▶
Dev Diary #115: Monumental Foundations
When creating the first tier of the Canterbury Cathedral, which references the Anglo-Saxon church extant in the 867 & 1066 start dates, it was important to acknowledge the lack of available visual reference material. Historically speaking, the Anglo-Saxon church was burnt down in 1067, but we do have some conceptual renditions and blueprints of the estimated building layout to work from, courtesy of the archeologists (our heroes).
Sometimes luck strikes and blueprints or estimated ones can be found. From this, I created a fairly basic interpretation of the church that serves well as the first/starting stage for the Canterbury Cathedral. Additional geometry, like pillars and an external house, was added to the building to create a more compelling in-game silhouette.
The original Anglo-Saxon church - Tier 1
After the first fire, a second church was built in its place, distinctively making use of the Romanesque style. As we move forward in history, more references become available, and fortunately the church foundations are described as rather similar to the church of today. The more significant differences to modern Canterbury Cathedral are, for example, the front and main towers: they are still Romanesque.
Canterbury Cathedral - Tier 2
If this happens to be your first time coming across these terms, some explaining might be in order. Romanesque and Gothic are two styles of architecture which defined buildings and churches throughout the Medieval era. Romanesque, the older of the two, emerged sometime around the year 1000 and lasted until around 1150. Its a style arising from and defined by Germanic, Byzantine and old Roman influences, favoring circular Roman arches and a more solid-looking facade compared to later churches.
Romanesque Abbaye de Lessay From the Romanesque emerged the Gothic in the 12th-13th centuries. In Gothic architecture, Roman arches find themselves replaced by Gothic ones; we also see elaborate ribbed vaults, towering flying buttresses, and church interiors brightened by large stained glass windows.
Chartres Gothic Cathedral
I technically started with the third tier of the structure of the Canterbury Cathedral, rather than the second tier. Because we work with modular pieces and texture atlases, I find it easier to work from the complete cathedral, then remove any additional geometry. It also meant that the last tier would have most of the same layout as the modern cathedral, minus some of the later additions.
Modular pieces used for building the Cathedral With the modular pieces ready, it was then just a question of assembling the cathedral.
We could see in the final version of the Cathedral that a lot of areas had been raised since the time of the second, so I simply made minor tweaks to the height of some walls and roofs, while preserving the original UV. The back of the cathedral had also been extended and rebuilt, with the addition of two new structures. The south-west tower was rebuilt, but not the north-west tower as of yet: that happened later historically.
The cathedral with the towers in the front. The main tower however was a new construction past CK3s timeline.
Canterbury Cathedral - Tier 3 The third tier takes on a Gothic style, with flying buttresses along the length of the cathedral, and it also puts a golden angel on the pinnacle of the main tower.
In order for us to be certain that our holdings will be placed correctly on the map, we extend the basement of the mesh into the ground to accommodate for the maps height differences. This ensures we have no areas free flying in the air. Usually this is a bigger issue for holdings than monuments, as monuments have a single specific place on the map where they exist.
Decal texture in Substance Painter We also create decals that show a more interesting ground variation around the structure. In my case, I painted out some roads to give life to the area. Some color variation to the grass to better blend in with the rest of the map, and darker areas where the cathedral would be located. The decal plane is on average twice the size of our building.
Anglo-Saxon church , Romanesque Cathedral, Gothic Cathedral T1 - T2 - T3 After all the buildings were done and I was happy with the progression from tier 1 to tier 2 and tier 3, I could finalize the UVs. We use two UV maps to layout the textures: one is for the ambient occlusion that we bake in, and the other for the texture atlas. The texture atlas lets us reuse textures to save on performance. I did the baking in marmoset with a low poly to low poly set up. Normally you have a high poly to bake down to the low poly mesh, but I was only after the ambient occlusion.
A new set of cultural stone bridges will be added over the world, replacing some of the old wooden bridges and overall making it a bit clearer where the safer river crossings are. We will be adding a total of four standard bridge types, for Western Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Indian regions.
