Modify objective flags - mod request

[void1984]

Great idea and execution.
Can you just think about it for WinSPMBT?

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Originally Posted by void1984

Great idea and execution.
Can you just think about it for WinSPMBT?

Thanks

I don't play SPMBT that much, preferring to play WW2 when I have the time, but I'd be willing to help out.

Ideally, someone else will take my idea, and any useful artwork, and make a SPMBT version of the mod. I would volunteer technical and artistic assistance if needed.

A second option, would be for someone to do the research, so they know which flags should be replaced by which roundels, and provide the original art from websites like these:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Roundel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_air_forces

Then I'd just need to convert the images to miniature BMPs and those to SHP files.


You could start a thread over on the SPMBT site and see if anyone wanted to take on the project.

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[void1984]

I can gather the information on Monday.
I just never used to modding tools.
Is there only one objective flag possibility for a whole 1946-2020 period, or several are allowed?

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Originally Posted by void1984

I can gather the information on Monday.
I just never used to modding tools.
Is there only one objective flag possibility for a whole 1946-2020 period, or several are allowed?

The mod can only replace existing objective flags.

If a nation/OOB only uses one flag from 1946-2020 then they can only have one roundel.

If a nation uses one flag up to 1960 and then another from 1961 to 2020, that nation could have one roundel up to 1960 and another roundel from 1961 to 2020. Or both flags could be replaced by the same roundel - if appropriate - then the nation would only have one roundel from 1946 to 2020.

In most cases roundels change when flags change, because roundels usually represent the flags/heraldry in some way.

Nations sometimes change roundels even though their flags have not changed. Which will likely be more of an issue over the 75 years of SPMBT than it is for the 17 years of SPWW2.
But in those cases you'd have to decide to go with the most recognisable, longest serving, or perhaps the most recent roundel.

With a project like SPMBT (with almost 100 nations) you may want to just create a mod for the most used OOB.


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[void1984]

When I see France's roundel the dot seems quite dark, unlike light one here:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...efore_1945.svg
Is it a limitation of colour palette, or did you used the post '45 one?

Why does the Great Britain's one has a black outer circle instead of that one?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..._A_Roundel.svg

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Originally Posted by void1984

When I see France's roundel the dot seems quite dark, unlike light one here:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...efore_1945.svg
Is it a limitation of colour palette, or did you used the post '45 one?

The palette is very limited in the blues, yellows and reds.
Look at the limited colours on the vanilla flags.

The only real choices for France:



I went with 1.

Originally Posted by void1984

Why does the Great Britain's one has a black outer circle instead of that one?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..._A_Roundel.svg

That roundel was only used from 1929 to 1938, and a similar roundel (with larger red centre) was used after 1947; according to this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Air_Force_roundels

I went with a very dark blue outer circle for Britain. The blue is darker than I would like, but I think it may be the only option for a WW2 British roundel.


Here's the palette:



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[void1984]

I've done the conceptual work, now it's time to learn the shp image editing.

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Originally Posted by void1984

I've done the conceptual work, now it's time to learn the shp image editing.

Make sure you read through this post here:

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=47320

I also recommend you download the BMP collage for Icon0095.shp and Icon0096.shp (using ShpEd) so you can see all the vanilla objective flags and quickly identify which to replace and what their image # is within the shape file.

Here's PNGs of the MBT objective collages:





You can see that the individual images are 40x25 pixels. Most flags are 37x22 pixels with a 3 pixel shadow.

The roundels I made were mostly 25x25 pixels (no shadow) but some were 24x24 when the design required an even number of pixels.

You could start a thread over on the MBT mods section if you think you may need help, or post here if you want.

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[void1984]

It's a bit a pity that this mod replaces the country flag at the "Start turn" screen and at the top of the right panel when playing.

(I'm studying the link you pasted)

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Originally Posted by void1984

It's a bit a pity that this mod replaces the country flag at the "Start turn" screen and at the top of the right panel when playing.

Do you mean this:



I think it looks better than the flag, but that's just my opinion.


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