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Arms & Armor: Questions & Answers

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The team from Torn Banner is on hand to help answer any and all questions you have regarding Chivalry: Medieval Warfare and its Workshop. Polycount will help with any contest-related questions you may have.

Your post will be directly edited with the answer, which will be written in blue.

Full contest details: http://www.polycount.com/arms-and-armor/

The deadline is Monday, October 6th 2014 @ 00:01AM EST (GMT - 4)

Replies

  • Bek
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    Bek interpolator
    Q: On the polycount page for this contest, under the presentation section it says:
    This image must contain at least angles of your item(s)
    Is there a missing number in that sentence?

    Also:

    Non-square (2:1, 4:1) texures — yes or no?

    A: The image must contain at least 2 angles of your item(s). This has been updated on the contest page, thank you for pointing this out.

    Non-square textures are allowed, some of our weapons use them. Our weapon specifications include max texture limits, usually 2048x2048, but if your item doesn't need to use the full budget by all means use a smaller texture.
  • dzibarik
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    dzibarik polycounter lvl 10
    Q: can I submit asian, mayan, oceanic, turkish weapons (a scimitar for example) or is it strictly period based?

    A: Anything that could plausibly found in europe/middle east up until the 1500's is fair game. These don't necessarily need to be replicas or period accurate items, as long as the design looks believable enough to fit into the style of the game.
  • Notes
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    Notes polycounter lvl 4
    Q: Do we need 3 levels of the blood mask? I noticed the great sword didnt have any but the flail has 3 levels of the blood mask.

    A: yes, the Red, Green, and Blue channels must contain different levels of blood. from least bloody, to most bloody. Here is our tutorial on creating bloodmasks
  • Loutrattitude
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    Loutrattitude polycounter lvl 6
    dzibarik wrote: »
    Q: can I submit asian, mayan, oceanic, turkish weapons (a scimitar for example) or is it strictly period based?

    I second this question.

    Question of my own :

    I never used Steam Workshop, nor Chivalry SDK, is there a way that someone provide a step by step guide to publish your creation on Steam?

    A: We have provided tutorials for these things here. Please let us know if there is any confusion, or any way we can improve the turorials.
    https://tornbannerjira.atlassian.net/wiki/display/CHIVCOM/User+Generated+Content+Guides
  • Kyuzo
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    Kyuzo polycounter lvl 12
    Q: What really is Chivalry SDK? It's tweaked UDK? Can i create Gloss map for weapon, put it in Spec map alpha and setup material inside of it?

    A: That is correct. Chivalry SDK is a modified UDK. We require participants to submit Specular and Gloss separately, and use instances of our master material for their items. that way they can be integrated into our game.
    Here is our tutorial for putting weapons into the game.
  • dzibarik
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    dzibarik polycounter lvl 10
    another question: can I make weapons which were used by nobles, i.e. incrustated with diamons, gems and made from gold? or will it be considered out of spirit of the game?

    A: In our game, the king is known to go to battle, so this would definitely be allowed!
  • Tez
    How much can the shape of the weapons differ from the shape of the original in game meshes?

    For example, If the head of a warhammer is larger, and the handle is shorter than the in game mesh will this cause compatibility issues, or are the chosen weapons going to have animations and collision fixed by the Torn Banner team?

    A: the bounds of a weapon should not differ significantly from the base weapon. things to consider: the "damaging" area of the weapon should not be mismatched in any way (length of a blade, placement of an axehead, etc) and the handle should match exactly wherever the hands of the character are to grip it, so to avoid clipping through the fingers.
  • Kyuzo
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    Kyuzo polycounter lvl 12
    My question was about can i use Gloss map on weapon? there are nothing about it in rules, and example weapons dont contain it.

    A: In the shader, we do not use a map that effects specular power, but we do have a slot that masks the use of the environment map called EnvironmentMapMask (effectively reducing reflectivity). In almost all cases, this slot uses the diffuse or specular maps to mask the environment map to save texture memory, but if it's absolutely necessary, an additional map could be used in that slot.
  • dzibarik
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    dzibarik polycounter lvl 10
    Tez wrote: »

    A: the bounds of a weapon should not differ significantly from the base weapon.

    Same goes for helmets, I suppose?

    A: Helmets can have more different bounds, they just have to fit correctly over the head of the faction and class they are made for (must have eye holes that match with the characters eyes). However they shouldn't be so large that they clip through doorways and interfere with the players swing animations.
  • jfitch
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    jfitch polycounter lvl 5
    Should we create LODs or are those generated by the engine?

