Matrix Games Forums

H.Balck's Africa Corps - "the real"

Here you can see first steps to release an Africa Corps Campaign in my scale 1km=1Hex / Batallion level with all historical battles on exactly maps and historical names and deployments.

download link:
https://rapidshare.com/files/4118718353 ... ersion.zip

Join me on slitherine server !
Pass: H.Balck

working steps:

28th August:
Creation of the first 4 north african vehicles - I will finish 45 new full 3d produced tanks, trucks and artillery. Also all guns come with crew yet - Looks better.

28th - 31st August:
Creation of 15 main infantry typs - here you can see the overview of the basically Infantry units - but thats not the end - I will need 26 yet.
tm.asp?m=2894222

30th August:
Test the first 20 terrain tiles (basically srub and ground, 4 palm tiles, 2 hill tiles, 4 village tiles, 6 mines) - the plan is to build up 600 different tiles for an optimal terrain - all PC graphics gone and I will use my own set.

Include the new Mine system with small mine fields and large mine fields (river and stream setting to confuse every player to use sometime engineers or not to find the right way between the mine fields - most important fir Tobruk and El-Alamein scenarios)

1st September:
Include the first 2 units (Italian Infantry and British Infantry) in the Africa Corps engine and test it on a fiktiv map.
Produced a new special Intro Menu with an new Intro Music.
It looks like the PC engine supports no new own Intro video files !
I use my old JTCS background effects for the ingame music sound.
LRDG_30cwt_Chevrolet_truck
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/8873 ... ttruck.png
Morris_C8_Quad_Artillery_Tractor
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4632/m ... lerytr.png
New Artillery Crews:
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/518/ ... psquad.png
First finished UI:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9079/u ... fantry.png
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/7735 ... fantry.png


2nd September:
Africa comes with a new road system - I include fast roads (for the Coast road Via Balbia) and inland unpaved roads - I use 3 blocks (1088 x 3264) in LayerRoads yet - the 1st for unpaved, the 2nd for the fast roads and the 3rd for connections for this 2 different roads. I hope the designers fimd a way to include a new feature for different movement road parameters. For now I will set unpaved roads with some gaps in the road setup to simulate a more slowly movement.
airfields (one of 6 small airfields - also I will create 6 bigger Airports):
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/8036 ... troads.png
First hard work map edit - Operation Sonnenblume - map quadrant 1/6 Agheila:
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5711/m ... gheila.png
All other Afriva Corps maps I have finished, but I need the first entry map from Tripoli to Bengazi and Derna.
Africa Corps comes also with a completly new movement system - all mobile units have doubled movement with some modifikations - thats better for this big maps and I think the original relation between infantry and tanks 3:5 movement is not realistic - in Africa Corps an german PzKfwIII can move 10, the Opel Blitz 15 on street, but only 5 in open ground, The Sdkfz 14 on street, but 7 in open ground. Also all planes have mutch more realistic moving range, but they have only 1-3 ammo to must return on airfield after a mission.


3rd September:
Now I rework the terrain to the same scale like the original PC - looks better, but I its hard - I need hunderts of plants, trees and buildings to work in the same nice style like the original, the most problem for me are the coast tiles, but I will find a way to optimize my style.
First example of the new look - an airfield - strongly ajar against the original.
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/678/dakairfield.png
3d view:
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3149 ... eldbig.png
Africa Corps comes with a 3 level terrain system with over 900 different tiles to show you the desert terrain in an fantastic atmosphaere.
Level 1 (LayerBase) - ground III - hammada01:
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/6825 ... mmada1.png
Example level 1+2 hammada01 + airfield01:
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/8599 ... 2airfi.png
level 1+2+3 hammada01 + airfield01 + villageSWS1:
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2941/g ... 3villa.png


4th September:
Terrain is on 5% yet !
Many new tiles include and programming new terrain parameters for scrub, hammada, thick palm trees, palm trees, wadi, rough, dune, sand, cactus, saltlake.
Also I work on the new srteet system - some road tiles are finished.
Some screens:
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5927/africacorps02.png
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/3230 ... orps01.png

5th September:
First of 80 hills finished:
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5834 ... hills1.png


6th September:
first rough version of swamp, sand and wadi - the sand will come with many dunes to see it better and the wadi will have another coast line block (Block 3) for falling edges.
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/7940/n ... nished.png
Also all units in Africa Corps will have sight 5 = 5 km ! I tested and its better for game play - the only problem is the not included broken line of sight, but I hope some one can do that with the next improved version.

7th September:
Hills and dunes finished:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3933/dunesandhills.png

8th September:
-Italian Gun Crews finished,
-unpaved Roads finished,
-ruins finished,
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/3599 ... ncrews.png

release shifted to 24th September 2011 !

MOD RELEASE is the 24th September 2011 to the birthsday of my young Cousin - this modifikation is a present for him - He like to play also Panzer Corps with more historically feeling !

