Hi all, and some suggestions about GRAPHICS

[Wiking_]

Hi all, this is my first post in Matrix games forums. [:D]

To Matrix guys: First of all, congratulations for the SPWaW game (and thanks for the freeware choice!) I have been playing Steel Panthers series since first version was released and I think it is really great and gets the "real feel" of WW2, just like being down in the trenches or shooting right from a tank turret.

But surprisingly, I realise that some changes in graphics of SPWaW ( comparised to former versions of SP series) have made the game look somehow "weird" and lost a bit of the "real feel" I was talking about before.

I am referring basically to projected shadows of units and other graphics. In SP graphics every element usually projects down a certain shadow on the land: trees, buildings, and also units, like soldiers and armored vehicles. This shadow, that can be seen at the left-bottom side of these elements, vanishes ( in SPWaW) from other ones, like stone walls ( they look like a paved path like this...please put a shadow by them to show their height!) and most of all, units. Units without their projected shadow look weird and plain, almost unreal.

Paved roads are other elements too plain-coloured in my opinion, and some other graphics look weird as well, like for instance the "in-cover" barb wires ( a chalk circle drawn around the unit?) I think the "trenches" hexes graphics in first SP versions were quite right...

About infantry graphics: why do they sometimes show a number of soldiers different than it actually should? I do not mean mortars or MGs, but rifle squads. I have seen a small scout section of five men have 3 killed and still show up five men! Is there a reason for this? If there is not, I think making the graphic show the right number of men would improve the game realistic look quite a lot.

Well, that's all so far. Thank you very much if you read the whole stuff!




Wiking-

[TheChin]

I don't know about the shadows, but I seem to remember the infantry change a few versions ago. I think the reasoning was that it is hard to tell exactly how many men are left in an enemies squad, so the graphics were changed so as to be more realistic. If memory serves, it's part of the "fog of war". Of course, your own units have the magic number in the middle so it doesn't really matter if their icon is accurately representative.

[Jamminji]

I think there is also a preference button that will turn on/off the number in the middle of the squad for the enemy.

jam

[RockinHarry]

There´s only shadow casting routines for certain terrain types, like houses trees and bridges. Walls, hedges and bocage don´t look very good IMO. I worked on some improved versions of Walls and also hedges and bocage is on my to do list. If any of you would like to try out my improved grey walls, let me know![8D]

Some time ago I posted them in this forum. Maybe they can be digged up again by forum search!

[Wiking_]

Playing the game I realised the "concealed" number of men in enemy infantry units and I thought it might be a matter of "fog of war", but I was not completely sure. It's OK then, no problem about that anymore.

About graphics...I think it's a pity that units don't cast shadows...they would look much better. What do you think of how primary roads and paved areas in general look?

Harry, I am interested in trying out your shadow-casting stone walls graphics. Is there an URL where I can download them from?

Thanks all for your answers



Wiking_

[RockinHarry]

ORIGINAL: Wiking_

Playing the game I realised the "concealed" number of men in enemy infantry units and I thought it might be a matter of "fog of war", but I was not completely sure. It's OK then, no problem about that anymore.

About graphics...I think it's a pity that units don't cast shadows...they would look much better. What do you think of how primary roads and paved areas in general look?

Harry, I am interested in trying out your shadow-casting stone walls graphics. Is there an URL where I can download them from?

Thanks all for your answers



Wiking_

I´ll send you some files per email (attaching stuff in MG boards has become increasingly difficult) early next week coming![:)] No URL yet. Please PM me your email addy!

[RockinHarry]

in the meantime I figuerd out how to make the files Mod Swapper compatible![:)] I´ll make the stuff available at SPWAW.com soon and I´ll also send you the stuff per your email Wiking.[8D]

[RockinHarry]

here´s link to the files at the Depot:

http://www.spwaw.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2233

below is some screenshot of included terrain files

[MOTHER]

now thats a graphic improvement![:)]

[RockinHarry]

I´ll work on brown stone walls hedges and bocage soon. As said the bocage above is "lend" from SP2WW2.[;)]

Do you get Mod Swapper working`with the files?[&:]

Btw...you can rename the *.zip files to *.spm extension and load these instead. It´s all the same actaullay, only extension is different (both are ZIP files).