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Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better

 
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Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/13/2021 8:57:01 AM   
RedLancer


Posts: 4314
Joined: 11/16/2005
From: UK
Status: offline 		In this final showcase I thought it would be good to show some of the extra detail that is available.

In many of the areas this is an area where the player community can add to what is already in the game or adjust to it their liking.

WitEpaedia

The big new addition to WitE2 is the addition of the game’s own encyclopaedia which unsurprisingly we’ve called WitEpedia. It contains entries on Ground Units, Ground Elements, Devices, Air Units, Aircraft, Leaders and Pilots.

Here’s a screenshot of the detail of 11th Panzer Division:



The bold yellow text are hyperlinks to the internet for those who want more detail.
Although we have been steadily adding entries you as a community can help us to add so many more. We’ll explain at a later date exactly how this is possible but it’s not that difficult and I hope you agree it adds a lot to the game.
In the next screenshot you’ll notice the W suffix to 11th Panzer Div’s title – that is the link to the WitEpedia entry. There is of course also a button and hotkey to access all the entries.



Ground Unit Insignia

In the screenshot you’ll also notice that we now show the insignia for the unit. This is also shown as a watermark behind the unit summary shown in the right hand unit bar:



Air Unit Insignia

Air Units also have insignia:



These can also be seen in the AOG overlay if you have selected an airbase.



Whilst we have looked high and low for as many ground and air insignia as we can find there are still many units without them. If you find one then adding them is easy – just create a 100 x 100 pixel targa file with an embedded alpha mask (white should not be pure i.e. don’t use white with an RGB value of 255/255/255). Once you’ve done so then simply save the file with the same name as the air or ground unit (/ is replaced with _ and then drop the file into the art folder structure (Airsym or Sym by Nation) and the new symbol will appear in game. Alternatively post the base art on the forum and someone (possibly me) will create that art.

Formation Map Colour Coding

The SET COLOUR Function on the HQ Detail Screen allows you to choose the colour for the centre of the on-map counters to help you better organise your forces using a simple palette system. You just need to click on the colour you want without having to reference an RGB chart.



Practically this allows both sides to alter the colours of their formations if they are finding them hard to distinguish. Equally you can retain the standard practice of the WiTx series of having all the components of a given Axis Army or Soviet Front using the same colour or vary this at the corps/army level. The latter is probably of more use to designers of small scenarios but can be very helpful on a congested sector where you are trying to avoid too many command penalties for mixing formations in combat.

GUI Changes

For those who are particularly brave you can also amend the Fonts and Colour used for the GUI. This is done through changing the new GuiFonts.json and GuiColos.json files.

In summary I hope that as the game releases you use the potential to help us make the game that much better…


_____________________________

John
WitE2 Asst Producer
WitE & WitW Dev
Post #: 1
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/13/2021 10:17:08 AM   
Kel


Posts: 229
Joined: 12/17/2010
Status: offline 		Seems great !
Are the counters NATO symbols moddable ?

(in reply to RedLancer)
Post #: 2
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/13/2021 11:08:46 AM   
RedLancer


Posts: 4314
Joined: 11/16/2005
From: UK
Status: offline 		Yes - if you are graphics savvy. You just overwrite the original art with the counters you want - they are located in the Dat/Art/Unit folder and titled Counter*x*.tga. To be visible you need an embedded alpha mask. The full set has 6 files to allow for different zoom levels.

The game also has a choice between NATO and Stylised Icons - I forgot to add that to the showcase. Screenshot shows what they look like:




Attachment (1)

_____________________________

John
WitE2 Asst Producer
WitE & WitW Dev

(in reply to Kel)
Post #: 3
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/13/2021 5:26:50 PM   
ranknfile

 

Posts: 155
Joined: 2/9/2021
From: New Orleans
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: RedLancer

...
The game also has a choice between NATO and Stylised Icons - I forgot to add that to the showcase.

...