H.Balck

Looks very good!
I really like the main menu with the AK march song in the background playing very nice touch. This is my favorite theater of the war.

New Artillery Crews:
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/518/ ... psquad.png
First finished UI:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9079/u ... fantry.png
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/7735 ... fantry.png

Minefields are cool looking

Go Balck, very nice, also my favorite theater, my fav game CfNA ported to TOAW.

Africa comes with a new road system - I include fast roads (for the Coast road Via Balbia) and inland unpaved roads - I use 3 blocks (1088 x 3264) in LayerRoads yet - the 1st for unpaved, the 2nd for the fast roads and the 3rd for connections for this 2 different roads. I hope the designers find a way to include a new feature for different movement road parameters. For now I will set unpaved roads with some gaps in the road setup to simulate a more slowly movement.

airfield (one of 6 small airfields - also I will create 6 bigger Airports):
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/8036 ... troads.png
First hard work map edit - Operation Sonnenblume - map quadrant 1/6 Agheila:
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5711/m ... gheila.png
All other maps I have finished, but I need the first entry map from Tripoli to Bengazi and Derna.

Africa Corps comes also with a completly new movement system - all mobile units have doubled movement with some modifikations - thats better for this big maps and I think the original relation between infantry and tanks 3:5 movement is not realistic - in Africa Corps an german PzKfwIII can move 10, the Opel Blitz 15 on street, but only 5 in open ground, The Sdkfz 14 on street, but 7 in open ground. Also all planes have mutch more realistic moving range, but they have only 1-3 ammo to must return on airfield after a mission.


H.Balck

They should give you a job at LGS the stuff you are creating looks nice.

I know of no mechanism to get mine fields to work.

H.Balck, my old friend!

I must say this game does not interest me so much....but you are doing a hell of a job making it more interesting!

Keep up the good work.

ChadG

Nice. Look forward to it. here's some footage from Afrika to inspire you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFFWhHlqnGU

Now I rework the terrain to the same scale like the original PC - looks better, but I its hard - I need hunderts of plants, trees and buildings to work in the same nice style like the original, the most problem for me are the coast tiles, but I will find a way to optimize my style.

First example of the new look - an airfield - strongly ajar against the original. Later with mutch more scrub, little stones and Dirt it will looks better with the underground.


3d view:
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3149 ... eldbig.png
Reference:
http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/7667-5/aas.jpg

Nice. Look forward to it. here's some footage from Afrika to inspire you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFFWhHlqnGU

Very nice - I hope we include videos for every scenario with an improved version. Its a very good feeling to see some clips!

H.Balck, my old friend!
I must say this game does not interest me so much....but you are doing a hell of a job making it more interesting!
Keep up the good work.

Yes ! BTW - I hope I can fulfill your dreams - in Germany and Russia many of my friends will play some bigger MP scenarios. I hope, we can find a way for another great battle together of against each other.

H.Balck

Africa Corps comes with a 3 level terrain system with over 900 different tiles to show you the desert terrain in an fantastic atmosphaere.
Level 1 (LayerBase) - ground III - hammada01:


Example level 1+2 hammada01 + airfield01 / level 1+2+3 hammada01 + airfield01 + villageSWS01:


H.Balck

Terrain is on 5% yet ! Africa corps will come with over 1200 different tiles yet !
Many new tiles include and programming new terrain parameters for scrub, hammada, thick palm trees, palm trees, wadi, rough, dune, sand, cactus, saltlake, fortress, ruin, village, city, industrial.
Also I work on the new srteet system - some road tiles are finished.
Some screens:
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5927/africacorps02.png


http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/3230 ... orps01.png


H.Balck

BTW - with my new game parameters the game runs mutch more funny - to hold the flanks and give the enemy now gaps for fast troops is the most importantly thing in Africa Corps. With more movement speed the tanks are so mutch more effectively !!!

one of 6 different Forts:
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/576/forti.png

First of 80 hills finished:
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5834 ... hills1.png

Looks absolutely fantastic in all aspects. Keep posting updates the work is appreciated.

first rough version of swamp, sand and wadi - the sand will come with many dunes to see it better and the wadi will have another coast line block (Block 3) for falling edges.

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/7940/n ... nished.png

Also all units in Africa Corps will have sight 5 = 5 km ! I tested and its better for game play - the only problem is the not included broken line of sight, but I hope some one can do that with the next improved version.

H.Balck

Hills and dunes finished: Africa Corps terrain set 10% finished yet !
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3933/dunesandhills.png

H.Balck

airfields resized:
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5008/r ... fields.png

H.Balck

"Airfield resized" ???? Why use aircraft that are smaller than troopers or yet smaller than AC ? Just being a hard***, your work is fantastic and I'm a fan. [&o]

-Italian Gun Crews finished,
-unpaved Roads finished,
-ruins finished,



H.Balck