    A: LODs are not required for items. We will make them in house upon integrating the items into the game.
  • Arsenal
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    Arsenal polycounter lvl 12
    Are there style restriction in regards to the tone of the game/art direction. Example: A Helmet with beer cans on the side.

    A: Submissions must fit within the style of our game. More details can be found on our content specifications page and our UGC Guide
    Beer helms are not allowed, sorry.
  • ArtbyV
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    ArtbyV polycounter lvl 8
    Can I create multiple weapon sets using the same helmet or should subsequent weapons be done on their own? I don't want to do all of the weapons.


    A: no, you cannot have multiple submissions using the same items. In this case, one helmet per set.
  • TooLzor
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    TooLzor polycounter lvl 10
    dzibarik wrote: »
    Q: can I submit asian, mayan, oceanic, turkish weapons (a scimitar for example) or is it strictly period based?

    A: Anything that could plausibly found in europe/middle east up until the 1500's is fair game. These don't necessarily need to be replicas or period accurate items, as long as the design looks believable enough to fit into the style of the game.

    Does this also mean that we can't go fully crazy to make swords that have interesting blades etc and should stick to more of the "completely" realistic ?

    A: Yes, weapon designs should be based in reality rather than being overly fantasy in nature.
  • LRoy
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    LRoy polycounter lvl 10
    Are we allowed to model shields?

    A: Yes, however they will be classified as secondary weapons for this contest (meaning you cannot JUST model a shield. It must be part of a set that includes a shield). Shield reference models have now been added to the documentation.
  • Skeindem
    Why are we making items for a specific team(Mason or Agatha)? Items will be wearable by both teams, right? I thought it will be something like in TF2 where color of the item changes depending on which team is using it or something like that...

    A: Helmets are team specific, but weapons can be team agnostic. please see the creation guidelines and specifications for more info
  • TheMountain
    Is it a problem if a blade is a -little bit- more wide then the original?

    A: no that's fine
  • MooseCommander
    Who maintains ownership of the artwork and copyright of any models and textures submitted?

    For example, after the contest ends would I be able to sell my items on a marketplace (say the Unity Asset store)? Or does copyright transfer to Torn Banner upon submitting to the contest and the Workshop?

    A: The content creators will maintain copyright of their models and textures. We will be adhering to the current Steam Subscriber Agreement found here: http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/

    Supplemental Workshop Terms – Revenue Sharing
    https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/workshoplegalagreement/?appid=730
  • Loutrattitude
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    Loutrattitude polycounter lvl 6
    Q: Can a set includes multiple primary weapons (no helmet) ?

    A: A set must be comprised of one helmet and one weapon. If you are creating multiple weapons, they must either be paired with a single helmet, or submitted as a solo item
  • Notes
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    Notes polycounter lvl 4
    Q: If I decide or have time later and want to create a helmet as well as my weapon can I just re-title my original wip thread or do I have to start a separate thread for the helmet wip?

    A: Yes, it would be fine to just retitle your thread.
  • zetheros
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    zetheros interpolator
    Usually, if the king is going to battle, they're in incredibly expensive, full suit plate armour. Last time I played, the king was unarmoured, and was always sniped to death by archers. That was so unrealistic and non-immersive. Kings would have access to the most amazing, functional armour of their times, and they were always trained in martial combat. Instead of hiding behind his knights, the king would be out there, making a ring of dead bodies around him.

    I really like this game though, so can I submit a awesome suit of game-ready, retopo'd, textured, etc, historically accurate, full plate, late-15th century armour for the king?

    I also want to talk to your character artist(s). I understand that it's game, and it doesn't have to be 100% accurate, but the current knight armour looks like it came straight out of hollywood, or like someone only took a few passing glances at reproduction armour. There are so many gaps, that if there was a local NPC armoursmith in the game, he would be ran out of town for endangering the lives of people of noble blood by making faulty gear.

    Sorry, just really passionate about armour.

    It's just that you guys have the ability to sculpt the reputation of medieval times, and a lot of people like the game you all made. The fact is, reality is far more amazing and in-depth, if you do the research. If you wore full plate armour on the field, you were rich, owned land, and was basically a 1-man army against anything else not wearing full plate. Nothing could hurt you, except for the fiercest of blunt blows, weapons designed to defeat and pierce plate armour, chemical/incendiary attacks, and if you got knocked off your horse, and/or were tackled and overwhelmed by peasants with house knives and pitchforks who jabbed your eyes out through the slit of your visor.

