Matrix Games Forums

Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

RE: Maps for MWIF

 
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] >> World in Flames >> RE: Maps for MWIF Page: <<   < prev  4 5 [6] 7 8   next >   >>
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 11:03:08 AM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Froonp
(1) About the names, for the Naval & Aircraft counters, will the name come from the "scanned" picture of the WiF CS, or will it be "written" as the land counters have their name written ?

(2) I hope the name will be on the counter, it is way much better with the name on the counter !!!!!!

(3) And about the "scanned" picture for the naval & aircraft counters, you mean that the little picture for each counter will be taken from the original ADG counter file, and displayed in the center of each MWiF counter ?

(4) Could you show us just an example ?


(1) Scanned

(2) Yes - but for high resolution only

(3) Yes - precisely

(4) I would if I could, but I can't, so no. When I can, I will, but don't hold your breath waiting. It'll be at least 3 weeks.



_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Froonp)
Post #: 151
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 11:13:48 AM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Froonp

(1) Also, in WiF, the background of the box of the MAR units is pale green for all countries.

(2) The PARA units' box background is pale blue also.

(3) And the White print units' box background is white.

(4) The ART (Field, AA, AT, etc...) box background is pale blue.

Will you implement that too ?


1, 2, 3 - Yes. I expect to finish that tomorrow.

4 - No. I have thought about this a bit and decided against it. It would be easy to code, but I dislike it as a design decision.

The extra color needs to convey information to be worth doing. The reason for this aspect of the board counter coloring scheme seems to be to separate divisional units from corps/army units. Now that seems like an ok idea, but .... #1 and #2 above make use of the same mechanism (i.e., different interior color) to denote units that can invade and paradrop. Now I really like the idea of making those two unit types stand out from all the rest because of their importance during game play - able to make unexpected attacks from a distance. If I do the same thing for divisonal units, then the significance of the scheme for marines and paratroops is diluted. There is also the problem with pale blue interiors for the French units (very subtle differrence in colors).

Essentially, I think this techinque of coloring the interiors differently for some units should be used rarely and doing it for all the divisional units is too much.

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Froonp)
Post #: 152
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 11:36:41 AM   
Froonp


Posts: 7995
Joined: 10/21/2003
From: Marseilles, France
Status: offline
I think you're wrong on the Divisional units analysis , because divisional units (especialy artillery units) must stand out also from the rest, because they are different and behave differently in many aspects of the game mechanics.

The points are :
- The player can easily confuse a feeble Corp unit for a division if the divisions do not stand out from the corps.
- Divisions & Artillery units do not have ZoC in adjacent hexes, so divisions must stand out from the corps.
- Divisions in coastal areas are potentialy invaders for the whole sea area, so they must stand out from the corps.
- Artillery are only worth 1 combat point if alone in a hex, and if not self propelled, so must stand out from the rest of the units too.
- Field artillery units are powerfull asset who give their side a tremendous advantage in land offensive by allowing for nearly free Ground Strikes of the enemy lines without using air missions, so they must stand out from the rest of the units.
- AA units conveniently placed can save or ruin the day in mobile offensive by protecting the valuable HQ units, so theymust stand out from the rest of the units so that the offensive player has more easily the information that AA is here.
- etc....

There are lots of reasons for the ART & DIV units to stand out from the others, so please reconsider the question.

In regular WiF FE, the ART are with a pale blue background that could only be confused with PARA units but this is better than nothing.

The DIV in regular WiF are of the same country background color, but much lighter, and I think there is no problem of confusing them with other units, as it is not a problem in regular WiF FE.

The regular "Corps" units box background is generaly darker than the unit, so having the Divisions lighter makes them stand out marvelously well, and having all the ART units with a light blue background for all countries makes them stand out great too.

I think this is a must, and lots of info is lost if you don't do it .

Cheers !


(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 153
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 1:56:56 PM   
Neilster


Posts: 2890
Joined: 10/27/2003
From: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Status: offline
Being used to an older version of WiF, I was a bit freaked out by the "steel" mountains. I much prefer the brownish colour you've displayed.

