AAR HSG Urrah

[Mad Russian]

The difference in the way a texture is presented makes a lot of difference. Here is a texture that I've used on the map only left in it's unsoftened state. You can see just how much difference there is in what I started with and what I chose to display on the map.

The unsoftened texture is off the map edge. I will go back and soften it as well so it matches the terrain more closely to what the map looks like. You see I can even texture the terrain that is off map so they match up and the 'distance' terrain looks like what is on the map.

Good Hunting.

MR

[RockinHarry]

I didn´t mean the quality of the textures, which indeed are beautyful! [8D] I rather meant ways to visually improve the appearance of the various forest types, no matter if at ground level or in birds eye view.

When comparing with a satelite image (...even if this sounds somewhat unfair), dense forests present themselves more like a "dark mass". Same actually applies when looked at from ground level.

As one can´t add enough trees (and their shadows!) to give that dark mass appearance, I suggested to darken the ground textures more and possibly add simplified objects (billboards) in the interior of forests, that change with range of LOD.

Is the various shadows in the game a "baked" shadow layer? I just recently worked some with the Battlefield 1942 map editor, which offers this prerendering of shadows (raytracing, or more simplified shadow generation) for all map objects. This shadow layer then is baked with the actual ground terrain map.

[Mad Russian]

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry

I didn´t mean the quality of the textures, which indeed are beautyful! [8D] I rather meant ways to visually improve the appearance of the various forest types, no matter if at ground level or in birds eye view.

When comparing with a satelite image (...even if this sounds somewhat unfair), dense forests present themselves more like a "dark mass". Same actually applies when looked at from ground level.

As one can´t add enough trees (and their shadows!) to give that dark mass appearance, I suggested to darken the ground textures more and possibly add simplified objects (billboards) in the interior of forests, that change with range of LOD.

Is the various shadows in the game a "baked" shadow layer? I just recently worked some with the Battlefield 1942 map editor, which offers this prerendering of shadows (raytracing, or more simplified shadow generation) for all map objects. This shadow layer then is baked with the actual ground terrain map.

I have dozens of textures to choose from. I chose the ones you see in the scenario. I can make them black or almost white if I wanted to.

There's not a problem telling different textures during game play.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Gerry4321]

Hello:

This scenario does not show dense forest terrain - looks like the area is very thinly populated with trees? I think even regular wooded areas would have trees closer together. Are there other maps with dense woods/forest?

Thanks,

Gerry

[rickier65]

mispost

[Mad Russian]

Nope. This was the first attempt at this scale.

Good Hunting.

MR

[rickier65]

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry

As one can´t add enough trees (and their shadows!) to give that dark mass appearance, I suggested to darken the ground textures more and possibly add simplified objects (billboards) in the interior of forests, that change with range of LOD.

Actually this is something the map designer can do in Map Maker (I know MR has done this on some of his maps).

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry
Is the various shadows in the game a "baked" shadow layer? I just recently worked some with the Battlefield 1942 map editor, which offers this prerendering of shadows (raytracing, or more simplified shadow generation) for all map objects. This shadow layer then is baked with the actual ground terrain map.

Shadows can be toggled off in the options menu to improve performance, so I assume this means they are not "baked" into the map currently.

Thanks
rick

[Mad Russian]

As the infantry move you can watch their shadows move too. Everything in PCO has shadows. They are 'live' not pre-rendered.

Good Hunting.

MR

[RockinHarry]

Sorry, I didn´t want to interrupt your AAR that much. So please just keep goin! [:)] Rick opened another thread for the forest topic.

[Mad Russian]

Okay, enough map maker editor stuff and back to the village.

As the guys are rushing to cross the road they start to get tired. I'll stop them when they do. I don't want them to become exhausted.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Finally, we get some suppression fire on that MG.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Once we can actually see him and not just have a "?" as to his location we can put effective fire on him.

By clicking on either the unit or one of the messages in message box it will highlight all messages in the box that pertain to that particular unit.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

While we took out the first MMG the LT was taking fire and took casualties.

The indicators at the bottom of is information box show that he is suppressed, has taken a single level of casualties and is tired. He's not in the best of shape at the moment.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

After killing the MMG in the front building it still shows the "?". Are they dead or not?

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

The two infantry squads highlighted in the HUD are being targeted by Russian defenders. So far I've not lost an entire squad. Which is good for me but the Russians are fighting harder than expected.

At the moment we've only cleared one building. This doesn't bode well for our follow up attacks at close range.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here are the company fire and maneuver orders.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

You can see that the Russians in the building are targeting the LT and not the squads moving around behind them.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Time for a little mortar support.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

The Fire and Maneuver plan for turn 13. The attack is taking too long to develop.

Also, there is a flag next to the building on the far left of the village. We have cleared that house so that flag should be controlled by us. It keeps flipping back and forth between our control and Russian control.

That could mean we both have units close to that flag influencing it and when those units take fire and are suppressed they lose their ability to effect control of the flag.

In any case the German Victory Level indicator is sitting right at the bottom of the gauge.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian

The Fire and Maneuver plan for turn 13. The attack is taking too long to develop.

Also, there is a flag next to the building on the far left of the village. We have cleared that house so that flag should be controlled by us. It keeps flipping back and forth between our control and Russian control.

That could mean we both have units close to that flag influencing it and when those units take fire and are suppressed they lose their ability to effect control of the flag.

In any case the German Victory Level indicator is sitting right at the bottom of the gauge all the while the Russian Victory Level is climbing.

We are going to have to try to effect that soon or lose the game. While there are no set turns in PCO the Victory Level indicators show you when the game is about to end. This game is getting closer to ending.

Good Hunting.

MR