Sneak Peeks, Coming Attractions, Works-In-Progress

[Rake]

ORIGINAL: berto

No longer useless, in ME 1.01, under Extreme FOW, they will show almost as much info as non Extreme FOW:



In the screenshot, the Jordanian M48A1 Patton unit in the hot spot hex (yellow hex outline) has just fired at the Unknown Israeli tank platoon to its south. The Damage Report says

Unknown
Reduced Disrupted

because this is Extreme FOW. Under non Extreme FOW, also no FOW, the Damage Report box would instead say

Unknown
Reduced by 1 Disrupted

for example (might instead say "by 2" or ...). So under Extreme FOW, you will know there is force loss, just not exactly how much.

Likewise, the Damage Report box, under all FOW types (also no FOW at all) will report things like Eliminated, Retreated, Disrupted, Defenders overrun, No effect, etc.

Excellent I think this is solid middle-ground between omniscience and knowing nothing at all

[berto]

Let's see if I can make Crossroads' day ...



[:)]

That's up to 6 counters max showing in 2D. Before the max was 4.

In the screenshot above, 2D Zoom-In (hot key 4) mode, with Alternate Counters, Graphical Unit Icons, Black Highlight Colors (where the black highlights in the screenshot show units that have moved).

In the screenshot following, 2D Zoom-In (hot key 4) mode, with Standard Counters, NATO Icons, Black Highlight Colors.



In the screenshot following, 2D Normal (hot key 5) mode.



In the screenshot following, 2D Zoom-Out (hot key 6) mode.



In the screenshot following, 2D Extreme Zoom-Out (hot key 7) mode.



In the screenshot following, Black Highlight Colors, highlighting units that have moved.



In the screenshot following, Orange Highlight Colors, highlighting HQ units.



Available in the forthcoming ME 1.01.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: berto


Let's see if I can make Crossroads' day ...



[:)]

The reason he hates to do what I ask is that I give him a big wet kiss on his cheek everytime he complies



I may need to start buying him beer instead!

[Crossroads]

Or how about I buy you a t-shirt instead [:D]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

When are you going to start selling the T-Shirts with the Wreck markers on them ? I'd like to pre-order 5 of them in X-Large, black shirt with white graphic please.

What a splendid idea! We need to do this !!! [:D]

[:'(]

[Crossroads]

So what's the fuzz, then? This was an old legacy limit, only displaying max 4 counters on a hex, albeit the game allowing 6 units at one time in a hex (while at the same time monitoring the 24SP max limit too).

So what if there'd be several full (as how it was) stacks on 2D map, but one them would be having say a HQ at the bottom of the stack. A priority target for sure, but if you don't see it you can't shoot it.



Now, you'd see the stack there with the telling grey HQ unit type bar in the counter, identifying the target very nicely.

That's yet one wish lish item off our very long list. Yay berto!

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

ORIGINAL: berto

Let's see if I can make Crossroads' day ...

The reason he hates to do what I ask is that I give him a big wet kiss on his cheek everytime he complies

I may need to start buying him beer instead!

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Or how about I buy you a t-shirt instead [:D]

[Crossroads]

Some experimental Field and Vineyard graphics on display. Fields are changed to more rectangular, with some variety, while vineyards are now hex shaped.

[Nicholas Bell]

Not to be disagreeable, because in general I really like the terrain graphics, but the diagonal fields I have always found unnatural and visually distracting. Likewise for hex shaped terrain of any sort. I prefer the irregular nature of the woods quite nice. I normally edit my fields to use a double "ll" symbol (yeah, I know it's supposed to be meadow, but we don't have meadow terrain) and "$" for vineyards. Both used on Soviet topo maps.

I really like the elevation color gradations. Don't care for the really bold, dark colors (which obscure the terrain and units)on other series games.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Nicholas Bell

Not to be disagreeable, because in general I really like the terrain graphics, but the diagonal fields I have always found unnatural and visually distracting. Likewise for hex shaped terrain of any sort. I prefer the irregular nature of the woods quite nice. I normally edit my fields to use a double "ll" symbol (yeah, I know it's supposed to be meadow, but we don't have meadow terrain) and "$" for vineyards. Both used on Soviet topo maps.

Our terrain tiles typically come in six variations. For Fields, there's two horizontal and two vertical variations, and one clockwise and one counter-clockwise tile. I believe they would be easy to mod out should you so prefer. Same for the "11" and "$" symbols, they'd go there.

EDIT: One way to rid of the diagonal fields would be to open the map in question with Map Editor. There's a tool there for rotating these variants per hex, so that'd be one way to do it, to change them into horizontal / vertical there. This would be per map method of course, so for global change you'd be better of modding the Vegetation#d.bmp files instead.

I started a topic on modding terrain. It is still way incomplete, but Vegetation tiles are covered there. Have a look, I think what you'd like to see would be very easy to accomplish. Please show us your mod should you try it out [:)]

ORIGINAL: Nicholas Bell

I really like the elevation color gradations. Don't care for the really bold, dark colors (which obscure the terrain and units)on other series games.

Thank you! That is how we like them as well. Counters should be the star here, while terrain hopefully a pleasantly subtle background to them, for that classic Boardgame feel.

[Crossroads]

It's been a bit quiet on our behalf, but that's because everyone's been uber busy with putting the 1.01 together.

At the 2D Graphics Dept it's meant that now the 2D Normal View together with 2D Zoom-out and Extreme Zoom-Out View are getting the TLC treatment they so fully deserve.

2D Zoom-In View


2D Normal View


2D Zoom-Out View


2D Extreme Zoom-Out View


Work-in-progress still, but worth a couple of sneak peeks regardless methinks

[Crossroads]

The counters, or Alt Counters to be precise, are tweaked to better house the new Counter Stats, available as of CS:ME 1.01.

Top row: Strength, Morale. Bottom Row: Assault, Defense. Not showing Thermometers, which continue to be available to report Action Points, as I mostly prefer to use them.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

The counters, or Alt Counters to be precise, are tweaked to better house the new Counter Stats, available as of CS:ME 1.01.

Comparison to current ones:



Borders are pushed 1px towards the counter edges, for instance. Also, border colors are tweaked here and there, Israel and Jordan included as visible here.

[Crossroads]

With Unit Profiles, instead of NATO icons:

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

With Unit Profiles, instead of NATO icons:

The same, but with NATO icons and Std Counters. The new Counter Stats fit here quite nicely as well. Israeli counters will be a brighter blue with 1.01. Other nations remain the same, with some changes to border colors with Alt Counters the only change if any.

[harry_vdk]

Nice job.

Looks great and make starting for a newbie better.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: harry_vdk

Nice job.

Looks great and make starting for a newbie better.

Thanks harry [:)]

Here's a couple of mods to be included as well. First, using the revised NATO icon sheet with white background to replace the color coded ones.

[Crossroads]

And as a new one the same but with no background at all, just the outlines on counters. This works quite nicely with the 2D Zoom-in View, less so with the more zoomed out views due to the fact scaling outlines is often a bit of a mess.

[FroBodine]

Are you still on track for 1.01 to be released this month? I thought I read early November for the release, but I could be mistaken.

[berto]

We're on track to hand off to Matrix/Slitherine by the end of this month. They will then package and release to the public sometime in early December. That's The Plan.

[FroBodine]

Excellent! The new work you guys are putting into the game looks fantastic!