Core of Heroes and Leaders mod

[asl3d]

Thanks very much. Like some games have the properties in XML files I think.

Specific question - if someone is in a gully you can control how close the enemy has to be to see them right?

Also wondering about your sprites without numbers. Is it possible to have the sprites with numbers?

I have ToTH and people have created tons of scenarios which is lovely but the AI is not coded to deal with many of them, as in no snow rules, etc.

Point 1.- Indeed, it is similar to XLM files, although it is easier for me to work with Excel files.

Point 2.- I'll give you an example in the attached image.
A unit within the gully K4 hex (level 0 on the board) can always see the 6 adjacent hexes, such as J4 (inside the same gully) or outside it (for example K5, at a level 1 on the board). However, beyond 1 hex there are no LOS, such as M4. That is, it behaves the same as in hill hexes, for example.

Point 3.- I do not understand the question. I do not know if you are referring to the Excel Sprites file, regarding the numbers of the columns X0, Y0, X1, Y1.

Point 4.- I also have the game of TotH. It is a good effort from Peter Fisla and the people who have helped him. I've even made a mod for TotH that has been very well versioned by other fans (RAUBKATER1, for example). However, I believe that Heroes of Stalingrad is much more complete. It is for this reason that I decided to develop Heroes and Leaders mod on this platform.
Regarding what you say about the scenarios, I strongly agree. What I think is happening is that there has been a transfer of many of the ASL and SL scenarios without taking into account the special characteristics of the TotH AI. They should have done a set of tests before taking a scenario of ASL or SL for TotH, and that may not have been done enough.

[Gerry4321]

Thanks for the explanation.

What I meant by #3 was you do not use counters with data on the map. Instead you have a graphic symbol and then if you mouse over you can see the counter's data. So wondering if your mod allows the players to choose the counter with numeric data to be used directly on the map?

In any case, I want to say that what you have done is beautiful and amazing. It seems to be more than the original game.

[asl3d]

OK, now I understand.
The answer is yes.
In the image below there is, first of all, by way of example, the Sprite "HaL_German_Vehicles_Sheet-04", where the counter of the StuH 42 assault cannon is located. If you look at the Sprite you will see that it appears so much the unit that usually it is represented in the game as well as the same unit in conventional counter format (with all the numbers), which is what appears when you mouse over.
To always see the conventional counter, simply invert the coordinates in the corresponding row in the Excel Units file. It's a bit tedious but it can be done.
However, I think that doing that is going backwards in the spirit of Heroes and Leaders mod.
If we return to examine the attached image, we see that the game AI provides exhaustive information. In fact, when the Russian T-34 point the target StuH 42, it tells us that it has a 24% chance of causing a damage. Also, if you click on the StuH 42, we have information about the caliber of your main gun, your Fire Power, your range, the protection of your front, side and rear armor, the FP of your bow machine gun and your range and, especially, the performance of your main gun (To-Hit and Penetration) depending on the target range.
This is much more than the information provided in the StuH 42 counter.
I have done that when hover your mouse over any unit/weapon and it flip to its information format, revealing its main characteristics of combat (the classic counter), only as a deference to those many players who for a lot of years have played with counters and boards of cardboard (like myself).
But, I am convinced that this information is absolutely unnecessary and redundant.

[Gerry4321]

Thanks again.

Have people done conversions of ASL/SL scenarios for HoS? Maybe your Barrikady ones are like that?

[asl3d]

Have people done conversions of ASL/SL scenarios for HoS? Maybe your Barrikady ones are like that?

It is possible that there are people who have made conversions of ASL/SL scenarios for HoS, but I have not seen these scenarios published in this forum (although I have not investigated it carefully either). What I have seen are boards that reproduce pretty well the original ASL/SL boards.

Barrikady: The original idea was to adapt the famous first historical module of ASL "Red Barricades". When I started working with the boards I understood that it was difficult to respect the original board of Red Barricades. Finally, I decided that it was preferable to reproduce the original terrain of the factory and its surroundings. In addition, I discovered that the original terrain of Red Barricades, which had been made from aerial photographs, nevertheless had several errors that I have tried to rectify (especially the railway network within the industrial complex of the Barrikady factory). But the fundamental thing was to respect some special rules of Red Barrikades, especially everything that refers to the Factories.