I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the forum members who speak (or write) English as a second language on their efforts. They do a fantastic job given the difficult and technical nature of the stuff discussed here. There are a few little errors which can lead to unintended (and often very humerous) results but overall...good work .

Cheers, Neilster



< Message edited by Neilster -- 12/23/2005 3:54:30 PM >

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 154
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 5:44:09 PM   
WiFDaniel

 

Posts: 31
Joined: 12/21/2005
From: France
Status: offline
I am really impressed with the pics. It looks great - I mean it.

Some nitpicking on the China image:

1. The M symbol of MIL units is not properly centered

2. Chunking MIL hasn't got an R sign whereas Canton's does. The 5-1 GAR label reads "(Res)" instead of a right wing "R". Some lack of consistency here.

3. It might be superflous, but have you prepared an indication for the oil cost of each unit?
This leads me to another idea: will MWiF allow the players to see how much equivalent-oil they've spent so far in the turn? When I play cardboard WiF, I count when turns are about to end tto decide whether to do an extra mission here or there.

4. Oil markers may have a completely different design than the units. They could be round instead of square or something. It'd be nice to see them *and* the factories in their hex (that matters a lot for strat bombing), which is not the case as it is. Oil markers don't move and I'm not even sure yhow you rail move/transport them...

Cheers,

Daniel

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 155
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 5:51:16 PM   
WiFDaniel

 

Posts: 31
Joined: 12/21/2005
From: France
Status: offline
More nitpicking on the US pic...

1. What is this "CP" plane? I suppose it's a CVP, not a "CP". Why is its range on the right instead of center bottom as any other plane?

2. CVPs can only fly rebase missions when not on a CV. Is there any way to show that on screen?

3. SYNTHs could be different kinds of marker than combat unit (see comments on stockpiled oil before)

4. the SUPPLY unit symbol seems smaller than NATO symbols of other units.

5. (might only be a distorsion). You can safely move the NATO+numbers of HQs a little to the right of the counters. At the moment, McArthur seems a bit squeezed on the left.

Daniel

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 156
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 5:56:46 PM   
WiFDaniel

 

Posts: 31
Joined: 12/21/2005
From: France
Status: offline
Now for the Russian pic...

1. The LND4 range is in the right instead of the center bottom.

2. To tell a standard LND from an reorg-capacity one (ie white shade of range), you may want to invent a completerly different coding than the current one. Although the yellow/white color code is strikingly different on counters, it is not on the screen (IMO).

Nothing else on that one. Great job!

Daniel

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 157
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 6:17:21 PM   
rtamesis

 

Posts: 78
Joined: 7/24/2004
Status: offline
I recommend using white text if the background is going to be dark to increase contrast as much as possible for readability. The black text against the dark green background of the US counters can get really hard to make out.

Will the graphics and text be anti-aliased in the final product? Doing so will make it look more beautiful and polished.

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 158
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 6:42:20 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: WiFDaniel
I am really impressed with the pics. It looks great - I mean it.

Some nitpicking on the China image:

1. The M symbol of MIL units is not properly centered

2. Chunking MIL hasn't got an R sign whereas Canton's does. The 5-1 GAR label reads "(Res)" instead of a right wing "R". Some lack of consistency here.

3. It might be superflous, but have you prepared an indication for the oil cost of each unit?
This leads me to another idea: will MWiF allow the players to see how much equivalent-oil they've spent so far in the turn? When I play cardboard WiF, I count when turns are about to end tto decide whether to do an extra mission here or there.

4. Oil markers may have a completely different design than the units. They could be round instead of square or something. It'd be nice to see them *and* the factories in their hex (that matters a lot for strat bombing), which is not the case as it is. Oil markers don't move and I'm not even sure yhow you rail move/transport them...

Cheers,

Daniel


All comments are always welcome.

