Mods and Modding Guidelines - Table of Contents

[Crossroads]

MODDERS WELCOME!

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NOTE - THIS POST IS PARTIALLY BROKEN AFTER MATRIX MOVED TO NEW FORUM SOFTWARE. WHILE MANY IMAGES WERE LOST, I'VE TRIED TO ENSURE ALL LINKS WORK. SPOT ANYTHING POST HERE PLEASE.

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Updated 20 January 2018 for CS Middle East 2.0
Updated 8 March 2023 for coming CS Middle East 2.30 UPDATE / Hoplite1963's Unit Picture Mod.



[*] First: We want this game to be as modder-friendly as we possibly can.

[*] Second: Use the JSGME Mod Manager, included in game install. With JSGME you can safely activate and remove mods, so should anything goes wrong, you will be able to reverse the change with a click of a mouse. JSGME, use it. You have been warned.

[*] A quick how-to on JSGME is available HERE

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CS Middle East 2.0 Mods - Get them here!

[*] 3D MausMan Map Mod 2.0 A complete, alternate 3D map, in true 250 m per hex scale, by MausMan(2). Thank you!

[*] Traditional Background Music (720MB) What the name says! by Jafele. Thank You!

[*] Background Sounds Mod (120MB) Ambient battlefield noise by Jafele. Thank You!

[*] Black Unit List Graphics Mod Changes the Unit List and F2 Unit Handbook background color to Black for easier reading.

[*] CS Middle East Unit Picture Mod (67.5MB) introduces new unit specific pictures to Unit Handbook and Unit Viewer. By Hoplite1963 Thank You! UPDATED TO V3 as of CSME 2.30

[*] UI New Info Dialogs Fixes a typo and adds a watermark picture on Unit Handbook background dialog.


CS Middle East 2.0 Mods included in \Mods folder - Fire up JSGME to activate any of them

[*] Alan R. Arvold's Ode to Divided Ground 2.0 - All Talonsoft's Divided Ground game (2001) scenarios converted to Middle East (Talonsoft was purchased by Matrix Games)
[*] Alan R. Arvold's Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars 2.0 - 60 scenarios inspired by the game classic and all the situations published in for instance AH's General magazine
[*] Alan R. Arvold's Ode to October War 2.0 - 19 scenarios inspired by the S&T classic

[*] 2D Black Unit Profiles - Greyscale conversions of 2D Unit Profiles per popular request
[*] 2D Board Game Mapboards - A quick mod with all clear terrain tiles being replaced by a retro hex grid instead
[*] 2D Textured Mapboards - This one borrows hex textures from 3D terrain tiles. Stronger texture, less differences in elevation.

[*] Skip Intro Music by harry_vdk Thank You!

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Modding How-To - Further Reading

Wanna get started on modding instead? Here's some further reading. Also, existing mods are often a good starting point.

Developer Diaries - CSME 2.x: (Redirects to CSLegion.com)

[*] CS Graphics Under the Hood #1 – Biomes and Regions
[*] CS Graphics Under the Hood #2 – Open Terrain and Ground Conditions
[*] CS Graphics Under the Hood #3 – Terrain, Vegetation, and Trees
[*] CS Graphics Under the Hood #4 – Hex Sides Galore!

[*] Campaign Series Event Engine How-To


Developer Diaries - CSME 1.x:

[*] Dev Diary #1 - Why?
[*] Dev Diary #2 - Inside look at 2D counter art
[*] Dev Diary #3 - Quick Scenario Overview
[*] Dev Diary #4 - 3D Graphic icons
[*] Dev Diary #5 - Wars/Conflicts Covered
[*] Dev Diary #6 - 2D Terrain
[*] Dev Diary #7 - Platoon##.OOB files explained
[*] Dev Diary #8 - Adaptive A/I in Scenario Design
[*] Dev Diary #9 - CS Event Engine

[*] Let us build: AH Arab-Israeli Wars Boardgame Look&Feel Map Mop How-to
[*] CS:ME NATO Symbols Explained


JTCS 2.0 Developer Diaries (Matrix JTCS Forum):

