Mods and graphical files

[fantomas]

What I will try to do with SC2 :

* create new counters, like the counters of SC 1

* use ancient terrain icons of SC1 for SC2

* erase these horribily tiles and replace them by hexagones, like in SC 1

I have some little tips to do that.

The control of hexagones will be marqued by color of each country

The problem and my question are : will be the graphic files .bmp format ?

[ April 06, 2006, 08:36 AM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

[pzgndr]

They're all .bmp files, so knock your socks off with a retro look. You might just want to play the new game first and learn to appreciate the new features? I've noticed that it's very difficult to go back to SC1 now.

[Retributar]

I am going to agree with you 'pzgndr'...sure, fantomas's icon's will help to see the game better...but!!!...i REALLY-REALLY like what Hubert has done as far as graphic's...and so like you,...but in my own way,...i too would find it 'very difficult to go back to SC1 now!'.

[Blashy]

Actually I find the icons suggested much too small and too bright.

But hey everyone has their preferences.

I'm playing the game more and more with the non 3D icons.

[fantomas]

You are playing the game ? So, you have the game ? How did you do ? I'm interrested !

[pzgndr]

Maybe we're playtesters??

[Agent Smith]

Nice Icons and map mod suggestions. But get over the hexagons inside the squares. They create to much confusion and are totally irrelevant. (or was that some sort of old-news critique!)

Funny thing happened the other night, I dug up some Avalon Hill games to check out the graphic quality of the maps. They sucked. Nostalgia can be dangerous. The map quality of D-Day, Afrika Corp etc. are very basic, and most recent game releases have a much better quality than the printed variety. Although I do miss hex co-ords and detailed Unit counters

[fantomas]

Tiles will be totally erased and will be replaced by hexagons (I left tiles in the image just to show as I was going to make). At the end, the mod will be :

for icons and map : idem SC1 ( work on bitmaps files)

for the game-system : SC2

I think Hubert would have better preserved icons, hexagones and map of SC1 : It is very unconfortable to play great strategic level wargame with icons 3D of tactical wargame ( it is just my opinion...).

But essentiel is to have this great game : from Roman empire to Gulf war, we will have the possibility to do any wargame we want.

Banzaï/ Hurra ! for the great Hubert !

[Kuniworth]

Hexes have 6 sides of directions, tiles in sc 2 got 8...how you gonna solve that?

[Agent Smith]

Octagons?!!!

Just turn the damn grid off and play map only

[Iriemon]

fantomas - I liked your icon set. Maybe I can get a copy from you after you have finished them?

The 3-d graphics are pretty to look at for 5 minutes and probably necessary to for sales, but after that it just makes things too cluttered for me. Like others, I prefer simple symbols with good contrast so you can easily distiguish the units and obtain the necessary data at a glance.

[acrashb]

The hexes look a bit odd, and putting them in will make it hard to figure out attack directions - on the squares, you can attack in 8 directions (all sides are vertices), with the hexes some sides and some vertices will do it, others will not.

The symbols, however, look great.

[LutraMage]

I like both the new 3D and 2D icons - and I'm guessing each of us will work out our own preference. I do like the notion of having silhouettes of the vehicles, ships and infantry on the 2D icons, however, it seems a little premature to be completely changing the design of them until we've at least had a chance to see how easy/difficult the default icons are to work with in an actual game rather than basing our decision on screen shots. Still, each to their own.

[SeaMonkey]

For you graphic modders, check out the counters in MWiF. In my opinion, some of the most appealing I have seen since TOAW.

All we need is the Nato unit type representations, size designation, unit name, strength and upgrades on the counter. For air and naval the artistically rendered silhouettes should be sufficient.

[fantomas]

I will give the files for all players on Filesshack after the work will be finished. TAll the maps I will create with my hexagones will be "2D3 and not "3D".

But effectively, the 8 tiles are a big problem and it will probably more easy to advance rigth or left than advance top, by example.

If somebony has better counters of classical wargames, I am interrested to have it and work with !

The solution of just turn the grid do not seems for me a solution : the tiles colors will be seen. My project is to do one unique color of ground, and to place hexagones of countries color, with a Qgraphical tip I have founded on .bmp files.

Other solution would be to erase tiles, and replace them by points. I will try, and try , and try... I want absolutly to play STRATEGIC COMMAND 2 as a classical wargame (2D) and not as a 3D game.

For peolples who like modding, and will do others games with SC2

( Roman Empire, American Civil war, Russian civil war 1919-1921, West front 1914-1918, balkanik wars 1913, etc...), the 3D graphical units will be a big problem, and the 2D icons will be the solution, I think.

Sorry for my bad english. I hope the result of my work will be better than my english...

[Retributar]

Your doing Extremely Well fantomas...to be able to speak any other language at all!,... most of us here i would say can 'only' speak English!

[Justanotherwargamer]

I'm just looking forward to a lot of people being able to fiddle a lot and be in a position to offer all of us some neat doodles

[RobRas]

fantomas - sounds great if you can make SC2 with classical wargame counters! I really liked the simple easy-to-read graphics in SC1 and I think it's too bad that SC2 doesn't include a top-down view with NATO-counters and simple map graphics.

[fantomas]

I will do the job !

[ April 06, 2006, 08:37 AM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

[fantomas]

I ask me if I will take the first or the second kind of icons. The second likes more easy to read during the game, I think...

[ April 06, 2006, 08:38 AM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

[fantomas]

News icons are more classical and simply to read :

[ April 06, 2006, 08:38 AM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

[SeaMonkey]

Personally, I preferred jbrunelle's(sp?) counters for SC1 as the icons changed with the research upgrades, excepting the naval units. I'm still playing with them presently.

I'll mention some other counters I like also which are in HttR. They have a number of attributes that constantly change with units' prowess. Since fatigue, supply and readiness are all characteristics of the SC2 units, it would be nice to track their levels on the game counter, perhaps with color tints. Dark green at 100 percent and dark red 0.

The more information on the counters for the intial map view, the one that everyone uses, the greater situational orientation will be available to the players at first glance.

This will expedite game turns and allow for better planning and minimize the need to access other game screens.

[Lars]

Fantomas, military symbols that are side specific would be cool.

i.e. German military symbols on German units, English on English, etc.

http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germany/symbols/_symbols_41.html

Good way to add a little flavor.

[fantomas]

Thanks.

My icons are only projects in work, and after buying the game, I will see exactly what I can do for the best...

Little S.O.S for testing players : if somebody has the game for testing it, it woul be nice to just send me the bitmap files of units and terrain : my work will advance faster and will be awailable when the game is ready...

[Agent Smith]

fant

Web Grognards has scans of some of the classic boardgames. Used this site for tweaking units on many games I play. Counter Scans