1 - Yes, will fix

2 - Will investigate

3a - Yes, but it is not shown on the counter. When you select a unit a whole raft of details come up (everything on the back of a printed counter +++) in a separate information box

3b - A good idea but extra work. Will add to the 'someday' list.

4 - An excellent idea. Will ponder icons for strategic targets: oil points, build points, factories (different types, damage), resource points. These haven't been reviewed/revised from CWIF.



_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to WiFDaniel)
Post #: 159
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 6:59:44 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: WiFDaniel

More nitpicking on the US pic...

1. What is this "CP" plane? I suppose it's a CVP, not a "CP". Why is its range on the right instead of center bottom as any other plane?

2. CVPs can only fly rebase missions when not on a CV. Is there any way to show that on screen?

3. SYNTHs could be different kinds of marker than combat unit (see comments on stockpiled oil before)

4. the SUPPLY unit symbol seems smaller than NATO symbols of other units.

5. (might only be a distorsion). You can safely move the NATO+numbers of HQs a little to the right of the counters. At the moment, McArthur seems a bit squeezed on the left.

Daniel


1a -I am stealing pixels because "CVP" takes up more room. So I now use "CP" to indicate a carrier plane. Convoys have the label CONV at medium resolution so there shouldn't be any confusion with convoy points.

1b - To allow room for the name of the plane at the center bottom, as in the printed counters. Fighters have the name centered above and their pictures are short and wide. Bombers have the name centered below and their pictures are in the shape of a cross. If you look at all the different types of air units, what you will see is that I am trying to make room for overlaying the graphics from the printed counters.

2 - The status bars indicate whether a carrier plane is on a carrier or not.

3 - Yes.

4 - I could make it larger. It is comparable to the printed counters. They aren't as important in WW II as in most NATO games. I'll leave it as is unless amny compaints are heard.

5 - Maybe. Everybody is sqeezed. Hey, I got Timoshenko to fit. There just aren't enough pixels. If I make the counters larger, then the hexes have to be larger, and then you see fewer hexes at a time. I like having the counters as similar as possible.

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to WiFDaniel)
Post #: 160
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 7:03:17 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: WiFDaniel

Now for the Russian pic...

1. The LND4 range is in the right instead of the center bottom.

2. To tell a standard LND from an reorg-capacity one (ie white shade of range), you may want to invent a completerly different coding than the current one. Although the yellow/white color code is strikingly different on counters, it is not on the screen (IMO).

Nothing else on that one. Great job!

Daniel


1 - see above

2 - White versus yellow is about the same on the cardboard and the screen to my eye. I do not intend to reinvent the wheel here. ADG did a ton of work figuring out all the different colors to use. When you change one, you risk screwing up something somewhere else (introducing inconsistencies/ambiguities).

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to WiFDaniel)
Post #: 161
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 7:15:13 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: rtamesis
(1) I recommend using white text if the background is going to be dark to increase contrast as much as possible for readability. The black text against the dark green background of the US counters can get really hard to make out.

(2) Will the graphics and text be anti-aliased in the final product? Doing so will make it look more beautiful and polished.


1 - This is a serious concern of mine [it aggravates me everytime I look at it - text requires much more contrast], but I am not sure how to fix it.

As I said in the post immediately above, I do not want to reinvent the wheel. White text has the connotation of being an elite unit (worth 3 strength points when disrupted instead of only 1). For the SS units, ADG uses red numbers. That is also hard to read. If you look at the printed counters, you will see that this is a problem with them too. When I played this game over the board, I bought several articulated lights (you could swivel them anywhere you wanted to over the map) that I clamped to the game table when we played; so you could position the light directly over what you were loooking at and read it more easily. I am open to suggestions here. I have even played around with different brightness and contrast levels on my monitor to see if that would help. It didn't.

2 - I believe true type fonts do this already at all levels of resolution. As for the straight lines drawn for the land units, I have no plans to do so - it only affects diagonal lines. The images you see in my posts are markedly blurred from what I see on the screen when playing the game.

