Blogs - GreenScorpion

It has been a long time since I last actively showed my presence around here. Many things changed in the meantime. Lets quickly summarized what happened in 2019

1. I changed job which caused me to change country as well (greetings from Ireland :) )
2. The country change didn't go well with continuing my game project, as most of my stuff still remains in Portugal, so that is currently on hold
3. I had writing project I was doing on the side which ended turning into something serious

It is because of the of the 3rd point that I decided to write this blog.

I had thought about writing a story about a Captain from humble origins in a sci-fi universe for some time and at the end of 2018 I started taking some notes and writing some stuff in between other activities. As I moved to Ireland and had very limited resources available to fill my spare time and especially while taking long bus travels to go to work (I have no car in Ireland and buses are very slow and often delayed), the book started to move at a more constant rate, with chapter after chapter being written with what was often imagination driven by tedious travels :)

Now it reached fruition and my first published book is now available in ebook format (paper version to come afterwards). For those interested, here is the link to the kindle ebook:
Read.amazon.co.uk

Life changes more often than we usually expect, but we can still make use of those things to build something new, always remember that :)

It has been a while since my last blog so I decided to write a new one, focusing mostly on the future.

As some of you may know, my focus will now shift to the development of my first complete rts game.
It is a big project and something that will give me lots of headaches but that is what makes it fun: the challenge :)

The plan is to start with some concept art to serve as a base for later 3d work and possibly to allow the initial setup of the game's page on indiedb and/or similar websites. My background is mostly related with technical drawing, not artistic drawing, so I foresee a few challenges on this department but hopefully I will become a better artistic throughout the procedure.
With that in mind, I am currently searching for realistic medieval/medieval fantasy photographic reference so if you by any chance know websites related with people who re-enacting of medieval things or from cosplayers with a sense of realism in terms of clothing/armour be sure to let me know, it would be very helpful.

This profile will keep being my display on WIP stuff, so if all goes well I expect to see you all in the media section over the next months ;)

Find me on youtube here:
Youtube.com

Find me on patreon at this location:
Patreon.com

(alternatively you can use my paypal if you want to contribute financially paypal.me/GreenScorpionDevelop )

My Renegade concepts became so varied that their previous implementation as part of the Chaos race was actually limiting some of the ideas for the group as a whole so I decided to make them a separate race in Veteran Mod and thus the Lost and the Damned race was born.

The race is an early WIP and is still using unmodified Imperial Guard buildings (something which will change in the future) but it utilizes the concepts already developed and some new concepts recently added.

One of the new units is a renegade unit composed of only females which is currently under the codename "devotees" and represents an heavy infantry concept for the race. Their ingame name should be Renegade Pillagers and their close combat attacks will provide an increase on resource income (likely requisition) although they can be equipped with a significant variety of ranged weapons which will often make players choose between more resources or more ranged firepower. Textures for most concepts are still in progress.

Additionally there is an ongoing effort related with vehicle conversions.

Find me on patreon at this location:
Patreon.com

After the upcoming release of the DoW Campaign conversion for DC ( Moddb.com ) the next step will likely consist of a similar work for the Soulstorm version of this addon. The Soulstorm version should require only minor changes and so is likely to be ready faster than the DC version (especially because it reuses the fixes of the DC version).
In the mean time though I will be expecting bug reports and other similar feedback in order to make sure the DC version is adequately done.
As always stay tuned for updates.

Bug thread:

Moddb.com

Suggestions:

Moddb.com

Questions:

Moddb.com

Those of you who have been watching the previous Renegades related videos might have noticed that the soldiers were still lacking in terms of unique voices. Currently I have implemented the voices for at least part of the units used in the Veteran Mod.
The voices used come from the Traitor Guard and Renegades voice packs available at:
Forums.revora.net
Those voices have been scripted and compiled by members of the DoW modding community and thus their effort must be praised (as well as the work of the voice actors).
Although some units still lack their own voice, most of the renegade units are now more unique which is good for gameplay purposes of course.

As always, stay tuned for more updates!

A follow up on my previous blog:
Moddb.com
This blog is intended to be a list of ideas related with some of the traits that are available for renegades on "War Machines of the Lost and the Damned" and how they can likely be applicable ingame.

