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Zulu Total War Update Thread
Tom516


Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 136
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Hello everyone,

I'm part of a small team of gaming enthusiasts who are making a game on South African history from the British take-over of the Cape in 1806, through events like the Mfecane, Great Trek, Cape Frontier Wars, Anglo-Zulu War and 1st Anglo-Boer War to the last African uprisings before the 2nd Anglo-Boer War (campaign ends in 1896). I'll post screenshots and updates for everyone's enjoyment and comments (most welcome!)

I wasn't really sure where to put this - it's not TV or Book but I thought this would be the place for media so here it is.

Here's a WIP (work in progress) shot of our model of Lt.Melvill...

http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/1921/melvilleclose5xi.png

Again please remember this particular one is a WIP.

Here's the Naval Brigade (again a WIP shot) celebrating a victory

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/8938/navalbrigadeseestheenemyoff4oc.jpg

Some Zulu veterans of Isandhlwana over-run a Naval Brigade unit...

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7699/wearetheboysfromisandhlwana24m.jpg

The Rifle Brigade march forward during the Zwartkoppies campaign of the 1840's

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/1218/riflebrigademarching0bd.jpg

and run into a Boer ambush!

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/91/riflebrigadeambushed9xd.jpg

I'll update this thread periodically. Please feel free to post any comments, questions or corrections!

Cheers,
Tom "Harlechman"
Zulu Total War Team for Rome Total War: The Barbarian Invasion
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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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Looking good! As a "gamer" beyond redemption and a student of the AZW, I'm already a fan. Has anyone aired the suggestion that "Red War" would be more appropriate than "Total War"?
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Dawn


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 610
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Tom
I'm not a gamer but find the images interesting. I'm sure someone is going to point out that the colours that Melvill carried were cased and therefore would not be carried the way you have him portrayed. The case was held across his saddle and proved a hinderance on his way down Fugitives' Drift. However, this kind of imagery probably doesn't work as well for a game and maybe we can allow you some latitude.

Keep up the hard work.

Dawn
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ralph dyer


Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 51
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hi tom,
i like it and, will watch with interest your progress. i wish you the best of luck,

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Ralph
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cased colours
Tom516


Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 136
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Yes actually they were - I was hoping to go for a compromise of having them half-furled like on some model figures and it might still be possible. However the figure in question, while based on Melvill, isn't always necessarily Melvill but will be part of a unit tentatively called Late Mounted Regimental Staff (Late refers to the time period Napoleonic 1806-1816, Early 1817-1835, Middle 1836-1869, Late 1870-1885, Advanced 1886-1896) and he'll be carrying what's apparently the HQ flag (okay yeah it's a game compromise). For the purposes of the Fugitives' Drift scenario however (and he actually is based on) Lt.Melvill. The thing is every unit should be usable (and buildable) within the campaign game as well even if they are based on certain personalities.

The 'total war' part is well, pretty necessary as we are modifying the Total War game series (Shogun Total War, Medieval Total War, Rome Total War) - actually it is a bit of a misnomer as we are covering not just the Zulu but tribes like the Ngwane/Swati, Tlokwa, Hlubi, Pedi, Ndwandwe, Rolong, Venda, etc. and European colonial powers aside from the British (Portugal and Boer/Batavia) - however the centerpiece IS the rise of the Zulu empire under Shaka from around the Napoleonic Wars era to the Dinizulu and Matabele risings.

by the way - what IS the difference between Matabele and Ndebele? Are they different at all? Who came from who if ever (like the Swati came from migrant Ngwane IIRC).

Thanks very much,
Tom (Harlechman)
Zulu Total War Team, RTW
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Since watching Time Commanders and Battlefield Britain, with historic battles covered in computer strategy simulations, I've been interested in knowing if there would ever be simulations of the Zulu War battles.

In the above programmes, images of what seemed thousands of figures involved on the screen, made fascinating viewing.

