Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Hello,

I'm an old steel panther serie's gamer (since the beginning, i think...) and i've done a graphical improvment for WinSPMBT's unit :

- More visible infantry icons (and more adapted pictures)

- More visible vehicles icons (with an old boardgame counter style)

I'll be happy if you tell me if you like it or not. If yes, i'll can make a file for those who want to test it...

Some screenshoots :


In vietnam, it's better to find unit in the jungle...
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spmbt/lzxray.jpg

You can see difference between with and without counter (see if you can the scorpion in the field)...
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spmbt/socles.jpg

The humanwave scenario with a little bit of chimical warfare...
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spmbt/humanwave.jpg

Germans ambushing...
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spmbt/german.jpg

Soviets attaking...
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spmbt/soviet.jpg

No more lost units in the forest...
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spmbt/lzxray2.jpg

I'll be waiting your comments...
Thanks

Bongo

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

I applaud the effort, but I'm not sure I'd use it. I can see the benefits and the icons are really well done, I'm just not sure I'd find it useful.

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

I agree with thatguy96. Good work, but I'm not ready to go back to the old boardgame type units. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Agree with thatguy and Brummbar, the icons are for sure nice, but somehow don't fit me into the Steel Panther. A matter of personal likings and of habit most likely.

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

I'll chip in my two cents worth

The work you did on the tiles is very good. You have an excellent "graphics sense" and they have a very professional look. I have fond memeories of playing three-sixty Pacifics series of computer "board" games so I appreciate where you are comming from with this and I've also played enough table top board games way back when to know these are very, very nice but I'm also pretty sure 98% of the players are going to react the same way as thatguy96, Brummbar and Marek_Tucan did .

As a side note one of the things that impresses me the most is you used the games palette to create them , something many would have overlooked but they just don't fit SP for me.

But again, very nice work.

Don

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

What happens when 2 or more units share a hex?

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Hi,

When 2 units ore more share an hex, they simply stack like the standard Winspmbt icons. You can select each icon by clicking on it, there is a leger gap...

Thanks everybody for your comments, I understand that someones prefer to play the game like it is, but i'm like DRG : a table top board gamer, and i like too much this style of playing. I like to play old style board game on my computer with the "Vassal engine", but it's difficult to find opponents... That's why i use my old good Winspmbt to play against AI.

I have to say that the original graphics are not mine but i have recycled some pictures from the excellent "Volcano's mod" for HPS product. This is not a creative job but whith the SHP's painting system it's a real pain (but now it's finished, it's a real joy to play like this for me...)

Bongo

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

I have to say that i love Winspmbt and Winspww2 because they are more similar to board games (my dream is to play "Advanced Squad Leader" and "Air Cav" games on computer and that's that i can do with the Winsp serie) :
- turn by turn games
- hex style
- etc...

If i would like a game more realistic (like the real life i mean) i would play (and i do of course...) "the Close combat" Serie :
- real time
- icons are more realistic (less symbolic than Winsp serie)
- topdown view like a google earth view with smooth maps
- infantry behavior more realistic
- With the all mods available you can recreate almost the Winsp serie fronts (if you have 200 or 300 Gb on your hard drive of course)

I'm playing this two style of games and i really prefer Winsp serie because of my nostalgia of the old board games time.

Bongo

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

I like to think of this game as a miniature tabletop rather than a carboard counter game.

Regards
Robert

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

If you like the cardboard style you should make the tank icons look like cardboard counters which means their silhouette from the side and not top plus writing their name.

You have graphical talent for sure.

Artur.

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Hello,

My approach is that Winsp(s) are (in my opinion) the digital versions of "Advanced Squad Leader" and in this boardgame the icons show vehicle from the top (because of the orientation of the turret).

I have to say one more time that's not my own drawings : Infantry's drawings are from the HPS game's mod called "Volcano" (A great work from someone who have a real talent), and the vehicle's icons are from the original Winspmbt. I just draw a counter behind. My only talent is to know how to use Photoshop (that's my job) and how to use Shpedit and the other excellent tools made by Fred Chlanda (thank him for is quick help).

Thank you all for your comments, they help me to choose the direction of the next mods i'll do for this game.

Bongo

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

It definitely makes them stand out. Still I prefer to keep my ASL and Steel Panthers separate. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Those icons sure take me back to another time. Many a summer afternoon was spent with those cardboard counters. Almost makes me want to go and dig those games out of the closet where they have not seen the light of day for many years now. I might give it a go with your counters (they look great, by the way) for old times' sake, but part of me is glad they are gone.

