New icon series
 

Hi folks,

Now that's the CWM is out of the way, here come some of the icon series I have come up with lately, hoping you'll like them.

First for some air:

AH-1 Cobra series:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/ah1_series3camo_337053.PNG

A-129 Mangusta and A-129 International:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/A129_series1.bmp_336383.jpg

PAH-HAC/UHT-HAP Tiger, early versions:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/tiger_se...bmp_336384.jpg

More to come!

(click on name or picture to download the icon pack)

Re: New icon series
 

Glad to see an expansion of your revised AH-1 series. Dled them before I left the house and had a quick look and they look awesome. I'll probably integrate them into my own OOB projects as I did the AH-1Gs (just because I went and revamped a lot of the helicopter history in both the USA and USMC OOBs).

Re: New icon series
 

Thanks for the appreciation!
Feel free to use the AH-1G (I guess the other ones are off-topic), I have other loadouts lying around but I guess you can figure them out yourself.

Some soft vehicles this time:

Soviet Gaz-66 light truck:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/gaz66_se...bmp_336386.jpg

Toyota Land Cruiser technicals (80s version):
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/landcrui...bmp_337185.jpg

Mercedes MB-280 Wolf 4x4 (doubles as Puch-G and Peugeot P-4):
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/mb280_se...bmp_337198.jpg

Puch Haflinger light 4x4:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/Haflinge...bmp_337182.jpg

Puch Pinzgauer light truck:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/Pinzgaue...bmp_337183.jpg

Mercedes Unimog-404 & 1300 light trucks:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/Unimogs_...bmp_337184.jpg

Renault TRM-2000 light truck:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/TRM2000_...bmp_337187.jpg

ACMAT VLRA light truck:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/VLRA_ser...bmp_337186.jpg

Stay tuned!

Re: New icon series
 

Actually, because I had to revamp a lot of the helicopter history, I'll have use for them just as a byproduct of the project. I still have to go and clean up USMC AH-1 history too, because the default has a number of issues.

Re: New icon series
 

PlasmaKrab
------------------
thanx. very nice pictures GAZ-66.
great job

Re: New icon series
 

PlasmaKrab
----------------
You did not draw S-300 SAM???

Re: New icon series
 

Yup, as well as Smersh and Uragan MRLs and FROG-7/Luna launchers, several years ago. These should still be available on the SPMBT Yahoo group, but here they come anyway:

S-300PS/PMU/PMU1/PMU2/etc. :
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/S-300.bmp_338078.jpg

9A52 Smersh MRL and Chinese A-100 version:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/Smerch.bmp_338079.jpg

9P140 Uragan 220mm MRL
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/Uragan.bmp_338080.jpg

9P113 Luna-M aka FROG-7 tactical rocket launcher:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/Luna.bmp_338081.jpg

Watch out, I'm not 100% positive that all these are indexed to the game palette, so there may be color shifts and other bugs when you compress them into Shps.

Re: New icon series
 

PlasmaKrab
-----------------
Big to you thanks for pictures.
Question: you do these pictures for yourselves or they can be used for official game? It is possible to ask developers that they have insert on these pictures in game?

Re: New icon series
 

9A52 Smersh MRL - named SMERCH (translate to english = TORNADO, but URAGAN too = other TORNADO http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif )

Re: New icon series
 

You can always ask the developers to include them and other pictures, I can't guarantee they'll do it, depending on the need and the space left in the game.
For example, the Smerch and Luna icons are useless as artillery units, since both weapons have minimum firing ranges greater than 10km, so couldn't shoot anything on the map.
On the other hand my Ka-50/52 and Mi-34 icons have been included in v3.5 of the official game.