I started a topic last year, wondering if Time Commanders, or a programme like it, may ever have a Zulu War special, covering Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, etc.

I even wrote to the BBC to ask. Never got a reply though.

Anyway, the knowledge that incidents from the AZW are being considered and developed for a computer simulation, is absolutely brilliant.

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Peter
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Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 80
Location: Hertford, UK
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Hi Tom,

Looks like the game is coming along a treat! For our part, I'd be more than happy to add another forum to support the game - Would be a good area for general discussion, debate etc related to the Total War version you're working on.. Just let me know and it'll be done! Smile

All the best,

Peter
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Time Commanders
Tom516


Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 136
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Hi guys,

Interesting you should mention Time Commanders - it uses the Total War engine actually and what you're seeing there IS the 'vanilla' (i.e.. original) Rome Total War game featuring the ancient battles.

There have been plans for modifications of other periods - my first effort was actually for the Lace wars period but I didn't have a modeller so that pretty much ground to a halt. Looking back it's a blessing in disguise - the next game they're planning to come out with will be a much better vehicle for it. At that time a fellow modder who was also a modeller was doing a West African tribal mod w/c didn't really get going. I saw he was interested in a mod on Africa and I thought of a compromise of sorts - I had been planning a mod on the AZW of 1879 for a year but for an earlier game engine, Medieval Total War (featuring the period around 800-1500 in Europe) but it never got off the ground because of the difficulty in modelling the soldiers. Luckily Rome TW is much much easier to model since the soldiers are now fully 3D with skin textures - which is my forte - and so we got together and decided to start the AZW mod. As it went along we decided to expand it from the rise of Shaka and that meant we had to research the other tribes and the whole of SA history. It's been an adventure in learning to say the least.

Wow Peter, that's more than I could ever hope for Very Happy If you think it's a good idea it would be nice though probably it could be a general gaming forum as our mod's just one of several AZW games out there, not to mention boardgaming or miniatures. Actually most questions can be posted and answered in the respective forums here, mostly uniform or personality details. However I would like to share details like building construction sequences and other game related stuff from time to time so it might be tidier too.

By the way, along with Fugitives' Drift I've been researching Ntombe/Myers' Drift for release only among the immediate group members. I'm not too sure though about the relative locations in Natal/Transvaal of the various locations mentioned, Derby, Luneberg and the battle site itself. Also I heard that the wagons were not laagered but in a V shap with their backs to the river and a pair of wagons were on the other side. Just want to know if I got that right.

Thanks,
Tom "Harlechman"
Zulu Total War Team, RTW
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Dawn


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 610
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Tom
You are correct. The wagons were not laagered in the traditional way but in an inverted V with the legs in the river. Two wagons remained on the other side. The river water rose and then receded again so the wagons were now open to attack from the river bank.

It was another disaster for the British forces, again through not making a proper laager.

Dawn
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Ah good!
Tom516


Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 136
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Thanks Dawn,

Glad to know I've found good research material on Ntombe finally. This is one that's small enough to 'play around with' as we get the Fugitives' Drift units modelled and textured and put the essential game systems in place.

By the way, Peter, perhaps this particular thread could also be transferred to the Games section?

Just a thought,
Tom "Harlechman"
Zulu Total War Team, RTW
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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1530
Location: Wales
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Tom,
no sooner than suggested, than done.

Alan
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Michael Boyle


Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 595
Location: Bucks County,PA,US
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Tom,

Great idea, I for one was crushed when Twilyt went belly up and am looking forward to your project! (Should you need any beta testers I'll volunteer to put it through it's paces. I managed to conquer Scandinavia in Viking Invasion and crashed the game!)

