And now: the weather

[Ormand]

I have given Four Seasons a face lift with some new options, which I will try to recount for you.

Perhaps, the most significant one is the addition of weather, as opposed to climate, which was already there. Now, there is a chance that storms will develop over the battle field. These storms play the following roles:

1) Affect air operations.
2) Help cause the transition between the seasons.
2) Hide ships during storms at sea.

Now, air operations are allowed during the "mud" seasons, but a "storm" hex impedes air movement, and they cannot be conducted in or through a "storm" hex. The lone exception, which I don't think can be stopped is if an airbase is in a "storm" hex, but has non "storm" hexes adjacent to it, the air unit based there can conduct an air operation and successfully RTB.

This is what storms during summer months look like:

[Ormand]

To install, you need to download the Four Seasons Full Graphic Pack and the Four Seasons AT2 Files atzip files. Then use the ATG "Install Zip/File" option. In addition to some 200 MB of graphics files and the *.at2 files, this will also install a mod-file in your mods directory so that when you start up ATG, there will be an option to start with a mod. Select the number associated with Four Seasons, and it will load the Four Seasons mod as the default. This will take a little while as it has to load some 200 terrains. You will get the following screen.




This will give the option to start one of three random games:

1) Four Seasons
2) Four Seasons with European regimes
3) Four Seasons in the Southern Hemisphere

I added several new peoples and made some modifications to random regimes:

I. For 1) which is a global version, I replaced the Anglosaxon peoples with American.
II. European regimes include: Anglosaxon, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Scandinavian, and Italian peoples
III.For Southern Hemisphere, the peoples are: Anglosaxon, Arab, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Southeast Asian, and African peoples.

I created regime names, flags, officer names, and some officer pictures to use for these peoples. I also made Anglosaxon regimes based on England and the Commonwealth, and without Americans.

[Ormand]

Once you have created a random game, you will have several otpions to run with the game, which you can select from the scenario screen:





1. Start with Diplomatic Block - starts game with countries unable to declare war. This block is lifted randomly, and you will receive messages.

2. Use models only - Human players must use the models system for tanks, fighters, and divebombers. You can't build the light tank SFT, only the AI can.

3. Limit AI factories - AI factories are built based on a certain number of build points per turn. This option slows down the accumulation of build points for each factory that is built

4. One Week Turn

5. No Factories - Human and AI players cannot build factories

6. Build only Roads - Engineers can't build railroads, only paved roads (I'm not sure how this works with the AI. Although I think it will work fine, it makes the paved road the one that is buildable).

[Ormand]

Storms making the transition from summer to autumn:

[Ormand]

Storms making transitions from autumn to winter:

[Ormand]

Here are some of the new generals:





Spanish, Italian, Scandinavian, Southeast Asian, Indian, and African.

[Ormand]

Sorry, I had a minor hiccup with the rollout. I found something I forgot to do with the new regimes, and realized that there was no need for an option with storms. Make sure to use a download after 4:10 PM PDT.

[Ormand]

Also, in this version, the adventurous of you will get a glimpse of the new graphics project, which will take a some time to complete. I am curious what the thinking is.

[Ormand]

Lastly, relative to previous versions, flak was changed to make it act more realistically.

[Ormand]

Sorry at 5:00 PM PDT, I found to minor bugs that escaped before. One was a rouge "check" that prevented the startup message from being sent to all regimes, and the other was a misspelling in the war message.

[Ormand]

The start up message for regimes:






Note regime specific leader title and name for regime leader.

[Ormand]

When war is declared on you:

[Vic]

Some of your art is starting to look really good. And I know you worked on a zillion things, but I especially like the urban and forested hill landscapes in those screenshots. Nice work.

Best wishes,
Vic

[Ormand]

Thanks Vic.

And thanks for providing me with a gem of a game as an obsession.

[ernieschwitz]

Now, air operations are allowed during the "mud" seasons, but a "storm" hex impedes air movement, and they cannot be conducted in or through a "storm" hex. The lone exception, which I don't think can be stopped is if an airbase is in a "storm" hex, but has non "storm" hexes adjacent to it, the air unit based there can conduct an air operation and successfully RTB.

You could of course reduce the action points of the hex affected. Couldn't you?

[Ormand]

Yes, I think you are right. It not super simple to do, but I think so.

Also, I now see how to make storms an scenario option.