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Rambler

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Posts posted by Rambler

    Kohlenklau Vehicle thread

    in CM Fortress Italy Maps and Mods

    Posted

    Layer masks will make your life much easier, kohlenklau. Take a look at this for an explanation of what they are: http://designshack.net/articles/graphics/a-complete-beginners-guide-to-masking-in-photoshop/

    Once you've read that, here's a little tutorial I put together that specifically uses the M3 files EZ posted earlier in this thread: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66606021/layer_mask_tutorial.pdf

    This is pretty much the same process you use to do camouflage on vehicles. It's a little more involved, though. Let me know if you have any other questions.

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    [Released] Trees & Bocage Mod

    in CM Normandy Maps and Mods

    Posted

    One thing I did notice was the LOD switch goes back to the thicker trees so it can be a little odd. Is there a way to thin out the LOD tress as well so the transition is smoother?

    Thanks AstroCat, glad to hear you're enjoying them! I take it you're referring to the far trees, the ones that are 2D and billboarded, right? Yes, the alpha channel on the far tree bmps can be edited to make them not as full, but I have no interest in doing that. The amount of effort expended to edit them isn't really worth it imo; law of diminishing returns, since, well, they're far trees. You would also still get that jarring transition, since the LOD jump you're talking about goes from the 2D billboard trees to the 3D trees.

    Looks very nice, can it be useful with Aris terrain mod?

    Thanks baron. Yep, they can be used with Aris's terrain. Just be sure to download the desaturated version: http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/4886/details Also, make sure they load last.

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    While we are waiting

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    Thanks Rambler, very interesting article. While I don't think it fundamentally alters the character of the civil rights movement, it certainly points out the complexity of the issue.

    Before anyone gets too ruffled, the red neck crackers comment was about those opposing the civil rights movement. My buddy here votes democratic and has 16k rounds of ammo. Go figure.

    However all these citations point to one glaring fact. Having an armed populace, far from being this bastion for protecting democracy is very much a two edged sword. To restate my view though, I don't think gun control is an answer to the level of violence in our society. I don't understand this love of firearms many of my fellow Americans have, but I think it is a distraction not an answer.

    You're very welcome. Not too many people know about the Deacons and their role in the civil rights movement, which I think is an important one. I would agree that their presence didn't alter the character of the movement. In fact, I would say that it complimented it. While they were armed, they were not violent. They did not participate in vigilantism, go on revenge killings or seek fights. However, their presence did give their oppressors pause and very visibly reminded them that, under the Constitution, they were just as equal and were endowed the exact same rights. To me, that's just as powerful as the sit-ins.

    Gotcha on the rednecks :).

    You're right, it is very much a double edged sword, but true liberty always is. It is fraught with risks and no guarantees. It can be tumultuous. Our freedom of unrestricted movement was used against us on 9/11 (I still lament the fact we gave that up so easily in the aftermath). Likewise, those with evil intentions have abused the right for all free men to keep and bear arms. Since evil lurks in the hearts of all men, there will always be those who take advantage of our rights. However, as the Deacons showed, when the time is necessary to exercise those rights, they are truly invaluable.

    Yep, the whole gun issue is a distraction from the real reasons for the violence perpetrated in our urban centers, but that's for another topic.

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    While we are waiting

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    But no, the government desegregating one school does not suddenly change the fact that it was unarmed men and women mostly young (and black- amazing eh) braving the established authority and an armed hostile white population that forced the government to stop segregation. Remember Rosa Parks?- no gun.

    That's not entirely true:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deacons_for_Defense_and_Justice

    The armed presence of the Deacons was instrumental in many of the non-violent protests. MLK even hired them. These guys embody the spirit of the 2nd Amendment. Yet you would take away the very rights they exercised to keep themselves from being terrorized.

    Also, us "red-necked crackers" are fully capable of understanding the wording of the 2nd. In fact, the Supreme Court agrees with our interpretation.

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    Some thoughts on sound files (for Steve).

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    Yes, but the Italians get 1 (thats right, ONE) unique sound.

    They could have gotten 2. 1 for the rifle and 1 for the machinegun.

    Maybe BFC thought as you do. They must sound pretty similar, just different rates of fire, so why have two extra sounds?

