benpark
-
Posts
4,730 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
27
Posts posted by benpark
-
-
Now we need some Garry Tank Commander scenarios.
-
On 1/25/2022 at 9:15 PM, Sgt.Squarehead said:
Sadly Michael wrote those words back in April of 2020, check the link in this post:
Oh, man. Thanks for posting that, as I had totally missed it.
-
It's where the trolls of Berlin live, sheltering from artillery showers with everyone else. They hand out shiny coins to every Soviet soldier that writes his name in the modular Reichstag.
Sometimes we have to use some imagination to fill in the gaps.
-
I know, I know...
I asked for 'em, but knew it wasn't happening - that's outside the scope of most modules, and Steve did say "Yes!" to some stuff that I had requested for improving city fighting (that running/hedgrow patch was looked at from every angle, not just hedges and walls). A lot of work for two structures, so that's understandable. Mike (2D) and Cassio (3D) also have a pretty full plate on any given day.
Instead, you got busted up walls, more maps than you will be able to use, scenarios and campaigns that have a massive amount of research and effort, a factory, and a ton of other stuff.
I decided I could live with it, but your mileage may vary.
-
I just monkeyed around with it for a few minutes with the gun section. I ended up selecting the two color camo colors (individually), and filling them with the base color, then using Smudge Tool to clean up any remainders of edges, then Cloning details back in. Then I went to Hue/Saturation to approximate the dunkelgrau. There's also the step of adding any color back in from the original, that's an easy Layer assessment.
There's still some hints of dark swirly areas from the camo. That's solvable, but I need to turn my brain off for a while.
-
Insanely busy, so haven't been able to keep up with all of the interesting things going on, but here's two things...
I'd wager that any Hue/Saturation controls would be your best bet, but I'm not familiar with how they work in Gimp. That would allow you to match disparate colors on one texture, then you could use something like the "Healing Brush" in Photoshop (my weapon of choice) to fix the seams between the two colors. That will add a slight blur to the selection edge, better than the Clone Tool. Save that for things like defined lines.
Before you get to the texturing, this plugin is very helpful for Blender textures:
-
Great to read your words, Michael. Get well.
-
The same people are working on the stats on weapons and vehicles for all games - what is "the question" on how accurate the research is?
-
Most of the mechanized research I was doing was 1944/45, but this link is helpful for understanding the makeup and use of the early-war thinking for their implementation. The mix of KV-1's and T-34's is also broken down, which also supports these Soviet formations being one of the numbered:
http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/tank-mechanized-corps/soviet-tankmech-corps-in-wwii/?wap2
-
I just took a look at the most obvious book on the matter that I have handy (by Massimiliano Afiero), and he does cite the eighteen T34/76's number, but I don't see a particular footnote on his source but they are listed. No formation listing for the Soviet side, which would help verify some of that.
He also states that Bussard moved under cover of a "moat" to take the Soviets under fire initially. So, be on the lookout on the source maps for a man-made waterway, possibly. It also seems that the German tank displaced at least twice at the start of the fight, since it was turretless. In case you are doing a German AI for the person wanting to try eighteen T-34/76s versus one StuG. The Soviets also seemed active and moving between positions, so it doesn't seem like a static situation.
Detective work, now. If you find it, you will likely know it - and then be able to make something that people haven't really been able to entirely comprehend on a page. That's the best part in all of this hard work.
-
8 hours ago, kohlenklau said:
Even if some of my cooking might make you barf, I do enjoy the process.
That's the spirit. A chef must have the buffet eaten (and mainly enjoyed, but barfs can and will happen) to truly be worthy of the title.
-
I vaguely remember that! Only vaguely.
Head way back to 2002, and see where the Berlin maps really got their start. A few of us were trying to turn CMBO into CMBB early. As soon as it was out, really.
We are a long line of adapters.
-
Get well soon! Take 2 CM mods, and call us in the morning.
-
Do you use the Nvidia tools to add any effects to the game? I had something similar with one of the settings when testing them all out. If so, I'll try to figure out which one.
-
They seem to get bumped after saving if they are too close together (in game engine terms). That happens with all of the Flavor Objects, and I suspect it has to do with how their general properties are tracked as a particular size and value in blocking violent actions taken on those behind them (doesn't provide concealment, but provides cover).