Uncertain Worth - Renegades may be extremely loyal and reliable soldiers but they can also be cowards that flee at the first sight of blood. In the army list present in Imperial Armour books this is represented through a random leadership but ingame this could be represented by a random reduction of current morale, which would mean that your renegades might have lost some morale even before entering combat and thus being less likely to resist long without breaking.

Chaos Covenant - A mark like specialization of characters in the books, this could likely be represented with the use of researches and upgrades (visual or not) which were dependent on the covenant and would improve unit stats depending on the deity chosen. Likely not as restricting as a mark choice nor as rewarding but nevertheless a choice. Available covenants would likely depend on character type (no psykers with a covenant of khorne for example).

Fanatic - Particularlly loyal troops exist among renegades even if their worth might not always be dependable. These soldiers would likely have better default morale and thus be less likely to suffer significantly with uncertain worth due to larger starting morale and a smaller chance for losing morale.

Aura of the witch - Pretty much psykers are powerful when connected fully to the warp but more dangerous for their allies also. This could be represented by better stats for renegade psykers but also a chance to blow up and damage anything near them.

Baleful judge - Enforcers can execute renegades to make them fight better. On the siege of Vraks books the IG name for this is used instead: Summary Execution. Pretty much works like the Summary Execution from a commissar.

In it for the money - As mercenaries Marauders are pretty much only in a fight while they think it is worth it. This could likely be represented through the reduction of resource income for each marauder in your army (you either have the money to pay them or they go away :P ).

Some other traits and wargear on that army list could be interesting but most of the remaining ones would be better represented visually by models which would be usually associated with those benefits/gameplay oportunities.

I've been creating some personally made background for the Pures present in my Veteran Mod in the Lost Chapter race. Some things are based on knowledge collected on Warhammer 40k but most is obviously personnal fiction.

Pures are genetically engineered clones of former space marines which live half lives growing up in half the time a regular human would but also dying of old age (if they ever get to that point) with approximately half the age a human would die with.
Unlike other cloning processes, Pures are not kept in their birth tanks until they reach adulthood but are rather taken away from them on what could be seen as the first months of life of an infant. This allows their creators to evaluate their behavior, physical and mental capabilities, thus taking notes of which among them learn to speak first, walk first, among other things. Any mental deficiency detected among the young Pures means the death of those Pures where it was detected (physical deficiencies are usually detected prior to the extraction of the Pures from their tanks being their fates similar). Pures which reveal a lack of development on the additional organs possessed by space marines are often sent to administrative roles or the local Imperial Guard/Planetary Defense Force since they are healthy but not worthy enough for marines.
Those Pures that remain are sent into the wild when they are around 2.5 years old and will remain there until they die or reach the age of 7.5 years old. After spending 5 years in the wild fighting each other and against the local animals and plants, the Pures skills are evaluated again and their final training begins. During this phase Pures with erratic behavior or incapable of following orders, even if they possess excellent skills in survival and combat, will either be eliminated or sent into Chaos infested areas to use ther incontrollable nature to destroy the enemies of mankind. Usually they are assigned to a specific chaos infested system for a century or two. This is because even the less desirable Pure is an awesome warrior and unlike most humans their connection to the warp is slim which prevents the clones from falling to Chaos. Few Pures ever return from these tasks due to the difficulty of a single warrior surviving even one day in such environments, let alone carry on a purge for over a century. Those that do return are received as heroes with the tales of their accomplishments being registered in the Chapter's archives. If their uncontrollable nature has calmed down, they might even be reintegrated fully in the Chapter serving in a position of honor. The job done by those Pures sent out to face Chaos, even those that never return, is invaluable for both the Chapter and the Imperium. Any amount of daemons and heretics they kill, warp portals they close or destroy and any planet they cleanse help in the containment or even anihilation of the chaotic servants in the area they were sent to.
Pures serve usually in small squads of up to 4 soldiers and depending on their skills they will either be a part of Pures squads or Assault Pures squads. Those that show aptitude for ranged weapons and usually also the best cognitive skills form Pures squads capable of destroying most enemies at a distance. Those that prefer close combat (and usually are controlled psychopaths) form Assault Pures squads possessing similar armour and wargear than other Pures but equipped with pistols and heavy melee weapons.

Blog under construction.

Nothing to see here, just a collection of information, feel free to comment if you have more information.
Main source of info right now is a codex-like interpretation of the adeptus mechanicus which seems to be widely accepted and the info is also similar to the present in more oficial sources i've found.