[*] Dev Diary #1: Weapon and movement sounds
[*] Dev Diary #2: Having fun with Battle Generator
[*] Dev Diary #3: Adding new units with –X (no encryption) option
[*] Dev Diary #4: Creating a new Dynamic Campaign Game
[*] Dev Diary #5: Modding the background music
[*] Dev Diary #6 - 2D View: NATO and unit icons, chits explained
[*] Dev Diary #7 - 2D Unit Counters Revisited
[*] Dev Diary #8 - 3D Unit Bases


CSME 1.x Work-in-Progress Coder Diaries:

[*] Coder Diary #31 -- Audacious & Cautious A/I Redux
[*] Coder Diary #30 -- The Adaptive A/I
[*] Coder Diary #29 -- The New Air Model
[*] Coder Diary #28 -- Is It Soup Yet?
[*] Coder Diary #27 -- Upping Our Game -- to 50 Elevations!
[*] Coder Diary #26 -- Highlights, Lowlights & Night Lights
[*] Coder Diary #25 -- New 2D Map Modes!
[*] Coder Diary #24 -- UID Slots Expansion
[*] Coder Diary #23 -- UI Potpourri
[*] Coder Diary #22 -- Dynamic Sides (Whose Side Are You on Anyway?)
[*] Coder Diary #21 -- Transparent Markers


JTCS 2.0 Coder Diaries (Matrix JTCS Forum):

[*] Coder Diary #20 -- The 2.01 Bug-Fix Update
[*] Coder Diary #19 -- A/I Dithering Unit, Backtracking Move Bug -- Fixed!
[*] Coder Diary #18 -- UI Fixes & 2.01 Progress Report


JTCS 2.0 Work-in-progress Coder Diaries (Matrix JTCS Forum):

[*] Coder Diary #17 -- Past, Present & Future
[*] Coder Diary #16 -- Adventures in Bug Fixing
[*] Coder Diary #15 -- Logging
[*] Coder Diary #14 -- Dynamic Day/Night & Visibility
[*] Coder Diary #13 -- The -X No Encryption Option, Damage Report Tweaks, and a Glimpse Behind the Scenes
[*] Coder Diary #12 -- Automated Crash Testing, Backup Saves
[*] Coder Diary #11 -- Automated, Empirical A/I Testing
[*] Coder Diary #10 -- New A/I Bells & Whistles
[*] Coder Diary #9 -- Revamped Toolbar
[*] Coder Diary #8 -- Variable Unit Highlight Colors
[*] Coder Diary #7 -- Morale Modifiers, Unit Capabilities, and More
[*] Coder Diary #6 -- CSlint
[*] Coder Diary #5 -- Code Merge Mission Accomplished!
[*] Coder Diary #4 -- All Quiet on the West Front?
[*] Coder Diary #3 - Variable Animation Speeds
[*] Coder Diary #2 - Hot keys!
[*] Coder Diary #1 - Windowed the game engine!


^^ These are all more or less relevant still, especially for an overview how things are done.

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A How-to article for creating maps together with Google Earth, it is written a good few years back, but still relevant in many ways:

[*] Huib Versloot's How-To with creating maps using Map Editor and Google Earth <- Attached to my post there.


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We're here to help you! Any questions, wishes, just post here and one of us will surely pick up. -- To be continued! [:)]

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CS Middle East 1.02 Mods

Note: This listing is for version 1.02 only!

Please follow links to try out these fab new mods:

[*] Warhorse's Textured 2D Terrain Mod by Mike Amos (Warhorse). Thank You!
[*] Bases3D UK/FR by SIPRES. Thank You!
[*] Skip Intro Music by harry_vdk. Thank You!
[*] Pink Frosted Arty Crosshairs, by 76mm. Thank You!
[*] Black Unit Info Box Replaces the right hand side Unit Info Box with a template having no graphics.
[*] Traditional Background Music (720MB). What the name says! By Jafele. Thank You!
[*] Background Sounds Mod (120MB), Ambient battlefield noise by Jafele. Thank You!