Stay tuned, I'll post more SAMs later on, including a SA-2/S-75 launcher (fixed).
Also working on a new Mi-24 series, I'm sure you'll like them. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: New icon series
 

thanx

Re: New icon series
 

As promised, some more air defense stuff:

First the old SA-2 aka S-75 on its launch rail, to scale:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/SA2_seri...bmp_338222.jpg

Crotale and Crotale-NG tactical SAMs, turreted versions included:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/crotale_...bmp_338220.jpg

Roland-III SAM on the standard CAROL shelter, carried by a MAN-III 10-ton in Germany and a VLRA tractor-trailer in France:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/Roland-3...bmp_338221.jpg

Re: New icon series
 

Wow! Wonderful! Those Icons are great. I hope I can find somewhere to put them.

Re: New icon series
 

Plasma, if I want to use your icons over the original v3.5 ones should I look the shp icon number for each one at the master list or the one I like to change and then replace them? is there any other way?

Regards
Robert

Re: New icon series
 

I can't figure out any other way, but maybe I got you wrong.
For the basic MO of inserting new icons into SHP files, I'll redirect you to some previous explanations instead of spending all night writing it up again:
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...o=&fpart=1
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...o=&fpart=1

Edit: instead of going out of your way for the disputable pleasure of ruining your current shps, you'd better create a new shp file in which you can copy these, then retrieve them from the list (look for empty files in the master list).

Re: New icon series
 

Thanks Plasma! I´ll look into it

Regards
Robert

Re: New icon series
 

This took some work, but here comes some more air:

Dassault Rafale fighter, single and twin-seater:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/Rafale_s...bmp_358441.jpg

Chinese Jian-10 fighter including naval air and export camoes:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/j10a_grey1.bmp_336387.jpg

Little-known Polish attack plane project, PZL-230 Skorpion (second prototype):
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/pzl230_s...bmp_358444.jpg

And finally, Mi-24 Hind series !:
http://thumbnails.imajr.com/MI24_ser...bmp_358440.jpg
More camoes are on the way, particularly desert variants.

Enjoy!

Re: New icon series
 

Alright. Some good looking MI-24s.

Re: New icon series
 

Good work Plasma, we want more !!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: New icon series
 

What do you need on USMC helo history ?

4/69 AH-1G - 7.62 minigun, M75 GL, 2.75" FFR's
2/71 AH-1J - 20mm GG, TOW, 2.75" FFR's
1/78 AH-1T - 20mm GG, TOW, 2.75" FFR's
1/86 AH-1W - 20mm GG, TOW, 2.75" Hydra - also commonly carries Sidewinders for self defense and anti-helo work, in game I give them Stingers to represent this
7/96 AH-1W-4 - 20mm GG, TOW or Hellfire, 2.75" Hydra, Sidewinder
1/104 AH-1Z - 25mm GG, TOW or Hellfire, 2.75" APKWS, Sidewinder

The earlier versiona AH-1G thru AH-1T can carry Sidewinders but usually don't, unlike the later versions.

Re: New icon series
 

Thanks for that. I'm actually pretty good for sources, I just have to do it. The new default is unfortunately more inaccurate than the previous one which is more the issue. I just have to go in and muck around with it.

AH-1Js and Ts apparently were capable of carrying minigun pods, though I'm not entirely sure how common that was. I've also seen pictures of AH-1Ts with Zuni pods and AH-1Ws with 2.75" pods loaded with illumination rockets (though I'm not sure that would lead to better vision rating since the sighting equipment usually allows for better vision than the 5 or so I alot to any aircraft/helo loaded with illum flares). So there are other things I sorta want to check up on, put in a certain variety of possible.

Re: New icon series
 

Thanks for the info. I had been looking for a bit of clarification on that as well. Just two quick questions on that:

- Are you sure the USMC AH-1J was TOW-capable, and if so, from which date? The introduction of the original J model seems to predate the AH-1Q and even the ICAP TOW-integration program.
Could it be a confusion with Bell's "AH-1J International" variant, (as delivered to Iran) which carried the TOW as an option? I had gathered the AH-1T was mainly an uprated AH-1J with TOW capability. Was the guidance system retrofitted to some J models while in service?

-How positive for the APKWS being in service simultaneously with the AH-1Z?