• Hypaspist -Drawn from the Forge World planets assigned to accompany the Magos on their missions, Hypaspists form the backbone of the military might of the Cult Mechanicus. More than simple servitor, they are among the millions of humans that call the Forge World home. They are devoutly loyal to the Cult of the Machine, well trained and equipped with some of the finest weapons the Mechanicus can construct. Hypaspists are usually tasked with supporting the Titan Legions, Ordinatus and other marvels of the Mechine God in open warfare.
• Menials - The vast majority of those who serve the Machine God do so in near total ignorance of the greater work carried out by the Cult Mechanicus. They are the Menials, human serfs who carry out the myriad of lowly tasks that it is not worth the time programming a Spirit of the Omnissiah to carry out. On the battlefield they receive additional cybernetic grafts to compensate for their lack of combat skill but these grafts tend to be bulky and cumbersome. A few Menials receive a glimmer of attention from an inducted member of the Cult Mechanicus and they are elevated to the ranks of an Improved Menial. But for each one that does so, a thousand perish in the dark networks of the Machine. Unheralded, unremarked and unremembered.
• Sagitarii - Where large amounts of enemy armour are expected to be encountered, Hypaspist units are reinforced with machines known as Sagittarii. These Sagittarii are four legged equine like constructs armed with heavy weapons to provide hard hitting support coupled with a mobile response to changing battlefield circumstances. Common model conversions i've found related with Sagitarii represent them as man-sized arachnid-like walkers, with 4 or more legs, although some conversions implement them as tracked vehicles with heavy weapons mounted on them. More simplistic conversions usually implement them as two man teams carrying heavy weapons weapons (thus similar to IG HWT).
• Electro Priests - Electro Priests from the ancient and secretive order of the Luminen are occasionally seen amongst the Skitarii legions bringing their own unique abilities to the battlefield in service of the Machine God. Whipping across the battlefield on discharges of arcane energy, the Electro Priests are able to levitate for short busts of speed as well as deliver massive electrical discharges through their bodies leaving behind them a trail of blackened and twitching corpses.
• Myrmidon Assault Engine - Designed as a mobile battlefield support unit, Myrmidon Assault Engines are heavily armoured walkers equipped with ancient and arcane technology. Normally equipped with a pair of vicious pneumatic claws, a Myrmidon Assault Engine is often referred to as an ‘Evicerator Engine’ by the Skitarii. There are three known variants of Myrmidon, the comparatively more common Centurion and the rarer variants known as Maximus or Magnus class.
• Cybernetica Cohort - The Adeptus Mechanicus is divided into many sub branches and divisions. Each specialises in one of the myriad areas of the technical arcana. The Legio Cybernetica is one of the oldest parts of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Its records stretch back almost unbroken to the very first days of the Imperium and, it's assumed, to the times before the Imperium. The Legio has a long history, and its members regard themselves as an elite battle force. However the Imperium is rife with suspicion regarding the Legio Cybernetica as it was the first amongst the Mechanicus to declare for Horus during the Great Heresy.
• Praetorian Maniple - The elite Skitarii, these detachments are highly prized on the battlefield and are able to undertake most missions assigned to them by the Magos. Biologically and mechanically enhanced warriors, they are utterly loyal and faithful followers of the Machine Cult creed. Not as mindlessly implacable as Servitors or as expendable as the Hypaspists, they are a potent tool if used correctly.
• Praetorian Auxilia - Auxilia Heavy Servitors are taken by Praetorian Tribunes to provide complete protection for the Tech priests on the battlefield. They are elite cyborgs warriors which bodyguard the Magos and protect temples, shrines and other facilities threatened with direct attack. Heavily armed and armoured they typically mass over twice the bulk of a man or more, with tracks or jointed legs to carry their immense weight. Some Auxilia are created from vat grown giants or mind scrubbed Ogryns. All are designed to intimidate and, if necessary, obliterate.

Simply a collection of information on some Imperial Guard regiments/units and similar things
Tallarn Desert Raiders
Known for their hit and run tactics, Tallarn Desert Raiders are the typical light infantry force you would expect on desert warfare. Especially useful while shooting enemies from the distance, Tallarn are both good marksman and excellent at blending in with the environment.
Living on a world that is lethal due to corrosive sandstorms and other atmospheric problems, Tallarn have also developed powerful armoured columns that rely mostly on scouting vehicles like sentinels and light or medium transports like chimeras.

