Question for developers

[Gratch1111]

I think that you have the foundation of a really good game for a not very large but loyal player base. You also have, as far as I understand, limited resources. So my question is this, and this is based on the fact that I think that a lot of the players of this game are really knowledgable and dedicated to make this a really good game for years to come, look at WINSPMBT, its 23 years old and still played.

Can we help you in any way besides buying the game and DLCs?

Obviously we cant program, at least I cant, but can we do other stuff so you can focus on the programming?

[demyansk]

Very good idea, this group of gamers are the best, very helpful.

[Veitikka]

ORIGINAL: Gratch1111

Can we help you in any way besides buying the game and DLCs?

Obviously we cant program, at least I cant, but can we do other stuff so you can focus on the programming?

Map making. That's where we could use helping hands. The process of cleaning up a map is very laborious.

[Gratch1111]

So a map we could produce that you could use in the game, correct?

So by risk of this being a spoiler, which terrain?

[exsonic01]

ORIGINAL: Veitikka
Map making. That's where we could use helping hands. The process of cleaning up a map is very laborious.

I heard that adjustable transparency option for preview for map-editing mode will be installed in next patch. Is this true? That will be really helpful for map cleaning using AB map-editing mode!! I mean, right now we all have to switch back and forth the preview and game-view inside map-editing mode, but overlapping with transparency will help us to draw map inside AB easier.

[exsonic01]

ORIGINAL: Gratch1111
So a map we could produce that you could use in the game, correct?

So by risk of this being a spoiler, which terrain?

Hello, I'm making a map for Korea, the southern approach of city of Pyongyang more precisely (Of course as a modding project, not official AB DLC [:)]). I'm targeting 60km x 60km but I will just try to finish the first 30km x 30km and will see the next one. If you are interested, please let me know, any helping hand will be greatly appreciated.

But please don't feel burden, you can start your own map project for any place you want. There were several discussions in this forum and mod forum for next possible region for AB. Map making manual of this game is very well written, you can just follow to make a good map for your own area of interest.

[Veitikka]

ORIGINAL: Gratch1111

So a map we could produce that you could use in the game, correct?

So by risk of this being a spoiler, which terrain?

Ideally our own map designer will do the initial setup and creates a raw version of the map, and each volunteer is given his own sector(s) to tidy up with the in-game map editor.

Frankly, we don't know yet which regions will be made first.

[Veitikka]

ORIGINAL: exsonic01

ORIGINAL: Veitikka
Map making. That's where we could use helping hands. The process of cleaning up a map is very laborious.

I heard that adjustable transparency option for preview for map-editing mode will be installed in next patch. Is this true? That will be really helpful for map cleaning using AB map-editing mode!! I mean, right now we all have to switch back and forth the preview and game-view inside map-editing mode, but overlapping with transparency will help us to draw map inside AB easier.

Yes, after the LOS tool features have been completed I'll implement the transparent preview map, and then we should have everything ready for the next patch.

[exsonic01]

ORIGINAL: Veitikka

ORIGINAL: exsonic01

ORIGINAL: Veitikka
Map making. That's where we could use helping hands. The process of cleaning up a map is very laborious.

I heard that adjustable transparency option for preview for map-editing mode will be installed in next patch. Is this true? That will be really helpful for map cleaning using AB map-editing mode!! I mean, right now we all have to switch back and forth the preview and game-view inside map-editing mode, but overlapping with transparency will help us to draw map inside AB easier.

Yes, after the LOS tool features have been completed I'll implement the transparent preview map, and then we should have everything ready for the next patch.

That would be great. I heard from 22sec or someone else that there were more scripts to make map-editing and clean up easier. If you have more time in the future, it would be great to implement all those as a in-game map-editing menu. You guys updated a lot for scenario and campaign making, I think map-editing menu inside AB main menu with all those features will be helpful in the future. Thank you!

[nikolas93TS]

Indeed, the map making is currently our most time-demanding feature.

Another thing is research, both for database (you can see how that look in Research sub-forum) and for general issues like EW, radars, artillery tactics etc.

[Gratch1111]

Then I will try the DB thing since I already know a lot of the stuff Im doing, but will look at it to verify it. Sweden

[22sec]

ORIGINAL: Veitikka

ORIGINAL: exsonic01

ORIGINAL: Veitikka
Map making. That's where we could use helping hands. The process of cleaning up a map is very laborious.

I heard that adjustable transparency option for preview for map-editing mode will be installed in next patch. Is this true? That will be really helpful for map cleaning using AB map-editing mode!! I mean, right now we all have to switch back and forth the preview and game-view inside map-editing mode, but overlapping with transparency will help us to draw map inside AB easier.

Yes, after the LOS tool features have been completed I'll implement the transparent preview map, and then we should have everything ready for the next patch.

Any ETA on the patch? The transparent preview map in the map editor is a must.

[Veitikka]

ORIGINAL: 22sec

Any ETA on the patch? The transparent preview map in the map editor is a must.

Don't tell anyone, but it should be available in the Steam Open Beta branch now.

Build 1.049

NOTE: Savegames from older builds are not compatible.

[engine] Improve hill shading.
[engine] Implement the 'Rice field' terrain type.
[engine] Reset the unit engagement range settings automatically when under fire.
[engine] Halve the 'rotate' order command delay.
[graphics] Update the winter warehouse pattern.
[ui] Implement the stylized unit icon set option.
[ui] Implement the LOS tool preview and profile features.
[ui] Implement the map editor preview image opacity +/- hotkeys.

[22sec]

ORIGINAL: Veitikka

ORIGINAL: 22sec

Any ETA on the patch? The transparent preview map in the map editor is a must.

Don't tell anyone, but it should be available in the Steam Open Beta branch now.

Build 1.049

NOTE: Savegames from older builds are not compatible.

[engine] Improve hill shading.
[engine] Implement the 'Rice field' terrain type.
[engine] Reset the unit engagement range settings automatically when under fire.
[engine] Halve the 'rotate' order command delay.
[graphics] Update the winter warehouse pattern.
[ui] Implement the stylized unit icon set option.
[ui] Implement the LOS tool preview and profile features.
[ui] Implement the map editor preview image opacity +/- hotkeys.

Awesome! Your secret is safe....

[22sec]

Game changed....

[exsonic01]

Opacity idea is a good one! I will try today after get back to home!

[22sec]

Working with a preview map that was exported at 3m per pixel!

[exsonic01]

What is your best opacity option 22sec?
I wish if AB introduce 1% opacity variation option, or at least 5%.

[22sec]

ORIGINAL: exsonic01

What is your best opacity option 22sec?
I wish if AB introduce 1% opacity variation option, or at least 5%.

I would say 40 or 50. Roads are the most difficult to see, and most of the work envisioned taking advantage of this new feature is going to be primarily roads and buildings. It would be nice if we could find a way to make the game’s actual graphics pop a little more in this mode.

[exsonic01]

ORIGINAL: 22sec
I would say 40 or 50. Roads are the most difficult to see, and most of the work envisioned taking advantage of this new feature is going to be primarily roads and buildings. It would be nice if we could find a way to make the game’s actual graphics pop a little more in this mode.

I'm mostly working with 60~70% when I work with farms and fields. But I also change opacity to 50% when I work with city.
Good idea about "pop a little more" only for map making mode. But I guess that wouldn't be an easy task... How about making just boundary lines of game map (terrain.bmp) thicker and sharper only for inside map editing mode? This will make map graphic feature better visible from satellite preview overlapped mode.

What I really wish is more high quality preview but as far as I know AB source code cannot read such huge sized image file [:(]