As a side note, there's a "Sidewinder ATAM" in Obat012, if needed you could probably patch up some stats from the Chapparal as well. (I mean, the guidance system is bound to be worse than the Stinger, while warhead and maybe range should be higher)

Re: New icon series
 

Any of them can carry a minigun pod, but given the built-in gun in the nose it was very rare for them to do so. The pods are used far more by UH-1 Huey's playing a light gunship role.
The USMC AH-1's commonly play a spotter role, thus illum and/or smoke 2.75's, since the Marines don't have a dedicated spotter helo like the OH-6 or OH-58.

Myself I created Attack and COIN versions of the AH-1's The main difference being the Attack version carry's twice as many ATGM's as the COIN version, and the COIN twice the 2.75" load as the Attack version.

Also, tho the AH-1's can carry Hellfire's I've seen no indication the Marines use them much. I suspect they're used more by the Army Reserve and National Guard units equipped with AH-1's.
I suspect this is for logistic reasons more then anything else. The Army already has Hellfires in stock for their AH-64's and for the Marines they would be used only by the AH-1's.

Re: New icon series
 

As with most things in the OOB's there's a bit of compromise.
It's not really possible to include every helo variant and potential weapons load-out.
Since I didn't include the AH-1Q variant I merely included the TOW capability with the AH-1J's.
Tho, yes the guidance capability was apparently retrofitted to some of the AH-1J's (more or less making them AH-1Q's).

As to the APKWS, again a compromise to keep the number of variants to a dull roar.

Yeah, I looked at the Sidewinder and Chapparel in OBAT #12, but again took a compromise position. Since I'm adding several variants of the Stinger already I just used those instead.

As has been said by the "Powers That Be" SPMBT is not a simulation so it's somewhat a matter of individual interpretation/taste what compromises to take.

Re: New icon series
 

The pictures from Iraq show AH-1Ws with split loads, usually two 2.75" rocket pods plus one 4 tube TOW launcher and one 4 rail HELLFIRE launcher. Neither ever seems to be fully loaded. I would suspect that even in a more serious situation, they would simply just be fully loaded, not go one way or the other.

Re: New icon series
 

Probably true.
To be honest I haven't spent a lot of time looking at what's going on present day.
Not many armored targets in Iraq these days so no real sense loading the weapons and exposing them to unnecessary wear and tear.
In fact I wasn't aware they were mixing Hellfire and TOW systems on single helo's. Might have to go back and tweak my Attack AH-1's. I so wish there were 5 weapon slots rather then four *laughs* !

Re: New icon series
 

Well I have seen it, but I've also seen just HELLFIREs. I'm sure its largely up to whoever gets to decide such things and whether they think there's a real benefit of one system over the other in the current environment.

Re: New icon series
 

One slot for M197, one for Hydras (19 shots of 2x rockets), one for TOWs and one for Hellfires. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
I'd guess the Hellfires are in bunker-buster or FAE versions, and maybe a couple of TOWs for lighter targets?

Re: New icon series
 

I cant download them from the Box, Plasma; can you email them to me so I can put them on the archive? My ISP finally upgraded to 1GB so I can start adding new stuff

Re: New icon series
 

Trouble is I want to keep the Sidewinders.

What I'll probably do is pull them from the Attack version and give the COIN version only TOW's.

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to make a bunker buster version of the Hellfire. To be honest I'm not all that impressed with them anti-tank wise in SPMBT, the advanced multi-charge and top-attack TOWs are much more effective.

Re: New icon series
 

Question: what do you plan on using your COIN versions for? For instance, the ones COIN variants I have created in some OOBs are nearly bereft of any AT weaponry. I have given e.g. some HE (FAE) ATGMs to some fictional Hind variants, and some BB Hellfires would make sense for MC choppers. You'd have to set the variants straight, of course. But I mean, I have stripped down COIN Cobras even down to their AP 20mm rounds. In exchange they get more HE Hydras.
Also, I have stuck to AAMs only when it was more or less built in in the helo default loadout (see Tigers) or didn't lose hardpoints or weapon slots to more important stuff.
Most of the time, and characteristically in operations were COIN loadouts are to be preferred to tank hunters, the AA ability is moot, and a waste of lots of points, because you are not going to come across much air in the first place.