Most significant traits of the regiment:

• Armoured columns - Tallarn have access to many light and medium vehicles from transports to tanks and so have huge experience in using them, especially while fighting alongside infantry.
• Ambush experts - Tallarn are experts at preparing ambushes which means that while lying idle they are almost impossible to detect.
• Marksmanship - Tallarn are experts at using sniper rifles and so can fire them with great accuracy on almost all conditions.
• Harsh conditions combat - Tallarn are used to fight on desert like conditions with sandstorms and other difficult weather conditions which makes them accurate firing on regular conditions.

Traitors and Renegades, a group of warriors from different origins and with a certain link to the chaotic gods (some more than others).
I wonder what could be the distinct traits of a renegade following one specific god like nurgle or khorne. Would it make sense for the lord of change to have some renegades on its side? What would happen with renegades who devoted themselves to slaanesh?

Those questions and other have been on my mind for a while and obviously my knowledge of Warhammer 40k background doesn't actually cover most of those so I share my thoughts trying to get some intel.

Starting with the renegades I've been thinking about expanding the renegade armies available to me for a while, based on meloo's work and other models either original Relic's models or community made models. I know there are more renegade models around especially on these 2 mods Moddb.com and Moddb.com (which uses models from the first) but warsmith (or whatever he is called know) works with assets coming from a bunch of different places like DoW2 or SM (and even not 40k related games) and I am strictly against using models which are not from DoW or its community. So I decided to try and get some concepts done through FFE based on adapting existing models to fit on renegade armies descriptions, after all the renegade's suggested army list done by forgeworld actually encourages players to create their armies based on conversions from existing models, mostly IG models, so it is obvious doing conversion work through object swap should provide a similar result.
Some renegade concepts i've tought about/worked on:

• Exalted Champion - pretty much a veteran version of a renegade champion with improved combat capabilities. (I have no screenshot of this concept because it is similar to the banner bearer except it has only a trophy rack and not the banner).
• Renegade Medic - the name says pretty much everything. This guy is a renegade with a medkit and probably some experience as battlefield medic. Moddb.com (outdated but has the basic aspects of it, added a bit of a nurgle sense to it later through fx since the healing in chaos is usually linked to the lord of decay).
• Renegade Vox - a renegade operating a vox, likely a guard once with some knowledge about IG communitcation procedures and probably capable of deceiving IG air support or artillery to hit their own soldiers or at least capable of transmiting orders from one renegade group to another. Moddb.com (still needs some final touches on the vox texture).
• Renegade Champion with Banner - a champion carrying the banner of the chaotic force it serves, inspiring renegades nearby to fight harder. Moddb.com (banner changes according to banner chosen in the army painter just like it happens with aspiring champions).
• Preachers - filling the role of IG priests preacher in renegade armies would inspire the surrounding troops in a similar way. Moddb.com (still needs texture work and perhaps doing a nurgle version would be fitting especially since "renegade apostate preachers of nurgle" are the ones seen at forgeworld and not unspecified priests, perhaps same model for both with OE having an upgrade to get the nurgle version).
• Disciples - the most dedicated renegade forces, the disciples would be the equivalent to IG stormtroopers/kasrkins or veterans. Moddb.com (with the renegade militia body synchs RT2 has made i might make them through the conversion of the militia rather than the kasrkin as that allows more randomness and a greater variety in terms of weapons loadout). Version based on the militia Moddb.com needs some fx and sound replacement for the hellgun, a chaotic texture instead of the kasrkin one and might get a few additional items.
• Enforcers - the commissar equivalent in renegade armies, enforcers maintain morale in their squad by executing cowards. My idea with these would be to have something similar to champions but with skull shaped helmets as that is what the forgeworld miniatures look like.
• Worker rabble - this unit could be obtained using civilians i suppose, not a great priority as they seem like a mix of cultists with conscripts so basically a meat shield.

In what relates with vehicles there is only a renegade basilisk by meloo so renegades would focus mostly on infantry (they are not meant to be their own race so it is not a problem).

