The High Resolution Graphics Mod V2.0 for Twilight of the Arnor

Available Now!

Published on June 29, 2008 By LogicSequence In Galactic Civilizations II

I am very pleased to announce that the High Resolution Graphics Mod V2.0 for Twilight of the Arnor (download) has finally arrived! Yes, the long wait is finally over! HRGM2 is the sequel to one of the most popular mods for Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar ever made! HRGM2 is designed to outshine and outperform HRGM 1.2 in every way. The basic premise of HRGM2 is the same as that of it's predicessor, to enrich and enhance the graphical experience of Galactic Civilizations with richly detailed high resolution graphics and textures, styled in the same visual theme as the game itself. HRGM2 does this like never before!

Sample Screenshots:

With over 230 graphics and texture files, almost double the amount in the previous version, and several new and exciting features, HRGM2 is set to be a worthy successor to HRGM, and to become one of the most popular mods for Twilight of the Arnor! Almost 6 months in the making, HRGM2 is one of the most stunning graphical enhancements made for Twilight of the Arnor. You won't see unpolished edges, loud obnoxious graphics, or textures that seem like they were made for something else. HRGM2 was designed specifically to fit the visual theme of the game, by someone who actually worked on the game! Yours Truly.

Having designed most of the planetary textures for Twilight of the Arnor, i was in a unique position to create a graphical mod that would bring you high resolution versions of the textures made for the game, as well as all-new content not available in Twilight of the Arnor! When i tell you this mod is loaded with eye candy, it's no exaggeration.

The High Resolution Graphics Mod V2.0 for Twilight of the Arnor does the following:
> Enhances the textures for all the races' homeworlds.
> Adds new high resolution textures for secondary habitable planets in home star systems.
> Adds new and completely unique high resolution textures to all of the planets in home star systems.
> Replaces all Class 0 planet textures with high resolution versions, and adds over 100% more Class 0 planet textures!
> Replaces planetary ring and moon textures with new and original high resolution versions.
> Replaces planetary cloud textures with new and original high resolution versions.
> Replaces all nebula backgrounds with brand new, original high-res versions.
> Enhances the animated and static star graphics.
> Adds colored star light from different colored stars.
> Replaces various menu backgrounds in the game with easier-to-read versions.
> Changes the default UI and race color settings for each race to make them more distinguishable on the mini-map.
> Replaces the default Twilight planet textures with their high resolution versions.
> Adds many new and original planet textures only available in this mod.
> Nearly DOUBLE the amount of textures from HRGM v1.2!
> Textures optimized to take up the least amount of memory possible!

Now, enough with the introduction, what are you waiting for? Go and download!

EXTRA SCREENSHOTS:

View the entire gallery here.

FAQ:

Q: How do I install the mod?

A: Follow the download links to the Download section of I-Mod Productions, where the mod is hosted. Download the file. Unzip the contents to your desktop or a temporary directory. Double-click the unzipped HRGMod2.0_Setup.exe file and follow the on-screen instructions.

Q: Is HRGM2 metaverse compatible?

A: YES! There is an option in the installer to choose a metaverse-compatible version of the mod. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of the mod, if you choose the metaverse compatible version, YOU WILL NOT be receiving the FULL mod, but only the parts of the mod that will work with metaverse! To install the full mod and enjoy the best experience possible, you should choose to install the full version.

Q: Can i install both the full version of the mod AND the metaverse-compatible version?

A: Yes.

Q: In the mod description, it says that you included new race color schemes, as in the UI color, ship colors, easier-to-read mini map colors, etc.. But i don't see any of that. What's wrong?

A: You will need to delete your race config files in ...\My Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor in order to see these changes.

Q: The mod doesn't seem to be working right! What's wrong?

A: Try going to ...\My Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor and deleting or renaming your prefs.ini file and see if that doesn't solve your problem.

Q: I don't have a high resolution monitor, so this mod is worthless to me right?

A: ABSOLUTELY NOT! The resolution of your monitor has nothing to do with the high resolution textures in this mod. You can use this mod with almost any monitor resolution.

Q: Won't this mod take up a lot of memory and slow down the game?

A: It will take up more memory than a default game yes, and it may even slow down the game on older computers. However it is a trade-off for better graphics. I have had no problems with games up to gigantic in size. However it is possible you may run into problems with immense galaxies in the late game.

