[Mods] Mass Effect Races

from GalCiv3 Forums

Info

I wanted to get some experience at making races for Galactic Civ 3 so I made the following Mass Effect races:

  1. Asari
  2. Turian
  3. Salarian
  4. Krogan
  5. Batarian
  6. Quarian
  7. Geth
  8. Elcor
  9. Volus

You can get them here.

Currently they are very basic and use in game tech trees, models, colours, etc. They have unqiue starting systems and appropriate abilities/traits. I have tried to obscure their lore enough so they don't feel out of place in the game, and I have also changed the name of the Volus and Elcor factions, namely from "Vol Protectorate" to "Volus Protectorate" and from "Courts of Dekuuna" to "Elcor Courts", simply to make them more recognizable. And because I was unsure how to make a nomad faction, and did not like the idea of the Quarians settling on another world I chose to give them Rannoch while letting the Geth be on their stronghold at Haestrom.

Play if you like, I just felt like sharing. :)

 


Installation Instructions

In his post, Niedzielan gave these concise instructions, so I'll just give a quote:

Extract to Documents\My Games\GalCiv3\Mods using WinRAR, 7Zip, or other extracting tool.

Make sure mods are enabled in Options.

To enable mods for your game then go to your options menu, toggle it on, then restart your game.

Alternatively you can go to Documents\My Games\GalCiv3\Prefs.ini and edit "EnableMods=0" to "EnableMods=1".

 

 

Credits

And also I feel like I should probably give some customary credit to all the artists that I took art assets from to make this. Or at least just post the sources.

Naturally the Mass Effect franchise belongs to EA through Bioware.

Portraits are based off the foreground image.

All logos: http://engorn.deviantart.com/

Colour inspiration: https://forums.galciv3.com/463831

Asari background: http://gsjennsen.deviantart.com/

Asari foreground: Google led me to a Czech website, not sure who I should attribute that SC to.

Turian background: http://sorceress-nadira.deviantart.com/

Turian foreground: http://chicksaw2002.deviantart.com/

Salarian background: http://magitekarmor.tumblr.com/post/20051823707/surkesh-hi-res

Salarian foreground: http://chicksaw2002.deviantart.com/

Krogan background: http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/File:Tuchanka_-_synthesis.png

Krogan foreground: http://andrewryanart.deviantart.com/ 

Batarian background: In game art.

Batarian foreground: http://de.masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Datei:Batarianer.jpg 

Quarian background: http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/File:Rayya_garden_plaza.png

Quarian foreground: http://serayen.com/gallery.php?dir=/MassEffect2

Geth background: https://healingthemasses.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/progress-report-sales-stars-and-a-robotic-revival/

Geth foreground: http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/File:Legion%27s_posse.png 

Elcor background: http://lipatov.deviantart.com/

Elcor foreground: http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect/mods/18/? 

Volus background: http://www.vgfaq.com/mass-effect-3-irune-book-of-plenix-side-mission-walkthrough/

Volus foreground: http://chicksaw2002.deviantart.com/

 

146,288 views 33 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Awesome.

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Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Not familiar with Mass Effect, had to do a Google, but these custom races are going to make a fine addition to my game. Let the weekend begin, thank you.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Damn, you beat me by HOURS. Had to finish the Quarian ships.

Anyway, if I can get the factions working I'm sure I'll enjoy them!

 

EDIT: I think I'm going to try and specialise my mod. The conversion mod is fleshed out but it doesn't make sense as an integration. Yours is very realistic and good, but I'll have to make little tweaks to my own so nobody is outright competing/copying :3

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Where do the XML files go?

Also I made these races myself in GCII, including the Hanar. I lost a lot of my stuff though after reformatting my computer, including my warhammer 40,000, Endless Space and Sins of a Solar Empire races. Remember to back things up folks. :(

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx164/Evil_Emperor_Proteus/Races_zps0919060c2.png

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I am not familiar with Mass Effect either, however I will DL them and add them to my growing list of factions. 

 

Thank you very much for your hard work. I really appreciate it!

