WitE 2

[RedLancer]

ORIGINAL: lowsugar

What about better cv math, will it still be an option in WITE2?

Almost certainly not because the combat systems are now significantly different. This is due to the code diverging in two directions since it split when WitW was developed. Since then morvael has made changes to WitE and Gary and Pavel have developed WitW and now WitE2.

[gmtello]

Suppose it has Been asked before but What about release date?

[Joel Billings]

Still more than 12 months out. Can't say more than this as there's still lots to do and lost of testing to be done. But we are making good progress.

[TheLysander]

Will the SS Division have their actual names displayed. For example i know that Das Reich is displayed in the first 3 years of the war in WITE but later changes to 2nd SS Panzer and loses the Das Reich. Also, all of the other division, elite or not don't have their names displayed. 11th SS PzG Div doesn't have the Nordland name in it etc.

[Templer_12]

ORIGINAL: Red Lancer

ORIGINAL: Templer

I completely dislike these new weather graphics! [:@]

If you are talking about the WitW weather graphics then you'll be pleased to know that all the ground art for weather has already changed as we have revamped the map.

I do not like these micro pics at the edge of the hex fields. I do not like them at all!
Looks very childish. Like from a children's picture book. [:@]
The same is true of my copy of War in the West.

[RedLancer]

The air weather graphics is one area of the GUI that is actually really easy to change. For WitW one of the principles that guided the artwork was the torrent of complaints that the WitE mud graphics generated because they obscured the map. The challenge is not understanding what people dislike but rather what might do the job better without affecting something else.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Red Lancer

The air weather graphics is one area of the GUI that is actually really easy to change. For WitW one of the principles that guided the artwork was the torrent of complaints that the WitE mud graphics generated because they obscured the map. The challenge is not understanding what people dislike but rather what might do the job better without affecting something else.

+1 You can't please everyone when it comes to aesthetics.

[Templer_12]

ORIGINAL: Red Lancer

The air weather graphics is one area of the GUI that is actually really easy to change. For WitW one of the principles that guided the artwork was the torrent of complaints that the WitE mud graphics generated because they obscured the map. The challenge is not understanding what people dislike but rather what might do the job better without affecting something else.

I remember some of the complaining about the WitE mud/snow graphics. Actually this graphic style is what I prefer. This way the mud/snow hexes looks like, well, like muddy/snowy hexes.

[RedLancer]

I'm not sure whether you'll like this but here's a glimpse at how things are changing.

[Manstein63]

Maybe you can get Jison to do the map once it's been finalised.
Manstein63

[RedLancer]

ORIGINAL: Manstein63

Maybe you can get Jison to do the map once it's been finalised.
Manstein63

He's not interested and the graphics are completely different. The WitE map is made up of tableaus whilst WitE2 is a mosaic.

[Templer_12]

ORIGINAL: Red Lancer...The WitE map is made up of tableaus whilst WitE2 is a mosaic.

Time for a short teaching lesson?

[Sammy5IsAlive]

Are all of the rivers in the WITE2 shot now minor rivers? If there are still some major ones then there needs to be much more contrast between the two (as there is in the WITW map).

The lakes look a lot better, which I think is really important from an aesthetic point of view.

I'd have both forest tiles looking a bit 'heavier' myself - at the moment I'm not sure if there is a big enough contrast between clear and light woods. Part of me wonders whether there should be an additional tier of 'dense' woods to represent the Taiga in the north which was a full blown wilderness environment compared to areas like the Ardennes which was heavily forested but with plenty of infrastructure/shelter. Maybe that aspect is dealt with by the differing levels of road infrastucture that was shared a while back?

For what it is worth I would still miss the current WITE map, which I think is much more attractive. Although I can appreciate how increased complexity in gameplay areas such as logistics/air war/weather necessitate a map that to an extent prioritises function over attractiveness.

I do prefer the town/city graphics you get in Jison's map mod compared to the dots you get in WITE base game and in WITW.

[RedLancer]

ORIGINAL: Templer

ORIGINAL: Red Lancer...The WitE map is made up of tableaus whilst WitE2 is a mosaic.

Time for a short teaching lesson?

Naturlich...

War in the East uses a tableau map. The art is drawn in large graphic files. These are relatively easy to draw and finish to a high standard, but it is difficult to change the map if there is a mistake. It is hard to match to the underlying code so that the right art matches the correct hex attributes.

War in the West/E2 is a mosaic. Each hex has its own art and attributes. The map text is separate too. In the editor (with full functionality enabled) I can (and am doing so for witE2.0) move cities, rivers, terrain and rail lines around the map with ease and the art follows suit. However as it is a mosaic the art is tied to each of the hexes but I can change that as I want too. Having a mosaic makes blending to a high standard more challenging so the final product is more difficult. It does allow us to have a living map - the text changes as you zoom which is a bonus.

The reason we changed was not only to expand the map to the west and have a more editable construct but also the new map uses much less memory so the game runs much faster.

[RedLancer]

ORIGINAL: Sammy5IsAlive

Are all of the rivers in the WITE2 shot now minor rivers? If there are still some major ones then there needs to be much more contrast between the two (as there is in the WITW map).

The lakes look a lot better, which I think is really important from an aesthetic point of view.

I'd have both forest tiles looking a bit 'heavier' myself - at the moment I'm not sure if there is a big enough contrast between clear and light woods. Part of me wonders whether there should be an additional tier of 'dense' woods to represent the Taiga in the north which was a full blown wilderness environment compared to areas like the Ardennes which was heavily forested but with plenty of infrastructure/shelter. Maybe that aspect is dealt with by the differing levels of road infrastucture that was shared a while back?

For what it is worth I would still miss the current WITE map, which I think is much more attractive. Although I can appreciate how increased complexity in gameplay areas such as logistics/air war/weather necessitate a map that to an extent prioritises function over attractiveness.

I do prefer the town/city graphics you get in Jison's map mod compared to the dots you get in WITE base game and in WITW.

All the rivers in the new screenshot are minor. As I hope my response to Templer indicates some things are really easy to change and mod to personal preferences. The mosaic map is excellent in that respect. I have considered changing the towns from dots but other things have priority. For example we are currently looking at adding road graphics although my major task at the moment is adding elevation shading to the map. It has no impact on gameplay but looks more interesting. You can see a bit in the screenshot.

I still have an idea to get Pavel to code the woods to change colour by season. The art setup has the scope to be adjusted to match and would allow the scope to have thicker conifer forests. Anything is challenging though as there are 134190 hexes.

[Capitaine]

Very impressive improvements, Red Lancer. Excited about the new product.

[Commanderski]

I still have an idea to get Pavel to code the woods to change colour by season. The art setup has the scope to be adjusted to match and would allow the scope to have thicker conifer forests.

Not a requirement for the game but I would love to see that! [:)]

[Crackaces]

Anything is challenging though as there are 134190 hexes.

Not all of these are woods although

[Templer_12]

Which feature will impress us the most?

[Zorch]

How about swamps so realistic you can feel the mud? [:D]