Regarding the Hellfire, it's true you can't model its main advantage in Marines terms, i.e. that it can be fired over large expenses of water without losing signal http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif.
Because of a much higher speed, it should also be significantly more accurate than a TOW in game terms. Warhead is larger, range higher, there are a numer of factors that should make them better than the TOWs.
Agreed now, I just checked my modded OOBs and the baseline Hellfire returns a cost value 2 points lower than the TOW-2A...

Re: New icon series (fixed links)
 

OK, I just run through all the posts and fixed the links. Looks like Box just noticed last week that I wasn't allowed to use direct links, because it worked before then...

Re: New icon series (fixed links)
 

PlasmaKrab
----------------
perfect icons. thanx PlasmaKrab.

Best regards

Re: New icon series
 

The COIN version I give 1/2 the Hellfire/TOW loadout (4 missiles instead of 8) and 19-shot rocket pods instead of 9's. The early versions often have a lower Vision rating too (since they had no built-in system and wore wore NVG's).

BB Hellfire's would be nice, that stats did you give them?

The AAM's on the AH-1 are mounted on the ends of the stubby weapon mount wings, nothing else can be mounted there. It's more a matter of do they feel the need to carry them. I suppose there might be some weight trade-off so they'd carry less other weapons, but I never seen (or looked for) any indication of this.

You need to keep in mind doctrine too. Strange as it may sound the main anti-tank weapons of the USMC are fixed wing and helo's. We don't have enough tanks to play Tank Wars. USMC tanks are primarily infantry support. Sure, if they're handy we'll send them after other tanks, but given how few of them we have we don't assume they'll be available. Thus unless we know damn good and well there is no armor around no AH-1 would leave the ground without a few ATGM's.

Yeah I looked at the Hellfire's a bit last night, decided to go with the 'A' and 'K' variants. The double warhead on the 'K' will help a lot I'm sure. Outta curiosity I noticed the 'A' variant had the same accuracy as the TOW's and the 'B' in the default OOB was only 7% better, what sort of accuracy did you give them?

Re: New icon series
 

It would be good if to diversify the image of Towed Artillery, and also Barge Carrier, to make varios RPG / Inf.ATGM units.

Re: New icon series
 

"It would be good if to diversify the image of Towed Artillery, and also Barge Carrier, to make varios RPG / Inf.ATGM units."

Now that I agree with!

Re: New icon series
 

I think the various RPG/ATGM units are pretty hardcoded with the way infantry units appear. Barge carrier diversity appears in WinSPWWII, but its easier because of a smaller number of nations and units in general (though some variance might be nice and is possible).

I have some new artillery icons in my pack that were provided to me by Laurent Touchard (I think they might be Plasma's work actually heh).

Re: New icon series
 

There's been some unofficial fooling around involving icons for infantry weapons (ATGMs, MANPADS...) a number of years ago, so that could be started again if needed. Bear in mind that the icon for "Inf-AT", "Inf-SAM" and "Inf-RR"-class units is fixed, and these icons would be used for separate classes which consist of weapon + separate crew. That could be arty, mortars, area SAMs, RLRs, AT guns...
So RPGs themselves are out of question,except if you want to start over a new unit class.

I've done a couple of arty icons, namely a D-30 and a notional advanced 152/155mm long-tube howitzer. I know Laurent had been working on several other Vietnam-era weapons, and I may or may not give some more work on all of this.

