Custom AI characters

[MirceaKitsune]

I was wondering if to make a thread on this and decided it's worth it in the end. TDM provides most assets you need to make good stories in any medieval / steampunk setup. However I often feel it could use even more diverse characters, especially monsters and why not more unique styles of humans?

So I was wondering: Are there any custom character sets made by third parties, which aren't included in vanilla TDM but are available as a pk4 one can include with their FM (granted licensing also allows)? Feel free to include not just unique models, but skins and voice sets for existing ones too... WIP's you're working on are fine also! I'm just curious to see more character models and unique things that aren't available by default, which are a good indicator on what kinds of stories and ideas you can attempt with TDM today.

The last custom AI I'm aware of was the automaton (steampunk robot person): It was created for a famous FM, and now I'm seeing it too was included in vanilla so yay!

[Dragofer]

There are quite a few customised AIs around, i.e. in Hare in the Snare Pt.1 and ERH+'s submarine WIP. Maybe those who are interested could identify and list them all in one place. Then if the author grants permission they could be extracted as a standalone package and put up for download. If they seem generally useful to other mappers they could be included in core TDM - that was the process for Sotha's automatons.

[stgatilov]

3 minutes ago, Dragofer said:

If they seem generally useful to other mappers they could be included in core TDM - that was the process for Sotha's automatons.

Same for @kingsal's manbeasts, I suppose.

[MirceaKitsune]

1 hour ago, Dragofer said:

There are quite a few customised AIs around, i.e. in Hare in the Snare Pt.1 and ERH+'s submarine WIP. Maybe those who are interested could identify and list them all in one place. Then if the author grants permission they could be extracted as a standalone package and put up for download. If they seem generally useful to other mappers they could be included in core TDM - that was the process for Sotha's automatons.

That sounds fun, I should keep them in mind! A submarine mission in TDM... that would be quite a thing to see

  

1 hour ago, stgatilov said:

Same for @kingsal's manbeasts, I suppose.

Yes, those are thankfully included in vanilla now. Already using both the manbeast and werebeast in my new FM, albeit the later still needs proper animations (hopefully 2.10 will further improve on that). I remember playing the mission containing the manbeast before it became an official asset, it was a fun one!

[Zerg Rush]

Different persons can easily made with Makehuman (FOSS with a lot of plug ins) and imported to, f.Exmpl. Blender or other 3D app.  They give a standart figur only need to ajust gender, race, ages , height, expression, clothes and all other parameters.

[Springheel]

Making character models is the (relatively) easy part of the process.  Weighting verts to the existing skeleton is the hard part (assuming you want the character to move).

 

[Zerg Rush]

1 hour ago, Springheel said:

Making character models is the (relatively) easy part of the process.  Weighting verts to the existing skeleton is the hard part (assuming you want the character to move).

 

I imagine animation is the trickiest part. There is also another application, Mixamo (Adobe), it has a lot of characters but you can upload own ones and animate them easily, Maybe this can help

Need registry (Adobe ID) but is free

 

[MirceaKitsune]

6 hours ago, Springheel said:

Making character models is the (relatively) easy part of the process.  Weighting verts to the existing skeleton is the hard part (assuming you want the character to move).

 

I would say it's tricky but not that tricky in the end. I rigged characters for a few game engines in the past, including one set for TDM. The easiest way is to T pose the original mesh to fit over the TDM human character skeleton, parent with automatic weights, then test and correct if you see any vertex spikes or incorrect limb bending.