Empire V4.0 and Age of steel V1.0c Final edition out now !!!

[Cavalry Corp]

Viperpol,

So very sorry - I must have moved it by mistake as there were several updates to the art. The extra folders you pointed out were just the latest additions.

So I have just made one folder with all the art now on the 365. This art is for all the mods.

All the art is there, including all the ships and plane sides for all the mods. You need your own map or the one I loaded.

Again apologies...

My art borrows loads of stuff, I am no tech person. What we need is someone to do some of the planes better and a few more for some of the subtypes and MKs of planes. I also wanted to add the Okha as a separate suicide K plane, but never found the art.

Cav

[viberpol]

Thanks, Cav!

I was now able to play the first turn without CTD (that happened without the basic art).
I only noticed one missing top of Blackburn Skua

Skua.jpg (114.16 KiB) Viewed 135 times

[Cavalry Corp]

No its not missing - this happens with some planes its because the creator of the plane has made some error with the shape or size of it ( I think) ..... If someone knows how to fix this, you could have a go?

There are about 6 planes affected by this in the whole game but they're mainly early war ones, it's only in the combat screen it happens (Tops). The sides are all ok as well.

There is no Art for the Skua in stock, I think.

I hope it does not detract too much, as it stands, these elderly planes are important, as the tech is low at the start in this mod.

[Cavalry Corp]

Here is the Skua and Roc. Similar planes both in the early game.

I am wondering if the inverted colour of the background is the problem( most planes have a white background)? If it is I do not know how to fix it but someone will

Screenshot 2025-07-14 172937.png (30.8 KiB) Viewed 124 times

[Cavalry Corp]

Tell me what you did on the first turn as allies? or Japan. There are heaps more possibilities. I like to see what players choose.

In one game I am following they used the KB on TFZ and Singapore, for instance. But in this mod, PH has a lot of planes and it's easy to destroy many of them whilst still doing a lot of damage to the BB and or the CV , and the allies are very short of replacements at the start. Then there is Manila LBA will do a lot but a KB strike could kill a lot of subs? There are more subs on both sides in this mod and the J ASW is very poor at the start - worse than stock. But better than stock by early 44.


Cav

[viberpol]

Here is the Skua and Roc. Similar planes both in the early game.

I am wondering if the inverted colour of the background is the problem( most planes have a white background)? If it is I do not know how to fix it but someone will

Screenshot 2025-07-14 172937.png

If I remember it right from years back in modding, one had to add the top in the Atop.bmp & Aptop_alpha.bmp files.
The problem is to know exactly where, as the file has dozens of tops.

Adding them in a separate folder does not work, does it? (Or maybe it was changed in the latest patch/tool?).

Atop.jpg (96.7 KiB) Viewed 103 times

[viberpol]

So, if you open the scenario editor, and show it the path for the art (main ART folder, where the Atop file is), then tick Show the art, you gonna see why there's some kind of problem.
The art shown does not seem the correct Blackburn Skua but rather some (inactive?) Russian plane(s). [A flying boat and some Yak probably]

plane editing.jpg (251.79 KiB) Viewed 101 times

I think the A/Jtop.bmp shows you plane in combat, blueish "Blank" info comes from A_PlaneSide.bmp.
You have the art prepped (in different folder), but imo you need to copy paste in the correct places (top, mask and side.bmp), Cav.

[viberpol]

Otherwise, you'll simply have the error message Jside ctor failed.
Like here:

plane editing.jpg (257.59 KiB) Viewed 98 times

Seen that Mess in combat?

[viberpol]

Adding them in a separate folder does not work, does it? (Or maybe it was changed in the latest patch/tool?).

Aaah, scratch that, seems that you can add it this way with proper naming of the files (button Bitmap 0393), sorry.
It seems all you have to do is to remove the white fill from that "Aptop_alpha0393.bmp" file,
it should be alpha mask, I mean void inside.
Checked and it works.

Alpha.png (275.21 KiB) Viewed 87 times

[EDIT]
Seems that if you set Bitmap number --> it takes separate arts from the isolated folder.
If you release the Bitmap button and set it to default 0, it takes the arts from A/J_top etc.

[Cavalry Corp]

Indeed, you know much more than I do about the art. I am very pleased you fixed it so easily. As I said, I found those planes in ancient files. I did not create them; that's beyond me.

Do you fancy helping and doing a fix for these planes that will not display - probably all the ones in the additional planes folder with the black backgrounds - then we can all enjoy a better game. I did see your last comment and maybe it's an easy fix, but I am worried about breaking anything.

It's a bit outside my scope, these kinds of things, TBH , I did not grow up with all this tech.

All people who help get a small ship added or a change of name to an existing one, I guess, with their name in the next patch, if there is one. Plus name in credits!

Michael/Cav

[Cavalry Corp]

Would that mean changing things in every Scn that's x 6 Scn to change?
I would do the leg work but would need to know exactly what to do? some sort of list...

Then alas, it would mean another patch but should be a welcome one

I also really wanted a land-based Okha, as it suits this mod. A long time ago, I saw art for it, but I've either lost it or can't find it. I had a lot of trouble getting the existing planes to line up with the art numbers, so I kind of avoided going further.