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Where do I unzip these files to so that they show up in game?  I unzipped to my documents, my games, Galciv3, factions folder but they they don't show in game.

 

I feel old.

Reply #8 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting JP193, reply 4

Damn, you beat me by HOURS. Had to finish the Quarian ships.

Anyway, if I can get the factions working I'm sure I'll enjoy them!

 

EDIT: I think I'm going to try and specialise my mod. The conversion mod is fleshed out but it doesn't make sense as an integration. Yours is very realistic and good, but I'll have to make little tweaks to my own so nobody is outright competing/copying :3

You can use my mod all you want. I'd love to see your new and improved Quarians! :D

Quoting Rhaegor, reply 7

Where do I unzip these files to so that they show up in game?  I unzipped to my documents, my games, Galciv3, factions folder but they they don't show in game.

 

I feel old.

I really should have added installation instructions, sorry about that. The installation instructions are in my post now. :)

Quoting Lord_Proteus, reply 5

Where do the XML files go?

Also I made these races myself in GCII, including the Hanar. I lost a lot of my stuff though after reformatting my computer, including my warhammer 40,000, Endless Space and Sins of a Solar Empire races. Remember to back things up folks. :(

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx164/Evil_Emperor_Proteus/Races_zps0919060c2.png

Do you have any suggestions regarding the Hanar and their logo? Maybe the Drell as well? I would love to add them, but I refrained from doing so due to the logo situation.

Also added installation instructions!

Reply #9 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Sorentoft, reply 8


Do you have any suggestions regarding the Hanar and their logo? Maybe the Drell as well? I would love to add them, but I refrained from doing so due to the logo situation.

Also added installation instructions!

 

I just used a Logo I had lying around all ready that I thought suited them. I don't remember which one, though, it was either a stock logo from the base game or one of many that were added by myself.

 

I'm in the middle of making the Hanar myself, but having to find a picture for their interaction screen has added an extra layer of complexity to making races in GCIII. Do you know how I can add transparency to an image using only MSPaint? I tried to add a Breen(from Star Trek) but transparency is apparently lost when the image is saved, so now I have a Breen standing on a bright white background. Perhaps I should just add a background to the image itself...

Reply #10 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Thanks...what a community...have close to 100 factions now, including angry army!

:O

 

 

 

 

Reply #12 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Lord_Proteus, reply 9


Quoting Sorentoft,
reply 8


Do you have any suggestions regarding the Hanar and their logo? Maybe the Drell as well? I would love to add them, but I refrained from doing so due to the logo situation.

Also added installation instructions!



 

I just used a Logo I had lying around all ready that I thought suited them. I don't remember which one, though, it was either a stock logo from the base game or one of many that were added by myself.

 

I'm in the middle of making the Hanar myself, but having to find a picture for their interaction screen has added an extra layer of complexity to making races in GCIII. Do you know how I can add transparency to an image using only MSPaint? I tried to add a Breen(from Star Trek) but transparency is apparently lost when the image is saved, so now I have a Breen standing on a bright white background. Perhaps I should just add a background to the image itself...

Do post the Hanar when you finish them. Blasto should totally be leading them. :p

As for transparency, try to download paint.net, link here: http://www.getpaint.net/index.html

It is a free and good program. Basically you just need to delete the background layer and you're good to go. And if you got the bright white background already, then you can just do the wizard select + delete and you're done. :)

Reply #13 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Giving the Hanar pic I was using a Transparency job is proving very tedius and time-consuming, mainly because of the tentacles and the silvery sheen of their bodies combined with the illumination of the background making it hard to see where their actual body outlines ends and the glow of the background begins.

 

here is the portrait I used in GCII, though.

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx164/Evil_Emperor_Proteus/hanar.png

Reply #14 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Lord_Proteus, reply 13

Giving the Hanar pic I was using a Transparency job is proving very tedius and time-consuming, mainly because of the tentacles and the silvery sheen of their bodies combined with the illumination of the background making it hard to see where their actual body outlines ends and the glow of the background begins.

 

here is the portrait I used in GCII, though.

