Terrain Mod (v2.4)

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Terrain Mod (v2.4) - Update - 8/14/2020 12:45:51 PM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

Download: Terrain Mod (v2.4)

Download Instructions

Click the down arrow in the upper right then click "Direct download".

Unpack the zip file contents to your Shadow Empire folder, typically C:\Matrix Games\Shadow Empire\Shadow Empire\GraphicsAlt
Note: if it is your first time unpacking a mod, GraphicsAlt won't exist. It is created when you unpack.

Here is a significant upgrade to the Terrain Mod. The main changes are:

Terrain Mod v2.4
(1) Fixed the weird dead-end hook on some dirt roads
(2) Made more minor touch-up fixes of road hex joins
(3) Escarpment updates (e.g., less saturated coloration)
(4) Rounded off star-like look of forest/woods/jungle when clumped in 7-hex groups
Note: this version is combined with DasTactics icons in a separate DasTactic-Mroyer mod (v1.0)

Terrain Mod v2.3
(1) Added missing dirt-road imagery that was accidentally left out of v2.2

Terrain Mod v2.2
(1) Fixed cloud forest overflow to adjacent hexes - they were too translucent
(2) Improved snow forest, full hexes were whiter than partial hexes
(3) Fixed some hex-to-hex road joins that were slightly off
(4) Rails crossing roads are more visible
(5) Improvements to escarpments to be more like the canyon imagery

Terrain Mod v2.1
(1) Updated escarpments

Terrain Mod v2.0
(1) Completely revamped canyon imagery
(2) Made low-mountain imagery less blurry
(3) Sharpened forest imagery
(4) Folded in the transportation line mod (i.e., roads and rails)
(5) Improved savanna with sparse 'tree' images similar to forest

Here are some comparisons of original game graphics vs. this Terrain Mod v2.0:

=========================================================================================
Escarpments

Terrain Mod v2.2

Orig

=========================================================================================
General terrain on a siwa world showing mountains, forest, jungles, savanne

Terrain Mod v2.0

Orig

=========================================================================================
Some canyons on a dry world

Terrain Mod v2.0

Orig

=========================================================================================
Another general terrain showing tundra on a siwa world

Terrain Mod v2.0

Orig

-Mark R.

< Message edited by mroyer -- 2/7/2021 3:44:45 AM >

Post #: 1

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 8/14/2020 12:47:54 PM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

.

< Message edited by mroyer -- 10/27/2020 11:49:40 PM >

(in reply to mroyer)

Post #: 2

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 8/14/2020 8:00:08 PM

Darojax

Posts: 536
Joined: 4/29/2011
Status: offline

Thanks!

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Post #: 3

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 8/26/2020 4:52:33 AM

solops

Posts: 814
Joined: 1/31/2002
From: Central Texas
Status: offline

Thanks. Badly needed.

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Post #: 4

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 10/16/2020 3:37:39 PM

eheiser

Posts: 57
Joined: 10/9/2007
Status: offline

Yes, very nice.

(in reply to solops)

Post #: 5

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 10/17/2020 9:48:20 AM

Jorgas

Posts: 39
Joined: 1/30/2013
Status: offline

Beautiful work!

(in reply to eheiser)

Post #: 6

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 10/24/2020 8:35:44 AM

Chris0War

Posts: 45
Joined: 10/19/2020
Status: offline

looks great

(in reply to Jorgas)

Post #: 7

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 10/24/2020 4:59:30 PM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

Thanks everyone, for the kind works.

I'll be updating this soon. Main upgrades are
(1) Completely revamped canyon imagery
(2) Low-mountain imagery less blurry
(3) Generally sharpened forest imagery
(4) Included my transportation line mod (i.e., roads and rails) together with this mod.
(5) Improved savanna with sparse 'tree' images similar to forest

Putting final touches at the moment.
-Mark R.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by mroyer -- 10/24/2020 5:07:53 PM >

(in reply to Chris0War)

Post #: 8

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 10/27/2020 11:48:23 AM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

Terrain Mod v2.0 updated.
Link in opening post.
-Mark R.