Is it hard-coded the number of actual art for planes that can be there? For instance, I have the plane tops from RA, then the separate folder. I have no idea how they interact or work, but they do, so I haven't fiddled with anything. An expert could do much more than adding variants and Marks of planes to add more chrome. I had a vision of some more, mainly earlier planes, etc., all for chrome, not much combat value.

The good thing I have about my mod ( in progress for 4 real years) is I have done 3 games, 2 into 44 and 1 into September 45, ( one as allies and two as J) that is a lot of opportunity to improve it and make it more finely balanced for both sides. Anything now is fine tuning and Chrome. Adding Chrome adds so much to the immersion in play, but the outcomes are little changed.

Cav

[viberpol]

Indeed, you know much more than I do about the art. I am very pleased you fixed it so easily. As I said, I found those planes in ancient files. I did not create them; that's beyond me.

Do you fancy helping and doing a fix for these planes that will not display - probably all the ones in the additional planes folder with the black backgrounds - then we can all enjoy a better game. I did see your last comment and maybe it's an easy fix, but I am worried about breaking anything.

It's a bit outside my scope, these kinds of things, TBH , I did not grow up with all this tech.

All people who help get a small ship added or a change of name to an existing one, I guess, with their name in the next patch, if there is one. Plus name in credits!

Michael/Cav

Hey Michael, yes, I can fix it as I plan to play it with Crsutton (if he is still willing to start another 5 years of marriage with me ...but it will take some time, as testing it requires some sandbox or real-game exp.
Unless you have a ready list of the missing planes, so that I could fix the most obvious even this weekend.

[viberpol]

Is it hard-coded the number of actual art for planes that can be there? For instance, I have the plane tops from RA, then the separate folder. I have no idea how they interact or work, but they do, so I haven't fiddled with anything. An expert could do much more than adding variants and Marks of planes to add more chrome. I had a vision of some more, mainly earlier planes, etc., all for chrome, not much combat value.
Cav

Like I said this is bit more complicated.
I am not 100% sure and might be still wrong but I think Michaelm added this functionality some years ago... but this is just a wild quess.
If you have ("Bitmap" button) number set in the scn. file it reaches the external folder.
This is potentially unlimited or limited only by the number of slots in the scenario for new types/variants of your planes. This is actually brilliant.
If not, you get default top/mask/side from A/J_top/sides planes .bmp in the main ART folder. This is limited.

[Cavalry Corp]

OK, thanks for this - not sure what bitmap button you mean. I can tell you the external folder is working fine.
Any help you are prepared to give is welcome, I am sure. Remember I have 6 versions to change if we go ahead.

Do you have access to extra art for planes somewhere? I seem to have exhausted all I can find, and I do not know at all how to edit or add the plane tops file that came with the game; I only used the added planes folder, which worked fine.
Is there a limit on numbering in the planes folder, from what you say perhaps not? But there is in what came with the original game/ plane tops slide.For some reason, I think I came across a problem with adding more when I used a number over, say, 450. It did not work, but I cannot exactly recall - it's been a while.

It would be good to have extra art for the variants and MKs in the game, as well as a few more, especially the Okha.

Thanks for your interest, and please know that for as long as possible, we can patch and upgrade this game on an ongoing basis. If you start now, you have 4 years of significant play testing. You should take note of the house rules, but the number one is no R&D of planes.

If anyone reading this has art that could be added to the game, please feel free to share, especially early planes.

Cheers

Cav

[Cavalry Corp]

Indeed, you know much more than I do about the art. I am very pleased you fixed it so easily. As I said, I found those planes in ancient files. I did not create them; that's beyond me.

Do you fancy helping and doing a fix for these planes that will not display - probably all the ones in the additional planes folder with the black backgrounds - then we can all enjoy a better game. I did see your last comment and maybe it's an easy fix, but I am worried about breaking anything.

It's a bit outside my scope, these kinds of things, TBH , I did not grow up with all this tech.

All people who help get a small ship added or a change of name to an existing one, I guess, with their name in the next patch, if there is one. Plus name in credits!

Michael/Cav

Hey Michael, yes, I can fix it as I plan to play it with Crsutton (if he is still willing to start another 5 years of marriage with me ...but it will take some time, as testing it requires some sandbox or real-game exp.
Unless you have a ready list of the missing planes, so that I could fix the most obvious even this weekend.

Well, no, but I think all the planes in the folders that have a black background were affected. I think that's around 6-10 in all. I could write them down if you like. We ignored it in my games....

[Cavalry Corp]

I suggest trying with the Shua and Roc, as they are at the start (I think they are both affected). However, as I mentioned, I believe all the ones with the black background in the planes folder are affected. Play the game or send me the file, and I will play a turn and see if they display.

All planes in this mod have numbers beside the bitmap button. If the number is beyond the tile's basic stuff, then they show from the planes' folder, it seems BUT I think I gave the planes in that folder numbers that corresponded with empty places on the tile - absolute nightmare, as I had to work it out manually. I thought the maximum number was limited to the tile I guess - it was a long while ago now.

So I think what you are saying is changing something with the bitmap button may open up any number of planes to be added to the planes folder with numbers in excess of these slots still left on the tile? Like start a serries at 900, 901 etcc?



M