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx164/Evil_Emperor_Proteus/hanar.png

Try it with this one:

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Hanar-Reference-213187574

Reply #15 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Hey, now mods are working for me I see I really like yours! I'm not doing the Elcor or Batarians, so when my mod for Quarian and Turian ship styles (or maybe just factions) I'll leave a link to here so people can have both race sets and mix and match them :3

The Batarians are the best I've seen, I like their species already but other people's attempts at them have had like... Blue and purple colour schemes or nonsensical faction traits.

Reply #16 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Sorentoft, reply 14


Quoting Lord_Proteus,
reply 13

Giving the Hanar pic I was using a Transparency job is proving very tedius and time-consuming, mainly because of the tentacles and the silvery sheen of their bodies combined with the illumination of the background making it hard to see where their actual body outlines ends and the glow of the background begins.

 

here is the portrait I used in GCII, though.

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx164/Evil_Emperor_Proteus/hanar.png



Try it with this one:

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Hanar-Reference-213187574

 

I dunno, the Hanar would be facing sideways during Diplomatic negotiations.

Reply #17 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting JP193, reply 15

Hey, now mods are working for me I see I really like yours! I'm not doing the Elcor or Batarians, so when my mod for Quarian and Turian ship styles (or maybe just factions) I'll leave a link to here so people can have both race sets and mix and match them :3

The Batarians are the best I've seen, I like their species already but other people's attempts at them have had like... Blue and purple colour schemes or nonsensical faction traits.

I'm glad you like it. I look forward to seeing what you do with the Turians and the Quarians. Especially the ship design, I am so bad at that. :D

 

Quoting Lord_Proteus, reply 16


Quoting Sorentoft,
reply 14






Quoting Lord_Proteus,

reply 13


Giving the Hanar pic I was using a Transparency job is proving very tedius and time-consuming, mainly because of the tentacles and the silvery sheen of their bodies combined with the illumination of the background making it hard to see where their actual body outlines ends and the glow of the background begins.

 

here is the portrait I used in GCII, though.

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx164/Evil_Emperor_Proteus/hanar.png



Try it with this one:

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Hanar-Reference-213187574



 

I dunno, the Hanar would be facing sideways during Diplomatic negotiations.

Hmh, that's true. If all else fails you can always just use this picture of Blasto.

 

http://imgur.com/MrziFa6

Reply #19 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Thanks for the Hanar!   But...oh MY!!!  I only have 93 factions now?!   What to do?

 

Guess I could work on making a few myself, I suppose.  But GIMP is a problem...I have to LEARN something.  Ouchies.... 8(|

 

 

Reply #20 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I think might give the Collectors, Yahg, Protheans and Reapers a try at some point, if someone else doesn't do it before me. I'm also trying to come up with some crossover lore regarding all these races place in a fictional setting where they all exist together. Like in the Hanar background info, I say their religious philosophy has grown to include any ancient proginator races known to have uplifted, aided or nurtured younger races during their evolution, including The Old Ones from Warhammer 40,000 and Preservers from Star Trek.

Reply #21 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Collectors are done for me. Reapers only planned.

But at the moment they're only factions, no custom ships/styles, no unique map or UI colours e.t.c.

Reply #22 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Looks interesting, I'll check it out.

Reply #23 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Zomg! I totally been wanting a mod like this. Thanks.  Love you long time.  B)

 

May I suggest using something like dreadlords for Reapers. And something like Admiral Hackett commanding the Terran Alliance :D :beer:

 

I don't know how much you want to get into modding besides making custom races, so I'll just leave it there.  Custom tech trees could take long time.  Plus balancing. meh. 

 

Awesome! thanks again for doing this.

Reply #24 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

One question though, why are they mods and not factions? 

Reply #25 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Lord_Proteus, reply 18

Here's my Hanar Illuminated Primacy thus far. No custom background or ships, though, used a generic logo. If you or anyone can improve them then go ahead.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kmx72l8bhto7g9y/Hanar%20Illuminated%20Primacy.rar?dl=0
 

Well done. :)

Quoting Supreme, reply 24

One question though, why are they mods and not factions? 

It gives me more freedom when they are mods. I can, for example, make the entire system where their homeworld is.