benpark
-
Posts
4,736 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
27
Posts posted by benpark
-
-
9 minutes ago, MikeyD said:
Fire and Rubble has basically been a victim of the whirlwind of BFC's unexpected successes.
That tracks, somewhat-
Victim is a new term for having extra time to create more stuff- since the mid-2010's, if I track back to when we first started laying down the foundational ideas. It's always been BFC's timeline, but our relatively small but powerful team kept it going and thriving until they said "stop".
Two games, at once. A good thing.
There was no overlap that would create stalls between these two modules, though some of us transitioned to the modern game when done (and I have given some advice to the modern team gleaned from F&R experience). There aren't a lot of us, but there are enough for two fully functioning teams to work somewhat independently (as you now see).
F&R will stand on its own merits. It is a monster of a module.
-
Just now, Sgt.Squarehead said:
I'm starting to wonder if the new broken walls weren't requested by a QB map designer, in order to preserve the last shreds of his sanity!
No shreds left!
The walls were designed to give some more cover in the urban areas, along with some visual that adds to the immersion for the city stuff. Also to stand in for building foot-prints (after collapse), etc. They were always part of the plan for the module, given the city actions.
Hopefully good for mod stuff, too.
-
Nice work. I like the loose chin-strap in particular.
What isn't showing up? Is it the leaves of the foliage when the model is applied to the helmet?
If so, it may be a save setting in Blender when using the plug-in converter. There are many places to mess up there, as you know.
It's been a few months since I did any model adaptations- the things I would check might be that the texture assignments (for the two models- helmet and any foliage applied). Sometimes things default to strange places, so I generally keep every file in a "work-in-progress" folder to avoid that.
-
9 hours ago, Mark_McLeod said:
How many new quick battle maps are being added?
124 sounds right.
Nearly every QB map this round is derived from the master-maps, which are all created from the period historical maps and images.
-
It's already an amazing tool, and amazingly conceived to start with. I suggest things sometimes, and then realize it is already possible- in some form. There are a few things that could make it both easier to use, and be a bit more effective at replicating a human.
-
7 hours ago, ncc1701e said:
I really hope all of the above requests could be added to your wishlist for the next engine.
Good thinking. Many of these are already suggestions that are previously logged as things that would be helpful, and make the single-player experience as "human" as possible- I'll add anything we may have missed to the list, as AI stuff is very (very) high on my own hopes for adds.
-
My comment was about the assault command and the AI.
-
Scenario Author Mode will illuminate any movement patterns, and their results- use Turn-Based, and run it through to see everything in detail, as many times as needed.
Look at the movement lines for the color codes. This gives an idea of what the designer can expect, and also gives an idea of when exhaustion might kick in, etc.
-
The QB maps made for CMFR will not use the "right in your path" artillery strikes.
The AI will use it for smoke and softening up (if it is on the attack), or generally leave it up to the AI to decide when to use it (on defense)- which it generally does a decent job at.
-
I have a German and a Soviet helmet, both from Simontornya, Hungary. They each have distinct evidence of shrapnel damage. One no better than the other for the unfortunate wearers.
-
4 hours ago, Mr.X said:
As a 21-year veteran, I have a question: will Fire and Rubble include a campaign, dealing with the „Pocket of Halbe“, south to the last stand in Berlin?
Regards
Mr.X
One German campaign is in the Baltics (Ithikial's), and one is set throughout Operation Konrad I-III. The Soviet one is focused upon the 219th Tank Brigade (covering from Poland to Berlin).
-
This outfit does tours, including the Humboldthain one (it is massive)-
https://www.berliner-unterwelten.de/en.html
I've been on most of the tours, I'd recommend it when they can re-open.
-
Oh heck. I have it on my PC, but this is what I need on my laptop. I don't see the Mac version yet, but I think it may be a beta branch?
-
These (Volkssturm and partisan forces) are intended to be depicted as (semi) organized, large-scale forces that were intended to serve a useful field-combat purpose in conjunction (or often in place of in 1945 for the Germans) with the larger armed forces.
The Volkssturm is an obvious inclusion for the time-frame, the Soviet partisan far stuff less so in a module covering late 1944-45. They are added to cover the last phases of the partisan movement in the Soviet Union during the main game period of the Bagration offensive.
If BFC makes modules that cover commandos, that seems a better match for smaller, hit-and-run actions. The Editor and modding can expand that, as well of course. I'd vastly rather see late war Hungarians and Romanians added, personally.
