simple guide to remove question marks

[zakblood]

go into your gaming folder where you have installed the game, and look for this folder, and first make a backup and save it elsewhere

[zakblood]

go into the sub folder you wish to remove the question marks from

[zakblood]

edit the file called MapTags and remove all data / txt from it, but then just save it, don't alter it in any other way or rename etc, and make sure you don't delete the file either, as battle won't work without it, but will if it's empty

[zakblood]

and then test the battle to make double sure it works for you,

a patch will overwrite this anyway, but back up to be sure, just in case and tbh don't alter then play pbem either as it's a modded file and may cause errors until told / informed otherwise by developers...

so for now it's a single player tip only and i'd wait for pbem until a answer is made by the developers so it doesn't effect pbem etc games

[marion61]

Thank you.[8D]

[Gil R.]

That's true about patches overwriting, but only if/when I make changes to maptags.txt for a given scenario.

New patches only include scenario files that have been modified since the last time they were in a patch (or version 1.0, if not previously changed).

I do have plans this June to spend time adding more historical info to the maps, so that will indeed be happening. (Before release I ran out of time to do as much as I'd planned, so I'm sitting on all sorts of interesting info.)

[zakblood]

also now been told editing these files or one of them won't effect pbem games either, which is good news[;)]

[marion61]

I'd like to suggest that maybe reduce the size of the question mark in the hex. It's very large and takes up most of the hex. Like a small one in the corner or to one side of the hex?

[zakblood]

as it's a pcx file, that won't be hard to do for a guess as it's not hard coded onto the map, the file is a standard file, just need to find it in the right folder and reduce in size then save in same name format and job done [:D][;)]

might not be that simple then if this is it, seems it may be harder than i first thought



might need a copy of hexdraw etc to alter it?

[8|]

[VegasOZ]

I found the .png file of the symbols. I was able to open it in Paint. Modifying the symbols to my taste was easy. However, as you know the game seems to use the .pcx file of the same name (as stated above).

I do not have software that allows me to open or save into .pcx format/files.

I would be perfectly willing to edit the file myself (already did alter the .png file) but how can I get it to work in the game?

[VegasOZ]

Just tried to open the .pcx file with Hexdraw and it failed.

What can be used to open and edit the .pcx file that has the symbols on it?

OR

Is there a way to get the modified .png file (I already edited it to my taste) to be saved or take the place of the .pcx file that handles the symbols.

Is there a way to get the game to use the .png file instead?

[zakblood]

that i don't know, i use IrfanView, as it can view and edit anything, but i don't know enough of what happening under the hood to be able to guide anyone tbh, i just mess around with files and try stuff then un install when it goes wrong and reinstall, as i can never be bothered to back up, as it only takes a few second to install and patch anyway on modern drives.

it may not work with hexdraw but i did find a folder with a name of hexwar so just guessed it was from there, so sorry as my guesses don't always pay off or the ability to even edit the file manually ourselves [:(]

and have it working in the game, like i said it may be simple, as it looked like it might have been, but then again looks can be deceiving also and it maybe a bit harder so will have to try some stuff and see how we all get on

[VegasOZ]

It was simple to edit the symbols except for the fact that the edited out colors/pixels are replaced with black. I'm trying to find out how to get the edited out pixels to be transparent.

I did manage to get the .png file edited and saved as a .pcx and the game DOES see it, but the black replacement pixels is now the problem.

I'm going to keep messing with it as the amount of editing I want to do is not very much and for me the game is almost unplayable with the present mass of clutter. Let's put it this way, I don't really want to or like to play the game with all the clutter.

[zakblood]

use the menu's and remove what you like and or don't want to make it more to your liking

[shoelessbivouac]

Zakblood has an excellent tutorial on how to modify BAB [i.e., question mark, etc.] graphics here.

I might expect over time, one or more gamers with pc graphics skills to publish a page of custom graphic options; but I can see the continuing challenge to commercially satisfy individual wargamer concerns. Eventually, having more customizable options might be the only user-friendly recourse?

[zakblood]

i can removed the info from the question marks only atm, but given time somebody will be able to mod the item as well to make smaller if and when needed

[VegasOZ]

I DID IT !!!

I edited the symbols for my install and now have a pretty clean looking battlefield during game play. I'd estimate I've reduced the clutter by at least 60 percent.

My Check Marks are now a discrete Red or Green Box at the bottom of the Sprite above where the Eschelon rectangle is located.
My Question Marks are now just the Bottom Yellow Dot of the Question Mark. The Top is removed completely.

My Movement guides/hex arrows are now just a light blue highlighted Hex grid, the middle arrows are gone completely. Now I can clearly see the terrain in the hex without the directional arrow blocking the view.

My RED X is now a small (but very visible) Red and Yellow Checkered Flag style, it is 1/10th of the size and ugly of the RED X.

MY Sighting Hex Markers are now a thin cross half the density and size of the one that comes with the game. It is very effective and can be clearly seen in the middle of the appropriate hexes but does not overpower the terrain below.

My Firing Hex Markers are now just a thin circle (rifle scope view??). Again, much thinner and does not block the view. So circles for Firing Hex and Cross of Sighting hex, both are THIN.

My Firing Arrow is now a Sharp Thin Red Line at least 50 percent thinner than the default one. And my Firing Arrow now is just a sharp line no Arrow prongs on it. It is much more effective and attractive than the default one.

I found that the trick is to have the edited color symbol in the HW_DirectionArrow.pcx file matched "exactly" with the gray scale symbol in the file HW_DirectionArrow_a.pcx, that is how you get transparency.

Now I can SEE what the heck is going on and I'm 100 percent happier with the game.

I made backups of the originals and my modified files and saved them in a separate folder so I can overwrite the needed files after a patch, if necessary.

Now that I've figured out how to do it, I might just get into making some modest "artwork" and actually replace some of the Symbols with a new look entirely. The Question Mark is the one I'm interested in. I'm trying to think of a "historical marker" looking icon for that. Right now I have a simple Yellow Circle (the bottom of the default Question Mark).

Anyway, I'm very thankful for the help you gave me Zakblood as I'd never have figured it out without that help.

Thanks, saved my game, I was getting near uninstalling it out of frustration.

[zakblood]

well if you want it testing or sharing then right the info and guide and let others use it if they and you want, as i'm sure that will be fine and your more than welcome from me

[VegasOZ]

ORIGINAL: zakblood

well if you want it testing or sharing then right the info and guide and let others use it if they and you want, as i'm sure that will be fine and your more than welcome from me

As soon as I figure out how to post up a screen shot, I'll try to post up my symbols "pages" for and idea on what economy has been applied to the symbols.

I'm not comfortable with giving instructions, not a Modder at all normally and unlike yourself I do not have the courage to try to guide others.

I would like to see if you (a more responsible and trusted person) might take a run at it and thereby make it accessible to more Players.

Thanks

[VegasOZ]

My Symbols Page modification. It does not look like much but it dramatically cleans up Map Clutter during game play.