Hey All,

This is a project I have been talking about for a long time, but always had to postpone it due to work/school. Finally got some time to devout to it.

The idea behind the graphics came from a CivII scenario by Field Marshal Klesh called "Lebenstrum." Most CivII unit creators used the characteristic shield on each unit to add interesting inignia and identifying marks. While I have no problem with the current stacked block way CivIII displays unit strength, I wanted to add that artistic touch CivII had. So I put it back in. It was a pain to do, adding the crests frame by frame and I am sick of counting pixels, so I thought I would show some of what I have and see what people think. I think it makes the map much more interesting and colorful as well as helping identify units that can look pretty similar.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/AlphaRostersm.gif

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/PatroPrev.gif

Each civ has two basic crests, one for infantry and one for armor. Specialty units such as the SS units shown have a different crest. Also, armies work differently, like in Procifica's Civil War scenario with Divisions and Corps, and have the real life tactical insignia overtop of them to tell you at a glance which they are. There are only German units in this screenshots but all the units have crests (there is one British and one American unit on the English coast, naval and air units have no insignia)

As you may have guessed from the map, I am putting together a WWII scenario to go with my graphics. However, with the soon to be released Storm Over Europe coming soon, I may just wait and then modify that to my needs (no sense doing the same work twice, I will ask permission of course). Maybe they will just incorporate my idea? We shall see.

Curious to see what you think ;)

one question, why is every city building warriors?

The map is under construction (most cities are pop 1 as well you may notice), the graphis are much farther ahead than the scenario as a whole.

Well I have to say : it looks both nice (very) and clean (identifying troops).
Definitely keep on ! (of course this is just MHO).


:goodjob:

dont worry LouLong i have sensed the force....err....Civers instinct in you.

Appreciate it Loulong.

I should probobly say hat the crest only appear during the default animation. I started putting them in the other animations and besides bieng tedious work, it really cluttered and masked the movement. Some animator spent alot of time to make those action packed attack animations, who am I to cover them up?. So, all the added stuff disappears when the unit moves to include the fidget (other than the default shimmy some of the units do, and in the case of the WWII units their characteristic sway).

Simply and plainly put -- It looks great :goodjob:

-Oz

Patroklos, if you still have many unit to do, PM me, I may have a solution to help speed up your graphic design...

Looks interesting.

Which area will the map cover?

Rocoteh

Hey all,
Only have the Russian units to do now, so not to much more to do graphics wise, thanks for the offer though if add more units I will definetly contact you.

The map I am using covers eastern USA and Canada, All of Europe from tip of Scandinavian Pennisula out to about 100km east of Moscow. and all of North Africa plus a good portion of the Middle East. It is the same map used in SOE, though I am sure both camps have modified them both greatly to their liking.

In all reality I started this scenario when I thought SOE was abandoned. You see the main page isn't updated very often and I thought the project died. I recently found out that the main work for SOE is done in hidden forums so my impression was wrong, they have been working like beavers ;). However, my project has evolved into an entirely different creature. My objective is to create the ultimate MULTIPLAYER WWII scenario, with tactical concepts at its corps that the AI can't grasp

yes, contact Steph! :)
I am not sure but even now it's be possible with Steph's layered storyboard builder. Those shields look very good :)

Originally posted by embryodead
yes, contact Steph! :)
I am not sure but even now it's be possible with Steph's layered storyboard builder. Those shields look very good :)

No it isn't If you try to use a "multi figure" units, using the unit itself and the crest as a second unit, it won't work. Because if you have the crest in front of the guy in the S view, then it will be behind in the N view due to the deapth analyser.

Originally posted by Steph

No it isn't If you try to use a "multi figure" units, using the unit itself and the crest as a second unit, it won't work. Because if you have the crest in front of the guy in the S view, then it will be behind in the N view due to the deapth analyser.

I was thinking of single storyboard builder.. it has 2 layers, one for unit, one for shadow (I never used it thought as I have shadows on the same board).

EDIT: typos :)

Cool to see someone else is knowing the tool better than me! Yes, you could use the shadow layer, I've forgotten I made it for Balou months ago.

The programmer of SBB was not to bad when he did the tool it seems, we can still discover new ways to use it. :cool:

Hey Steph,

Not sure how to PM so I will just ask through the thread. Using SBB I can just make th crest the shadow layer and then layer that over tbe base image?

Originally posted by Patroklos
Hey Steph,

Not sure how to PM so I will just ask through the thread. Using SBB I can just make th crest the shadow layer and then layer that over tbe base image?

In a post made by the person you wish to PM, simply click the "PM" button in the top row, second from the left.

On a second thought, it may not work, as the shadow laer is supposed to work with independant bitmaps, not storyboard, and I suppose your are editing the storyboard.

But nevertheless, I could make something else work.

