Matrix Games Forums

Hi,

As a newbie, I find the standard military "Nato-style" icons less intuitive and less immersive than if the icons "looked like" real tanks, soldiers, ships etc (I appreciate others may well disagree with me on this).

I know custom graphics are possible, but is there a standard set of alternative graphics that come with the game - or at least a mod that is comprehensive / covers all periods / years?

Cheers,
Brian

I too would love little icons over NATO, and I can generally read NATO "ok". It's just more fun with the little images.

You know of course you can get 3D tanks and things if you use the 3D map?
Personally I don't like the 3D map and the 3D icons.
Opts > Map view > 3D
And you can turn the 3D bases on/off with Opts > Unit 3D bases

ORIGINAL: PoorOldSpike

You know of course you can get 3D tanks and things if you use the 3D map?
Personally I don't like the 3D map and the 3D icons.
Opts > Map view > 3D
And you can turn the 3D bases on/off with Opts > Unit 3D bases

No, I didn't know that - I haven't bought the game yet.

That sounds like maybe what I'm after, thanks!

Time to buy the game me thinks...

Here are a couple of screenshots I just took from the Bulge scenario in 3D mode and NATO mode-
The NATOs look much clearer and crisper to me but it's a matter of preference..

Thanks PoorOldSpike,

That is what I was hoping for.

Brian

I would really like some other icons than NATO - not the 3D units on the ugly 3D map (sorry), but icons that work together with the beautiful 2D map.

I imagine with all the different time frames of different units that it would be tough thing to do. I'd like a nato cheat sheet for the nato icons, tried snapshotting the ones in the manual and blow them up a bit but it was real blurry.

ORIGINAL: budd

I'd like a nato cheat sheet for the nato icons, tried snapshotting the ones in the manual and blow them up a bit but it was real blurry.

If this is useful at all, I could print the icon list in the TAOW III manual (pages 80-81) quite clearly on A4/Letter.

Otherwise, searching for NATO Joint Military Symbology etc. on the web may turn up some lists and printables you can use.

NATO Symbols:
http://niehorster.org/000_admin/009_symbols.html

ORIGINAL: JPJ

ORIGINAL: budd

I'd like a nato cheat sheet for the nato icons, tried snapshotting the ones in the manual and blow them up a bit but it was real blurry.

If this is useful at all, I could print the icon list in the TAOW III manual (pages 80-81) quite clearly on A4/Letter.

Otherwise, searching for NATO Joint Military Symbology etc. on the web may turn up some lists and printables you can use.

If you can get the list bigger and clear that would be great, I'd appreciate it. I looked online but some of the symbology varies or is incomplete and doesn't match up exactly to the game ones. Would of been nice to have a nato cheat card linked to the in game help menu.

ORIGINAL: jnpoint
I would really like some other icons than NATO - not the 3D units on the ugly 3D map (sorry), but icons that work together with the beautiful 2D map.

Curious as to what you are talking about, can you give any examples ?

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

NATO Symbols:
http://niehorster.org/000_admin/009_symbols.html

Hahaha... I did look, didn't find a complete one to match. What did that take, 2 minutes... Come on it's not in color[:D]

17 seconds from the time of clicking to open a browser to the time I copied the link. 17 seconds. I learned these symbols in the 70's on my own. Poor kids these days, modern technology has ruined their ability to think straight. We old guys are so lucky.

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

ORIGINAL: jnpoint
I would really like some other icons than NATO - not the 3D units on the ugly 3D map (sorry), but icons that work together with the beautiful 2D map.

Curious as to what you are talking about, can you give any examples ?

I'm not sure what you are asking about, but I think that the 3d models and the 3d map at times make it hard to see the units. That's what I like about the 2d map, it's simple and it's easy to see and identify the units.
If it's about NATO counters I don't understand them, and in GG's War in the West we got a mod that made the NATO counters to a different set of counters where the icons looked like tanks, infantry etc.
I hope you understand my english.

Just a thought, but apart from the '3D figures' icons and the 'Flat NATO' icons, there's also a third option that TOAW4 doesn't have but is used in many other wargames, namely 'Picture' icons (my favourites) as in the examples below, so perhaps sets of them could possibly be released as future mods for TOAW4 to cover various historical periods?

in GG's War in the West we got a mod that made the NATO counters to a different set of counters

Thanks, that is what I meant, I will go see if I can find them so that I know what you are talking about. Meanwhile, maybe you mean something like this:

tm.asp?m=4193836

Yes PoorOldSpike and sPzAt653 that's is what I'm speaking about
That would be very nice if someone made a mod with one of those sets of counters or something like that.

Ok thanks for examples. This sort of thing has been done, but not to that extent. There are a few things that kind of slow that type of thing down [to put it politically]. The examples posted and linked are for one game, but TOAW covers everything. There are different size units that are covered by one icon. Pixels available are quite limited. It could possibly be done, but it would take quite an effort, and from a volunteer. For one scenario it might be a doable project. For example, see below. These counters couldn't be used for everything!

That reminds me about your ingenious Conquistador scenarioand the chap who did the Ancient Greek one!

Klink, Oberst