Less Is More Graphics Mod

[zakblood]

+1 so lets call it 3, but i don't mind anyway as i've been editing stuff for ages, as i always play about and make it how i want it, no matter who else has a view either way on the subject[:D][;)]

as i'm old and naughty, quite old,

but very naughty[&o]

[VegasOZ]

Here is my Firing Line graphic modded.

[berto]

No attachment to your post.

Is it a .zip file? In any case, rename the extension to .txt, then you should be able to attach. But tell us what the original file extension was. (.zip? .pcx?)

[VegasOZ]

Here is my HW_Direction_Arrows files, modded.

[berto]

For future reference, a post about units being off-center in the hexes here.

Another thing that could probably be fixed in a graphics mod.

[zakblood]

replied and agreed

[ericbabe]

Those look good. I may make them official graphics in a future patch if you don't mind my using them.

Drawing the casualty numbers only takes microseconds.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: VegasOZ

Here is my HW_Direction_Arrows files, modded.

Thanks for this, also the Firing Line graphic mod. Some interesting minimalism here!

[VegasOZ]

ORIGINAL: ericbabe

Those look good. I may make them official graphics in a future patch if you don't mind my using them.

Drawing the casualty numbers only takes microseconds.

Thank you, and feel free to use my mod of your very fine game.

[berto]

For the latest installment of the Less Is More Graphics Mod, I have

[*]shrunk the out-of-command stars
[*]thinned all arrows (move, attack, etc.) thusly (where the odd-numbered arrows are the original and the even-numbered arrows are their modded thinner counterparts):



(Those are thumbnail images from my graphics editing software Corel PainShop Pro X7. The Less Is More Graphics Mod package only includes the newer, replacement .pcx files.)

Here is a screenshot of the new, thinner move arrows:



Note also the latest change -- the smaller out-of-command stars -- in addition to the earlier Mod changes of smaller no-move red Xs, reduced done-move check marks, etc.

Here is a screenshot of the new, thinner attack arrow:



And another:



There's still more I want to mod, but that's enough for now. (Note to self: Next time, you really must make the no-move red Xs even smaller.)

For your convenience, the LIMGM is packaged in the form of a JSGME mod package. If you don't use that mod enabler utility (you really ought to!), you should know that among the many folders included in this latest version of the Mod, just two folders are populated:

[*]Gfx > Arrows
[*]Gfx > Hexwar

In this version, look for the modded files there, and only there.

Note: You will always be able to download the latest version of the Less Is More Graphics Mod in the OP (post #1) of this thread.

Note: Before applying the Mod, make backups of your stock files & folders first! (JSGME will do that automatically for you.)

Enjoy!

[oldspec4]

Excellent work..Thanks for doing this.

[VegasOZ]

I am using my HW_Direction_Arrows. pcx and HW_Direction_Arrowsa.pcx and my Attack_Arrow but I adopted the rest of your arrows as I had not modded them yet. So my install is as graphically clean and de-cluttered as you can get I'd say.

[marcpennington]

I appreciate these mods, and hope the designers will integrate various of their features as options into the main game.

As regards the floating casualty numbers discussed earlier (as well as some of the other eyesores), I don't think they actually look all that bad on the default normal zoom (or whatever the zoom level is called where everything just looks clear--- you know what I mean). And now we have the option to not zoom out in combat resolution (and at zoomed out levels, they really are eye sores and hard to read.) The problem is that the game doesn't save the don't zoom out in combat resolution option, so for people like me who primarily play PBEM, we're stuck looking at them. Hopefully that can be fixed soon, and more of the above ideas worked in as well.

Actually, on that note, have any modders/designers figured out a line to add to the .ini to permanently prevent zoom out during combat resolution? I imagine it's a simple fix.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: berto

For the latest installment of the Less Is More Graphics Mod, I have

[*]shrunk the out-of-command stars

In the 20150530 release, I have shrunk the out-of-command stars by 50% from stock. Now too small I think. In the next release, I'll shrink them to 75% of original stock size.

[Radagy]

Thanks Berto, you are doing a really good job addressing the weak spot of this game.

[berto]

You're welcome. I'm working on graphics for another game (<cough cough>), but I hope to post an update to the Less Is More Graphics Mod later this weekend.

