Dawn of War 1 Soulstorm - Best mod for graphics? Anybody know?

Started by Destraex, July 09, 2018, 12:34:26 AM

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Destraex

I have been going back and trying the older dawn of war games. I have to say I was not really that excited about DOW2 because of a number of things when I went back and tried it again;

So most still play DOW2 as DOW3 still.

Dow2 is:
* Graphically its still very nice
* Lots more customisation of the troops themselves
* Pop cap is tiny
* Interface is clunky and I find scrolling in general less smooth
* There are no buildings to build. So the tech tree feels very one dimensional
* The battles are less organised and more skirmish like because the AI loves to run into rear areas more. Lower pop cap means less ability to cover a front line. The battle ends up being one of you chasing your tail. That is, even more so than with Dow3. In Dow3 you can at least reach a point where you have a solid front line in most maps.

Overall I like DOW3 better than DOW2.

Now I am going waaay back to DOW1 Soulstorm. I want a mod that really just polishes up the old graphics to hopefully compare with either 2 or 3. Anybody got any suggestions?
"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

JasonPratt

Firestorm over Kronus, and DoWPro used to be the go-to mods. Currently Ultimate Apocalypse has that honor, but the mod has pushed things so far that it has become unstable for multiplayer in certain not-yet-well-defined circumstances.

Those aren't so much graphic mods as gameplay mods, but FoK and UltApoc (which uses assets from older mods including FoK if I recall correctly) do include extra graphics in the sense of more units and some standard units have been given a bit of an uptweak. UltApoc includes a ludicrous number of new units, not only up to and including Titans, but including whole faction/teams like the Tyrannids, Demons, and Demonhunters. (Those require some further modding of the UltApoc mod itself for inclusion.)

Personally I find the vanilla gfx to be perfectly fine, cranked up to the max, but naturally they look like figurines and not so much like what a 'real' ork or marine would look like.
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

Jarhead0331

The OOB and army lists for FOK are just ridiculously awesome. It includes dozens of space marine chapters, imperial guard regiments, elder craftworlds, etc. and the detail within each is impressive. For instance, the ultra marines have unique models for the first 10 companies, veterans, champions, etc. and the detail for each model is a 40k nerd's delight.

The graphics of DoW1 are definitely aging, but still good to be sure. Mods like FOK add details and flavor, but they still show the age of the game. It's unavoidable...

...and did I read that correctly? You like dow3 more than dow2? That is heresy. There are parts of the world where saying that can get you killed.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


MC

Quote from: Destraex on July 09, 2018, 12:34:26 AM
I have been going back and trying the older dawn of war games. I have to say I was not really that excited about DOW2 because of a number of things when I went back and tried it again;

So most still play DOW2 as DOW3 still.

Dow2 is:
* Graphically its still very nice
* Lots more customisation of the troops themselves
* Pop cap is tiny
* Interface is clunky and I find scrolling in general less smooth
* There are no buildings to build. So the tech tree feels very one dimensional
* The battles are less organised and more skirmish like because the AI loves to run into rear areas more. Lower pop cap means less ability to cover a front line. The battle ends up being one of you chasing your tail. That is, even more so than with Dow3. In Dow3 you can at least reach a point where you have a solid front line in most maps.

Overall I like DOW3 better than DOW2.


:knuppel2: :timeout: :pullhair: :hide:  <=== in that order!    :)

Destraex

Yes that was not a typo, I like DOW3 better than DOW2. When we feel the need to play a 40k FPS. We still tend to gravitate to DOW3. We turn off the orbital strike style global abilities, put on annihilation mode instead of power core mode. Download some of the many mod maps. Use the army painter and choose our ELITE units, which can also be turned off I believe.
We recently found a mod, dawn of war - rework 2 (which will not have any further development) that added all of the campaign units into the skirmish mode\multiplayer mode. So you get imperial guard and some other changes like being able to build terminators from base buildings and large ork squads.

I originally did not like the idea of DOW3 for several reasons and would still like them changed (however development has officially ceased):
* LOS was borked. Often units fire through terrain to make things simpler I guess.
* Less customisation due to the direction they took with regard to more units that are more specialised units and larger armies.
* More cartoonish graphics (but hey the graphics are sharp and 40k is bright and cartoonish on the tabletop).
* ELITE units that even though they are powerful do not completely negate the use of troops, even though the top tier elites can be devestating. 
* Hide pads and shield positions just seemed more like an arena pre-made to fight on than a battlefield. But again that is very 40k.
* Hated that you could not zoom in much.
* Only three factions, although I do not remember if DOW2 originally was only 3 factions as well.
* Close combat awareness sux. Still does. Often a close combat unit will engage with pistols at point blank or will not help at all if it has no ranged weapons.
* Stances for the men (dont shoot, shoot etc) are only their in part iirc
* No real undulations in terrain (all 40k games seem to be like this)
* Don't like the way all heros warp into any control points of your choice you own. But hey. Entirely possible with the tech in 40k.