A. Stephen Hamilton in Bloody Streets spends some ink on describing why he thinks of the battle for the city of Berlin as a first in urban, asymmetric warfare. There are other historical precedents, but that's part of the point of having these types of forces included. It's different, but similar- and things like the TO&E and weapon composition make these different, unique forces with unique capabilities and limitations.
The new models by Cassio, and art by Mikey D let you know what's being faced visually (Elvis has posted one base-model version for the Volkssturm), as well as providing context for capabilities. Generally low quality troops can be a problem for a highly mechanized force, due to the advent of man-portable AT weapons in built-up areas. Tanks are beasts, but moving through village streets with them is unnerving. As it was- that's yet another place where CM matches historical outcomes.
-
I already made you guys a conical hat (these are for the nonexistent Old West mod- Red Dead Combat Mission Redemption).
-
The group order (double-click and select multiple units) can be used as a basic "formation" order. It depends on how the group is arrayed at the move's start, but they will hold that formation pretty well. It's especially useful at the start of a scenario- particularly where larger distances might need to be covered. Couple that with adjustable waypoints, and it's effective.
-
There is a second map, as well (from the big map, which can be cut down for these things)- that one covers the Reichstag, Adlon Hotel, and a bit further in.
There is a typo (Lehrter Station) that won't be in the one everyone plays.
-
Squarehead's example is correct.
These are used (in the module) in conjunction with terrain and flavor objects to achieve whatever look one is going for. Some of the new flavor objects have popped up in previous screens- some new rubble objects included for strewing about the base and ends are there. There are also segments that are all designed to be used either individually, as segments, or as a wall. The cross sections have pillar sections, and rebar sticks from the end of each (you won't see this as a wall, but individually). They do help to lend a more immersive urban-combat experience visually.
As to why the models don't have rubble bases and more impact textures- we tried lots of possibilities- but they had to fit the engine. The issue (as with with most graphics that have to serve a randomized model) is visual repetition and ground placement. The wall can "sink" below the map, but that starts to look odd with rocks stretching to fill to the ground, and the same rocks that one would see across the model.
The end result is something that can be used for several purposes (without looking repetitive), and adaptable. I haven't tried a "stone wall" mod for these, but one starts to get the idea these can be another helpful tool in the Editor.
-
If you attach the scenario, that would be best for getting an idea what might be amiss.
-
One thing that the CM and ARMA games share is a great editor (besides both deriving gameplay from real-world factors).
You can't do any AI code scripting in CM, but you have a solid set of tools in the CM editor that can be adjusted to create some decent behaviors (some mentioned above).
It's also quite a bit easier to make maps in CM.
-
If you have an Nvidia card, I would suggest testing a few of the settings in their application. I have a number of anti-aliasing settings ticked that seem to help at least smooth the shadows out. The obvious ones are all worth adding (except for FXAA, which impacts the text). The rest of the available settings have varying impacts on performance, and should really be tested out on an individual-setting basis, but the expanded anti-aliasing settings do help (in my case, and a few others here that use them).
-
That is looking spot on- great blending of the terrain in the above screen, too. Did you adapt the 3D model at all? Those planar ones are both easy to do, but quite hard if they don't intersect in ways that benefit the texture. That example is convincing.
I'm of course in favor of releasing it, along with your other endeavors.
-
On 10/2/2020 at 8:25 PM, Macisle said:
a pool of setup phase QB saves
It would also be interesting to play any game saves from others- something like a saved scenario, 25% of the way in (or around when everything gears up), for instance. Like the player is 2nd in command, suddenly thrown into the action (and in charge of adapting someone else's plan).
-
I think flavor objects are cover, but no concealment. I have a bunch of links saved from way back about it, I'll double check that one. But they would seem...excessive to place in a large forest.
Edit, the link:
Thickets would be a good add to the game engine, overall, a proposed new add- The 2 hedges as they are (and will be, with your mod in place) do well with some additional variation in the other terrain stuff that gets deemed (narrator voice) "appropriate for the scene, based upon weather conditions, and specific situations represented in the actual period terrain" kind of stuff. All the region-specific horticultural knowledge.
I'm enjoying the place-holder color schemes- I always wanted to make a game-wide mod that would replace all/most the sound/dialogue with sayings from 1970's TV shows "MISTAH KOTTAH, I"M HIT". The stuff above would fit right in, jacket included.
How to use Mod Tags
in CM2 Scenario and Mod Tips
Posted
You load the Mod Tag by scenario, so on that basis- yes. Select your MT and any Appearance settings desired. Then they all go into a Campaign, and everyone sees the change when they play it.