Cool idea Patroklos, looks sweet, good luck with it man. :)

Hey all, I am looking for a suitable

a) Gestopo unit or one that fits and

b) an image to put on its crest

http://stolz.by.ru/Das_3_Reich/uniforms/emblems/gestapo.jpg

This is all I was able to find.

Thanks!

I can easily put the gray/white background on the crest, I will have to seeif I can make the eagle look good with so few pixels, if not I will just put a swastika in like the German infantry units, with the new background of course....

Now for the unit. Would anyone think it cheap to use the same SS unit with a different crest? The Gestapo was a civilian entity, but I can't find a suitable unit (I can't make them, I lack that talent :( ). I could use nonnob's Waffen SS unit so at least the graphics would be different. Not sure, what do you all think?

Hey all,

I just encountered a problemthat is so stupid I am kicking myself for letting it slip by. I wanted the defaults modified because those are the positions units are usually in, and on animations where there was movement I left the crest off so as not to hide the action. Well, default isn't what most units are in, fortified occurs just as often, and those don't have crests.

My question to you all is on the maidn screen is the fortified position displayed the last frame in the animation? if so I will just put a crest on that frame to a) not hide the fortif action and b) reduce my work load by x15.

I am looking into the matter right now, but if one of you know chime in ;)

Alright, as far as I can tell it is the last frame inthe fortify.flc that is displayed. Could someone confirm this before I go changing 30 odd units, por favor.

Thanks

Added another screenshot to the first post, this is what I have up to now. Need a unit for the paratroopers (might just use the CivIII one), a civilian type unit for the Gestapo, and one for the NKVD.

Anyone know anything about my fortify question???

It most likely is the last frame. You should change 1 unit and test IMO. However, a word of warning: The fortify animation is played before the combat animations begin, meaning that, if the last frame of it is also played then (and it most likely is), the insignia will flicker every time units begin combat. That may be a very unpleasant artifact.

I never noticed that, I will have to check that in the morning, as my computer is im my sisters room and she is sleeping. Just because you graduate the folks think they can just turn your room into a gym, sheesh.

If this is in fact the case, and I have no reason to doubt you, is it hardcoded. Meaning, can I alter the ini file so it only plays the attack animation? I know sometimes the victory animation and the fortify is the same, but theyare still different files. Woll, we shall see tommarrow.

Thanks for the warning though, probobly saved me from a bout of rampant cursing tommarrow ;)

Patroklos, it's hardcoded. On the other hand, most fortified units only show the SE view (my idea: only add it in that direction), so if it flickers while attacking in that direction, maybe it's not so big a deal?

Thats what I was going to do, and as you said, that fraction of second if you happen to attack in the SE direction will just be an unsolvable "bug."

AI players can fortify in any direction however, so this might still be a problem.

You should petition Firaxis ;)

Originally posted by Krayzeenbk
AI players can fortify in any direction however, so this might still be a problem....Yes, but whenever they break that fortify, and then refortify they show up in the SE view. Thus, any damaged unit will show up any which way, any defender in a city will be in the SE. I think that the SE views are such a large majority that Patroklos only have to do it in that direction.

I made the graphics with my particular scenario (multiplayer) in mind, but I don't want to restrict there use to the brave souls who try and use my scenario. I will experiment, and use the combination that leaves the least errors. I anm just going to have to suck some of them up though, I'm afraid.

WHY GOD WHY!!!! :D

Originally posted by Patroklos
WHY GOD WHY!!!! :D

That should read "WHY FIRAXIS WHY!!!!"

Unless I'm missing something...... hehe ;)

Stupid Fraxis, what did they ever do for us. Besides give us this absolutely wonderful game of course ;).....

I took the liberty of drawing an alternate hammer and sickle badge for you, in case you would like to use it.

Here is the pic:

Thanks,

That looks alot better, will definetly put it in. Any ideas for the Commissar's crest, since you seem to like Soviet stuff. I was thinking just a red star as that was their uniform insignia.

I have seen red stars with hammers and sickles in them IIRC, however, a red star is probably as detailed as you could get in that little space.

Isn't that yellow star in the preview supposed to be a commisar? IMO a yellow star on a red background will do, unless that is some other kind of troop there.

No, the yellow stared unit (with the place holder Russian Infantry Graphic), is a Red Guard unit, which will represent Communist fanatic troops that are better than normal infantry. For the Comissar I was thinking of a red star with gold border, perhaps with out the shield to make it more unique. Still need a unit graphic for that, and I have no idea what to use for the NKVD (the Russian Infantry for now though).

AFAIK the Red Guard existed only during the Revolution and the Civil war, not WWII.

Originally posted by Krayzeenbk
AFAIK the Red Guard existed only during the Revolution and the Civil war, not WWII.

After the 1942 reorganization of Soviet forces, elite units were designated as "Guards" (not "Red Guards").