    Take a look at King Henry's suit of armour that he wore when he was a young, powerful man. There are no gaps at all, not even his armpits and groin. He even had compression articulation at his elbows, AND at the back of his knees. This is what a king would have worn to battle. Arrows would do nothing, swords would do nothing. Joints articulating like clockwork, with a running speed just as fast as someone without armour.

    II.6-full.jpg

    If you saw this guy charging you down on a battlefield with his pole hammer, death is guaranteed. That's another thing, swinging a sword isn't slow at all, they only weighed a few pounds, you could flick a longsword around like a lightsaber. Not for long, granted, but long enough. Even swinging a bidenhander, look up youtube videos of people practicing with one, they twirl that thing around like a nimble death stick.

    A: Sorry, were not allowing full character replacements for this competition, however if you want to create a character and upload it to the workshop we would be happy to help you in any way we can. please email your questions to dylanbrady@tornbanner.com
  • dzibarik
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    dzibarik polycounter lvl 10
    А question about bows and ranged weapons in general - do I have to rig them, or should I just model it and you'll do everything in-house if there is anything needs to be done?

    A: you will need to skin weight your model to the skeleton of the weapon you are replacing. Example meshes can be found on our weapon specifications page.
  • TheMountain
    A question about helmets, do we absolutely need the holes where the eyes are? or can it be behind a klappvisier (that has small holes in it where you can look trough)

    A: you don't have to have eye holes if it would be difficult to see the eyes through the holes anyways.
  • zetheros
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    zetheros interpolator
    Hey, I was wondering, are the helmets going to be replacement meshes? Or is it a mix of replacement meshes and attached meshes, depending on which character it is?

    Because if the agatha knight is wearing an armet or a similar close helm, the coif will get in the way. There's a somewhat snug fit around the neck of an armet.

    A: The helmets are just going over the heads as attachments. so in the knights case the helmet must fit over the coif.
  • CarlK3D
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    CarlK3D polycounter lvl 7
    For this Question I will be referring to Men-At-Arms.
    Q: The Minimum for a Set is 1 Helm & 1 Primary (Sword, Axe or Mace), Are we allowed to create a Secondary & Special for a set? If so does that same rule for the Primary apply?

    A: You can create a secondary and special weapon to go along with part of your set if you like, however it will not affect the judging of the primary weapon/helmet portion of the set.
  • islipaway
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    islipaway polycounter lvl 10
    Q: If I created a set for an archer, would special arrows count as the secondary/special weapon?

    Do things like helmets and arrows have to be functional? For example - a cloth cap wouldn't save your head and a whistling arrow wouldn't do much damage but they may fit thematically in a set (not necessarily the same set, just as examples) and be period appropriate.

    A: Arrows currently count as special weapons. In the case of arrows specifically, you can make a new 'skin' for either bodkin or broadhead arrows. The example of the cloth cap would work fine as it does fit thematically.
  • TheMountain
    Q: Will you guys take items into the game after/before this contest?

    A: We will not take items into the game prior to the completion of the contest. Afterwards, we will most likely be incorperating more.
  • Noth
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    Noth polycounter lvl 14
    If we make a set the helm is team specific but the weapon is used on both teams? One team gets half a set?

    A: correct. This is done because armor must match a specific look to help identify team on the battlefield. With Weapons this is not as important
  • ArtbyV
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    ArtbyV polycounter lvl 8
    Q: Are helmets literal or can we do other head gear like a hood or crown?

    A: Other headgear works as long as it still fits the aesthetic of the game.
  • PBnJay
    I have the base model completed, but how do I know if it is to scale to fit in the hands of the Vanguard? (It is a type of Halberd, almost)

    A: The best way to test this would be to import a test mesh into the engine.
  • brandoom
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    brandoom polycounter lvl 13
    Q: Is it safe to assume that most of the weapons have the same 'mount points' for the characters hands? I see in the Double Axe reference file there are two nodes called b_weapon_handle and b_weapon_root.. but in there Dane Axe reference file these nodes don't exist.

    Thanks!

