The Graphics

Matrix Games Forums

Forums Register Login Photo Gallery Member List Search Calendars FAQ

My Profile Inbox Address Book My Subscription My Forums Log Out

The Graphics

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> WarPlan >> The Graphics

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

The Graphics - 5/19/2019 2:45:56 AM

canuckgamer

Posts: 737
Joined: 6/23/2004
Status: offline

As a long time board and computer wargamer the look of the map and counters reminds me of the vanilla counters and maps that SPI used to produce in the 70's and 80's. I hope the current graphics will be improved before the first version is released.

The graphics will no doubt be compared to Strategic Command WWII WIE which I have. I use NATO symbols playing SC and like the fact you are using aircraft and ship silhouettes for War Plan but they could be improved by as an example using a Stuka (side view rather than top) for the German tactical aircraft units and so on. In my opinion the map used in SC WIE looks much better and think the colours on the War Plan map to be very subdued.

I don't have the time to join the beta but will be interested in seeing how this game develops.

Post #: 1

RE: The Graphics - 5/19/2019 9:45:41 AM

welk

Posts: 865
Joined: 9/17/2006
From: France
Status: offline

I have the exact opposite opinion

: I love at 100% the look of game and I hope nothing will be change, because the game has already the look I prefer : boardgame. Please, do not change anything, I will just do some minor modifications to reinforce this wargame 1970/1980 look

EDIT : If you do changes in graphs, please : keep us in a "extra" directory the actual files, because the look of the game is actually superb and perfect

< Message edited by welk -- 5/19/2019 10:00:05 AM >

(in reply to canuckgamer)

Post #: 2

RE: The Graphics - 5/19/2019 3:43:49 PM

ncc1701e

Posts: 7380
Joined: 10/29/2013
From: Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards
Status: offline

Regarding map, SC3 has reached a high level in terms of possibility to change the shape of a given hexagon. There are many possibilities to draw the format of a particular coastline, or of a mountain chain. I hope such tile variation will be possible to tweak few things. This is the kind of things that is a plus to me.

_____________________________

Chancellor Gorkon to Captain James T. Kirk:
You don't trust me, do you? I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.

(in reply to welk)

Post #: 3

RE: The Graphics - 5/19/2019 4:34:07 PM

welk

Posts: 865
Joined: 9/17/2006
From: France
Status: offline

I have on the desk a rapport of my Intelligence Service, that says to me (with probant documentation

) : "What it was possible with SC3 is possible with Warplan". And concerning new moddable games, my secret agents are in ordinary times very efficients...

It seems that lot of things may be changed in game (map tiles, ressources, borders, see, units counters, streams, mountains, etc). But I have also to say that secret agents have heavy cost : so, if some futur players want to know more about the question, I think they should consider that my finances are low and that a credit card is made to be used

Welk, alias Mata-Hari

< Message edited by welk -- 5/19/2019 4:47:20 PM >

(in reply to ncc1701e)

Post #: 4

RE: The Graphics - 5/19/2019 5:35:50 PM

AlvaroSousa

Posts: 9927
Joined: 7/29/2013
Status: offline

I can please both parties here.

The game graphics are what they are at the moment. The game more focuses on play with a traditional feel for classic wargaming.

But there is an option to add your own map and units. There are about 10 image files that can be placed in the scenario directory that will be automatically uploaded to a scenario and replace the current look. If you look at other similar games people do graphics for them all the time and make maps and counters how they like. The original png files will be made available to the public to modify as they wish.

Right now I am looking into an alternate counter set as I have had many requests to do so. So the game might end up with 2 different counter sets.

I placed enough land tiles to design maps accurately while minimizing the amount of time and effort to do so.

_____________________________

Creator Kraken Studios
- WarPlan
- WarPlan Pacific

Designer Strategic Command
- Brute Force (mod) SC2
- Assault on Communism SC2
- Assault on Democracy SC2
- Map Image Importer SC3

(in reply to welk)

Post #: 5

RE: The Graphics - 5/19/2019 6:40:52 PM

ncc1701e

Posts: 7380
Joined: 10/29/2013
From: Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: fuzzypup

I placed enough land tiles to design maps accurately while minimizing the amount of time and effort to do so.

