Terrain Mod Help

[Magpius]

I'd like to have a go at creating a terrain graphic mod.
does a photoshop file exist with the hex grid masks or guides? The terrain.png shapes are rather ambiguous, and the trial and error of moving a plain hex a pixel at a time, and then loading it into the game is proving rather tedious.
- thanks for any help on this.
-A

[cpdeyoung]

Good luck, you are way out of my area, but I will mention the editor that comes with the game, just in case you did not notice it. I know it is not what you are looking for, but may do something for you.

Chuck

[Bleck]

First of all, you don't have to restart the game (or even scenario) to see the results of modification in map (or units) skin. Those files are reloaded when you change skin in options. So all you need to do is change skin to other one, click OK (this is when files are reloaded if skin changed), and then change skin back to your.

As for the hexes grid in terrain.png and others.png there is the same rule. Just take this hex mask file and multiply it side-by-side.
Red lines are borders - never should be visible in game;
White area is what should be filled fully opaque;
Black area is where you can do what you want.



Feel free to ask any questions about map and units skins, I coded them

[swatter555]

I am mostly happy with the terrain graphics, but I think the cities are horrendous. If you have any ideas for city textures that are more akin to a standard wargame, Id love to see em.

[Magpius]

I'm aiming for a avalon hill/ tactics II style. (retro old school, similar to what gjk did for advanced tactics).
White background, square counters...I'd like to see counters looking like schwerpunk's AGW.
but for the moment terrain tweaking is where I'm at.
Thanks Bleck very helpful.
Long term I'd like to try and make a WW1 mod.
At first glance, this system appears very flexible.

[doomtrader]

Guys, please remember that you don't have to overwrite original files.
Just create new folder and make your changes there, after that you can just switch counters in preferences screen two times (new_counters -> old_counters and old_counters -> new_counters) and then you will see changes made by you without restaring the game.


Agent S: We put a lot of effort to make this game as moddable as possible

[Magpius]

I'm looking for some good examples of graphic files to incorporate into a retro style mod.

• cities
• ports
• resources
• sand/ desert texture
• mountains

@bleck, (sorry[8|]) could you highlight the line(s) in the appearance.csv file that lets me turn the arial map text black instead of white?

[Bleck]

Unfortunately font name, size and colors of texts displayed on map (AP left on hex, city name) are now in GUI liles... so it is very unpleasant to modify, especially if you want to share your mod ... in each GUI_???x???.csv last 7 lines describes fonts, last one (described as "AP left") also is used to write city name.
Maybe I will change it (add something like appearance.csv but for cities) in patch, but I can't tell for sure, or even when.

appearance.csv is in [UnitsSkin]??? folder therefor it describes only displaying units, so that making and sharing units skins doesn't change anything else.

btw: It's Bleck

[Magpius]

It's a start...



the units text is clearer on the monitor. and the sprites are easier to see on the map.
I'm trying to play just as much as move pixels. Only so many spare minutes in the day.

[Uxbridge]

Look really nostalgic. I might very well opt to use something like this. [:)]
 
Shouldn't the plain hexes be somewhat coloured? Otherwise one can't see the snow effect in winter, eh.

[Magpius]

Thought of that...
at the moment the colours fade 1/2tone in winter. And I'll be making the clouds a little darker than they are now. (although I play with clouds off, as I don't recall seeing clouds while playing my old games!!)
Now that I have the file and layers working, I'm trialling a tactics II style black and white version first. I still need to work on the fortress, town and mine graphics. Style pointers from ceaw and boardgame scans are helping in this regard. But for the moment I'm trying to arrange counter information placement to look more 'original'. This is a long term project....

[Uxbridge]

Good luck!
 
I just posted a counters alternative. Try that on top of the map. If it looks good I would like to se a screenie. [:)]

[Magpius]

shall do.
...really nice counters; good job.
-Getting rid of the burnished look was high on my list.
-As soon as I'm on a bigger screen, I'll post a screenie.
I like your naval counters.

[Magpius]

ticking along...
sorry the pic is so big!

[doomtrader]

Looking good

[Bleck]

Nice Glad to see someone understand and is using appearance.csv I only suggest to bold font (next value after font name - weight, values 0-100)

[Magpius]

[&o]I have never come across a game with such potential graphic flexibility.
Simply inspiring gentlemen.

---

thanks bleck, will make the text bold.
still hard, choosing between playing and modding!

[PDiFolco]

Woot, very nice and more legible counters !!
Is there a way to mod the looks of the strength-AP values ? It would be very useful to have both numbers in *different* colors, they would stand out much better.
Look, for example : 2.3-4 vs 2.3-4

[Bleck]

No, now there is no such possibility.

[PDiFolco]

Too bad... Then *you*could make something in a patch, maybe ? [;)]
Thinking at another solution, if the 2 figures where a bit more distant it'll be better too : like "2.3- 4" instead of "2.3-4" . Possible ?