A few unsolicited thoughts though. Game balance will of course be key, as Total War doesn't have a "hit the dirt" option for the AI it will be difficult to keep the Zulus from over-running the British firing line as one of the most important modifiers is of course Zulu speed. That may be tough to address. You mentioned mod'ing the bow and arrow to firearms, couldn't you mod Medieval Total War easier as firearms are part of that one? Maxing total troop count could be a platform problem for some so perhaps you could incorporate regenerating as well as reinforcement squares to simulate the Zulu numerical advantage. Getting the terrain and weather as close as possible to the time would great. Allowing for British reinforcement from the rest of 3 Column (we could pretend Lord Chelmsford took Lt. Col. Pulleine seriously!) would go a long way toward allowing us to play with unanswered questions as well.

Here's a couple of sites with rules and modifiers if you haven't checked them out yet:

http://www.miniaturewargaming.com/index.php/mwg/comments/the_great_game_rules/

http://www.jimwallman.org.uk/wargame/FRF.pdf

Best

Michael
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ZTW_julian


Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 11
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Michael Boyle wrote:


couldn't you mod Medieval Total War easier as firearms are part of that one?


It's funny you should say that actually. We did not want to move back a platform because we like to harness the improved graphics of the Rome: Total War engine. However, the next total war game has just been announced with improved graphics and better computer AI and it is a revisit to the medieval period. This seems to fit better for us because it already has firearms and other features and we are debating whether to make ANOTHER Zulu mod for that game also or whether to move to a different period.

We won't halt the progress of the current modification though so don't worry. It just means now we have a deadline to release our mod before the next total war game comes out.

Check out how good the next total war game looks here
http://media.pc.ign.com/media/800/800327/imgs_1.html

Also this could mean another series of Time Commanders...
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steps backward and forward
Tom516


Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 136
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Actually MTW does have a lot of nice little bits that I sorely miss - however RTW Barbarian Invasion surprisingly features some very important things like the ability to 'horde' (a faction does not get eliminated when it loses its last territory but becomes a 'horde' - which fits the Mfecane to a tee!) not to mention the actual 3d strategic movement (no more area movement!) so you can choose your ground. But the biggest reason I'm afraid we'll not see a ZTW for MTW is its a royal bleeding pain making the soldiers. I slaved for almost a year on a British redcoat and it still looked like Mr PacMan after I was done. MTW still uses old style 'cell-animation' type graphics but RTW is true 3d which makes it tons easier to work with and modify.

I'm still trying to get the 'fire arrow' morale modifier into the crossbow types (w/c is what we're using as its handling and firing characteristics approximate a rifle or musket the closest) - this modifier lowers the morale of the unit being fired upon and I'd really like fire weapons to be more frightening than deadly to some degree. For big battles - and even for smaller ones to give a sense of uncertainty and balance both sides - a good portion of the Zulu army will arrive as reinforcements. On the strategic map our 'armies' scale will be one brigade (or in AZW terms a column) for the Euros and one African 'regiment' for the African tribal factions. As much as possible we hope to give plenty of individuality to units - the Zulus will have 'core troops' which will model the shields of the individual regiments like uThulwana or nGobamakhosi while the British will have certain specific regiments like the 24th, 93rd, 74th which served in South Africa at numerous times as set reinforcements (historic scheduled arrival, cannot be recruited) and they will feature accurate facings, dress and, for the Guards (available only as a special reinforcement since they never historically served in SA till the 2nd Anglo-Boer War), Highlanders and the 24th, a marching band (he is a proper gentleman and he lets us have a choir!) which (hopefully) will play appropriate tunes like British Grenadiers, Cock O' the North, Warwickshire Lads (and perhaps Men of Harlech too?)

I'm also planning - worse comes to worse and we don't get to release the actual campaign game before MTW2 comes out - varied historical battles including what-ifs like having the Zulus hit the Isandhlwana camp before Chelmsford moves out, having the Zulus oppose the Rorke's Drift crossing in force, but again that's all in the planning stage at this point.

So keep watching this space and don't be shy with the suggestions and comments!

Best wishes all,

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Tom "Harlechman"
Zulu Total War Team,
a Rome TW: BI mod.
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Zulu Total War Update Thread
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