Knokke

Thanks Sneaksie, I'm aware of these textures, but can't manage to have my new skybox texture displaying on my map. I've created a new entry in data/settings/weather.ini with the path pointing to my new skybox texture placed in the Maps/_TEX/Skys folder; I even added a new entry for the texture in the filesid.ini (I don't think it is necessary, though), but the texture for the horizon don't show up. By the way, it is a bit confusing, as it seems the skycube texture is mission dependent (the only reference to it I found is in the weather.ini file, and it seems that the settings in this file are used in the mission generator, where one defines the weather type for the mission. The other option would have been theses cube textures found in the load.ini of the map, but since they are obsolete, I don't understand what is the parameter to choose the horizon and sky texture on a map in the map editor). I can see the new entry I added in the weather.ini in the mission generator, but whatever setting I change in the weather.ini, it doesn't show on my map. I tried changing the color of the water, and the FogRGB color, but the colors are still the same as before. Any idea what I'm missing?

Where the following textures mentionned in the file load.ini of the maps can be found? It seems they are not in the list of files that are extracted with SFSextractor, because I can't find them. Or maybe they're hidden somewhere in a directory but I can't see them. This was the case for me at least for the file data/settings/weather.ini who didn't show up in windows explorer until I made a search for it. Maybe it is an other trick of Vista? (may this OS rot in hell) [CUBE] Down = Cube_bott.tga East = Cube_right.tga North = Cube_front.tga South = Cube_back.tga Up = Cube_top.tga West = Cube_left.tga

I have some more good news: I managed to have the ToW1 trees working in ToW2. That means we're "almost" able to make european theater maps. @Gnasher: to have the ToW1 houses working in game like the ToW2 houses, there is a little bit more than text editing: at least one mesh have to be added to allow the roof of the building to disapear, and a few more collision objects have to be added (to allow for collision detection of windows and doors). There would also be several more meshes to create, to allow for partial destruction of the building in relation to which side was hit by a shell. It should be possible to make a building that falls apart in one stage, though. Also, the hooks have to be renamed according to the convention in ToW2. But as they are, I don't think the houses could work without modifying the meshes; I suspect that the soldiers wont be able to get inside the building because of the collision object, and if they could, they would not "see" anything as the collision object would block their ligne of sight. But this is worth investigating, because there is little work needed to have the houses functionnal in ToW2

great tip Oudy, I was in the process of doing this myself. has for the conversion of the houses, the job is already half done in ToW1, but that's true, they wont work like they do in ToW2. By the way, do you know a way of modifying the color of the orange haze that covers the maps to something that would look more like a temperate climate?

For me, ToW2 plays even smoother than TOW1 (and ToW2 full version runs even better for me than the demo); so I'm not sure why you're experiencing performance issues. Perhaps it would pay to try to tweak the graphical options a little bit more to see what is causing the trouble.

The patch has solved all the CTD problems I experienced so far. There is only one strange thing now: the tactical map is all black, except for the menus, the mission comments and the units icons. I didn't have this problem before the patch. Except this small problem (I don't find the tactical map so useful, and I almost never use it), everything is working fine now.

Yes great job indeed. I can't wait for this addon to be released !

A crusader british tank?

Problem solved; not sure how: after restarting windows, the users/game.ini file had the CompatibilityMode=0 line in it.

I'm having a little problem with the memory compatibility mode: I've been trying to edit the users/game.ini file to change the line CompatibilityMode=0 to CompatibilityMode=1, but there is no such line in my game.ini file. there are only theses lines: ;INI File: users/game.ini [game] SmartPause=1 Does that mean that my patch installation is faulty? I checked in game, and the version number is the correct one, though: 1.10 or does that mean that I'm a bit thick, and that i simply have to had a line to have the game ini file read like this ? : ;INI File: users/game.ini [game] SmartPause=1 CompatibilityMode=1