    A: I re-uploaded file for the Dane Axe to now include the bones, sorry about that. The 'mount point' for the weapon is usually at the origin, but it always good to test out a basic mesh the socket manager when your are designing a grip/handle for the weapon.
  • Notes
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    Notes polycounter lvl 4
    Q: Hey Im trying to test out my weapon on the Mason Man at Arms but I can't seem to get my weapon into the game...im stuck at the part of the weapon skin tutorial where it says to "Create new instance (Constant)" in the CookedPC MasterMaterial...I get an error "The requested operation cannot be performed on a cooked package". Is there a way around this?

    Also I tried launching the UDKEditor through steams ChivalryMW binary64 folder but this just launches the game...I wanted to make sure the weapon works properly before getting to far into the project...thanks!

    A: I am unable to reproduce this error when creating a material instance constant from \AOC\Environments\Material\CHV_Material_Pack\Materials\M_Weapon_Master. Are you trying to save the material instance in that same package? Because you need to make sure that you are creating your own weapon package to put your assets into.
  • Spudnik
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    Spudnik polycounter lvl 11
    Q: To clarify: There are more item slots available for the workshop (Secondary and Special), but for the contest any set will be judged based on the merit of the helmet and primary weapon slot alone, correct?

    A: That is correct. The judging will be based on only the helmet and primary weapon if you make a set.
  • Notes
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    Notes polycounter lvl 4
    Q: This was some of the problems I was getting while trying to get my weapon into the SDK...maybe Im not loading the game correctly cause everything is being stored in the external files instead of the UDKgame? But I can't opend the UDKeditor from the Chivalry folder either.

    /image deleted...issue was solved...thanks again Lucas


    A: Make sure that you are using the Chivalry SDK, and not UDK. To access the chivalry SDK follow the instructions listed here: https://tornbannerjira.atlassian.net/wiki/display/CHIVCOM/Getting+started+with+map+editing

    If you need a steam key for Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, email polycountcontest@tornbanner.com.
  • jojomondag
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    jojomondag polycounter lvl 9
    Q:Do you guys supply some kind of base mesh for the entire character and armour? i can only find small piecee ie the head of a knight. But i would whant an entire character.

    A: On the page for the class you are creating an item for, there are download links for the full character mesh: https://tornbannerjira.atlassian.net/wiki/display/CHIVCOM/User+Generated+Content+Specifications
  • Magicspook
    I have a question!

    Q: I am a modder myself, but I find myself hopelessly outclassed by all te fine modders here. Which brings me to a problem- if there are 2 fantastic models for one class of one faction, what will happen? for example, I've seen some fantastic agatha knight models pop up. Is there a chance that 2 models will win?

    A: There will be 3 winners chosen from each category, for a total of 12 winners
  • Magicspook
    another question,

    Q: What will happen to the winning suit of armor? will it become a pay-to play set? if so, how much will it cost?

    A: The winning items will be sold as cosmetic items in Chivalry, with creators earning royalties on each sale. The price point for these items has yet to be determined.
  • brandoom
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    brandoom polycounter lvl 13
    Hey guys,

    just curious what ports need to be open for your game. I get an error saying can't connect to server when I start the game.

    Thank ya'
  • Notes
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    Notes polycounter lvl 4
    Magicspook wrote: »
    another question,

    What will happen to the winning suit of armor? will it become a pay-to play set? if so, how much will it cost?

    The suit of armor isn't part of the contest, just the helmet and primary weapon.
  • Joost
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    Joost polycount sponsor
    Q: Is it correct that the longsword is about 70cm and the sword of war 1.7m?

    Or is something going wrong when I import?

    A[updated]: If your weapon is the right scale imported in the sdk then you're good.

    There were some bad unit conversions on the old fbx files, I've just re-exported and reuploaded all the weapons, go ahead and grab the updated reference files to ensure you're using the correct size.
  • jackalope
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    jackalope polycounter lvl 11
    On this page
    http://www.tornbanner.com/workshop/requirements/
    it says the tri limit for helmets is 1200 and diffuse/normal texture limit is 1024.

    If you go to any of the specific helmet pages on the wiki
    https://tornbannerjira.atlassian.net/wiki/display/CHIVCOM/Vanguard+-+Mason
    It says the tri limit is 1000 and all the texture sizes are 512.
    Should I assume the first one is correct?

    Thanks for all your hard work answering all these questions.

    A: 1200 tris, and diffuse/normal limit is 1024. The the second link has now been updated to reflect this. Thanks for pointing it out.
  • ArtbyV
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    ArtbyV polycounter lvl 8
    Q: How long does it take to get a response for a temporary key? I sent an email almost a week ago and I haven't heard anything.