-Oz

Your right, now that you mention it I remember that change. Will make the appropriate correction.

Question:
Besides the Brown Shirts, did the Facists in Italy have any other notorious units like the Nazi SS or Gestopo that I could make into a game unit? I can't think of any off the top of my head and I don't want Italy to be the only faction without a special unit (I was just going to make a "Facist" unit but that is a little unoriginal)

Originally posted by Patroklos
Question:
Besides the Brown Shirts, did the Facists in Italy have any other notorious units like the Nazi SS or Gestopo that I could make into a game unit? I can't think of any off the top of my head and I don't want Italy to be the only faction without a special unit (I was just going to make a "Facist" unit but that is a little unoriginal)

There was a very classist approach to the Italian army. Aside from the "regulars" (sorry, I forget what they were called) there were the elite Bersaglieri and Alpini (Alpine) troops; low-level conscripts were often organized into "Ragruppamenti" (sp?).

-Oz

Originally posted by Patroklos
Your right, now that you mention it I remember that change. Will make the appropriate correction.

Question:
Besides the Brown Shirts, did the Facists in Italy have any other notorious units like the Nazi SS or Gestopo that I could make into a game unit? I can't think of any off the top of my head and I don't want Italy to be the only faction without a special unit (I was just going to make a "Facist" unit but that is a little unoriginal)

Does that mean that commissars get the yellow badge? ;)
As for the Italians - I don't really know. But I do know a lot about Franco and the Spanish Civil War, though I don't remember the fascist group's shirt color (the one that was named "something shirts" - it was blue or red or something like that). Since the Spanish didn't fight in WW2, I don't know if you will add them. But if you do just for alternate history's sake, their elite units were the Morrocans from the Army of Africa (but I can't remember their name either grrrrr.... neither can I find it easily online for whatever reason).

The Italians do have Alpine troops in the scenario, with upgraded movement in rough terrain. I will give them that elite infantry unit as well you mentioned

Hey All,

Sorry about the absence, just moved to GA and I didn't have internet. Been working hard, modded 15 units since my last post.
Anyone know a good symbole for the "Bersaglieri?"

They had some plumets on their helmet which is quite characteristics.

How many different units will your civs have? Like will Germany have their set of the Luftwaffe, Panzers, Panthers, Tigers, Panzerschreks, Kradshutzen, Fallsschirmjagers, Wehrmacht, Gestapo, and Waffen SS? And you what I think would look neat, or weird, for the special Italian bazooka how 'bout the Piat? It was a weird looking bazooka with striped and winged bazooka shells. Just a thought. Sorry if people already mentioned things like this, I didn't read the entire thread.

good work

I haven't decided on a final unit list, I am just making them as they come too me. However, Germany will have the most probobly because they have some many imfamous stuf to work with. Doing the first real play test right now, but it is more for mechanics and game play issues

BTW, anyone know a way to have the map revealed to all civs at the start of a scenario?

Originally posted by Patroklos
BTW, anyone know a way to have the map revealed to all civs at the start of a scenario?

In the editor, select the Scenario pull-down-menu; on the scenario tab there's a box to check which reads something like "begin with map explored".

-Oz

In the editor look in the scenario properties should be right beside debug mode(you have to have play the world and the latest patch which is 1.27)


btw looks awsome:goodjob:

Alright, getting very frustated. I am trying to use a color red on a particular unit, actually 15 units, and it always apears orange in the game. I have the same color red displayed in my German unit set (R=165, G=95, B=36) and it works fine. I figure I had just picked a bad color, but I don't know why it works withthe Germans and not the Nuetrals. The only differance is when I use the color dropper ther is an "I" in the color list (what the hell is that) and for the Germans it is 43 and for the other units it is 48. I can't figure out how to change it.

I am using PSP 8, any suggestions on what I am doing wrong?

kind of desperate here ;)

I'd guess you have a palette issue. I guess you don't have any red colour in those palettes, so the closest thing is that orange. Maybe you can just edit that orange colour in the palette?
I have Photoshop, btw, so I can't really help with the psp issues. ;)

so anyone with PSP know what that "I" is?

hello.......

hello.......

Is anyone out there.....

sorry to shamelessly bump like this, but I am stumped, three days and I haven't figured it out, basically it is the only work left for me to do untill conquests comes out.

yeah, well, this is going nowhere, so let me ask you this.

If Ichange the civ colors so there is no red, will that let all the reserved red colors show up in the game?

Looks very nice so far. My one complaint is the terrain seems really bright and cheery ... not quite the right backdrop for the bloodiest conflict ever.

I think Snoopy's Terrain with the edited versions of Womok's Mountains for it would work pretty well. They can be found here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47260#post839342) if you're interested.

Just my two cents though.

I have actually been thinkig about it, but the expances of Russia look so endless with the fields of yellow grass, but maybe I will jut keep the planes and drop the rest.