Dean

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Nice work, I think the big draw for WinSPMBT is the realistic look of the Icons, the ability to maybe lose(hide) a unit in terrain from an someone.

I would like to know if you would consider using NATO and WP map symbols?

http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures...atomap14b.html

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Well, maybe I'm going against the general consensus, but I like them. The novelty of being able to see a specific tank's overhead view wears off after a while, and the infantry are pretty hard to discern. Using the counter icons makes it easier on the eyes. How well do the counters look at max zoom?

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

No way! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
The work is great, really, I cqn't second Don enough in saying that you did a great job while sticking to game materials. I can understand the point, but as far as I am concerned I stick with counting the heads and having to tell apart T-54s from T-55s. No complaints with that.
I tend to keep counter-style graphics for larger-scale games where they stand for groups of units, it makes more sense IMO.

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Hi,

The reason for me to not use NATO symbol is that it doesn't represent the diversity of the units (that's a must in WinSPMBT).

The work is almost finished, i'll post the files this week... For those who want to test on their game.

Bongo

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Very interesting icons. Hmm I would like test how they will work in WinMBT (WinSPWW2?). Btw, are those as "default" icons (I mean at least infantry, mortar, MG etc.) for every nation or different as they are now? And how about making same for SPWW2?

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Hi,

Yes you can have different icons for different nations but it depends on which color is use in the game to represent the infantry (this is hardcoded in the game). I've made a simply to use batch file to atribute any icons to any nations just before playing, that's more easy...
The vehicles icon are in neutral grey because sometimes some vehicles are used by different nations and it is a real pain to try to know what the scenario designer have done... The icons are here just to made the units more visible and to give an old classic wargame look to the game.

I've made the same for WinSPWW2 (infantry and vehicles) and i'll publish the two mods very soon.

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Great to hear:). It could be even cooler to see them in SPWW2;)...

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Hi,

Some exemple infantry icon for WinSPWW2 :

Germans
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/al.jpg

Germans (Afrika Korps variant)
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/ak.jpg

Italians
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/it.jpg

Italians (Desert variant)
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/itd.jpg

Frenchs
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/fr.jpg

Frenchs (color variant)
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/frb.jpg

Americans
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/us.jpg

Russians
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/ur.jpg

Britains
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/br.jpg

Japaneses
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/ja.jpg

Ingame screenshot (playing with the french)
http://christiansanti.free.fr/spww2/capt002.jpg

It looks good.
There's a batch file which permit to attribute any icon you want to any nation. (That's the only way to adjust the right nation to the right game's unit because it's hardcoded in the game. The color of the little soldier symbol (in the old soldier icons) seem to depend on a choice made by the scenario creators.

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Looks great!

Hmm will those infantry icons have size of unit numbers too? Like "10", "8" etc.? And they decrease as losses come during battle?

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Yes, the green, orange, red level on the left of the infantry icon symbolize the size of this unit. It have 19 different increments to represent the number of soldier in the unit and decrease as losses come. It represent the same system as with the top down soldiers view but much synbolic.

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

I think it looks absolutely superb, you really did a great job and the concept is really nice.

Reminds me a lot of some of those old avalon hill board wargames we used to play with some friends, for that nostalgia feel alone i really like what you are doing.

I appreciate the original WinSPMBT/WinSPWW2 graphics and continue to like them, but i see this work is an excellent alternative for the game visual presentation.
I would certainly play from time to time for a change other my usual WinSPMBT.

Again, superb job !

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Thank you for your comments. It makes me happy. What you said is exactely what i feel. That's for that reason i do this job, and i'm going to do more.
I hope i'll have time today to pack all the files and to post here the 2 mods (Winspmbt and Winspww2).

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Great. When are you going to release them?

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

today if i got time in my job...

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Today?

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Hi,

Yes, when i say today, i mean as soon as possible. I am a little bit busy in my job for now. When i've got time, i'll pack this mod and i'll post it.

Bongo

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Any update?

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Bongo,

Great work!

I really like them and would love to give them a try. Any update on when you might be able to make them available?

Thanks for the effort and for sharing with the community.

Re: Graphic mod. What do you think about this ?
 

Any word on an update? Would you be willing to share your mod?