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to rtamesis)
Post #: 162
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 7:18:34 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Froonp
I think you're wrong on the Divisional units analysis , because divisional units (especialy artillery units) must stand out also from the rest, because they are different and behave differently in many aspects of the game mechanics.

The points are :
- The player can easily confuse a feeble Corp unit for a division if the divisions do not stand out from the corps.
- Divisions & Artillery units do not have ZoC in adjacent hexes, so divisions must stand out from the corps.
- Divisions in coastal areas are potentialy invaders for the whole sea area, so they must stand out from the corps.
- Artillery are only worth 1 combat point if alone in a hex, and if not self propelled, so must stand out from the rest of the units too.
- Field artillery units are powerfull asset who give their side a tremendous advantage in land offensive by allowing for nearly free Ground Strikes of the enemy lines without using air missions, so they must stand out from the rest of the units.
- AA units conveniently placed can save or ruin the day in mobile offensive by protecting the valuable HQ units, so theymust stand out from the rest of the units so that the offensive player has more easily the information that AA is here.
- etc....

There are lots of reasons for the ART & DIV units to stand out from the others, so please reconsider the question.

In regular WiF FE, the ART are with a pale blue background that could only be confused with PARA units but this is better than nothing.

The DIV in regular WiF are of the same country background color, but much lighter, and I think there is no problem of confusing them with other units, as it is not a problem in regular WiF FE.

The regular "Corps" units box background is generaly darker than the unit, so having the Divisions lighter makes them stand out marvelously well, and having all the ART units with a light blue background for all countries makes them stand out great too.

I think this is a must, and lots of info is lost if you don't do it .

Cheers !


Ok.

There are some weirdnesses in doing this, but I will follow ADG's lead in making those decisions. I will base this on counter sheet #15 (2003) and more or less ignore counter sheet #23's color sheme (1995).

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Froonp)
Post #: 163
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 7:23:39 PM   
Froonp


Posts: 7995
Joined: 10/21/2003
From: Marseilles, France
Status: offline
Hello Daniel,

quote:

This leads me to another idea: will MWiF allow the players to see how much equivalent-oil they've spent so far in the turn? When I play cardboard WiF, I count when turns are about to end tto decide whether to do an extra mission here or there.

This information is already in a dialog of CWiF.





Attachment (1)

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 164
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 7:27:32 PM   
Froonp


Posts: 7995
Joined: 10/21/2003
From: Marseilles, France
Status: offline
quote:

1 - This is a serious concern of mine [it aggravates me everytime I look at it - text requires much more contrast], but I am not sure how to fix it.

As I said in the post immediately above, I do not want to reinvent the wheel. White text has the connotation of being an elite unit (worth 3 strength points when disrupted instead of only 1). For the SS units, ADG uses red numbers. That is also hard to read. If you look at the printed counters, you will see that this is a problem with them too. When I played this game over the board, I bought several articulated lights (you could swivel them anywhere you wanted to over the map) that I clamped to the game table when we played; so you could position the light directly over what you were loooking at and read it more easily. I am open to suggestions here. I have even played around with different brightness and contrast levels on my monitor to see if that would help. It didn't.

Maybe using a light grey outline to the letters when the text is not readable.
Not writing in white, but outlining in grey or white.

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 165
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 7:29:22 PM   
Froonp


Posts: 7995
Joined: 10/21/2003
From: Marseilles, France
Status: offline
quote:

Ok.

Wow, you've said OK too fast, looks suspicious to me

quote:

There are some weirdnesses in doing this, but I will follow ADG's lead in making those decisions. I will base this on counter sheet #15 (2003) and more or less ignore counter sheet #23's color sheme (1995).

I think you're definitely right. CS23 is in fact older than WiF FE, and was designated with WiF 5 in mind.
CS15 represents the state of the Art for DIV & ART appearance in WiF FE.

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 166
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 8:00:45 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Froonp
CS23 is in fact older than WiF FE, and was designated with WiF 5 in mind.


