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Special megacampaign graphics
Posted: Thu May 02, 2002 4:42 am
by Grenadier
Wild Bill and I did these to make as part of the megacampaign's unique experience. Please do not copy and distribute them to people who do not have the megacampaigns or post them to the Forum.. They were designed to be special for players of the megacampaigns. The explosion in the OOB's is now a part of the normal SPWaW 7.1 game, but not the special graphics that show abandoned or wrecked tanks, airplanes and vehicles.
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2002 10:39 pm
by Warrior
No disrespect to you and Wild Bill, but it seems to me that since the MC's are now on the market, the plane icons should be available for scenario designers. That's why I posted them. Sorry if I misunderstood the original order to keep them secret during MC development meant to keep them secret forever.
Posted: Fri May 03, 2002 12:28 am
by Grenadier
Sorry for the confusion, Steve. The purpose of the special megacampaign graphics is just that, special. If everyone has access to them then that is one less selling point for the MC's.
If people start making scenarios using these special graphics then some players are going to be miffed that they do not see the icons. For example, I did a revision to the Tatsinskaya Falls scenario by Redleg using the explosion and the JU-52 icon from the MC graphics. I labelled the explosions "Ju-52" and placed them in the same hex as the JU-52 icon. Now when I attack the airfield with my T-34's, I have a row of Ju-52s I can shoot at and blow up. I did this for Redleg as I knew he has the MC's and can see the Ju-52's. Now if This revised scenario got out into the gaming populace at large it would be considered a piece of crap because the field will be full of hexes marked Ju-52 but nothing to show the plane unless the player has either Lost Victories or Watchtower. I imagine this would dissappoint the player greatly and he would be angry, especially if there was no warning that the scenarion was good only for purchasers of Lost Victories or Watchtower.
As the number of owners of SPWaW outnumber the number of MC owners by a magnitude of 50, It would be real easy to have a lot of players getting scenarios that do not work properly because of the use of these graphics
Posted: Fri May 03, 2002 2:26 am
by Warrior
Originally posted by Brent
Sorry for the confusion, Steve. The purpose of the special megacampaign graphics is just that, special. If everyone has access to them then that is one less selling point for the MC's.
If people start making scenarios using these special graphics then some players are going to be miffed that they do not see the icons. For example, I did a revision to the Tatsinskaya Falls scenario by Redleg using the explosion and the JU-52 icon from the MC graphics. I labelled the explosions "Ju-52" and placed them in the same hex as the JU-52 icon. Now when I attack the airfield with my T-34's, I have a row of Ju-52s I can shoot at and blow up. I did this for Redleg as I knew he has the MC's and can see the Ju-52's. Now if This revised scenario got out into the gaming populace at large it would be considered a piece of crap because the field will be full of hexes marked Ju-52 but nothing to show the plane unless the player has either Lost Victories or Watchtower. I imagine this would dissappoint the player greatly and he would be angry, especially if there was no warning that the scenarion was good only for purchasers of Lost Victories or Watchtower.
As the number of owners of SPWaW outnumber the number of MC owners by a magnitude of 50, It would be real easy to have a lot of players getting scenarios that do not work properly because of the use of these graphics
I'm afraid we part company on this one. If the MC's are or aren't selling on the strength of these icons, then something is definitely wrong. Personally I feel the MC's are worth it no matter what, they're such a leap over the standard game.
But the MC icons would also improve the standard game, so I think they should be released for anybody who wants to install them. BTW, I have designed at least one scenario using them (Airfield Follies - available at Fabio's site), so somebody must be wondering why the heck those little crosses are called Zero's and Betty's... assuming anyone actually plays my scenarios.

From the Kunel
Posted: Fri May 03, 2002 7:51 pm
by Grenadier
Wow! What a delicate issue! I find myself in a quandry in stating an opinion here.
To answer Steve's comments on planes in the North Africa Mega Campaign, the icons in MCNA were taken from the game itself long before the special aircraft/vehicle icons were designed. It was no easy task. I was delighted, therefore, with this second option of aircraft placed on a map as map icons. They add so much to the scenarios dealing with airfields!
It was Brent's idea to innovate these special icons for the mega campaigns in the development of MCLV. Once he informed me of his project, I jumped on board and used them to improve MC- Watchtower.
To be honest, I never thought of them being used post-Mega Campaign in scenario design.
I've read these posts and thought this over carefully. I think Brent has a valid point, and it should have been clarified before this happened.
Warrior also has a valid point. The selling point of Mega Campaigns is not based on these few special icons. They do add, however, to the uniqueness of Watchtower and Lost Victories.
Since the Mega Campaigns are sold products and not a free offer as the game itself, it might be better to note in a scenario using them that certain features of the scenario are only available if one has the Mega Campaigns.
Posting them for download might not be the best thing to do since they are at least a small part of the selling features of the campaigns.
I know Warrior and other gamers who have posted these special files are men of integrity and would never do anything to compromise the campaigns. Steve was one of the team captains in the development of MC-W and is one of its staunchest supporters. He and others who have enjoyed and used these graphics are nearly all Mega Campaign team members.
Final thought, it might be best to not post them for public downloading, at least here on the Matrix forum. I hope my thoughts here do not offend any of my good gaming friends who have only the best at heart for the Matrix Gaming Company.
Wild Bill
__________________
In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
CO, Wild Bill's Raiders
Re: From the Kunel
Posted: Sat May 04, 2002 12:27 am
by Warrior
Wow! What a delicate issue! I find myself in a quandry in stating an opinion here.
To answer Steve's comments on planes in the North Africa Mega Campaign, the icons in MCNA were taken from the game itself long before the special aircraft/vehicle icons were designed. It was no easy task. I was delighted, therefore, with this second option of aircraft placed on a map as map icons. They add so much to the scenarios dealing with airfields!
It was Brent's idea to innovate these special icons for the mega campaigns in the development of MCLV. Once he informed me of his project, I jumped on board and used them to improve MC- Watchtower.
To be honest, I never thought of them being used post-Mega Campaign in scenario design.
I've read these posts and thought this over carefully. I think Brent has a valid point, and it should have been clarified before this happened.
Warrior also has a valid point. The selling point of Mega Campaigns is not based on these few special icons. They do add, however, to the uniqueness of Watchtower and Lost Victories.
Since the Mega Campaigns are sold products and not a free offer as the game itself, it might be better to note in a scenario using them that certain features of the scenario are only available if one has the Mega Campaigns.
Posting them for download might not be the best thing to do since they are at least a small part of the selling features of the campaigns.
I know Warrior and other gamers who have posted these special files are men of integrity and would never do anything to compromise the campaigns. Steve was one of the team captains in the development of MC-W and is one of its staunchest supporters. He and others who have enjoyed and used these graphics are nearly all Mega Campaign team members.
Final thought, it might be best to not post them for public downloading, at least here on the Matrix forum. I hope my thoughts here do not offend any of my good gaming friends who have only the best at heart for the Matrix Gaming Company.
Wild Bill
As usual, Wild Bill demonstrates his leadership and diplomacy in his post. I, for one, will follow his lead and not again post the MC icons in this Forum. (Especially since I'm wracked by guilt for posting them earlier, even though I did it through ignorance.

)
Besides, if someone finds a bunch of green blobs on their maps when trying to play a scenario, it will remind them that they need to purchase a MC!