CS Middle East 1.02 Mods Included in game install

Some of the earlier mods are now included in the install itself, and no longer require a separate download. These are:

[*] Alan R. Arvold's Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars Mod by Alan R. Arvold. 40 AIW inspired scenarios, and counting. Thank You!
[*] Ode to AIW Map and Counters Mod by Yours Truly, Terrain and Counter tiles to be used with Alan's scenarios perhaps. Do not fit other scenarios that well.
[*] Maus Man's 3D Terrain Mod, a new, revised edition by Maus Man. Thank You, again!
[*] Alternate 3D Bases - Nation Specific Colors Al nations get their own color, revised VP flags too. All 3D Zoom-levels
[*] Black 2D Unit Profiles Replaces the colorful 2D Unit Profiles, with B/W profiles instead.
[*] NATO Icons with White Background (included) As the title says.
[*] NATO Icons with Transparent Background, ie. NATO symbol outlines on a counter. Works best with the zoom-in views.


Obsolete Mods, now part of CS:ME 1.01

[*] Box Art Front End UI
[*] CS:ME Background Music
[*] Modified Blankbox and F2 Unit Handbooks
[*] Alternate 3D Bases A mock-up, really; Two khaki colored themes, one for Side A nations, one for Side B nations. [/i]

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[Crossroads]

NATO Icons with White Background

This one is completed, and will be included in the install I think. Many games come packed with NATO icons using solely white background, so if that's what you're used to, just enable this mod.

[Crossroads]

Black 2D Unit Silhouttes

As all you Avalon Hill's Arab-Israeli Wars boardgame fans out there would agree, the only good unit silhouette is a black one. So there needs to be a mod for that too.

This one is not fully figured out yet, so likely to be made available once the game is released as a separate download. For instance, I have not quite yet figured out how dark grey with some outlines, or indeed, pit black the silhouettes should be. The other thing i am pondering upon is whether this should be a 2D Zoom-In View mod only, or whether to include other zoom levels too. The original unit silhouttes continue to look good on lower resolutions, not so sure about these black(ish) ones.

Regardless, here's a Israeli dark-grey-with-some-outlines-visible battlegroup about to meet their PLO (Generic Pro East) counter parts in pit-black silhouttes. What do you think?



Here's the original AHAIW ones, as available in BoardGameGeek forum:

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Black 2D Unit Silhouttes

As all you Avalon Hill's Arab-Israeli Wars boardgame fans out there would agree, the only good unit silhouette is a black one. So there needs to be a mod for that too.

The helos look absolutely the business too. I just love the detail Warhorse put into these 2D Unit Icons!

Work quite a treat with Alt Counters too. The playing aids are there, so Blue for AA, Green for Arty, White for transport and so on.

[Warhorse]

Man, they DO look good in black, WOW!

[Crossroads]

Box Art UI

The CS:Middle East box art was revealed just a few days ago, so there was no chance to include any of it in the game.

I like it a lot, and it would look quite nice say in the Front End menu screens. Something like this perhaps:

[VegasOZ]

Those Black 2D Units are fantastic. I hope they will be available soon. I mean the game has been out over a half a day now, what's the HOLD UP with the MODS... LOL

Seriously, we HAVE to get our hands on those Black 2D counters...


PLEASE, PLEASE....

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: VegasOZ

Those Black 2D Units are fantastic. I hope they will be available soon. I mean the game has been out over a half a day now, what's the HOLD UP with the MODS... LOL

Seriously, we HAVE to get our hands on those Black 2D counters...


PLEASE, PLEASE....

Ha [:D]

Box Art UI is the first to come out. Hopefully in a week or two. Then, the Black 2D Units. Why not.

Do you think 2D Zoom-In view would be enough, or would you like to see them in all three 2D zoom levels (Zoom-In, Normal, Zoom-Out)?

[VegasOZ]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

ORIGINAL: VegasOZ

Those Black 2D Units are fantastic. I hope they will be available soon. I mean the game has been out over a half a day now, what's the HOLD UP with the MODS... LOL

Seriously, we HAVE to get our hands on those Black 2D counters...


PLEASE, PLEASE....

Ha [:D]

Box Art UI is the first to come out. Hopefully in a week or two. Then, the Black 2D Units. Why not.