English usage: you mean designed. Designate is to appoint someone or something to do a task or to take on some meaning. For example, I have been designated to develop MWIF. The X icon designates infantry.

These teaching habits die hard.

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Froonp)
Post #: 167
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 8:02:41 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Froonp

Hello Daniel,

quote:

This leads me to another idea: will MWiF allow the players to see how much equivalent-oil they've spent so far in the turn? When I play cardboard WiF, I count when turns are about to end tto decide whether to do an extra mission here or there.

This information is already in a dialog of CWiF.





I haven't examined that code in detail, so I am not sure what each row means (minimum, maximum).

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Froonp)
Post #: 168
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 8:15:39 PM   
Froonp


Posts: 7995
Joined: 10/21/2003
From: Marseilles, France
Status: offline
They meant :
Minimum : Without returning to base all the ships that could stay at sea.
Maximum : With returning to base all ships.
In both case, it was reorganizing all units that could be reorganized.

PS : Thanks for the English lesson , in fact I knew the difference, but I typed too fast without giving it a second look.

Cheers

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 169
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 8:31:36 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Froonp

quote:

1 - This is a serious concern of mine [it aggravates me everytime I look at it - text requires much more contrast], but I am not sure how to fix it.

As I said in the post immediately above, I do not want to reinvent the wheel. White text has the connotation of being an elite unit (worth 3 strength points when disrupted instead of only 1). For the SS units, ADG uses red numbers. That is also hard to read. If you look at the printed counters, you will see that this is a problem with them too. When I played this game over the board, I bought several articulated lights (you could swivel them anywhere you wanted to over the map) that I clamped to the game table when we played; so you could position the light directly over what you were loooking at and read it more easily. I am open to suggestions here. I have even played around with different brightness and contrast levels on my monitor to see if that would help. It didn't.

Maybe using a light grey outline to the letters when the text is not readable.
Not writing in white, but outlining in grey or white.


Pixels for outlining are hard to find.

I am mainly concerned about this for the major powers. There are dozens of minor countries and though I would like the Netherlands and Poland to be easier to read, I am willing to abandon the minor countries to their current status if I can get the major powers looking sharp. The problem children here are the USA, USSR, and the Commonwealth (maybe Japan). Germany, France, China, and Italy have light enough backgrounds that black text shows up well. The white text is also relatively easy to read.

Option A
Messing around with the background color for the USSR is almost a WIF tradition, so I am willing to ask the artist for his opinion about tweaking that. However, since we are taking the graphics straight from the WIF FE masters for the air and naval units, it might cause other problems. In particular, I want each country's primary background color for all land units to match those of the air and naval units.

Option B
I am considering using a large asterisk after a land unit's movement # to indicate its elite status (aka "white print"). This would let me always use a white font for the major powers with dark backgrounds and a black font for those with light backgrounds. Indeed, I could do that for all the minor countries too. Then all the combat and movement factors for land units would be clearly visible all the time. This should rile the experienced WIF players, because it changes a fundamental definition in the game: white print units would no longer be white print! Taking a broader point of view, the asterisk (or some other symbol, E for Elite?) could communicate the same information. The gain in legibility would be enormous. I can do the same thing for the numbers in the corners of the air and naval units to make them more legible too.

Option C
Another possibility is to change the background color that the font is drawn against. You see this now for the air unit range, the naval unit range and movement points and a bunch of other places. Actually, those examples aren't quite what I am proposing here though. Those examples have a larger rectangle into which the numbers are placed (using transparency). The boxes are much larger than the letters. Right now the text for a land unit's combat strength and movement are drawn using transparency. If I change that and specify a background color, the text will sit within a smaller rectangle. I'll try to get around to producing an example today.

Option D
Leave everything as is.

And your opinion on these options is ....? Or perhaps you have another solution?