Great, thank you.

_____________________________

Chancellor Gorkon to Captain James T. Kirk:
You don't trust me, do you? I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.

(in reply to AlvaroSousa)

Post #: 6

RE: The Graphics - 5/19/2019 11:57:40 PM

AlbertN

Posts: 3693
Joined: 10/5/2010
From: Italy
Status: offline

Usually grand strategy games do not require amazing graphics, they're all about mechanics and the system.

I'd mention here a grand strategy game of fantasy type, that has extremely old graphics, but that's excellent in its mechanics (not a Matrix one though).

In general who plays a strategy games does not need lots of fancy stuff that only confuse things around, but requires clarity of a situation through a swift glance.
At best I'd suggest only to improve counter graphics in the style of Matrix World in Flames, with air silouhettes and so forth.

(in reply to ncc1701e)

Post #: 7

RE: The Graphics - 5/29/2019 10:21:26 PM

PanzerCro

Posts: 52
Joined: 5/6/2019
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: fuzzypup

I can please both parties here.

The game graphics are what they are at the moment. The game more focuses on play with a traditional feel for classic wargaming.

But there is an option to add your own map and units. There are about 10 image files that can be placed in the scenario directory that will be automatically uploaded to a scenario and replace the current look. If you look at other similar games people do graphics for them all the time and make maps and counters how they like. The original png files will be made available to the public to modify as they wish.

Right now I am looking into an alternate counter set as I have had many requests to do so. So the game might end up with 2 different counter sets.

I placed enough land tiles to design maps accurately while minimizing the amount of time and effort to do so.

Please do it ! Nothing should be too fancy, I just more easily play game with Sd.Kfz/M3 icons representing Mechanized infrantry than with NATO counters. These are just too similiar for my taste and make things harder for me. :)

I hope for good game, I am loving Strategic Command series :)

(in reply to AlvaroSousa)

Post #: 8

RE: The Graphics - 5/29/2019 11:25:48 PM

AlvaroSousa

Posts: 9927
Joined: 7/29/2013
Status: offline

Well that is what I am shooting for. Silhouettes of infantry, tanks, half tracks, etc. The planes already have it because the Nato counters for air were too hard to ID on the map and differentiate from the land counters. I might put several mix and match counters. Easy to code in.

Anyways someone will make some kind of counter sheet with color. I have seen it done a bunch of times in other games.

_____________________________

Creator Kraken Studios
- WarPlan
- WarPlan Pacific

Designer Strategic Command
- Brute Force (mod) SC2
- Assault on Communism SC2
- Assault on Democracy SC2
- Map Image Importer SC3

(in reply to PanzerCro)

Post #: 9

RE: The Graphics - 5/30/2019 12:54:07 AM

Michael T

Posts: 4443
Joined: 10/22/2006
From: Queensland, Australia.
Status: offline

here's someone who is happy with bog-standard Nato.

_____________________________

(in reply to AlvaroSousa)

Post #: 10

RE: The Graphics - 5/30/2019 11:54:18 AM

AlbertN

Posts: 3693
Joined: 10/5/2010
From: Italy
Status: offline

Quite happy with basic nato symbols and silouhettes for ships / planes (World in Flames to me is excellent).

The graphics of a Strategy Game do not need excess of fancy, but should allow the player to understand the situation with a swift glance (Something for instance Paradox has totally missed, going from a neat and tidy Hearts of Iron II map, to the very messy and confused Hearts of Iron III and IV map where a player has to struggle to understand which are regions and which is the terrain they're fighting in).

Look at map, understand what you're into!

(in reply to Michael T)

Post #: 11

RE: The Graphics - 5/30/2019 3:02:17 PM

AlvaroSousa

Posts: 9927
Joined: 7/29/2013
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cohen_slith

Quite happy with basic nato symbols and silouhettes for ships / planes (World in Flames to me is excellent).

