counter design for ToW - in serious need of modder

[gwgardner]

ToW is looking great but for the counters. I sure hope some modder out there has a better Nato design that they can plug in quickly.

The current counters are bare-bones ugly. Why for instance are the division/corps xx/xxx at the bottom rather than the top - weird. Where are the unit names? It is so much more interesting when playing to be able to clearly see the '54th Corps' rather than 'that generic unit.'

And worst of all: the strength/movement factors are so tiny as to require magnifying glasses! I don't want to have to click on the 'generic unit' and look over to the side to the 'generic unit info window' in order to see what's what.

I'm not asking for a change. I'm eager to play this game soonest. Just hope some graphical guru out there is interested in some modding.

[Chocolino]

Gary, I agree, TOW is a big graphical improvement overall but the counters may prove a bit unpractical. I think in a large magnification, the counters are actually pleasing but on a regular map they appear indeed hard to read. This may sound like picking on minor details but identifying unit type (which is ok), SP and MP are the key pieces of information a player needs all the time. Almost all this info is squeezed into the bottom quarter of the counter while the majority of the surface area is just unused mono-colored background. Oh well, if this is the only problem I will live with it. Please just get the game out.......

[Bleck]

As a ToW programmer responsible (along with our graphicians) for this "big graphical improvement" ()  I think I can share this information with you guys  - the issue of units graphical representation was  pointed out earlier, and there are some major changes that gives players possibility to change the "look composition" (one of five) of units during game, and of course modders to  design them.
More info later [;)]

P.S. Sorry for possible English mistakes [;)]

[TPM]

I completely agree...no offense to the programmers because this looks like a great game, but frankly, the counters look horrible.

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

ToW is looking great but for the counters. I sure hope some modder out there has a better Nato design that they can plug in quickly.

The current counters are bare-bones ugly. Why for instance are the division/corps xx/xxx at the bottom rather than the top - weird. Where are the unit names? It is so much more interesting when playing to be able to clearly see the '54th Corps' rather than 'that generic unit.'

And worst of all: the strength/movement factors are so tiny as to require magnifying glasses! I don't want to have to click on the 'generic unit' and look over to the side to the 'generic unit info window' in order to see what's what.

I'm not asking for a change. I'm eager to play this game soonest. Just hope some graphical guru out there is interested in some modding.

[doomtrader]

ATM it looks like that:

[doomtrader]

And when you zoomed out:




Anyway, if you don't like the counters, you can put your own into the game.
If you don't like displacement of the information, you can easily mod it within 30 minutes (with learning how does it works)

[TPM]

This looks pretty cool...much better with the unit names. I guess my complaint is the color...that weird pattern in the background is distracting. But, as you said, we can just mod it how we like, so that's fine! Thanks for the pic.

ORIGINAL: doomtrader

ATM it looks like that:

[Uxbridge]

I have been checking on the developing of ToW now and then, happy with all the good changes made to the game. But now some horrible truth seems to dawn upon me. The counters aren't at all modable, are they? Looking at the screenies here, I can se that all counters seem to relate back to the same basic graphic. So if I like to impose a little bunny in the right lower corner of a German infantry unit, these bunnies would appear on all infantry counters, regardless of nationality, tech level or if the unit is a division or corps. Isn't that so?

This means, if it is true, that you can't see the vital differences between size of units or tech level without having to go through the entire frontline each turn, trying to memorize what the units are one by one. In short, there's no way to see these differences at a short glance!

Please, tell me I'm wrong here. [:(]

[dooya]

ORIGINAL: Uxbridge

I have been checking on the developing of ToW now and then, happy with all the good changes made to the game. But now some horrible truth seems to dawn upon me. The counters aren't at all modable, are they? Looking at the screenies here, I can se that all counters seem to relate back to the same basic graphic. So if I like to impose a little bunny in the right lower corner of a German infantry unit, these bunnies would appear on all infantry counters, regardless of nationality, tech level or if the unit is a division or corps. Isn't that so?
[...]

Since sprites are different for every main faction (Germany, Britain, USA, France, Poland) and different for every tech level, counter can also be created for each nation and tech level. Thus, you can have German tech 2 counters with bunnies and French Tech 3 counters with squirrels. Looking forward to see them... [:D]

[Uxbridge]

Oh, thank God!! For a while I thought we had to stick to the old game. This is lovely, guys. And specially for You, dooya, I will also make a couple of frilled necked lizzards!

[doomtrader]

You know, I'm very bad in making gfx, but I'm hoping this image below shows you a little bit about possibility of changes.

[doomtrader]

Those counters are already in the game:

and of course colour of the font can be changed (we are trying to adjust one which will be best visible in snow and clear terrain

[gwgardner]

Excellent. Those counters are growing on me. especially like the unit names and flags. the colors are vibrant. great work! Heretofore I've played RtW with sprites, but may have to switch to these counters in ToW.

[doomtrader]

With the new GUI, you can really do a lot of things.
Even beginners in modding can do a lot of great things with the game and set it up for their own taste.

[Michael the Pole]

ORIGINAL: doomtrader

With the new GUI, you can really do a lot of things.
Even beginners in modding can do a lot of great things with the game and set it up for their own taste.

I have no idea if this is possible, but I really miss seeing my old friends 1st and 2nd SS Panzer and Das Riech etc, in shiny black with white type, or for that matter, the 1st and 13th Guards Rifle Corps in blood red and white. How can we set it up so we can put frilled lizards on individual units? It seems that we must restrict changes to a particular tech level of unit.
Doomtrader, I realize that I'm asking for the moon here, but that is the price you pay when you increase expectations by creating a masterpiece![8D]

[doomtrader]

I'm sorry but no support for individual unit here.
Maybe in another game with different engine