    A: Make sure you sent the email containing a link to your WIP thread to polycountcontest@tornbanner.com to recieve a steam key that will last the length of the contest.
  • Lucas Peinador
    Q: Hello and thanks for holding this contest. It looks awesome!
    I wanted to ask if the creation of the WIP thread also have a deadline, for example if I can start it in mid-september.

    Thanks.

    A: There is no specific date to start a WIP thread, but the thread must clearly display the progress of the assets from start to finish.
  • dzibarik
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    dzibarik polycounter lvl 10
    Q: I have noticed that a heavy crossbow has 6166 triangles which is above the required limit. Can I model my heavy crossbow with 6000 triangles in mind?

    A: If a weapon model exceeds the general triangle count we've set, matching the count of the actual is fine.
  • zetheros
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    zetheros interpolator
    komaokc wrote: »
    Q: Is it correct that the longsword is about 70cm and the sword of war 1.7m?

    Or is something going wrong when I import?

    Yeah, the characters are not to scale. They are about 4 feet high, so you'll have to scale your weapons down, or better yet, import one of the items you want to create, and compare sizes. Compensate for symmetry and mesh position too.

    The characters aren't based on real world units, their size is correct to game scale - technically characters and weapons/shields/whatever are scaled 1.5x by code in game, but you don't need to worry about that.
  • Bedrock
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    Bedrock polycounter lvl 10
    zetheros wrote: »
    Yeah, the characters are not to scale. They are about 4 feet high, so you'll have to scale your weapons down, or better yet, import one of the items you want to create, and compare sizes. Compensate for symmetry and mesh position too.

    YSU3JHr.png

    So I've imported the references... The bigger greatsword is greatsword.fbx, while the smaller one is from greatswordlod.fbx. If I import the files directly into udk they all appear to have the correct scale, however if I import the greatsword.fbx mesh into 3ds max and export it, it will be huge (20m-ish) in udk... :poly142:
  • ArtbyV
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    ArtbyV polycounter lvl 8
    ArtbyV wrote: »
    Q: How long does it take to get a response for a temporary key? I sent an email almost a week ago and I haven't heard anything.

    A: Make sure you sent the email containing a link to your WIP thread to polycountcontest@tornbanner.com to recieve a steam key that will last the length of the contest.

    That's what I did. I'll try again. Thanks!
  • Pariah
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    Pariah polycounter lvl 4
    Q: If I was to add a crest from the old chivalry lore pages to my weapon (ie- engraved on the blade) would that be alright seeing as it's game related, or would that breach the no artist marks condition?

    A: Anything within Chivalry's lore is fair game. Just keep in mind that weapons will end up being able to be used by both factions.
  • soulstice
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    soulstice polycounter lvl 9
    Can we get a head / character model with textures? Currently we only have the mesh itself. It would be a great tool for visualizing how the final look would be if we had the textures to match.
  • Ramseus
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    Ramseus polycounter lvl 12
    Bedrock wrote: »
    http://i.imgur.com/YSU3JHr.png

    So I've imported the references... The bigger greatsword is greatsword.fbx, while the smaller one is from greatswordlod.fbx. If I import the files directly into udk they all appear to have the correct scale, however if I import the greatsword.fbx mesh into 3ds max and export it, it will be huge (20m-ish) in udk... :poly142:

    Ughh, sorry about that folks. So evidently I have some cm-inch and/or vice-versa conversions on those old fbx files. I've just grabbed clean exports from the engine so the scale is guaranteed to be 100% right on all of these (if anything is still wrong though, pm me please). Right now you can only get it from the following all-the-things zip, I'll get to work on replacing the individual archives on each page, but for now:

    https://drive.google.com/a/tornbanner.com/file/d/0B2IWbmz35uC6Y1VnZ0lpVmd4eTg/edit?usp=sharing

    All the character references are correct.


    edit: All the individual reference weapons are updated, if you suspect you may be working off the wrong size, go redownload the now updated files.
  • Noth
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    Noth polycounter lvl 14
    Q: I'm seeing lots of crowded UVs in the comp so far that won't fair too well when scaled down for Lods. What resolution are the lod textures so we can recommend a number for edge padding?

    A: The best reference for edge padding can be found on the Polycount Wiki: http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Edge_padding

    You shouldn't have to worry about textures for the mips, they engine will handle that automatically. At 1024x1024, the distance between islands should be a minimum of 16px.
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