How possible would this be ?

[Geomitrak]

I suspect...not possible without rewriting the whole code from the bottom up, but its an idea anyway.

Currently, all distances are measured in hexes. Range, movement, and so on. If a weapon has a range of three hexes, and the size of the hex is 250 metres across, then the range of that weapon is 750 metres. So far, so good.

But what if it were possible to assign ranges in metres ( as opposed to hexes ) and be allowed to make the hex size anything you want ? You could alter the scale of the maps up or down, depending on the size of scenario you are designing, and the range and hitting power would remain constant. ( Same goes for movement, visibility, command range and so on )

Jason ? Anyone ?

Regards

Paul

[Jason Petho]

An interesting idea, for sure. But I don't think it would be very easy to implement without rebuilding the works.

Jason Petho

[Geomitrak]

Jason, is there any way one could edit the unit data to compensate for smaller scale hexes, scenario by scenario ? For example, if you decided to create a scenario where the hexes are 125 metres ( half the dafault ), then you would double the unit's weapon range to compensate. Is that feasible ?

Regards

Paul

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Geomitrak

Jason, is there any way one could edit the unit data to compensate for smaller scale hexes, scenario by scenario ? For example, if you decided to create a scenario where the hexes are 125 metres ( half the dafault ), then you would double the unit's weapon range to compensate. Is that feasible ?

Regards

Paul

Hi Paul.

No, not scenario by scenario. Unfortunately, it would have to be done game by game.

Although, to do it scenario by scenario, one could create a MOD that has a limited amount of countries and create a number of countries based on scale.

For example, country code 01 in East Front is Germany with associated weapons values at 250 metres.

One could create a new Germany based on a different country code (say 20 for shits and giggles) that could be based on 125 metres.

One could use the same graphics, of course, but the weapon values and unit values (speed, etc) would be different based on the different scales you wished to use.

Of course, there are a limited number of country slots so you couldn't have a huge number of countries, depending on how many different scales you wished to play with.

Jason Petho

[junk2drive]

I'm not sure what Geomitrak intends but what I have envisioned before is a Steel Panthers like squad level version of CS. I'm not sure if Squad Battles is already that since they are both JT games and some have 3D icons. I don't own any SB titles as the drop and pick up weapons thing puts me off.

Steel Panthers is 50m. I wouldn't mind keeping the movement and range where it is now, just changing the platoon SPs to 1 for tanks and such and say 10-20 for squads. Something like that.

[Geomitrak]

Junk2Drive, what I'd like to do is to be able to make a larger map of a small area.

As an example ( and Jason will probably smile at this ) take Dien Bien Phu. With the default hexagon size of 250 metres, and historically the base at DBP being about 750 metres wide by 1500 metres long ( ignoring the outlying strong points such as Gabrielle, Anne Marie and Beatrice ) this would make the base 3 hexes wide by 6 hexes long. Within this area, you have to place the entire French Operational Group North West, which consisted of colonial and foreign legion paratroop batallions, North African rifle batallions, not to mention artillery batteries, headquarters companies and so on. You can see the problem.

Of course, when constructing a map, you could decide that you will make each hex represent 25 metres ( one tenth the original ), and so make it large enough to fit all those units in. The problem is that because weapon range is also measured in hexes, the Viet Minh artillery that could hit any part of the base from the surrounding hills can now no longer hit it at all.

The artillery would have to have its hex range mulitpied by 10 to compensate for the 1/10th sized hexes

So what I am getting at is...is there anyway to do this easily ( or even not so easily if it is DO-able ) [;)]

Regards

Paul

[Dumnorix]

Its possible, but its is many work for you.
Take a look at my mods JTCS meets PG3D - I use 1Hex is 1km and change all paramenters for my new game and its more fun to play all the historien battlefields in Company level and in full historian sizes.

H.Balck

[Geomitrak]

Yes, it seems that it is a lot of hard work...but it is possible, and that is intriguing.  [:)]

Regards

Paul

[Geomitrak]

Actually, thinking about this a bit more, its probably more of an issue with tanks, recoiless rifles and indirect fire units than infantry. With the latter, it might be feasible to leave them as they are.  

[mheard]

Great as it is, INMHO JTCS is not very good for battles in large urban areas (Stalingrad, Berlin, Kharkov, Arnhem bridge and so on).

The city maps look cramped and lack range of building features. There are no improved hex features that reflect reality. Height of buildings cannot be included, i.e. unit's having the advantage of visibility and firing advantage from being several stories above a street.

Ones own units are difficult to see and control within urban terrain and are in too larger levels. Being able to split a platoon into say three squads (= 2 unit points) would be great within a much larger scale map. Ideally one could use the standard 250 metres scale and drill down to a more detailed map at 100 metres.

I'm all for having better realism and playability and I would really like the representation of street-fighting to be improved. Could there be some changes at least?

What about a better selection of building types and buildings that assume height (the underlying ground height would not be increased) giving the units (infantry only) visual range and attack advantage. Thus, for example, a church with a tall spire of c 100 metres height that is used by a sniper/artillery spotting unit.

Buildings must be able to be destroyed during the duration of the game either by explosion/fire caused by artillery or aerial bombing or be deliberately destroyed/set on fire by engineers. A building on fire cannot be occupied and the smoke would block line of visibility and the drifting smoke add to the concealment of units in hexes adjacent to the burning building. After a certain period turns the building would turn into rubble.

Some thoughts and ideas..............