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Froonp)
Post #: 170
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 8:57:17 PM   
Froonp


Posts: 7995
Joined: 10/21/2003
From: Marseilles, France
Status: offline
I think that the best would be to leave things as they are in the paper game.
That is, Elite units with White Print figures, and all black prints units with black print, or red print for the black ones. After all, if we see the red printing out of black background on the counters, we will see it also on the screen, and even better.
Cheers !

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 171
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 9:46:01 PM   
Greyshaft


Posts: 2252
Joined: 10/27/2003
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline
Perhaps its possible to provide alternative palettes for the counters which the player can select during configuration.
This presumes that MWiF still uses 'White Print' rather than an 'E' for rlite units.
Easy for me to suggest since I'm not the one who would do all of that extra work.

_____________________________

/Greyshaft

(in reply to Froonp)
Post #: 172
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 9:52:44 PM   
pak19652002

 

Posts: 280
Joined: 1/2/2005
Status: offline
Please, please, please don't make the color scheme any more complicated than it already is.


quote:

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

Perhaps its possible to provide alternative palettes for the counters which the player can select during configuration.
This presumes that MWiF still uses 'White Print' rather than an 'E' for rlite units.
Easy for me to suggest since I'm not the one who would do all of that extra work.


(in reply to Greyshaft)
Post #: 173
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 9:53:32 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Froonp

I think that the best would be to leave things as they are in the paper game.
That is, Elite units with White Print figures, and all black prints units with black print, or red print for the black ones. After all, if we see the red printing out of black background on the counters, we will see it also on the screen, and even better.
Cheers !


The screen is not like paper. It is an active generator of light, not a reflector, and as such it is more fatiguing to the eyes to look at a screen for long periods of time.

Check out at the screen views I gave in posts 138 and 140. The pictures will be sharper when playing the game, but the size of the counters will also be smaller. If you just lean back and look at (#138) the USA counters the large black font for the supply unit almost disappears. The white print HQ, on the other hand, is easy to read. In #140 the Dutch and Belgians (red on black) are very hard to read too. The British aren't so bad (I believe Chris lightened the background color for the Commonwealth).

As a player, I do not want to have to fight to read the crucial information on unit strength and movement points (for land, air, or naval units).

I am now considering making this an option so the player can switch back and forth between the B, C, and D. I expect that if we play test this feature, everyone will go with the clearer numbers (B or C) rather than maintaining traditional renderings from the board game (D).

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Froonp)
Post #: 174
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 9:57:15 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft
Perhaps its possible to provide alternative palettes for the counters which the player can select during configuration.
This presumes that MWiF still uses 'White Print' rather than an 'E' for rlite units.
Easy for me to suggest since I'm not the one who would do all of that extra work.


No, not alternative palettes, but something close. The colors associated with each country are part of the country's comma delimited values file (CSV). The player can edit those values prior to starting a game and set them to whatever he likes. A simple text editor is the only software he needs. However, he will have to be knowledgeable about RGB colors and the product of 3 numbers ranging from 0 to 255.

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Greyshaft)
Post #: 175
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 10:04:19 PM   
Greyshaft


Posts: 2252
Joined: 10/27/2003
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline
I wasn't actually thinking of the player coding the RGB values. More like having three or four preset color schemes and the player choses the one they hate the least.

_____________________________

/Greyshaft

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 176
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 10:23:25 PM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

I wasn't actually thinking of the player coding the RGB values. More like having three or four preset color schemes and the player choses the one they hate the least.


Oh, I knew what you meant.

I currently have a list of 10 different colors for each major power and 7 for each minor country. Now there are 9 major powers (China gets counted twice) and there are 39 minor countries with units by my most recent count (and that not counting all the territoial units from Gabon and the like). Something around 360 colors are set currently (Chris did all that work). And you think I am going to do 3 or 4 variations on them? Curious thought that.

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to Greyshaft)
Post #: 177
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/23/2005 11:45:19 PM   
WiFDaniel

 

Posts: 31
Joined: 12/21/2005
From: France
Status: offline
quote:


2. To tell a standard LND from an reorg-capacity one (ie white shade of range), you may want to invent a completerly different coding than the current one. Although the yellow/white color code is strikingly different on counters, it is not on the screen (IMO).

