Age of Sail 2 - 3d ship models for PC wargame

[Martes]

I wanted to show a project I have been working for some time now - since discovering the way to import models to this old, but still very capable game.

 

 

I aimed to replace all the line of the ship models in the game, starting with frigates (as they were abysmally horrible), and over time I think I have found a certain balance between level of detail and sometimes awkward engine limitations. From the modelling perspective the models themselves are akin to block models (and mostly representative than anything else), showing the outer hull, closed deck with boats in the waist and, deck gun emplacements and some smaller details, all other details and decorations painted on a texture (and it's hard to underestimate the power of a texture 🙂).

 

 

The game provides a number of rigging sets, so I (with some small exceptions) do not touch those.

 

And here is a small showcase:

 

A 74-gun ship (Colossus class)

 

A French 38-gun frigate

 

The Belle Poule (as 12-pounder and slightly fictional 18-pounder variant - showing the possibilities of using different texture on a same hull for different ship configurations)

 

The 40-gun 24-pounder Liffey-class (modified Endymion)

 

Personally, they give me a unique glimpse seeing them sailing, firing, heeling under the wind, seeing them suddenly alive.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Martes

[BANYAN]

Nice work Martes and thanks for sharing Martes.  What are your plans for these?  Are you going to make them available as add-ons?  You appear to have put a lot of work into these.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Martes]

Of course, I am going to release them at some point, but I am not sure when. They changed a lot since I started this (you can check here for the whole saga):

 

The top model is a frigate extracted from the game, the bottom - my first attempt to get something inside, and you can compare it to the Belle Poule wireframe in the post above. 🙂

 

There are some models that have to be covered before any release, namely at least a three-decker, a corvette and a brig, but then there are ships I just want to have sailing, so those priorities are kind of shifting here.

 

Additionally, I am thinking of a terrain generation tool for coastal scenarios. I verified the possibility of making custom maps - it requires a model of the terrain, separate model of underwater terrain, and collision map - but have yet not found a reliable way to do it more or less automatically.

 

And there is a kind of scenario generator as a set of tables for dice rolls.

[SardonicMeow]

In your second picture I can't help but notice the telltale orange wireframe of Blender.  Was all this work done in Blender?

[Martes]

35 minutes ago, SardonicMeow said:

Was all this work done in Blender? 

 

Yes and no

The models are being done in Blender indeed, but most of the pictures are taken from the game engine, which includes the rigging configuration.

The red line in the background actually marks that the screenshot was taken in scenario editor.

[Martes]

British frigates on blockade (they weren't included in the first post since I didn't have recent enough screenshots, but here they are):

 

 

 

And close-ups.

The Euryalus:

 

 

 

The Endymion:
 

[BANYAN]

Some nice improvements there Martes.  I must admit I am a 'sucker' for good graphics in these styles of games to maintain my interest.  A realistic algorithm or two to control ship behaviour and damage inflicted/received are the other two main priorities.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Martes]

54 minutes ago, BANYAN said:

realistic algorithm or two to control ship behaviour and damage inflicted/received

 

This game offers working - and very time consuming - tacking, and as to damage, I have tweaked that to more or less realistic values (here) and that can be refined even more.

 

Not that there are very much alternatives in the genre. I couldn't, unfortunately, make a new engine all by myself, so the ship collection is as far as I look for the moment, but you never know what can turn up.

[Martes]

Made some corrections to the Colossus - more accurate beakhead, cathead supports, curve of the deck and roundhouse door partitions on the quarterdeck.

 

[Martes]

Rescaled the rig for 32-gunners, now having separate sets for 40-gun frigates/64-gun ships, 38/36-gun frigates/50-gun ships and 32-gun frigates/possibly 44-gun ships if I ever make any.

 

[Martes]

Moved the spritsail yard (unused anyway) from the edge to the middle of the bowsprit (on most of the rigging sets):

 

I can't really explain why, but it seems to make everything better.

Edited March 14, 2019 by Martes

[Martes]

I am absolutely exhausted - this ship ate my mind for almost half a year - to present the completed Christian VII:

 

It wouldn't even be possible without the fortunate high-resolution drawings being available at the Danish archive and a photo of a contemporary model provided by @malachy (and tons, literally tons of other reference materials I scavenged everywhere I could, really), since the stern is hellishly unusually built, but... here she is.