Yes Tartari, by DEM, I meant SRTM. Great news about the tutorial. I would be glad indeed if you could send me the draft. Thanks a lot

Tartari, What is the best utility to convert DEM to RAW 16bits? most of the apps I can find can handle only 8bits RAW pictures...

mmm... Strange. On my map, I regularly experienced a CTD one or two minutes after starting the mission, until I reduced slightly the size of the playable area. It might be because I had AI units positionned near the edges of the map, though

it is possible to extend the playable area, but it is not advisable to expand it to the far edges of the map: it is my experience that the map has a tendency to close to desktop a bit randomly if we extend the playable area to the maximal limit.

Well... at least for the first save game. I get a crash to desktop on subsequent saves.

I confirm that, Sneaksie. For me, deactivating user access control in Vista 32 seems to have solved the with saving games. Simply starting the game as administrator was not enough, I had to totally deactivate UAC.

Still no luck downloading the file: 550 CWD failed. "/filelistMay17-09.311.zip": directory not found.

data\Local\VK\VK_EN.properties What is this file? I can't find it in the folder I extracted.

@ Dr. Jones I've Vista 32. I'll try to change the directory where MshConverter is installed. I don't know why it's no longer working. the only change I can think of is Vista having being upgraded to framework 3.5

And more about the campaign "a la Close Combat": ToW is not so different from Close Combat, but the biggest drawback for me is the way the campaigns are handled in ToW in comparison of the CC series: the strategic map, and surrender/truce options in Close Combat give the game a better replayability than is the case for ToW. The ToW campaigns are too linear, and it is always about fighting to the last man. In CC, there was a sense of continuity in the game, having to fight several time on a map before moving to an other one. If there was a stalemate, you had the possibility to plan your next move differently. In ToW, we don't have this sense of continuity, because we must fight to the last man, or start the battle anew. It looks like there is already everything inside ToW to be able to win a victory by occupying victory locations like in CC, and there should be a way too to have soldiers surrounded/broken being captured by the ennemy. From an external point of view (maybe a developper would disagree with me ), it doesn't seems this would be too difficult to add to ToW, and this would add tremendously to the game.

Close Combat is still my reference too That's true that there are only few peoples trying to add new content to the game. I believe this is because of the lack of a tool to convert msh files to an editable format and back to msh. Dr. Jones have been doing a very good job with his MshConverter, and by using it, i've been able to create a brand new Typhoon for ToW. But so far, it is my only success. I've been able to create new bridges also, and import them in game, but I believe there is some problem with MshConverter, because the pathfinding cells are not working as they should, and soldiers/vehicles are not able to cross my bridges. I had no success either with buildings and statics objects of the mono.sim type: they simply not appear in the editor. I believe that I've enough understanding of the game structure now to be able to create files that should be working with 1C proprietary tool without problem, but i'm stuck unless they release this tool for the public. And furthermore, MshConverter is no longer working for me now (I can't open any hier.him or Msh file because the converter is looking for the file in the wrong path instead of opening the file I'm pointing at with the browse menu). I really do hope that 1C would release their converter to the public, as creating new content for ToW is not that complicated: we have every info we need in the M4 and M6 3DS files released by 1C a long time ago for ToW, as well as in the unit modelling guide for ToW. In the mean time, I'm still working on the new models I hope to be able to add to the game (only statics objects for the moment), for the map i'm doing about the capture of the bridge at Grave by the 504th PIR of the 82nd AB: First some horsa gliders in various states (only in british markings for now) http://pigeonh.free.fr/ToW/horsa-3.jpg http://pigeonh.free.fr/ToW/horsa-2.jpg http://pigeonh.free.fr/ToW/horsa-1.jpg The Van Sasse pumping station on the river Raam that a squad of E Coy 504th PIR assaulted to take the southern entrance of the bridge at Grave: http://pigeonh.free.fr/ToW/Van_Sasse1.jpg http://pigeonh.free.fr/ToW/Van_Sasse2.jpg The bridge itself: http://pigeonh.free.fr/Grave_bridge.jpg And finally the Typhoon http://pigeonh.free.fr/ToW/typhoon1.jpg I've also other objects in the making, but not in a finished state: the two dutch casemates that where protecting the bridge, and others important buildings and landmarks in Grave and Overasselt.

