archaic deities, like Dionysus.  This, by the way, was how the Church declared all of these things evil (sexual promiscuity, dancing in the woods, magic, summoning, etc.)  Remember, though, that forest people weren't the only ones who tried necromancy.  I doubt you would call Jesus evil for breathing life into Lazarus of Bethany.

Anyways, the idea of Dark Magic is that what Magic is for Tech (scary and mysterious), Dark Magic should be this for Magic.  Dark Magic is the evil twin of Magic.

[-Archmage-]

This is Dark Dark Magic, and original Magic is just a very evil Magic!
They're evil twins.

[jda]

That's an interesting take on the Magitech Magic, Sir!

I actually ageed that Magic was evil, not because of the mages, but because of stuff like Daemons (but which are used in the numbers of legions in Linux and I'm so very glad they are! ), Ghost Armors (but hey, a ghost is just the spirit of someone who died, right? Maybe they are good spirits...), and Behemoths (maybe they are just grumpy, hey?...)... I never held any prejudice against Dragons though - they were revered for their immense wisdom in China, after all ...

So yeah, I guess Magitech's Magic can be neutral after all.

[-Archmage-]

Magic deals in Necromancy, therefore it is considered evil!

[jda]

Necromancy (pronounced /ˈnɛkrɵmænsi/; Greek νεκρομαντεία nekromantía) is a form of magic in which the practitioner seeks to summon "operative spirits" or "spirits of divination", for multiple reasons, from spiritual protection to wisdom. The word necromancy derives from the Greek νεκρός (nekrós), "dead", and μαντεία (manteía), "prophecy".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necromancy

And Linux summons Daemons too!
Just look at your /etc/init.d folder! It's swarmed!

[-Archmage-]

And Linux summons Daemons too!
Just look at your /etc/init.d folder! It's swarmed! Tongue

There's a difference...

To sum it up for you Necromancy is the 'art of death magic'.

[Sir modman]

Remind me, why is necromancy innately bad again?

[titi]

one little bug... the imp still has an attack range of 2! It bites the air  .