Hmmmm .... don't feel bad about that, the NATO Icons are (as Cajuns say here in south Louisiana) "much mo'betta!"


< Message edited by ranknfile -- 3/13/2021 5:27:04 PM >

(in reply to RedLancer)
Post #: 4
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/13/2021 10:34:14 PM   
pbrowne


Posts: 147
Joined: 8/7/2020
From: Perth, Western Australia
Status: offline 		Can the WITEpedia ect windows be expanded in size by the user (e.g. drag out)? IMO the yellow/green text on green background is a bit difficult to read due to lack of contrast. Black on white is always better from an accessibility perspective. Perhaps include an option to have black on white? I think would also make it look a lot cleaner...the design/colours, sorry to say is quite 1980's in style.

< Message edited by pbrowne -- 3/13/2021 10:36:02 PM >

(in reply to ranknfile)
Post #: 5
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/13/2021 11:47:26 PM   
ObeseMonkey

 

Posts: 91
Joined: 6/5/2020
Status: offline 		These little changes/ additions are actually some of the ones I'm most excited for. Can't wait!

(in reply to pbrowne)
Post #: 6
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/14/2021 11:03:13 AM   
Kel


Posts: 229
Joined: 12/17/2010
Status: offline 		All this seems very great

(in reply to ObeseMonkey)
Post #: 7
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/14/2021 11:26:07 AM   
RedLancer


Posts: 4314
Joined: 11/16/2005
From: UK
Status: offline 		The same set applies to both sides.

_____________________________

John
WitE2 Asst Producer
WitE & WitW Dev
Post #: 8
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/14/2021 11:58:10 AM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		worth mentioning that one of the testers has modified the display so it looks like unit locations on a situation map rather than a conventional counter set, so there is a lot you can do

viz:






< Message edited by loki100 -- 3/14/2021 12:28:57 PM >

_____________________________


(in reply to RedLancer)
Post #: 9
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/14/2021 12:14:08 PM   
Templer_12


Posts: 1700
Joined: 1/5/2009
From: Germany
Status: offline 		I already love the game’s own encyclopedia.

(in reply to loki100)
Post #: 10
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/14/2021 7:22:31 PM   
juv95hrn

 

Posts: 242
Joined: 6/28/2005
Status: offline 		"Formation Map Colour Coding

The SET COLOUR Function on the HQ Detail Screen allows you to choose the colour for the centre of the on-map counters to help you better organise your forces using a simple palette system. You just need to click on the colour you want without having to reference an RGB chart."

I take this as confirmation that you can not change colours of a selection of units in the commanders report, but only all subordinate HQs units like in WITE1.

I really wish you would allow for changing colours of multiple units that are NOT only under the same HQ, which for me is a much more common occurrence (lets say you want to colourize all your low xp and low morale units of a certain category).

Yes, I realize that you have the corner icon indicator. But that is not sufficient since it only shows one factor at once, isnt very visible and has quite large sections (fx every single USSR unit have the same colour in certain "categories" here. Not a huge help).

I just would love it if I could colour all my conscript, 2nd and 1st line, elite units in different colours, without having to do it individually. Sure, I change colours of entire HQs with fugly colours to. But doesnt help me sort my huge Soviet OOB on map.



< Message edited by juv95hrn -- 3/14/2021 7:23:42 PM >

(in reply to Templer_12)
Post #: 11
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/15/2021 1:58:57 PM   
anglonorman


Posts: 62
Joined: 12/28/2013
Status: offline 		How about the AI. I found WITE and WITPAE to have lackluster AI. Are there some major improvements in this area?

(in reply to juv95hrn)
Post #: 12
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/15/2021 2:51:37 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: anglonorman
How about the AI. I found WITE and WITPAE to have lackluster AI. Are there some major improvements in this area?


The AI is, in my experience, much better than the WITE AI and Gary has spent most of the five years of development since WITW focused almost entirely on making the AI as good as it can be.

