Custom counters in TOAW4 and a fix for Call to Arms 1775

[KaiserMaulwurf]

I noticed that a bunch of scenarios seem to be using a TOAW3 icon image convention that no longer works. It looks like the the new system uses only 50% grey pixels on transparent backgrounds to facilitate in-editor color scheme changes of custom units, whereas in TOAW3 you needed a separate .png for each color-scheme. This change is partially good because it makes everything less tedious, but it also appears to mean that you can't make multiple sets of unit icons for a single scenario. It's a little annoying that basically all the scenarios that use custom counters shipped half broken.

I've included my fix for Call to Arms 1775 as a proof of concept, unfortunately I had to alter some symbols but it's nothing game-breaking. I might do a more comprehensive mod to fix the other scenarios but in cases where having multiple icon sets is more than cosmetic we might be out of luck.

To install the fixed scenario empty the contents of "Call to Arms 1775 icon fix.zip" into Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Call to Arms 1775.

If any of you know if it is possible to add multiple icon sets to a scenario please let me know.

Edit: Raindem has posted a link to the official update to this scenario in this thread. (Cant put the link in this post because new account [8|])
I would still appreciate information on the new icon format for other projects.

[KaiserMaulwurf]

To give you an idea of what it looks like-

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: KaiserMaulwurf

To give you an idea of what it looks like-

Nice job, Danske-Johnny Canuck!

Regarding Brigitte Nyborg - Forget House of Cards, Borgen is the Danish version of it and bloody gripping.

Klink, Oberst

[KaiserMaulwurf]

Thanks!
Danske-Johnny Canuck eh? Nice. [:D]

[sPzAbt653]

Please don't spend your valuable time in attempts to find half baked remedies for this icon illness that has been forced upon us. Join us outside the developers gates with pitchforks and torches !

TOAW has a long history of flexibility, and that history has been slapped in the face by a well meant decision that fails in practice. The long standing TOAW credo of not breaking previous scenarios has been trampled on. OPTIONS are the remedy, as they always have been. Disc space is not an issue. Cost is not an issue [would anybody really complain about paying a few sheckles more]. Left unchecked, restrictions will continue to grow and multiply !

Rise up and be heard, past and future designers. It is our backs on which TOAW rides. Without us there is no progress, without us there is no innovation.

P.S. [Many Thanks to Ralph and Bob, for their years of sacrifice, dedication and prime work, without which this rant would not be possible].

[KaiserMaulwurf]

The long standing TOAW credo of not breaking previous scenarios has been trampled on.

It's actually worse than that because it's one thing to make changes that break scenarios but it's quite another to then sell those broken scenarios to people just to get that "over 200 scenarios!" blurb. I love this game but that is downright dishonest.

[Raindem]

I appreciate the effort to keep Call to Arms alive and well. But I've already modified the unit icon png graphics to work with TOAW 4. And made a couple other adjustments as well. I posted an update a couple weeks ago.

tm.asp?m=4384854

[winkr7]

I don't see why an option for which graphic to use should be difficult to program. It is an easy fix.

[KaiserMaulwurf]

I've already modified the unit icon png graphics to work with TOAW 4.

My bad, I assumed that the scenario would have been updated via the built-in updater so I didn't think to check the forums. Great work on the scenario btw! It's a shame that the majority of players will have a broken version of it. I hope TrickeySoft rolls out fixes with the next update.
How did you get around the issue of only having one icon-set per scenario to work with? Is there a way to add more?

[Silvanski]

In TOAWIII BMP and PNG managed to exist side by side peacefully, I used PNG tiles for snow and frozen to cover my BMP map because of the transparency and it looked awesome. BMP unit images were a breeze to mod, even for a amateur like me with a pedestrian paint program..

Sure, separate BMP files add size to a file but what the heck, 99% of us have computers with Gigabytes of space to mess with...

End of rant

[KaiserMaulwurf]

I used PNG tiles for snow and frozen to cover my BMP map

I haven't noticed any issues with custom terrain textures yet- have you had problems with that?

[Silvanski]

ORIGINAL: KaiserMaulwurf
I haven't noticed any issues with custom terrain textures yet- have you had problems with that?

I have encountered issues when zooming out

[sPzAbt653]

99% of us have computers with Gigabytes of space to mess with...

lol, this is my six year old computer. Apparently this isn't typical, though. Folks that download lots of music or videos can suck up their gig's quickly.

[Silvanski]

About 100 movies and 8000 mp3 files... and still room for more [:D]

My entire TOAW IV stuff only takes up 3.06 GB

[gbaby]

How do you folks exist with such small drives? My 3.63 TB hard drive is mostly free. My flash drive of only 695 GB is mostly free too!

It can't be due to a "size" concern, can it? TOAW IV is sooooooo small. Maybe a right/best way attitude instead? Forgetting flexibility is the best?

Just seems odd to cause compatibility issues when it could be avoided. Oh well, I guess them's the breaks. But keep the grumbling alive!

[Raindem]

ORIGINAL: KaiserMaulwurf
How did you get around the issue of only having one icon-set per scenario to work with? Is there a way to add more?

I had to change base icon types. Continentals retained the infantry icon. British regulars got heavy infantry. Militia got irregular. And so on. The OOB in Call to Arms is huge. It was 3 days of so much mouse clicking my hand had cramps by the time I was done.

[sPzAbt653]

It can't be due to a "size" concern

The way I understand it, there weren't any concerns, it was just a poor decision. Something will be done sometime in the future, but until then - pitchforks and torches are the standard equipment !

Here is my original 2GB thumb drive from when they first came out in like 1922 ! I have two 'newer' ones that are 4GB each and hardly full.