Re: New icon series
 

Thanks for the doctrine info. Now this raises the question (again...) of how you handle attack and COIN classes prior to ATGM service.
Since you're up to picklists, I'd personally tend to replace the standard AT helo and plane sets with COIN-only (no or few AT weapons) only when facing vehicle-less opponents, think Viet-Cong, Somalia, Iraq from 2004 onwards, to quote a few real-world examples. Keep in mind that both helo classes wouldn't cohabit in the same battle unless you (player or scenarist) really want them to.
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>Model Name Acc. WHS HEATP MinRange MaxRange IOC
AGM-114A Hellfire 94 8 100 25 160 86
AGM-114K Hellfire-II 95 9 100 ??? 180 94
AGM-114L Hellfire-Longbow 100 9 100 ??? 180 2005
</pre><hr />These are the ones I use for obat012, precluding any non-HEAT variant which I haven't started on yet.
HE-Frag stats should be easy, look at howitzer stats of same WHS.
FAE is a bit hazy, depending on what you consider a penetration. HEK should be higher than for Frags, but not too much, maybe divide WHS by 3 to reduce off-hex splash damage.
APHE (blast-frag) should get HE-Frag HEK levels, HEAT penetration divided by ~3 and HE penetration to your liking, but low (preferably shrapnel level).
All that is wild guess from end to end, since I haven't tested it yet.Fair enough. As I said, when it doesn't intrude on other weapons (like it does on the Tiger which I've always done with alternate rocket loadouts), it is more a matter of weapon slots and unit cost.

Re: New icon series
 

Your work is important for us !

I hope developers from SP CAMO will include these new Icon in WinSP !?

------

Barge Carriers look too bulky in WinSPMBT 3.5, can be make their such?


rus web page 1

rus web page 2

rus web page 3

Re: New icon series
 

Actually I'm doing formations, but since picklists work off the formations info I needed to know a couple things about how they did it before I got too deep into the formations only to find out I'd shot myself in the foot when I went to do picklists.

Yeah, I kinda assumed for the picklists I'd make much the same substitution.
Now Strike VS COIN aircraft is a whole nuther story ! I've perhaps gone a bit overboard playing with ordinance loads, but what the hack I had fun. I did try to keep in mind 500# lb dumb bombs are cheap tho http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Thanks for the Hellfire data.

Re: New icon series
 

That's what I've been doing with most countries which routinely have more planes than the game can handle (limit of 27 units per class at one single date IIRC). The non-AT loadouts (napalm, HE cluster, light rockets...) go in a separate class (COIN fighter) and are used by the IA only against those opponents that have little or no chance to go armor-wave all over the place.
Of course, for that you need to give some slack to the variants, e.g. keeping some rockets-and-dumb-bombs cheap loadouts in class 44, and adding one or two variants in COIN class which a couple of high-end dumb weapon like ICM bombs or heavy rockets. Mostly it's guided weapons you want to get rid of. And there again, you can do that only in an airforce with sufficient proficiency in guided weapons, e.g. not in Switzerland or Austria who aren't even supposed to do ground attack.
The two classes can also be used in slightly different ways as well, as alternate air support classes. Two examples: in Libya, I set to COIN all the second-line LIFT/support planes (SIAI Warrior, Orao, L-39...) that are used only against AA-less opponents like Chad. Pushing the reasoning a bit further, I split French aircrafts in two classes on naval/airforce lines. That may sound pointless since the loadout capabilities are the same more or less, but it is meant mainly to prevent carrier-only crafts from doing fire support on the inter-German border on their own accord, and I was able to give them slightly less-AP weaponry since they were meant to come up only against off-Europe force-projection opponents.

Sorry for the blabber, I just meant to illustrate how far you could push that trick.

Re: New icon series
 

PlasmaKrab
----------------
You have plane icons - Mig-25?

Re: New icon series
 

I did something similar myself Plasma.
The US Navy aircraft and helos in the OOB (SH-2 Seasprite and F-14 Tomcat for example) I made radio code X1, and the USAF stuff I made x3. So designers can use it if they want but the AI will only rarely use Navy and never use USAF to provide close air support.

Re: New icon series
 

Please make Icon for a Jeep with MG and ATGM.
Now these Vechicles are presented Icon as utility jeeps without the weapon.
I think many fans Steel Panthers will be grateful for your creativity.