curious about maps

[budd]

Was just wondering why all the stock maps weren't available to play using board game style? I thought i was going to prefer the 3d maps and units...not. On the 3d maps it's problematic using the chits. The T key doesn't remove all terrain[i.e. corn fields] and it's difficult to see and move the chits as even with the setting units on top of terrain they sit below some terrain. I also get the water effect on the 3d maps when i hit the T key. I don't know if i'm the only who gets the water effect on the 3d maps, i haven't read any other posts about it. I also, which was a surprise to me, prefer the look of the board maps and chits.

[junk2drive]

I'm not sure how the new maps are made but I suppose it was a time and effort issue to get something out before the holiday.

As far as your problems with the 3D graphics, I don't know other than what ericbabe posted in the other thread. I have a low end onboard GPU at 512mb and I use the Low Resolution option on the start menu popup.

[junk2drive]

I did some testing. T hotkey only turns off trees, not grasses and crops. Mouse over lifts the chit above the crops and houses.

I changed my system settings to show above terrain, exited and restarted the scenario. The chits were still below the crops and houses. Using the T key gave me the water effect in your shot.

[budd]

you sir are right, switched off the show units above terrain and the water effects are no more, thx. I also find moving the chits easier now since i use overhead view. It was a pain seeing the arrows when not using the overhead view. I ask about the maps because i assumed the board maps would be easier and less time consuming then the 3d maps, but i don't know for sure. I wonder how hard it would be to convert the 3d to 2d. thx again.

[IronFist00]

budd, I believe the hi-res boards only exist for the Awakening the Bear Firefights because they were based on the hand-drawn board game maps. The other Firefights were all added by WCS and do not have corresponding maps outside the PC game. I'm guessing that's why they don't have the big-board, hi-res option. It might also be a combination of what J2D says, not enough time but I have a feeling it's mainly because there are no board game maps to use as a starting point.

[budd]

Yea i can't run the high res boards, just wondered why there's no regular res boards like in the awakening the bear scenarios. I didn't realize the rest were 3d and i never would have guessed i'd prefer the chits and the board game look. How about posting a screen of a high res map, if you don't mind, like to see what i'm missing.

[IronFist00]

Three-quarters view of the hi-res, big board map for the General Petrov Firefight (it's darker because I don't have LOS to the VPs yet).

[IronFist00]

Top-down view of the hi-res, big board map for the General Petrov Firefight.

[budd]

Thank you sir.
i tried to take some comparable shots.

[e_barkmann]

sure would be nice to get that LOS darkening toggle

[junk2drive]

In your Data\Maps folder are files .height.bmp those are the files that put the bumps on the map in 3D. You can move those files to a backup location out of that folder and the maps should appear flat in the game. I'm pretty sure that the sight blocking and other height effects will still work.

[ericbabe]

LOS will still work if you flatten the map, but height attack and defense bonuses and movement cost penalties will not work.

[budd]

i like the height in the board maps. Is there an easy way to convert the other maps that are 3d only into board maps, reg or high res? You can't build the board maps in the editor, can you? I was playing around with the editor did a test map just using all the terrain didn't see anything or read anything in the manual that would let you build board maps, just 3d right. I'm using paintdot.net to try to build a map, having trouble getting roads to work right.

[junk2drive]

This thread explains some things

tm.asp?m=3220265

[ericbabe]

The process for converting a 3D map to a 2D map involves creating an new piece of flat computer art that matches the scenario data and aligns with a hex grid. This is easy in comparison to a great many things, but it is also hard in comparison to a great many of other things.