You dont have to repack anything: just copy the directory data\guns\Ger\gunname.ini (for example) that you extracted with SFSextractor in ToW main folder and edit the ini file for the gun you want to modify. This new directory will be used by the game instead of the directory packed inside the SFS file. I hope this is clear enough. As a matter of fact, if you have JSH mod installed, this folder data\guns\... already exist in your game main folder, with several ini files in it that have been modified or added by the mod (for example, there is a file for the 50mm_kwk_38_L42 that you can use as reference).

Thanks a lot for your work Oudy, You've been already very helpful with ToW, and now with ToW2. This game is such an improvement over the first installement, that I'm starting to think about switching my efforts at modding to ToW2. I second that. I didn't have a look at the files in ToW2 yet, and I don't think it is too different from ToW, but any help we could get from 1C/Sneaksie would be invaluable. 1C devellopers must be very busy with the upcoming patch, so we'll have to be patient for any help coming our way.

R33GZ, Your post is pretty unfair, to say the least. This game has still some problems, but they're been adressed at the moment in the patch that is going to be released soon. And you don't need to read the posts about bugs to make yourself an opinion: there is a demo that you can check without fear of "an other flop". To be fair, I've seen only two gamemakers taking care of their customers: the first one is Bohemia Interactive (the very best support i've ever seen!); second next is 1C (thanks to you, Sneaksie). I'm not speaking here about "ass-licking", but about fairness. It is the actual tendency in western democracies for peoples to surrender their intelligence to the opinion of the masses, acting like lambs going to the slaughter. Peoples like Tocqueville have already analysed this problem as far back as 1836. Everyone have a brain, so the best thing to do is using it. Show others that you have a brain and express your freedom by using it, and making your own opinion by yourself. Actually, like Tartari said, this is the best wargame ever. There is a lot of room for further devellopment and improvement, and I hope ToW devellopers will do just what Bohemia Interactive has been doing with Flashpoint: setting a new standard that has still to be beaten. Since the days of Close Combat, there has been nothing in RTS games that come close to the standard set at that time, more than ten years ago. It looks like ToW and now ToW2 have all the qualities to go even further. Rome wasn't build in a day. I have eyes and a brain allowing me to see that this game was made by dedicated peoples, and I'm thankfull for that, so I'm not complaining about the shortcomings that I can find, as I know they're going to be adressed. There are so many game companies that don't give a damn about their customers (like Ubi, to name just one). 1C is not one of them. As for the improvements i'd like to see, they're mostly additions to the game: In the game as it is, would like to see small caliber mortars, movable MGs, more units for the Italian and British side, engineers able to clear minefields. In the game as I would like it to be in the future (that is having in mind a different theater than Tunisia 1943): I would like to see a converter to add 3D models made by third-party devellopers in the game; new content for other theatres of operation; the ability to cross rivers with amphibious vehicles; the ability to recreate paratroopers operation (droping paratroopers and glider landings); boats that the troops could use for river-crossing operations as well as landing craft to recreate Anzio, Normandy etc...; and a different way of handling pathfinding for bridges (the ability for soldiers and vehicles to cross bridges on top as well as under them - this would include river bridges as well as road bridges and tunnels). Mmmm... that's a lot of things not in game already. ToW2 IS already the best RTS ever, but it is not enough I'm hungry for more.

that would be nice indeed, if unskilled soldiers could perform only direct fire with guns, if it's a gun taken from the ennemy. Using guns of their own side, I believe they should be allowed to perform indirect fire, but with a very great loss of accuracy (they would fire in the general direction of the ennemy, but almost blindly).