(in reply to mroyer)

Post #: 9

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 10/27/2020 4:53:20 PM

Clux

Posts: 411
Joined: 9/16/2018
From: Mexico
Status: offline

Thank you! I really liked the v1.0 and the 2.0 looks even better :)

(in reply to mroyer)

Post #: 10

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 10/28/2020 12:11:16 AM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

Thanks Clux. I liked most of the original terrain that came with the game quite a bit, but some of the original terrain type imagery was just too difficult to discern from each other so I hoped to make things clearer at a glance.

Finally, I got the full-resolution images for comparison to show in the opening post.

-Mark R.

< Message edited by mroyer -- 11/7/2020 12:17:11 PM >

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Post #: 11

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 10/28/2020 7:45:24 PM

nukkxx5058

Posts: 2932
Joined: 2/3/2005
From: France
Status: offline

Gorgeous !! Thank you for this great mod !

(in reply to mroyer)

Post #: 12

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 11/9/2020 2:30:36 AM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
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Posted a mild update to escarpments in the opening post (v2.1).

Getting smoother escarpment joins has proved tricky - I believe the engine selects the wrong image for the hex adjacent to the escarpment hex. So, I've done about as best I can, although I might revisit it again someday.

-Mark R.

(in reply to nukkxx5058)

Post #: 13

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/1/2020 5:18:02 PM

Sieppo

Posts: 933
Joined: 12/15/2012
From: Helsinki, Finland
Status: offline

Thanks for this! Will use it in my next game. Happy that this is now possible with the alt-function. Looking forward to all the mods

(in reply to mroyer)

Post #: 14

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/7/2020 3:58:15 AM

Tanaka

Posts: 4378
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: USA
Status: offline

Thanks for this mod!

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Post #: 15

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/9/2020 10:24:31 PM

Amom

Posts: 2
Joined: 2/13/2014
Status: offline

quote:

Thanks a lot. I like it so much.

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Post #: 16

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/12/2020 5:26:30 PM

ASHBERY76

Posts: 2136
Joined: 10/10/2001
From: England
Status: offline

This should be used as vanilla.

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Post #: 17

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/12/2020 5:30:01 PM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

Thanks everyone.

I'm working on a next-version that will include improved escarpments (more like the canyon imagery), sharper winter forests, and fixed a few other minor issues like some slightly misaligned road joins.

-Mark R.

(in reply to ASHBERY76)

Post #: 18

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/13/2020 3:47:10 AM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
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Coming soon, new escarpments.
I cannot get rid of the sharp transition at the hex edge - I think it's something coded directly into the game engine so this may be as good as I can get.
-Mark R.

< Message edited by mroyer -- 12/14/2020 10:59:23 AM >

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Post #: 19

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/13/2020 11:56:07 AM

Tchey

Posts: 82
Joined: 6/17/2020
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Really nice mod, could easily be default official ingame rendering.

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Post #: 20

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/13/2020 12:20:52 PM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
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After fighting with escarpments for many more hours, I think this is about the best I can do.
I believe the game engine is

(1) darkening the adjacent hex along escarpment hexsides and
(2) only drawing one of the mod's adjacent hex images regardless of number of escarpment hexsides.

No matter what I try I can't eliminate those effects, leaving a jarring transition from the escarpment to the adjacent hex. I've tried my best to minimize the effect. If anyone knows what is going on and if it can be "fixed", let me know!

Perhaps the darkened hexside is meant to indicate the bottom, low-side of the escarpment.... maybe...

-Mark R.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by mroyer -- 12/13/2020 12:23:37 PM >

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Post #: 21

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/13/2020 8:15:49 PM

Prozorovsky

Posts: 19
Joined: 12/9/2020
Status: offline

Thanks for this. I actually thought those canyons in vanilla were holes in the planet going through to the other side with stars being the little white dots... Sounds pretty far fetched now that I think about it, but hey.

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Post #: 22

RE: Terrain Mod (v1.0) - 12/13/2020 8:56:51 PM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Prozorovsky

Thanks for this. I actually thought those canyons in vanilla were holes in the planet going through to the other side with stars being the little white dots... Sounds pretty far fetched now that I think about it, but hey.