LINKS:

DOWNLOAD

GALLERY

I-MOD FORUM THREAD

GALCIV II LIBRARY ENTRY

Comments (Page 1)

kryo

on Jun 29, 2008

DethAdder said:
Thank You LogicSequence. I enjoyed the one for DA even though I could only use it for smaller maps on my old rig. Still the slowdown was worth it and I look forward to trying out the new TA version

.

(Thread had to be reposted, sorry)

drish311

on Jun 29, 2008

Logic,

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

skywalkr2

on Jun 29, 2008

How bad is the slowdown usually? Can it be turned on/off?

LogicSequence

on Jun 29, 2008

How bad is the slowdown usually? Can it be turned on/off?

Any mod can be turned on/off.

If your computer isn't that old, you shouldn't notice much of anything different. If your computer is pretty old, you may notice it slow down a bit.

Don't let this stop you from trying out the mod! 90% of players won't notice any speed problems at all.

DethAdder

on Jun 29, 2008

Sorry, I didn't want to give the impression that the mod caused major slowdown for any current systems. I am running an Athlon XP3000, 1.5GB PC-2100 and a GeForce 6800. So it is purely my old machine that is the reason for the slowdown, I get it without the mod regularly on larger galaxies anyways.

Zyxpsilon

on Jun 30, 2008

It may not slow down but it sure is using lotsa memory though, even when only swapped. I'd say that 95% of players shouldn't experience any difficulties - IF they can loadup the genuine TA main prog, they'd be able to lock up the extra graphics smoothly.

What i find strange though is that you(LS) are going the high enhancing ways while i actually converted all my XW-Planets to some lower-res_32k (or 64k from 16m) files (3 MBS worth saved to make room for the DA_Raws) and i can't really see any noticeable loss of quality unless zoomed to maximum - and even then, the pixels are "blurry" enough to compensate & showing through quite nicely under the regular clouds.

...You won't see unpolished edges, loud obnoxious graphics, or textures that seem like they were made for something else.

Anyone in particular, you're targeting with this comment? I don't feel called for by it at all, but it's one thing to compare your best work with something else and yet another to admit that maximized huge 2048x1024 would NOT be any more focused on a PC monitor if it were zoomed beyond what GC2 can mustard resolution wise. I beg to differ... 512x256, to me are (somehow) plenty enough - but, i do have a simple 16" SyncMaster 750s only to appreciate this game. And, a NVidia 6200GS_AGP also.

Surfaces though - we're talkin'. It matters much since the tiles & buildings must show up above that key layer. I had to change the all white Poor_7 for example. And, since the UV-spheres images are now used to deploy that one too... what should i do with the Thunderbirds-2, may i ask?

Then, another question if you don't mind... what if anything is actually responsible for the mix-match flaw of terrain type names & tiles recognition for Query tagging?

Right now, i'm trying to Raw up the whole set of 39 Homeworlds and it is extremely frustrating to still have to color-def-tresh some surfaces to show as they should and endure the Prairies as *false* Mountains & what else.

So i'll ask you - once more only. Can you help? With the principles of TerrainColorSchemes and Grey-Scale variations for both DA & TA?
Or bother someone enough at SD to fix the override calls that fails up the planets so bad, it doesn't matter anymore that they'd be splendid and BIGGER when silly tiles aren't named accordingly.

Great work, anyway.

LogicSequence

on Jun 30, 2008

As i said, it will use more memory, this is a high res graphics mod Zyxpsilon. And, also, if you had read the post in it's entirety, your would have noticed that all the textures are optimized to take up the least amount of memory possible (not that matters much, because once the textures are converted to memory for use in the game, they're all 32 bit anyways

). And to clarify, many of the textures are 16K - 256 color.

If you don't see any use for the mod Zyxpsilon, don't download it, i'm not forcing it on you. Personally, for someone with a small monitor and low end graphics card, you may not see much benefit from the mod. But the point is, MANY MANY people will. And you don't have to have a high res monitor to see the difference. To be honest, if you're not seeing a difference in quality, then you're not looking very carefully.

Now, please... stop being paranoid and thinking i'm talking about you. This is my mod's release thread, do you really think i spent the afternoon writing it to get in a jab at you? No.

And finally. Lets see, you're trolling my mod's thread on the day of it's release, and attacking the very usefulness of the mod in the first place, and THEN you expect me to help you and answer your questions??? How about not.