[berto]

For the latest installment of the Less Is More Graphics Mod, I have

[*]shrunk and simplified the no-move red Xs even further, and re-centered them in relation to other info icons, not in relation to the hex
[*]restored the out-of-command stars to their original, standard stock size



Oddly, in stock, the info icons (LOS, no-move, etc.) are not centered in the hex, rather are positioned slightly above the hex center. In previous versions of this mod, I had centered the no-move red Xs in relation to the hex. But that made them out of kilter in relation to the other info icons. It looks better for all info icons to line up together, hence my adjusting the red X centering.

There are limits to how small I can make the red Xs. Being red, hence standing out, being noticeable no matter their size, generally smaller is better. But if I make them too small, they are obscured by the overlaying LOS markers, etc. The current size is about best.

I also decided that, especially at extreme zoom-out, it's better to have the out-of-command stars larger, back to original 100% size.

There's still more I want to mod, but that's enough for now. Too busy with other stuff!

For your convenience, the LIMGM is packaged in the form of a JSGME mod package. If you don't use that mod enabler utility (you really ought to!), you should know that among the many folders included in this latest version of the Mod, just two folders are populated:

[*]Gfx > Arrows
[*]Gfx > Hexwar

In this version, look for the modded files there, and only there.

Note: You will always be able to download the latest version of the Less Is More Graphics Mod in the OP (post #1) of this thread.

Note: Before applying the Mod, make backups of your stock files & folders first! (JSGME will do that automatically for you.)

Enjoy!

[chemkid]

.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: berto

ORIGINAL: berto

I have mixed feelings about the new counter art. It harmonizes better with the map art. But the unit echelon colors mesh better with the older, two-color counter art. Maybe reduce in size the echelon colors graphics. Show more blue & gray, less fruit salad!

Contrast the, IMO, too visually overpowering echelon colors graphics in chit view



with the more attractive, because smaller, echelon colors graphics in sprites view



It is my wish that the on-counter unit colors be as small as the off-sprites unit colors. I realize that, at an angle, on-counter echelon displays will be jaggy, the smaller the graphic, and the more zoomed-out.

Maybe therefore move the unit colors off-counter, just like sprites? Or have the unit colors always display straight up, no angling, but floating over the counters? Doing it in either of those ways has the added virtue of freeing up space on-counter for displaying other useful info.

Another suggestion: In sprites view, we have the option to toggle unit colors off. Give us that option in chit view also.

Here is the file Gfx > Hexwar > CountersColors.pcx:



I have a strong hunch that by tweaking this file -- reducing in size these supposed unit color templates (?) -- I can achieve the effect I'm looking for.

No time to test this hypothesis now! Maybe later this week.

[berto]

For the latest installment (20150609) of the Less Is More Graphics Mod, I have

[*]shrunk the chits-view on-counter echelon counters

ORIGINAL: berto

Here is the file Gfx > Hexwar > CountersColors.pcx:



I have a strong hunch that by tweaking this file -- reducing in size these supposed unit color templates (?) -- I can achieve the effect I'm looking for.

Yes, it works! [:)]

Here is the before, showing default, standard, chit-view echelon colors:



And here is the after, showing the newer, modded, smaller echelon colors:



(The mod also eliminates some unsightly artifacting in the default, standard CountersColors.pcx file -- how it meshes with the counters files. Alas, in some situations, in some zooms, for Union counters only AFAIK, there might still be some artifacting, depending on the echelon colors. I don't believe that this is due to the modded CountersColors.pcx, rather to the dark blue counter background color/texture used in the UsaCounters.pcx file (not modded).)

A recent screenshot, showcasing some of the most important features of the Mod:



There's still more I want to mod, but that's enough for now. Too busy with other stuff!

For your convenience, the LIMGM is packaged in the form of a JSGME mod package. If you don't use that mod enabler utility (you really ought to!), you should know that among the many folders included in this latest version of the Mod, just two folders are populated:

[*]Gfx > Arrows
[*]Gfx > Hexwar

In this version, look for the modded files there, and only there.

Note: You will always be able to download the latest version of the Less Is More Graphics Mod in the OP (post #1) of this thread.

Note: Before applying the Mod, make backups of your stock files & folders first! (JSGME will do that automatically for you.)

Enjoy!