Few animations had to be "tricked" (duplication of existing frames) to fill the number of frames required by units, keep in mind that the units were made many years ago and were only converted to .slp to be used as early roman units.
This unit pack uploaded by Zyth23 contains eight Roman units made by fellow modder Achesun. The units are designed to be historically accurate and based on Roman soldiers before the Marius Reform. The units were originally design for Zyth23’s Antiquity Mod Pack.
Usefulness/Novelty: 4.5
The Roman Empire was one of the largest and most powerful Empires in history. Roman history is a very popular topic amongst Age of Empires fans and as such there are hundreds of scenario set within this time period as well as two totally conversion Mod Packs: Rome at War and All Roads Lead to Rome. Even the new expansions for AOK: HD have added the Italians as a new civilization. I think it’s fair to say that there is certainly a demand and use for Roman units such as these in our scenarios and Mod Packs. These units are designed to work together as upgrades as each other. For example we have different levels of the Hastatii and Triarii which gives them added use as you can then add technologies to upgrade them in game. Ultimately these are great units which are also unique too. Most Roman units you find in the Blacksmith are either Roman Legionaries or Mounted Centurions. These units take a different approach by create some of the more basic frontline soldiers: spearmen, skirmishes and cheap swordsman, as opposed to the stronger and more well trained legions that we have previously seen.
Quality/Instructions: 4.5
The quality of these units is phenomenal. There are rendered well through 3D modelling and blend in nicely with the rest of the original units in game. The render is professional and the animations run smoothly. There is a good deal of detail in each of the units, however I feel at times a little more definition would be welcome. I also find that the units seem a little skinnier that most. Each unit come with the correct player colour and all the relevant SLPs, although the decay SLP is only the final frame of the dying SLP and therefore no decay will actually be seen in game, a common occurrence in many new units made via 3D rendering. I also don’t recall seeing any custom icons for the units which is a shame.
Additional Comments:
Overall these units are a nice addition to any Roman or Antiquity based mod packs and are of very high quality. Do check it out for yourself.