The graphics of a Strategy Game do not need excess of fancy, but should allow the player to understand the situation with a swift glance (Something for instance Paradox has totally missed, going from a neat and tidy Hearts of Iron II map, to the very messy and confused Hearts of Iron III and IV map where a player has to struggle to understand which are regions and which is the terrain they're fighting in).

Look at map, understand what you're into!

What you are talking about here is called UX or user experience. I have studied this some. For traditional user applications UX is directly translated into making users work as efficiently as possible and not think about how using the application. When it comes to game design there is a balance between usability and fun. Some mechanisms are purposely made a little more tedious because players enjoy it that way.

Perfect example, and I forgot the name of the RPG game, was a game that allowed you to sell your treasure while on the adventure as you go for convenience. Players hated it. Traditionally adventure games make you walk out and go to a town, talk to different shop owners and sell your treasures to the shop owners that will haggle the best price and are interested. Quite a task. But players preferred the latter instead of the former easier method. It added flavor to the game.

_____________________________

Creator Kraken Studios
- WarPlan
- WarPlan Pacific

Designer Strategic Command
- Brute Force (mod) SC2
- Assault on Communism SC2
- Assault on Democracy SC2
- Map Image Importer SC3

(in reply to AlbertN)

Post #: 12

RE: The Graphics - 6/1/2019 3:01:13 PM

TSPC37730

Posts: 14
Joined: 7/25/2016
Status: offline

I have to count myself as one who would prefer the older, classic style counters. But, having choices and options sounds even better. I'm looking forward to this one coming out.

(in reply to AlvaroSousa)

Post #: 13

RE: The Graphics - 6/3/2019 8:18:08 PM

welk

Posts: 865
Joined: 9/17/2006
From: France
Status: offline

In my opinion, official screenshots of the game are not very well done : the game is more beautiful in the reality. Here is a capture that shows how the game is superb (player has a lot of zoom/unzoom levels to set exactly what he wants display):

< Message edited by welk -- 6/3/2019 8:20:59 PM >

(in reply to TSPC37730)

Post #: 14

RE: The Graphics - 6/3/2019 9:01:46 PM

Michael T

Posts: 4443
Joined: 10/22/2006
From: Queensland, Australia.
Status: offline

Looks great.

_____________________________

(in reply to welk)

Post #: 15

RE: The Graphics - 6/3/2019 9:27:24 PM

Titan

Posts: 482
Joined: 8/28/2000
From: new Zealand
Status: offline

Looks Fab, Would i be correct in saying the map is smaller than SC3 WIE? Berlin to Paris is certainly closer than SC3.. What about whole map? Does it cover more of Europe/ Africa/Far East? I do realize scale is different

(in reply to Michael T)

Post #: 16

RE: The Graphics - 6/3/2019 10:02:33 PM

canuckgamer

Posts: 737
Joined: 6/23/2004
Status: offline

The distance from Berlin to Paris in Strategic Command War in Europe is 20 hexes. Counting the hexes in the above map it is 19 hexes so basically the same for both games. On the above map at Southampton it looks like there is a naval unit stacked in the same hex as a ground unit. Will you also be able to place an air unit in that hex?

(in reply to Titan)

Post #: 17

RE: The Graphics - 6/3/2019 10:17:32 PM

Titan

Posts: 482
Joined: 8/28/2000
From: new Zealand
Status: offline

Not that its a biggey, But i count 23 for SC3 Vs 20 for this..That includes counting Berlin and paris....So a x3 hex diff

(in reply to canuckgamer)

Post #: 18

RE: The Graphics - 6/4/2019 8:53:50 PM

Simulacra53

Posts: 632
Joined: 5/16/2015
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: fuzzypup
But there is an option to add your own map and units. There are about 10 image files that can be placed in the scenario directory that will be automatically uploaded to a scenario and replace the current look. If you look at other similar games people do graphics for them all the time and make maps and counters how they like.

The original png files will be made available to the public to modify as they wish.

Right now I am looking into an alternate counter set as I have had many requests to do so. So the game might end up with 2 different counter sets.

Thank you for doing this, including sharing the original png files.

(in reply to AlvaroSousa)

Post #: 19