Fun with Editor and graphics (Full Version)

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Uxbridge -> Fun with Editor and graphics (6/14/2019 6:03:32 AM)

I have been playing SC since Christmas and, despite some issues I have with it, enjoys it a lot. One of the great things is the possibility to mod things, which, I think, is half of the fun. Some days ago I was speculating about some changes to the German production capacity, when suddenly some other ideas struck. Voila – I now have SS-units, Luftwaffe ground units and late-war Hitlerjugend units.

Also, I have long been a bit annoyed by the fact that an air units expends it's action point when doing recon. Now I have an aircraft category that is there only for recon; cheap and without power to attack anything. This will make the intelligence side of the game more interesting.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/4D10767238BC4AB2A9826FE35D9DA3F9.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (6/14/2019 7:47:19 PM)

Regarding my recon units above, I'm suddenly a bit uncertain when it comes to attack and defend values. Basically I want these units to be unable to do any damage to an enemy unit, so I put the attack value at "0". Is this correct?

But I have assumed that the defence value is the units "armour", so to speak. And that high defence values can't do any harm to enemy units, only protect from opposing fire. Is this also cprrect? Or is the defence value the defending unit firing back if under attack?

All in all, I like the recon units to be harmless to the enemy, but also difficult to shoot down.



BillRunacre -> RE: Fun with Editor (6/15/2019 11:09:21 AM)

Hi

The defensive unit is the value used in determining how it fares when attacked during a mission, and this does result in damage to the attacker.

I probably wouldn't set it to zero, but a fairly low figure should give reasonable results. After all, they would have had machine guns to defend themselves with.



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (6/16/2019 3:23:53 PM)

Thanks. Well, low it is, then.

Wonder what I shall do next? Hmm ... flying submarine? [8D]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (6/16/2019 3:48:29 PM)

British Guard and Highland units.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/D4D4A04D468A4A6AA7165ABF1F6AB754.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (6/17/2019 9:37:32 PM)

Italian Blackshirt and Alpini units.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/371C076CF4744AB290C3FF317EF80DD0.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (6/17/2019 9:40:12 PM)

And a little variety to the Chinese front. Japanese armies in three different flavors and Chinese militia units with limited attack capabilities.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/D4ADCE57FCDB4ECE9B893E4E62D4C1C2.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/11/2019 11:28:34 AM)

Some water has passed under the bridges since I posted here last time. I finally decided to make my own markers contrary to trying to alter other people's creations.

The first reason for this was that I constantly degraded the quality of the used markers by adding things to them, saving again and again. Now I have a standard set for each country to work with, each saving giving a brand new png-file.

The second reason was that I wanted to give the markers the look that suited my own preference for thinking; i.e. crammed with colour codes. I'm very graphically oriented, and can rapidly deduct loads of information from the colours and shapes my eyes feed to the brain. That sounds amazing, of course, but there's a downside to it – when looking at plain one-coloured markers with text and numbers on them, it takes me a long scrutiny before I start to see anything else than just random text and numbers. So I wanted the game to have the said visibility for me.

Oh, yes ... there's a third reason too. It's funny to do it!

So for some days to come I will plague you with the images of the scenario I'm fiddling with, including an eldorado of colours and some novelties. Stay tuned.



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/11/2019 1:42:10 PM)

First pic of the new counters; situation: 1943 scenario, cross-channel view.

A lot of the different game units can be seen here. The band around the unit's waists are the level of upgrade, ranging: white, red, blue, yellow, green and violet, for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively.

Note the Ultra/SOE unit, PRU reconnaissance unit, Scottish and Guard british Corps, Luftwaffe unit (Carentan) and the SS-panzer and SS-infantry units, none of which are in the vanilla game.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/8AC0F654DFC745A58DD337DA64713C25.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/11/2019 3:33:35 PM)

And one screenie from the Pacific. Note the Kamikaze unit on Bougainville, and that the Australian commando unit hasen't gotten it's facelift yet.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/A14DB9CD9FA6415DA07A9CF45A8D86E4.jpg[/image]



PeekingDuck2 -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/12/2019 6:32:01 PM)

Hi Uxbridge,

Love your work here. Is there any chance you might share it with the community? Would love to use your counters particularly.

Cheers,
Peeking



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/12/2019 6:58:17 PM)

The markers are made specifically for the scenario I'm playing and I'm still in the process of making them. But, of course, even if I don't put them up as an official mod, I could somehow share them with you. No problem. There might be some peculiarities when using them in the vanilla, but that's just a guess, I can't see any problem this far.