Good luck, anyway.

pndrev

on Jun 30, 2008

What exactly are the differences between the MV and the FULL version?

LogicSequence

on Jun 30, 2008

What exactly are the differences between the MV and the FULL version?

Well, to make it metaverse compatible, no XML data can be changed. So any planets defined in customplanets.xml by the mod won't be in the MV version. Basically that's ever other planet in the races' home star systems. All of the additional content (extra planet textures, more C0 textures, etc...) won't be in the MV version. Only file replacements can be shown in MV mode, no file additions. So all of the extra content is a no-no for MV.

Basically about half the mod is stripped.

Haoh

on Jun 30, 2008

Screenshots look beautiful. will definitely give it a go when I have a computer that can handle it.

drish311

on Jun 30, 2008

Logic,

Just had to thank you once again after playing a night with your mod.

I have a Quad-Core 2.4 with a 8800 GT and 2 gigs of RAM and the mod adds a tremendous amount of beauty to the game. (I play everything ultra high, 1680x1050 res, high AA) The results are very noticeable from what I can see.

It takes the gameplay experience up a notch for me. The added clarity, detail, and breadth of art make it a must have for anyone with a decent computer.

In the installation instructions, thank you for included recommended video settings such as ambient light, etc. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for other settings such as the detail zoom level, which I have been playing around with forever.

Regards.

Zyxpsilon

on Jun 30, 2008

Now, please... stop being paranoid and thinking i'm talking about you. This is my mod's release thread, do you really think i spent the afternoon writing it to get in a jab at you? No.

And finally. Lets see, you're trolling my mod's thread on the day of it's release, and attacking the very usefulness of the mod in the first place, and THEN you expect me to help you and answer your questions??? How about not.

Well, i think i deserved it! Sorry, for the confusion since i may have come across a bit too critical about a few things.

Btw, i wasn't really trolling your thread - i was (and asked many times before - read the other locations if you must, posts are still unanswered) after some kind of help with a few details about SD texturing principles and used the opportunity of the HR2.0 release to gain your attention at the Query_NameTags flaw. Where else could have i get you to read about my concerns?
Modding section?
How about the 'Custom Planets' thread where i suggested the extreme colonization framework for four more terraforming options?
DID you actually care enough about some of that to actually share your thoughts?
Nope.
And, that's what i get from it all.
We --all-- do our own stuff... and nobody should bash it up in these forums unless for a good reason.

And, far from being Paranoid, i believe YOU wrote that comment about other's work - cope with the consequences. Secondly, it's not the usefulness i was attacking (again, matter of perception) - it IS the bytes file count.

So, all is good & nice overhere. Life goes on.

It's now... back to serious & more important things; like, uploading X-Worlds 05-F with the newly (fragile but somehow balanced) added TerrainColorSchemes and much Lower-Res planets. Just the BAT moon is pretty slick stuff, my friend.

One thing to be said last though. Your mod ups the slant for us - we all must adhere to your standards - so thanks anyway.

Oh, and how about **YES!*.

See ya.

ProfXYZ

on Jun 30, 2008

Yay, it`s Monday,

Ok I`m just now D/L the .96 TA files and this Mod is compatable. Right?

Good.

Next, great to see this Mod, the DA version was Awsum.

Next, is there a path to these files starting from Impulse?

Uh, other than Forums, Logics thread, Imods webpage?

Well I just finished Logic`s download so I`m off to install.

Thankx,

Prof.

ProfXYZ

on Jul 01, 2008

Yay, It`s Tuesday.

Well, I ran into the TA .96 bug yesterday, in the aftermath, I completely
uninstalled the full Gal Civ 2 games list, then reinstalled them thru Impulse.

I think the .96 ship fix patch works.

Now to the hard stuff, Logic`s HRGM2 setup looks for a Stardock Games/TotalGaming/Twilight path
to place his mod folder+files.

Well Impulse is putting the Gal Civ 2 games in a Stardock Games/GalCiv2 folder which
makes the mod hard to find when the game is run.

I broused over to the new Stardock Games/GalCiv2/Twilight/ folder to install HRGM2 and had noprob.
finding the mod in the game.

Thankx Logic,

Prof.

Neilo

on Nov 09, 2008

Awesome...simply awesome!

And to inlcude an MV version as well.....Karma for you my friend!

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