Do you think 2D Zoom-In view would be enough, or would you like to see them in all three 2D zoom levels (Zoom-In, Normal, Zoom-Out)?

JUST THE MAIN 2D view. We don't need all three zooms in my view. The largest 2D is what I would use most and enjoy most.

[Crossroads]

OK. That would be a smoother process then. I agree btw, that was my thought as well for that mod.

I tested this with Israelis for Zoom-In and Normal view. It looks the part in Zoom-In, becomes a bit messy in lower zoom levels, where I usually toggle in NATO icons instead even with this mod enabled.

[VegasOZ]

I'm an old wargamer and I always prefer the character/stylized counters. My favorite is 3D of course. I like NATO for modern naval and some strategic games. But I even use Stylized counters in War in the East and War in the West. It's the "little kid" pretending to be commanding troops syndrome. I once had 8 sets of PanzerBlitz cardboard maps and 12 sets of PanzerBlitz die cut counters. I had a ball with brigade and division sized games on some 4x8 plywood tables in my garage.

So my favorites will be 3D and the 2D Black with side view. I have a basic system. I use the 2D to "move into position", then I switch to the 3D to conduct the combat. Works for my imagination just fine... LOL

GREAT WORK ON THIS PROJECT: BY THE WAY...

[VegasOZ]

Oh, forgot to mention, did you see the counters in Panzer Battles Kursk that Tiller and his team did. VERY fine work, awesome.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: VegasOZ

I'm an old wargamer and I always prefer the character/stylized counters. My favorite is 3D of course. I like NATO for modern naval and some strategic games. But I even use Stylized counters in War in the East and War in the West. It's the "little kid" pretending to be commanding troops syndrome. I once had 8 sets of PanzerBlitz cardboard maps and 12 sets of PanzerBlitz die cut counters. I had a ball with brigade and division sized games on some 4x8 plywood tables in my garage.

I have this "theory" that we tend now as adults to like what we were first exposed to, and enjoyed, as kids. There's the little kid inside each of us still.

Except maybe for playing with plastic green army men when I was ~5 years old, I never played (much less collected or painted) miniatures, and I was never into tabletop war gaming. I was AH, then SPI board war gaming right from the get-go. So now, as an adult, my imagination is best served by hexes, and counters. I'm perfectly fine with NATO icons. I like to use my imagination. In fact, seeing two or three soldiers representing a platoon (much less, or more so?, a battalion, a regiment, a ...); or one tank representing four, or six -- that gets in the way of my imagination. When I see individual soldiers and tanks, I tend to think squad-level, tactical combat, not grand tactical or operational.

Hexes, counters, NATO icons -- works for me!

But of course, we all had differing experiences as kids. Different strokes for different folks. And quite possibly my "theory" is hogwash! [8|]

So my favorites will be 3D and the 2D Black with side view. I have a basic system. I use the 2D to "move into position", then I switch to the 3D to conduct the combat. Works for my imagination just fine... LOL

I used to play that way. But I find the new 2D so good, I now play CS almost exclusively 2D.

GREAT WORK ON THIS PROJECT: BY THE WAY...

Yes, I would like to see, and use, this mod also.

[Blond_Knight]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Here's the original AHAIW ones, as available in BoardGameGeek forum:

Oh Wow I think I uploaded that to BGG!

[Crossroads]

[&o]

That's a way cool avatar there my friend, by the way [:)]

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: berto
Yes, I would like to see, and use, this mod also.

No excuse not to do it, then! Better get cracking at it already this weekend.

[Crossroads]

Updated the opening post with links to various Dev and Coder threads. Any questions just ask!

Edit: Added a list to existing mods as well. May there be more!

[Crossroads]

Table-of-contents updated to include a lot of pointers to further documentation on CS:ME (and CS in general) internals.

[SchroederFL]

Wow! Crossroads, you have the gift, for sure! [8D]
If the PB, PL and AIW counters were implemented into a future mode, I'd be back in '70s wargaming Heaven![:)]

It will be worth the wait....Keep up the grrreat work, bud

[76mm]

Any chance you could sticky this thread? The links above will surely be constantly requested and referenced...