 

It's the most complex model I did for now, and I am very delighted that at around 8k triangles the game can still handle her.

Edited April 7, 2019 by Martes

[Martes]

...and some more technical views:

 

[Martes]

Made a small adjustment to the roundhouse of Christian VII to denote the border between the poop deck and upper quarter galleries that actually form a single structure and covered with bulwarks from outside. It's not really final form, but seems closer to original than simple deck covering from board to board.

 

Blows my mind each time I look at it.

 

And two shots under sail:

 

Edited April 13, 2019 by Martes

[Martes]

Some close-ups from lower camera angles.

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2019 by Martes

[Martes]

Minor tweaks here and there.

Rescaled the rig for Christian VII (and all future 80-gunners):
 

 

And made a quick skin for the Colossus of later modification of the class (Bombay/Aboukir):

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by Martes

[Jack H]

Nice work Martes.

Seeing your work, I recall that a few years ago, I was very obsessed with 3D modeling and game engine, especially the following real-time naval game scenarios.

 

Some screenshots from game, very gorgeous scenes...

I used to use Unity or UE4 engines to simulate the 18th century frigate naval battles.However, many aspects beyond my ability, especially C language and dynamic seawater (sea water plus special effects), need professional learning, so I can only give up later, now I focus on 3D modeling and CNC programming and processing, because for me, making naval games seems to be a dream, but 3D modeling and CNC programming / processing seems more realistic.

 

HJX

 

 

 

[Martes]

Outfitting the HMS Cambridge (1815):

 

 

An 80-gun ship that was very closely based on the Christian VII it's usually considered a copy, but there was a substantial number of changes that required to remake the model almost from scratch - circular bow, raised head, an attempt to make more traditional, but narrowed stern (which ended up probably even more awkward than the original ), and straightened sheer of the decks. In addition to false keel, the ship was designed for slightly deeper drought, and that required corrections to entry fore and aft, and a little raised tumblehome curve.

The result is characteristic Victorian ship, representative of the Royal Navy up to the age of ironclads.

[Martes]

Launched the Cambridge:

 

And alongside the Christian VII for comparison:

 

[Louie da fly]

Amazing stuff, Martes.

 

This hobby certainly incorporates a tremendous breadth of endeavour - wood, plastic, card, 3D models, and even (in one case) cross-stitch.

 

Steven

[Martes]

Testing the Cambridge under way with escorting frigate:

 

 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Martes

[Martes]

A little fix for Christian VII texture (upper-deck stripe now covers the full length of the forecastle):

 

And original, older Danish paint scheme:

 

The way these stripes can change the appearance of a ship is crazy.

[Martes]

As the Prince Regent gave me an irresistible Victorian streak, I present the HMS Pique (1834):

 

A very original and some would say controversial ship, but I tend to find a peculiar beauty in all the works of Sir William Symonds. Sleek, powerful, and as if painted in broad strokes, this ship is strikingly different from earlier frigates of similar size, futuristic and alien. Note the elliptic stern that disguises itself as conventional, yet is anything but.

 

Edited July 25, 2019 by Martes

[Martes]

The Pique rigged and ready to sail:

 

Edited July 25, 2019 by Martes

[Martes]

The HMS Forte (1811) under sail:

 

 

[Martes]

Some semi-random screenshots:

 

And a sort of preview - although I am not sure when I am going to finish her:

HMS Spartan (1841)

 

Basically she's an oversized corvette - only slightly smaller than the Belle Poule (but wider), and armed with medium 32-pounders.

[Martes]

Something I had to fix a long time ago - a proper Danish flag:

 

[Martes]

And a minor update for the 74-gun ship model:

 

Doors and decorations on the beakhead

 

Fixed the stern decoration rails (there was a small offset between side and stern texture, and that's gone), transom curve and hull curve under the forecastle

 

It should be noted, though, the model is still done to older standard and will be eventually rebuilt, but, I guess, visually it will be very hard to notice.

[Martes]

As I mentioned, I did plan to rebuild the Colossus, and here is the new version. The mesh is much more detailed and accurate.

To make things somewhat more interesting, I added a round bow using a configuration of Minotaur/Tremendous, with the head still at upper deck level:

 

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by Martes

[Martes]

Two schools of naval architecture - Danish (Cambridge) and French (Colossus).

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by Martes