I made the start of an Ost sack/West sack scenario (on the lower part of the Sinimäed map) that didn't make the cut for F&R, and was trying for the same log effect. I also tried modding the underlying ground tile of some road tile that would be solid in "mud" conditions to be corduroy log road, and that seemed to be better suited when blended with surrounding ground.
Busy as heck at the moment, but I may have saved that somewhere.
-
2 hours ago, laurent 22 said:
Another bug, with pz III M: 3 soldiers riding panzer are inside the panzer.
Were those danglers tank riders, or crew?
-
The ever-willful PzIII model. I'll pass that along.
-
There's a one-man-band WWII FPS game called "Easy Red 2" on the Steam that allows heightmap imports into their editor, for a real-world example of what that looks like.
-
8 hours ago, Tomiko said:
I'd request developers to add something new other than skin, maps, language and guns.
You are missing Scenarios, Campaigns, Master Maps,and Quick Battles from your list.
I think most of us here would like to see some additional graphic improvements.
-
Slight spoiler for RT:FR German campaign below....
*
*
*
*
I call this system P.A.I.N. - "Planning Artificial Intelligence Navigator".
The image above was actually the first iteration. This is more how it ended up, with missing elements like "Wait For" Trigger links added, with linkages showing in green icons (these should also have green lines between the linked forces).
The 6,7,8,9 (spare order numbers) at the top show the method - each graphic element is on its own Photoshop Layer, and is drag-able across the map to wherever needed. Movement orders are drawn on (holding Shift - always a renders a straight line between two points).
The Trigger graphic also had the color changed from Yellow (in the legend) to Orange, as it was getting lost in the general area the move orders occupy (the yellow areas).
Numbers are the Order number.
Designations with a letter and number in yellow are the AI Groups. These are placed on every move, so that it easy to see who is where, when.
The yellow areas are move destinations. Now, I just use the AI Group number, as it is less visual clutter. I will probably redo this, a bit - as it would be good to have the branch symbol (NATO) displayed throughout their movement to better track who is where concurrently.
Red numbers are approximate Exit times.
You could also add what formation belongs to which AI order on the Unit Overlay, as it can get complex with mixed, large forces where the AI assignments are maxed out (though I/we could certainly handle another 16 AI Groups!).
This system requires a knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, and use of Layers in particular. It is a good deal of work in Photoshop (less, with the template), but less work TABing through the Editor with everything relatively clear in the Image Overlay.
Example (not the one above), as seen in the Editor Overlay. This example is lacking a good deal of what is seen above.
-
That's the system I used for the AI stuff in FR. It is my most reliable method for planning coordinated AI attacks - the castle attack in the German campaign is a good example of the AI exhibiting some sense of order while attacking due to being able to see all orders. It's akin to BornGinger's image, but with additional color-coding based upon movement lines, and additional unit symbols. The rest is very similar.
I have a Photoshop template I can upload for my version of the method, if people are interested. The map is desaturated, as I just needed the terrain context for the orders. You could certainly do this with other programs, and just save it as an .bmp Overlay. The main thing you need is Layers, for moving all of the graphic stuff around, at will.
The ideal solution from my perspective (with the Editor as it currently exists, without an insane amount of retooling) would be a toggle that would show all AI Plan orders on-screen at once. Color coded by AI order.
No spoilers below, this is a discarded AI Plan - the Castle scenario overlay. Triggers are the lines.
-
Aye, that's done it. Excellent stuff.
Time to see how hot that mortar tube can get before wilting.
-
Finally able to fire one of these up.
Nice work!! The helmets look great.
I am seeing an extra backpack. I believe the pack closest to the back (the original one) should be able to be bumped up slightly, so you wouldn't necessarily need the adapted one.
-
"BARB The Double Zug Hug" is my vote for scenario title of the month.
Map Making Tip - Contour Lines - Avoiding spikes and pits
in CM2 Scenario and Mod Tips
Posted
This is the way I do it. I always do continuous contour lines first following the source map, prior to any other work. Then refine again after roads, etc are in.
We tested a lot of the elevation techniques in the base Red Thunder game, as there was a suspicion among some that it was more processor-intensive to have that many points set with such huge maps. It was not an issue that made any additional impact, and it lends a gentler grade to the contours. The spacing is indeed something to watch between the contours, but that is easy enough to watch out for.