I usually separate traitors from renegades as for me they are not exactly the same thing, for example the traitor guard would be a group of soldiers originally from Imperial regiments that eventually turned to traitors but mostly not yet aware of the dark gods (slightly less crazy) while renegades are pretty much from a wider origin and already aware of the favour or damnation the gods have to offer.
Some ideas i've had about a Traitor Guard army (not its own faction but allies to a chaotic faction probably):

• Traitor Guardsmen - the basic soldier of the Imperium, now dedicated to the Dark Gods. From cowards to fanatics anyone can find their place here. They could be made with a chance to get instantly broken to represent the possibility of the traitors being mostly cowards running from IG rules in search of an easier life.
• Traitor kasrkins/stormtroopers - well trained and well equipped these men are dangerous especially now that they fight against the Imperium. They might as well be regular guardsmen who took the better wargear of the bodies these soldiers when they became traitors.
• Trophy hunters - crazy traitor soldiers which focus mostly on melee combat. They like to collect trophies from their victims and many will become servants of khorne if they survive long enough.
• Chemical throwers - equipped with weapons that spread dangerous chemicals over great distances, these traitors pleasure themselves in watching their enemies to die in agony due to the chemicals. Many of these will eventually join the forces of nurgle.
• Heavy weapons team - traitors expert in the use of heavy weapons available in the armies of the Imperium, ranging from heavy bolters to mortars. Especially effective against most enemies, mostly when used as fire support.
• Traitor officers - while traitors may be mostly composed of small groups of soldiers, some correspond to entire companies or even regiments. This means sometimes their officers also betrayed the Imperium or someone amongst the traitors was promoted to a position of leadership, maintaining a chain of command similar to the one used in regular Imperial Guard armies.
• Traitor priests - once preachers of the Imperial creed, these men have fallen under the influence of the Dark Gods and have since started to preach the will of the Gods. Fanatic by nature they inspire other traitors to fight harder and even convince others to become traitors to the Imperium. Eventually they will devote themselves to a specific deity attracted to its promises.
• Traitor commissars - while usually the first defensive line of the Imperium against heretics and insurrectors and thus loyal to the very end, some commissars might turn to the Dark Gods for the promise of power or because they see it as the only way to save the Imperium. Whatever their reasons may be, traitor commissars continue to perform a duty similar to loyal commissars but executing those that may want to remain loyal to the Imperium or anyone that has doubts about their cause.
• Traitor psykers - a psyker is directly connected to the warp and so the influence of the Dark Gods is extremely common even with highly trained psykers. Most psykers on the Imperium have only the training necessary to keep them alive or to allow them to be useful to the Imperium. Still with the exception of astropaths which are linked to the Emperor to avoid corruption, regular psykers have to rely on their own psychic strenght to keep them away from the influence of daemons and other psychic entities. Thus traitor psykers are a common issue and commissars usually keep an eye on all battle psykers just in case but the major problem is the fact that not all psykers are identified and a simple guardsmen or civilian may prove to be a dangerous psyker once corrupted by chaos. Psykers are usually powerful warriors in what relates to their psychic powers but this power comes at the price of madness and the likelihood to suffer from the perils of using warp power.
• Traitor medic - most medics in the Imperial Guard are little more than a regular guardsmen carrying simple medical equipment. Obviously the same reasons that would make a regular soldier betray the Imperium would also apply to the medics, with the added reason of possible traumatic events related with trying to keep his squad mates alive during a battle with little to no success.
• Traitor standard bearer - standard bearers are regular guardsmen that have performed an act of bravery and thus were given the responsibility to carry the standard of the company or regiment into battle. Obviously this responsibility is not a reward in any way so standard bearers may eventually turn to chaos. After all if you are carrying an heavy standard you might as well do it because you want to and not because you have been ordered to do so (or at least the Dark Gods make you think you have a choice and want to carry it).
• Traitor vox operator - traitor guards are usually more organized than the common group of renegades and so the traitor vox operator can be useful because they provide coordination between groups of the same traitor force, providing traitor officers and commanders a greater control over their troops. A well trained vox operator may even use their skills to make loyal Imperial Guard forces kill each other by ordering artillery strikes from loyal artillery on the loyal frontline soldiers or ordering loyal airstrikes on loyal entrenched positions for example.
• Traitor commander - It isn't uncommon for men and women of great power to fall to chaos in the hopes of gaining greater power. Military commanders are no exception and so commanders expecting to conquer entire systems or hoping to achieve imortality will often turn to the Dark Gods in search of something the Imperium simply doesn't provide them. Traitor commanders can be very competent commanders, definetely becoming a major headache to loyal Imperial forces.