2 - White versus yellow is about the same on the cardboard and the screen to my eye. I do not intend to reinvent the wheel here. ADG did a ton of work figuring out all the different colors to use. When you change one, you risk screwing up something somewhere else (introducing inconsistencies/ambiguities).


Let me precise my idea. For example, you may write the range number inside a diamond instead of a square to show said plane has a paradrop capacity. Thence you'd save the "no paradrop" sign on some planes. This would go on top of the yellow/white background.

This is just a general principle - you know the actual pixel limits, not I.

So far, the numbers are already set into squares (which I personally find ugly, but it's just an opinion) instead of circles. You have the freedom to use other designs - triangle, diamonds, dotted lines, shades etc.- to show caracteristics, so make use of it

Cheers,

Daniel

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 178
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/24/2005 1:01:46 AM   
Glen Felzien

 

Posts: 91
Joined: 5/21/2000
From: Swan Hills, Alberta, CDN
Status: offline
quote:

I kinda like the brain terrain.

quote:

love the "brain terrain" too. It gives the impression of valleys running all around in the mountains, which is what mountains look like from the skies. Look at Google Earth.


I feel the 5th Edition map was the best for the game. It was clear with a good mix of colour. It showed all the information required without any clutter. That said, I must admit I too saw the valleys of the brain trerrain. I wonder what that would be like with the courrent mountain colour proposed by Steve.

The follow on map to the 5th Edition (final ed.?) I feel was too "busy" with big fists, factor symbols too large etc and a colour scheme that competed with the counters. I believe the direction Steve is taking the MWiF map is very good although I too feel the marsh terrain could use a little more definition.

_____________________________

Glen

(in reply to Shannon V. OKeets)
Post #: 179
RE: Maps for MWIF - 12/24/2005 1:19:15 AM   
Shannon V. OKeets

 

Posts: 22095
Joined: 5/19/2005
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: WiFDaniel

quote:


2. To tell a standard LND from an reorg-capacity one (ie white shade of range), you may want to invent a completerly different coding than the current one. Although the yellow/white color code is strikingly different on counters, it is not on the screen (IMO).

2 - White versus yellow is about the same on the cardboard and the screen to my eye. I do not intend to reinvent the wheel here. ADG did a ton of work figuring out all the different colors to use. When you change one, you risk screwing up something somewhere else (introducing inconsistencies/ambiguities).


Let me precise my idea. For example, you may write the range number inside a diamond instead of a square to show said plane has a paradrop capacity. Thence you'd save the "no paradrop" sign on some planes. This would go on top of the yellow/white background.

This is just a general principle - you know the actual pixel limits, not I.

So far, the numbers are already set into squares (which I personally find ugly, but it's just an opinion) instead of circles. You have the freedom to use other designs - triangle, diamonds, dotted lines, shades etc.- to show caracteristics, so make use of it

Cheers,

Daniel


Good suggestions. I prefer circles too and I can tell from the code that Chris looked into (tried?) using them. Going to 24 bit color (up from 8 bit) should enable us to get very nice circles. It would have been difficult for Chris with only 8 bit color. I intend to hand this problem over to the graphics artist who should find it to be easy to do. I don't have the software myself - and my brother has all the artistic talent in the family.

I have the large air transports and no paradrop ATRs on my list of problems to solve. Again I think I'll just pose them as such to the artist (Rob) and let him solve them. Your suggestions seem reasonable.

We don't have all that much control over fine grain. I already count individual pixels every time I modify something on the map or unit counters.

_____________________________

Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.

(in reply to WiFDaniel)
Post #: 180
Page:   <<   < prev  4 5 [6] 7 8   next >   >>
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> World in Flames >> RE: Maps for MWIF Page: <<   < prev  4 5 [6] 7 8   next >   >>
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

2.066