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/12/2019 7:04:20 PM)

Just had some air combat over the channel as the Bomber Command started their offensive.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/36BF78615F7E40C09A0D614A568622FD.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/12/2019 7:35:04 PM)

And Barbarossa is now in full swing.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/2BD883D660D047DEBE2E0A4CC8BE41DA.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/12/2019 7:46:10 PM)

Part of Royal Navy, having the distinct look of paper counters on a boardgame map, heading towards the Med to the dispatch of Regia Marina.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/EFDE2E5620B54390ACD5D93AE9523A4C.jpg[/image]



PeekingDuck2 -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/13/2019 3:57:44 PM)

OK, now you're just torturing me [:D] Please, if possible, can you put them up on Dropbox or Google Drive? I can sort out importing from there.

Cheers,
Peek

PS - What map is that you're using? Best one I've seen.



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/13/2019 6:18:05 PM)

I'm still fiddling with the markers, looking at Italy and France now. Once I'm reasonably finished (I will continously update them), I will send you the whole scenario. You can then either use the lot, or take the markers or map out of it.

Frankly, I'm not really sure what map I have. I downloaded several mods last year. But I always had problems seeing mountain ranges and roads, so I decided to try some modding myself. This map is the result.



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/15/2019 3:29:54 PM)

I think my first set of counters are now ready, save, of course, for the inevitable discovery of something done wrong. But now I can easily rectify such occurences with a few clicks in Illustrator.

Here is Germany, poised for the attack on Poland. The Poles, not going to attend to the ball for any longer duration, is not as fancy dressed as uncle Adolph's boys.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/D4CA2ADA7BDE4D5EB1B000B39C838DC1.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/15/2019 3:34:32 PM)

In the South, Benito is pointing his sword at the path of glory, although his forces are not being as prepared as those of his German counterpart.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/59A922A800F14D23863C7561D7E1285A.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/15/2019 3:36:55 PM)

Reluctantly drawn into a war she never begged for, France is about to be attacked from the North as well as from the South.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/5DA95E63D9E844D08245AC5B3467FE23.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/15/2019 3:42:41 PM)

And in the Far East, in China, Japan is ready to start it's drive inland.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/7B3A96EC7139403EA2F4D0286ABCCA42.jpg[/image]



fulcrum28 -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/17/2019 11:24:46 AM)

does this counter mod include a new map? i see the forest seem bright green, never seen before.



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/17/2019 4:23:56 PM)

The map is not new. It contain what is basically the old vanilla, and probably mostly changes made by Welk (not entirely sure). There were some things I didn't like, so it tried to better them to my taste. The roads are brighter and doesn't align so closely to the rail lines, taking out the impression of the two being entangled. As you said, I tried to do the forest areas much brighter, making them easier to see. Same goes for mountains and hills, so that you can now follow the Chinese valleys much easier. I also made the dragon's teeth-like fortifications, wanting them not to stick out as much, but still easy to recognize. Lastly, I changed the rather large symbols for oil and resource.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/4A5385D67087414491261159204FD62D.jpg[/image]



PeekingDuck2 -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/17/2019 11:39:21 PM)

Want map. Want counters. [:D]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/18/2019 5:42:33 AM)

Mostly done with them now. But I have to figure out how to make the middle zoom work; how to convert the bigger map and counter files to smaller ones without everything getting distorted.



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/18/2019 6:12:17 AM)

Figured it out. The units should in fact be distorted, whereas I tried to make them the same proportion as in the highest resolution. But it will take some time to have this done. Don't know when that will be and I'm off for a one week holiday on Saturday. Do you want them as they are at present, with the zoomed out part still with the look of the former map? In that case I can fix it for you if you act as test pilot for them. [:D]



PeekingDuck2 -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/18/2019 2:46:43 PM)

I'm mainly interested in your map. I'm currently making my own counters, but would love to have yours in any state. I'm fairly handy with PS so might be able to help with the different resolutions (ie, lower res for zoomed out) versions. What DPI are you using?

And btw, thanks in advance for your work. Having an aesthetically pleasing game makes it loads more fun IMO.

Cheers,
Peek



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/18/2019 3:53:57 PM)

I figured out the problem with the low-zoom map and it was easier to make the chnges than I thougth. I will zip the scenario and put on Dropbox for you.



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/19/2019 8:07:18 AM)

Made some update on the map also. Road and railways have been sticking in my eye for some time. I finally decided to better my earlier, thick khaki roads, and went for the railways too. It's tricky. One doesn't want them to stick out too much; at the same time they should be visible in the background without any visual effort of the beholder. After many disappointing trials with black and white, which made the map look like a fish-net, I settled for grey and beige on black, giving the map a slight resemblance of the to me wellknown GMT-maps.

Compare this with the sample some posts earlier.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/A0F16A55F2DA4FD18F327FE95718BE34.jpg[/image]



Uxbridge -> RE: Fun with Editor (7/19/2019 8:11:43 AM)

Western Europe, where rail and road runs together.

[image]local://upfiles/10890/C78A073971AB419C82F3883B89E5D3B1.jpg[/image]



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