These bridges have been based on historical examples sampled from these regions. The Western and Mediterranean bridges are based on arched bridges from Europe, with the appropriate local flairs. The Middle Eastern bridge is based upon Sassanid designs like the Marnan and Kohneh bridge, among others, and are mostly found in the regions around modern Iran and Iraq. The Indian bridges take their inspiration from the Athernala bridge in eastern India.
[ 2023-02-07 13:50:46 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello and welcome to this dev diary where we will be looking into some new map visuals thatll be added in the future. As the team grows, weve had the opportunity for our new artists to warm up by sprucing up the map a little. Among the things well show off today, chief is the Canterbury Cathedral and its evolution over time: made by our new Environment artist Joel, whos written about his process and the research involved.
Read more about Dev Diary #115 on our forums!
Building a Monument Canterbury Cathedral
The Original Church - Tier 1
When creating the first tier of the Canterbury Cathedral, which references the Anglo-Saxon church extant in the 867 & 1066 start dates, it was important to acknowledge the lack of available visual reference material. Historically speaking, the Anglo-Saxon church was burnt down in 1067, but we do have some conceptual renditions and blueprints of the estimated building layout to work from, courtesy of the archeologists (our heroes).
Sometimes luck strikes and blueprints or estimated ones can be found. From this, I created a fairly basic interpretation of the church that serves well as the first/starting stage for the Canterbury Cathedral. Additional geometry, like pillars and an external house, was added to the building to create a more compelling in-game silhouette.
The original Anglo-Saxon church - Tier 1
The Norman Cathedral - Tier 2
After the first fire, a second church was built in its place, distinctively making use of the Romanesque style. As we move forward in history, more references become available, and fortunately the church foundations are described as rather similar to the church of today. The more significant differences to modern Canterbury Cathedral are, for example, the front and main towers: they are still Romanesque.
Canterbury Cathedral - Tier 2
Romanesque and Gothic
If this happens to be your first time coming across these terms, some explaining might be in order. Romanesque and Gothic are two styles of architecture which defined buildings and churches throughout the Medieval era. Romanesque, the older of the two, emerged sometime around the year 1000 and lasted until around 1150. Its a style arising from and defined by Germanic, Byzantine and old Roman influences, favoring circular Roman arches and a more solid-looking facade compared to later churches.
Romanesque Abbaye de Lessay From the Romanesque emerged the Gothic in the 12th-13th centuries. In Gothic architecture, Roman arches find themselves replaced by Gothic ones; we also see elaborate ribbed vaults, towering flying buttresses, and church interiors brightened by large stained glass windows.
Chartres Gothic Cathedral
Modeling
I technically started with the third tier of the structure of the Canterbury Cathedral, rather than the second tier. Because we work with modular pieces and texture atlases, I find it easier to work from the complete cathedral, then remove any additional geometry. It also meant that the last tier would have most of the same layout as the modern cathedral, minus some of the later additions.
Modular pieces used for building the Cathedral With the modular pieces ready, it was then just a question of assembling the cathedral.
The Gothic Cathedral - Tier 3
We could see in the final version of the Cathedral that a lot of areas had been raised since the time of the second, so I simply made minor tweaks to the height of some walls and roofs, while preserving the original UV. The back of the cathedral had also been extended and rebuilt, with the addition of two new structures. The south-west tower was rebuilt, but not the north-west tower as of yet: that happened later historically.
The cathedral with the towers in the front. The main tower however was a new construction past CK3s timeline.
Canterbury Cathedral - Tier 3 The third tier takes on a Gothic style, with flying buttresses along the length of the cathedral, and it also puts a golden angel on the pinnacle of the main tower.
Basing and Decal
In order for us to be certain that our holdings will be placed correctly on the map, we extend the basement of the mesh into the ground to accommodate for the maps height differences. This ensures we have no areas free flying in the air. Usually this is a bigger issue for holdings than monuments, as monuments have a single specific place on the map where they exist.
Decal texture in Substance Painter We also create decals that show a more interesting ground variation around the structure. In my case, I painted out some roads to give life to the area. Some color variation to the grass to better blend in with the rest of the map, and darker areas where the cathedral would be located. The decal plane is on average twice the size of our building.