The original scenarios of Red Barrikades are another matter. When I tried to reproduce the first scenario of Red Barricades, I understood that it was not easy to do it. Of course it could be done, but the final result was not convincing. My decision was to reproduce the battles that were actually fought in those critical days of autumn 1942, using the multiple historical sources that exist today.

Red Barricades was published in 1990, and Charlie Kibler (his designer and one of ASL's most important innovators) did what he could. Now, with much more information available, scenarios can be made even more adjusted to what happened in reality (units that actually participated, their composition, the situation they were in and, above all, the advance of the "day to day" front ).

The Heroes and Leader mod Barrikady is composed of 19 scenarios that reproduce, as best I could, the battles that were fought during the month of October 1942. No scenario is inspired by the original Charlie Kibler scenarios or in others that have been published and that I know (I have consulted and checked 48 scenarios).

[Gerry4321]

You are amazing! Thanks. I bought the game last night partly based on the stuff you are doing.

[Gerry4321]

Hello again:
I took a look at your mod. Please don't be upset as I think it is great. But unfortunately for me, I cannot really distinguish my men from the enemy without the counters.
You said there was a way I could get the counters to show - you wrote above:
"To always see the conventional counter, simply invert the coordinates in the corresponding row in the Excel Units file. It's a bit tedious but it can be done."
Is this the Units.csv file in the Heroes and Leaders mod forum? And what coordinates are you talking about?
Thanks.
Gerry

[asl3d]

Hello Gerry,
Effectively it is the Units.csv file.
For example, in the picture attached you have the characteristics of the unit "Soviet Naval Academy Infantry" (Sprite 700). The coordinates of the classic image are (3,3) and the coordinates of the unit in "most realistic" format are (1,3).
What you have to do is replace the coordinates (3,3) with the (1,3).
Easy but tedious.

[Gerry4321]

Thanks. I copied the data from the columns BT and BU on the right to columns L and M. Is that all I need? The counters show up fine first but then when a unit is shaken the sprite shows up or if a hero is generated also I think.

Instead of copying the data as above I tried to switch the data in the 2 sets of columns (so also copied the original data in L and M to BT and BU. But that also seemed to have probelms.

Do other columns relate to the shaken status of the units for example that I also needed to change?

[asl3d]

I do not understand well what you have done.
Just copy the coordinates of the "BT" column in the "L" column, and also copy the coordinates of the "BU" column in the "M" column.
That is all.

[Gerry4321]

I did that and initially the counters are fine. I moved some units to get some combat results. When they are shaken or wounded:
- the leader reverts to a Sprite symbol on the side of a white background - see A
- the squad becomes a blank white counter with the "Moved" symbol on it - see B



Just FYI. I don't want to bother you as this is my idea. You have done enough work.

[asl3d]

Hello Gerry,

You're right.
What happens is that in Heroes and Leaders mod there are no counters in "traditional" format to represent broken or wounded units. This is why the original Heroes and Leaders mods counters are still appearing.
The solution would be to design new counters in "traditional" format to represent the Broken or Wounded units, and then replace the corresponding Sprites.
You could also even generate new Sprites (in this case you would also have to modify the Sprite and Units files).
Maybe it's better to keep using the original counters of Heroes and Leaders mod.

[Gerry4321]

Thanks. I think you are right.

I assume tanks cannot fire smoke in your mod? (I don't think they can in the original game, right?)

[asl3d]

ORIGINAL: Gerry4321

Thanks. I think you are right.

I assume tanks cannot fire smoke in your mod? (I don't think they can in the original game, right?)

Hello Gerry, again.
The properties of creating smoke are not contained in the game. Only the option of starting a fire with a Molotov Cocktail can be customized.
As far as I have been able to verify, the smoke is only generated by the infantry units (with short-range and duration smoke grenades), as well as the smoke that occurs after the explosion of a vehicle (longer duration).

[asl3d]

Barrikady North Ludnikows district

[asl3d]

Barrikady North Assembly Workshop

[asl3d]

Barrikady North Manufacturing Workshop

[asl3d]

Barrikady North pier of the Barrikady factory complex

[asl3d]

Barrikady North Thermic Treatments Workshop

[Gerry4321]

Lovely maps!