But I do not take Warhammer seriously and so the things I like about dow3 are:
* Good army painter. DOW2s army painter was very very limited
* Large armies that feel like armies
* Blobbing can get you killed.
* I actually like my elites and doctrines
* Drop Pods for the marines are amazing, eldar portals are also good, ork transports (don't really play the orks).
* Doctrines are great fun to play with.
* Building bases anywhere on the field again where ever you want is great.
*  I love the imperial knights and seeing them in action
* The animations are amazing.
* I don't chase my tail as much in dow3 probably because the units a lot of the time tend to be able to take care of themselves.











"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

JasonPratt

The pre-rebellion setting is kind of unique, too. Most of the few such settings focus, naturally, on the Horus Heresy.
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

Cyrano

I:  I will not wade far into the versioning thing save to say that DoW I remains the best of the three in a walk for me.  I find III unimaginative and one of the bigger disappointments in gaming that I can recall.  The fact that it's now abandoned speaks volumes.

II:  Which of these mods would you say can be most readily installed in Steam?  Very interested to have a go.

Sergeant at Arms of La Fraternite des Boutons Carres

One mustachioed, cigar-chomping, bespectacled deity, entirely at your service.

You didn't know? My Corps has already sailed to Berlin. We got there 3 days ago and we've been in the Tiergarten on the piss ever since. -- Marshal Soult, October 1806

Jarhead0331

Quote from: JasonPratt on July 11, 2018, 07:32:41 AM
The pre-rebellion setting is kind of unique, too. Most of the few such settings focus, naturally, on the Horus Heresy.

Which game are you talking about? DOW III is not pre-Heresy.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Destraex

Quote from: Cyrano on July 11, 2018, 09:46:58 AM
I:  I will not wade far into the versioning thing save to say that DoW I remains the best of the three in a walk for me.  I find III unimaginative and one of the bigger disappointments in gaming that I can recall.  The fact that it's now abandoned speaks volumes.

II:  Which of these mods would you say can be most readily installed in Steam?  Very interested to have a go.

Sometimes the popularity contest does not determine the best.
"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

Cyrano

True, but, in this event I -- and my feet -- vote with them.
Sergeant at Arms of La Fraternite des Boutons Carres

One mustachioed, cigar-chomping, bespectacled deity, entirely at your service.

You didn't know? My Corps has already sailed to Berlin. We got there 3 days ago and we've been in the Tiergarten on the piss ever since. -- Marshal Soult, October 1806

JasonPratt

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 11, 2018, 10:07:28 AM
Quote from: JasonPratt on July 11, 2018, 07:32:41 AM
The pre-rebellion setting is kind of unique, too. Most of the few such settings focus, naturally, on the Horus Heresy.

Which game are you talking about? DOW III is not pre-Heresy.

Huh? Wow, I was sure I had read or heard that somewhere...  ??? In some detail, too.
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

JasonPratt

Quote from: Destraex on July 11, 2018, 10:16:18 AM
II:  Which of these mods would you say can be most readily installed in Steam?  Very interested to have a go.

I've only installed UltApoc since Steam functionality properly began. It isn't too hard if you follow the instructions, but it does have multiple parts to some extent.
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

JasonPratt

Quote from: JasonPratt on July 11, 2018, 02:30:03 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 11, 2018, 10:07:28 AM
Quote from: JasonPratt on July 11, 2018, 07:32:41 AM
The pre-rebellion setting is kind of unique, too. Most of the few such settings focus, naturally, on the Horus Heresy.

Which game are you talking about? DOW III is not pre-Heresy.

Huh? Wow, I was sure I had read or heard that somewhere...  ??? In some detail, too.

Well, okay, I must have been dreaming or something. The plot features characters from DoW1, 2, and various expansions, with references to various prior game stories.


Edited to add: crap, they even changed the canonical end of DoW1: Soulstorm! Originally (per DoW2 and expansions) the Imperial Guard won; now Gorgutz (the Ork leader) won. To be fair, the Impy win was only inferred from data in DoW2 not stated outright.
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!