No so far-fetched....

There was a discussion a while back about them being rips in the fabric of space-time.
-Mark R.

(in reply to Prozorovsky)

Post #: 23

RE: Terrain Mod (v2.1) Update - 12/13/2020 10:19:17 PM

Sandow

Posts: 16
Joined: 12/13/2020
Status: offline

I'm having issues downloading the files, both Mod v2.0 and v2.1. Is anyone else having the same problem?

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Post #: 24

RE: Terrain Mod (v2.1) Update - 12/14/2020 12:26:11 AM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

Sandow, what is happening?
When you click on the link in the opening post of this thread, it should bring up a webpage (app.box.com) that has a download button to the upper right corner.
-Mark R.

(in reply to Sandow)

Post #: 25

RE: Terrain Mod (v2.1) Update - 12/14/2020 1:35:22 AM

Sandow

Posts: 16
Joined: 12/13/2020
Status: offline

The link redirects me to the webpage, but when I click on the download button nothing happens. I've created an account, but even so nothing happens when I click the button. What is strange is that I downloaded the planet graphic mod from another thread and didn't encounter any issues. It almost acts like the structure of the files are there, but the actual file has been removed. I'll try to get it using a different browser.

(in reply to mroyer)

Post #: 26

RE: Terrain Mod (v2.1) Update - 12/14/2020 2:09:36 AM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sandow

The link redirects me to the webpage, but when I click on the download button nothing happens. I've created an account, but even so nothing happens when I click the button. What is strange is that I downloaded the planet graphic mod from another thread and didn't encounter any issues. It almost acts like the structure of the files are there, but the actual file has been removed. I'll try to get it using a different browser.

I have verified that this happens to me too... if I log out of 'box' the download seems like it's happening, but it never finishes. When I'm logged in to 'box' the download goes quickly.

I struggle to believe it was always like this - someone would have run into this long before now. Perhaps something is temporarily wrong at 'box' and it will be cleared up.

In any event, if you can't get it downloaded we can figure another way to get it to you if you want.

-Mark R.

< Message edited by mroyer -- 12/14/2020 2:10:15 AM >

(in reply to Sandow)

Post #: 27

RE: Terrain Mod (v2.1) Update - 12/14/2020 7:56:45 AM

Frustalupi

Posts: 5
Joined: 12/4/2020
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: mroyer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sandow

The link redirects me to the webpage, but when I click on the download button nothing happens. I've created an account, but even so nothing happens when I click the button. What is strange is that I downloaded the planet graphic mod from another thread and didn't encounter any issues. It almost acts like the structure of the files are there, but the actual file has been removed. I'll try to get it using a different browser.

I have verified that this happens to me too... if I log out of 'box' the download seems like it's happening, but it never finishes. When I'm logged in to 'box' the download goes quickly.

I struggle to believe it was always like this - someone would have run into this long before now. Perhaps something is temporarily wrong at 'box' and it will be cleared up.

In any event, if you can't get it downloaded we can figure another way to get it to you if you want.

-Mark R.

Same problem here.
I tried with Firefox, Chrome and Edge but seems impossible to download the file...

(in reply to mroyer)

Post #: 28

RE: Terrain Mod (v2.1) Update - 12/14/2020 11:23:22 AM

mroyer

Posts: 914
Joined: 3/6/2016
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Okay, I've loaded the the v2.2 update (that includes new escarpment imagery) in the opening post.

Also, I've verified that the link works both when signed-in and not signed-in to Box.
(I think my link before may have been wrong - a private link or something like that.)
Please let me know if you're successful without signing into Box.

-Mark R.

(in reply to Frustalupi)

Post #: 29

RE: Terrain Mod (v2.1) Update - 12/14/2020 11:45:14 AM

Frustalupi

Posts: 5
Joined: 12/4/2020
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: mroyer

Okay, I've loaded the the v2.2 update (that includes new escarpment imagery) in the opening post.

Also, I've verified that the link works both when signed-in and not signed-in to Box.
(I think my link before may have been wrong - a private link or something like that.)
Please let me know if you're successful without signing into Box.

-Mark R.