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

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(in reply to anglonorman)
Post #: 13
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/18/2021 1:22:45 PM   
sillyflower


Posts: 3509
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Back in Blighty
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: RedLancer

Yes - if you are graphics savvy. You just overwrite the original art with the counters you want - they are located in the Dat/Art/Unit folder and titled Counter*x*.tga. To be visible you need an embedded alpha mask. The full set has 6 files to allow for different zoom levels.

The game also has a choice between NATO and Stylised Icons - I forgot to add that to the showcase. Screenshot shows what they look like:





Very impressive counter option, but a shame that all the Russians are pointing the wrong way: at least from my perspective as I much prefer playing soviets.


_____________________________

web exchange

Post: I am always fearful that when I put this game down on the table and people see the box-art they will think I am some kind of neo-Nazi

Reply: They already know you're a gamer. What other shame can possibly compare?

(in reply to RedLancer)
Post #: 14
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/18/2021 8:24:05 PM   
Firebri


Posts: 291
Joined: 3/9/2011
From: Bristol
Status: offline 		I hope someone can mod the Russian counters. So they face the Germans.

(in reply to sillyflower)
Post #: 15
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/18/2021 9:15:34 PM   
teddybbeer

 

Posts: 27
Joined: 5/18/2018
From: Estonia
Status: offline 		You have also Soviet/Finnish/Romanian etc units in this encyclopaedia?

.. oh and as im curretly playing wite1, during WWII there were no proSoviet partisans active in baltic countries...

(in reply to Firebri)
Post #: 16
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/18/2021 9:46:27 PM   
Joel Billings


Posts: 32265
Joined: 9/20/2000
From: Santa Rosa, CA
Status: offline 		In WitE2 there are no Soviet partisans in the Baltic countries.

_____________________________

All understanding comes after the fact.
-- Soren Kierkegaard

(in reply to teddybbeer)
Post #: 17
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/18/2021 10:37:34 PM   
Hanny


Posts: 422
Joined: 7/5/2011
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

In WitE2 there are no Soviet partisans in the Baltic countries.


Try The Soviet Partisan movement 41 to 45, Edgar Howel, Ree online to read, pages 181 list 27k active in 44, it also how many and when, and what they achieved by year.


_____________________________

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

(in reply to Joel Billings)
Post #: 18
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/19/2021 6:23:59 AM   
RedLancer


Posts: 4314
Joined: 11/16/2005
From: UK
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Firebri

I hope someone can mod the Russian counters. So they face the Germans.


...unfortunately then the Axis face the wrong way. You could create a second set with a more Soviet flavour.


_____________________________

John
WitE2 Asst Producer
WitE & WitW Dev

(in reply to Firebri)
Post #: 19
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/19/2021 2:03:54 PM   
juv95hrn

 

Posts: 242
Joined: 6/28/2005
Status: offline 		Can I change colours of selections from the Commanders Report? Fx all AT units, all units with morale/experience +- this or that.

To me its really helpful to colourize different divisions, within the same HQ formation, in different colours to see their quality at a glance.

It would be delightful if you didnt have to do it one by one, like in WITE1. Maybe something for a future update...

(in reply to RedLancer)
Post #: 20
RE: Showcasing WitE2 #7 - Helping to make the Game better - 3/19/2021 6:03:27 PM   
RedLancer


Posts: 4314
Joined: 11/16/2005
From: UK
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: juv95hrn

Can I change colours of selections from the Commanders Report? Fx all AT units, all units with morale/experience +- this or that.

To me its really helpful to colourize different divisions, within the same HQ formation, in different colours to see their quality at a glance.

It would be delightful if you didnt have to do it one by one, like in WITE1. Maybe something for a future update...


No - you can filter in the Commander's Report (which is much improved) but no additional colouring beyond the soft factors.

_____________________________

John
WitE2 Asst Producer
WitE & WitW Dev

(in reply to juv95hrn)
Post #: 21
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