Anglo-Saxon church , Romanesque Cathedral, Gothic Cathedral T1 - T2 - T3 After all the buildings were done and I was happy with the progression from tier 1 to tier 2 and tier 3, I could finalize the UVs. We use two UV maps to layout the textures: one is for the ambient occlusion that we bake in, and the other for the texture atlas. The texture atlas lets us reuse textures to save on performance. I did the baking in marmoset with a low poly to low poly set up. Normally you have a high poly to bake down to the low poly mesh, but I was only after the ambient occlusion.
Bonus Bridge Update
A new set of cultural stone bridges will be added over the world, replacing some of the old wooden bridges and overall making it a bit clearer where the safer river crossings are. We will be adding a total of four standard bridge types, for Western Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Indian regions.
These bridges have been based on historical examples sampled from these regions. The Western and Mediterranean bridges are based on arched bridges from Europe, with the appropriate local flairs. The Middle Eastern bridge is based upon Sassanid designs like the Marnan and Kohneh bridge, among others, and are mostly found in the regions around modern Iran and Iraq. The Indian bridges take their inspiration from the Athernala bridge in eastern India.
[ 2023-02-07 13:50:46 CET ] [ Original post ]
Crusader Kings III
Paradox Developement Studios
Developer
Paradox Interactive
Publisher
2020-09-01
Release
GameBillet:
12.98 €
Game News Posts:
388
🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse
Very Positive
(76390 reviews)
Public Linux Depots:
- CK3 Linux Binaries [148.87 M]
- CK3 Launcher Linux [99.32 M]
An Heir is Born in Crusader Kings III
Crusader Kings III is the newest generation of Paradox Development Studio’s beloved medieval role-playing grand strategy game. Expand and improve your realm, whether a mighty kingdom or modest county. Use marriage, diplomacy and war to increase your power and prestige in a meticulously detailed map that stretches from Spain to India, Scandinavia to Central Africa.
But uneasy lies the head that wears a crown! Your cunning is your greatest weapon, and intelligence is the key to all successful strategy. Guard your life and the future of your dynasty, because enemies foreign and domestic envy your status. Engage in espionage, join political factions, punish heretics or use assassins to make sure your throne passes safely to the next generation.
Crusader Kings III is the medieval strategy role-playing experience that you have been waiting for.
Crusader Kings III is the newest generation of Paradox Development Studio’s beloved medieval role-playing grand strategy game. Expand and improve your realm, whether a mighty kingdom or modest county. Use marriage, diplomacy and war to increase your power and prestige in a meticulously detailed map that stretches from Spain to India, Scandinavia to Central Africa.
But uneasy lies the head that wears a crown! Your cunning is your greatest weapon, and intelligence is the key to all successful strategy. Guard your life and the future of your dynasty, because enemies foreign and domestic envy your status. Engage in espionage, join political factions, punish heretics or use assassins to make sure your throne passes safely to the next generation.
Crusader Kings III is the medieval strategy role-playing experience that you have been waiting for.
- Shape Your Dynasty: Guide unique characters through history, choosing lifestyles best suited to their personalities and your ambitions.
- Rewrite Medieval History: Dynasties will change and adapt to changes in family and politics, swimming in a rich world of religious faith and royal pageantry.
- Build a Mighty Kingdom: Use cold steel or warm words to expand your realm; war backed by cunning, and diplomacy that unites bloodlines.
- Experience High Drama: Stranger than fiction stories leap off the screen, as characters plot against you and events push you to extremes.
- Learn as You Go: Guided advice helps newcomers and veterans navigate a rich medieval world. In-game suggestions tip you off to paths you might not have considered.
- The Usual Crusader Kings Fun: Keep a stubborn council in line, scheme against your overbearing uncle or marry rich duchesses for their land and legacy.
MINIMAL SETUP
- OS: TBC
- Processor: TBC
- Graphics: TBC
- OS: TBC
- Processor: TBC
- Graphics: TBC
GAMEBILLET
[ 6089 ]
GAMERSGATE
[ 3241 ]
FANATICAL BUNDLES
HUMBLE BUNDLES
by buying games/dlcs from affiliate links you are supporting tuxDB