Sneak Peeks, Coming Attractions, Works-In-Progress

[Crossroads]

We're still quite busy working with the foundations, putting new plumbings in place, add your favorite construction site anecdote here. But it is true. Not much we can show of our efforts, for things are in a flux, they don't look like how we envision the final produce to look, so EMCON continues.

We'd like nothing but talk about what we're doing, showing things, but alas, it has to wait. Why? Consider this:

Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985 released approximately one year ago, on 24 September 2015. Yesterday, two years ago, Berto released what was the first version of the new 2D100 view, or the new 2D Zoom-in view as it's named.

What we had was basically a new magnificent game engine feature, but what we could have shown was just some awful 2x magnifications of the existing JTCS Desert and Med 2D50 base files. And we were never happy with the original map art to begin with.

So, in our internal Dev Forum, Berto posted this, and while everyone was excited of this new feature, we agreed there's some serious BMP graphics files work ahead.

Would you agree? [:D]



So we dumped what was there (from JTCS), and started anew. And one year from that, CS: Middle East 1.00 saw the daylight.

I am posting this in hope this explains why we can't show much what's going at the moment. Again, if the above was what we started with, here's a snippet of the new 1.03 2D100 view:



(Work in progress, obviously, as some map tiles are still in need of rework, and the new 2D Unit Profiles need work too, for instance some of them need to be better centered)

Again, the first screenshot: two years ago, the lower: now. 1.03 out: Spring 2017. There's some equally great stuff coming out with 1.03. And even more with Vietnam, and East Front III.

But we're not ready to show anything with detail, not quite yet. Patience please [:)]

[Crossroads]

So for instance I am trying out a few mock-ups where Tanks and Helos are on larger chits than other units, so their images can be larger then too. Something that quite a few boardgames do, for instance. The 2D Unit Profiles are a mock-up at this stage too.

Stuff may or may not end up like this with 1.03. But that's the idea with doing mock-ups, and showing them in public, right. To see how they'd work out [8D]

[Crossroads]

Just to show we indeed are working with the East Front III game as well, here's some early mock-ups of Polish counters. Just the chits, at this stage.

[zakblood]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

We're still quite busy working with the foundations, putting new plumbings in place, add your favorite construction site anecdote here. But it is true. Not much we can show of our efforts, for things are in a flux, they don't look like how we envision the final produce to look, so EMCON continues.

We'd like nothing but talk about what we're doing, showing things, but alas, it has to wait. Why? Consider this:

Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985 released approximately one year ago, on 24 September 2015. Yesterday, two years ago, Berto released what was the first version of the new 2D100 view, or the new 2D Zoom-in view as it's named.

What we had was basically a new magnificent game engine feature, but what we could have shown was just some awful 2x magnifications of the existing JTCS Desert and Med 2D50 base files. And we were never happy with the original map art to begin with.

So, in our internal Dev Forum, Berto posted this, and while everyone was excited of this new feature, we agreed there's some serious BMP graphics files work ahead.

Would you agree? [:D]



So we dumped what was there (from JTCS), and started anew. And one year from that, CS: Middle East 1.00 saw the daylight.

I am posting this in hope this explains why we can't show much what's going at the moment. Again, if the above was what we started with, here's a snippet of the new 1.03 2D100 view:



(Work in progress, obviously, as some map tiles are still in need of rework, and the new 2D Unit Profiles need work too, for instance some of them need to be better centered)

Again, the first screenshot: two years ago, the lower: now. 1.03 out: Spring 2017. There's some equally great stuff coming out with 1.03. And even more with Vietnam, and East Front III.

But we're not ready to show anything with detail, not quite yet. Patience please [:)]

i do like those none nato counters, just my type[;)]

[76mm]

Personally I don't care much for the new 2d style, I prefer either the NATO symbols or the black & white silhouettes. Maybe it is just the early drafts, but the units in the screenie above are very hard to make out.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

Personally I don't care much for the new 2d style, I prefer either the NATO symbols or the black & w third optiowhite silhouettes. Maybe it is just the early drafts, but the units in the screenie above are very hard to make out.

With 1.03, there'll now be three options with counter art: NATO symbols, 2D profiles, and a new third option, something among the lines seen here.

Counters themselves continue to have the plain Std and fancier Alt options.

And a few surprises yet [:)]

[Crossroads]

That's the same for EF III too, of course [:)]

[Warhorse]

I'm a NATO symbol guy as well, but gotta admit the new counters really shine, am getting used to them, options, gotta love 'em!

[76mm]

What are the "chits" for that you show for the Polish units? And what are the two types of chit for? Are they simply variants or are they intended for different sides, etc.? (I've never seen the symbol on the lower set of chits--looks like the Polish Navy!.)

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

What are the "chits" for that you show for the Polish units? And what are the two types of chit for? Are they simply variants or are they intended for different sides, etc.? (I've never seen the symbol on the lower set of chits--looks like the Polish Navy!.)

The two variants are for the regular Polish Army, and then the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) of the resistance movement. When playing with Standard Counters, one will see a plain, smaller counter for both. Then, for some additional counters, under Options you can select Alternate counters, which are these sets. Each unit has a pointer to a counter cell it is using, so in this instance the regular army platoons will use the upper row, and the Home Army platoons will use the lower ones.

I hope that makes sense.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Warhorse

I'm a NATO symbol guy as well, but gotta admit the new counters really shine, am getting used to them, options, gotta love 'em!

NATO symbol guy myself as well [:)] Gotta love'em options, though!

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

ORIGINAL: 76mm

What are the "chits" for that you show for the Polish units? And what are the two types of chit for? Are they simply variants or are they intended for different sides, etc.? (I've never seen the symbol on the lower set of chits--looks like the Polish Navy!.)

The two variants are for the regular Polish Army, and then the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) of the resistance movement. When playing with Standard Counters, one will see a plain, smaller counter for both. Then, for some additional counters, under Options you can select Alternate counters, which are these sets. Each unit has a pointer to a counter cell it is using, so in this instance the regular army platoons will use the upper row, and the Home Army platoons will use the lower ones.

I hope that makes sense.

Here's what I meant.

[*] On left: Standard Counters, NATO symbols.
[*] On right: Alternate Counters, 2D Unit Profiles. With 1.03, there'll be an option for something similar to 3D Unit Images on counters as well.

In other words:

[*] Two types of counters to choose from; Std and Alt. Both easily moddable, mind.
[*] Three types of unit graphics to choose from; NATO, 2D Profiles, 3D Images.

Hope this makes more sense now.

[Crossroads]

With 1.03, the Alternate Counters will have more chrome, as seen in the mock-ups. And a couple of more surpises [8D]

[Big Ivan]

Nice Crossroads, Nice!!![:)]

[76mm]

I'm feeling a bit dense, but don't see much of a difference between the normal and alt counters--it looks like the alt counters have a beveled edge or frame around the edge--is that the main difference, or is there something else?

[Crossroads]

The current Alt counters are a bit larger, with a bevel, and a NATO symbol for special unit (idea being these are used with 2D profiles). In the sample, the British Paras and Mech Inf have the NATO symbol in background.

[Crossroads]

So yes, not much.

[berto]

Actual size:



[:)]

[dox44]

wow thats nice. the size is perfect...

[76mm]

Personally I'm not a fan of the 3D-look, but I do like the new mine and wire markers!