    I can't speak for shock force, since i don't own it, but i doubt it has more sounds since most armies are much more homogonized these days.

    waclaw recently released a CMSF sound mod. He would know more of what he's talking about than you.

    Oh well, theres another sound we could consolidate then.

    Just no. Seriously, stop pissing in our Cheerios, dude. Yes, there are those of us who will be bullheaded against the consolidation of sounds, especially after having them expanded only to be taken away. That ain't progress.

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    Some thoughts on sound files (for Steve).

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    Actually, after listening to my sound mix, I'm going to have to change my position on the M1919 and 17. I like these separate too. Put me in the camp vehemently opposed to any consolidations of sounds, save for the bow/coax gun.

    Why have these separate? It's about flexibility and the freedom for the end user to choose what they wish. The more options the better. Sorry if I can't get on your bandwagon to chop sounds from the game.

    So please, BFC, don't take away any small arms sounds we already have.

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    Some thoughts on sound files (for Steve).

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    The Thompson and Grease Gun could share soundfile, since they both sound VERY similar (at least when I have heard them both fired after eachother).

    Disagree. I definitely like having these as separate files.

    The M1919 and M1917 could certainly use the same sound file as well since they are basically the same weapon.

    Agree with this one.

    The "bow" and "coax" sounds could certainly be the same file since most tanks have the same machinegun type as bow and coax (and when they don't, it is usually reflected by having a specific sound in the game)

    Only if there's a coax/bow sound for each side, i.e. a sound for the German tanks and a sound for the Allied.

    It was a long slong to get BFC to finally add in some additional sounds. Really don't want to see it regress.

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    Fun and Games - challenge and the gamer

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    By the way, I've just returned from reading up posts on the boards of some other games I play and I am continually astonished at the exploits some people devise just to get an edge when playing the game against the AI opponent.

    Guilty as charged :D. It's good fun! I've been taking a break from CM and playing through, yet again, my all-time favorite game, the original Command & Conquer. One of my favorite things to do is build sandbags from my base all the way over to the enemy base and seal up the entrances with the bags. The AI is too dumb to destroy the sandbags, so all the units that the AI was going to send my way end up massing up inside their base. This makes juicy targets for napalm airstrikes and ion cannon blasts. A sadistic grin always creeps across my face every time those A-10s fly over, drop their little napalm bombs and the enemy troops pathetically scream en masse as they are incinerated. Other than keeping the enemy trapped in their base, those sandbags also have the added bonus of allowing you to build your structures inside their base. Always fun to build a barracks in there, crank out some engineers and start capturing their buildings. Gamey and exploity? You bet. Also a hella lot of fun!

    As you can tell, I'm not a serious gamer by any means. Different people have different playstyles. Nothing wrong with that. You have your own personal playstyle, which you laid out in your OP, and you have every right to design toward your preferences. It's what you enjoy, and many others, myself included, enjoy. However, it's unaviodable that not everyone will share your preferences, and I think this is where some of the friction is coming into play. Don't sweat it; you won't be able to please everyone. Don't let the crits you receive get to you. Take from it what you can use and discard that which doesn't match up with the scope of what you're trying to accomplish. In short, just keep doing what you're doing.

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    Do you save and reload often?

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    Can I assume from this you think BF folks are fair game for any obnoxious swipe, but it isn't okay to object? Somewhat of a double standard me thinks.

    No, it's called learning how to separate oneself from one's work, a concept you obviously cannot grasp. A crit on a scenario or the product does not equal an attack on the individual(s) who created it. I don't see where Erwin personally attacked anyone at BFC, but rather gave his strong opinions on what he thought was wrong with the scenarios/campaigns and why he doesn't find them enjoyable. Hell, I've suffered worse crits during juried reviews than what Erwin is offering up. You can disagree with him, but realize it is you carrying out personal attacks due to some perceived slight. So yes, harden up a bit.

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    Do you save and reload often?

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    Yes, all of the time in single player campaigns/scenarios. Sometimes reloading five, six, seven times before I get an acceptable outcome. I don't buy into the stigma that reloading is some form of cheating. Personally, I like to see if I can win with the least amount of casualites and the largest margin of victory in order to get the max amount of points. It becomes more of a puzzle that way, and I like puzzles. If something doesn't work, reload, try again with a different tack.

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