So any PSP 8 user, and I know you are out there because I bought the program from you advice, helpme with my perdicerment. I just want to knwo what "I" is and how to change it.

Why don't you upload a story board? Then someone can download it and see if they spot the problem. :)

good idea

Hey all,

Here is the problem illustrated.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/Danish_Rifleman.gif

It should be a Danish flag, but as you can see the red doesn't show up.

Here is the unit folder, perhaps someone can look through it? I throw myself at you expertise. ;)

Download (http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/Danish_Rifleman.zip)

Well, you seem to be using a civspecific red in the flag, instead of an ordinary red. It also seems you have messed up the palette (where did all those blues come from, and why did you remove the shadow?). If I where doing this unit I'd first change one colour in the middle of the palette to the exact red you have in the flag, make sure this colour isn't used somewhere else in the palette, and then copying in the flag. This way you can keep the shadows.
And always make sure you don't change into a new palette.
Did I just tell you to redo three weeks job? Oops!


BTW, you can link to the original Infantry sounds, instead of copying them into the Danish Rifleman folder, by having ..\Art\Units\Infantry\Infantryfidget.wav, instead of Infantryfidget.wav, in the .ini file. Then you don't need 13 copies of the same sounds. :)

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the help

As far as the work, worry not, I have redone all of it at least four times over trying to get it to work. As far as the blue, that is how the unit loaded in PSP, and the shadow turned blue as well so I just had to delete it.

I will try to start from scratch as you said, as I guess it is the only way, and will replace a color dead center in the pallete to make sure it isn't in the civ specific field.

I am still a little confused though because the red in the German Nazi shield (picture first post) and the Italian flag work fine nbd have the same R G B values (only that annoying "I" is different, and I still don't know what that is).

Back to work, cheers.

Alright, did the work all over again and to no avail!

This unit, vanilla Civ3 infanty, is the only none PTW or non user created unit I have tried to mod so far and the only one that has given me problems. I still can't explain why the shadow shows up as solid blue. Even though the palette shows the bottom as this solid blue color, the shadow doesn't change in the game displayed image until I actuall alter a frame. Again I am using PSP8, anyone encountered this problem with vanilla units.

And I still can't get red to show up, and I made sure I added the color to the center of the pallete, to make sure it wasn't in the civ specific or shadoww field :(

Problem illustrated again. This is the image and palette immediatly upon bieng loaded into PSP. Note the shadow...

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/InfantryPic.gif

The initial shadow appears initially in FLICster as well, btw.

Apparently I wasn't very clear in the head when I made my last reply. Forget the blue, and don't touch the shadow, it should work as it is (from the start, I mean).
The important question is, I think; do you actually use the red you added, or are you using another red, with the exactly same colour, that is situated in the civspecific area of the palette? I saw you had orange civ colour for the danes, and the flag showed up orange, so I strongly suspect that there's a connection. When you add the red to the palette you have to make sure that it isn't the same colour as a red already there, otherwise you wont know which red you are using.In other words, choose a RGB number not already in use in the palette.

I hope I make any sense.

Hey all,

I apoligize mrtn, but despite your best efforts I just can't get it to work. Well, I am not too big of a man to ask for help (or beg), so could one of you brilliant unit designers please spare a moment and download the Danish Rifleman six posts up and change the red in the flag to one that has been proven to work and send it back to me. I wanted to do it all myself, but this problem is keeping 15 units from my scenario.

Thanks for any help ahead of time.

Ok, it was as I suspected. The palette had two versions of the red colour (204, 0, 0), one civ specific and one not. You where (of course, otherwise we wouldn't have any problems ;)) using the civ specific one.

This is how the palette looks in photoshop, in psp it's the other way around (yellow first, magenta last):
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/Danish_palette.gif

What I did was that I changed the civ specific red slightly, and then used the paint bucket with (204, 0, 0). If you have the same RGB values like this you end up with problems.
And here is a fixed pcx:

EDIT: The yellow was also civ specific, so I changed that too. Here's that new one:

Thank you !

I am at work right now but will try this out when I get back home, thanks for spending the time. I might have to go buy photoshop, PSP just isn't versitile enough for this stuff.

Originally posted by Patroklos
Thank you !

I am at work right now but will try this out when I get back home, thanks for spending the time. I might have to go buy photoshop, PSP just isn't versitile enough for this stuff.
I couldn't sleep, so I made this instead. :)

Don't bother getting photoshop if you have psp, I know that about half of us here in C&C use photoshop, and half psp, you just have to learn how to use the program. :)

Specifically how to use palettes (aka color tables). ;)

Great bunch of work on this.

How big is the map you are using in this scenario?

Hey all,

A new goodie is on the way. I present the Waffen SS (my version). It is really just the PTW German Rifleman with the palette altered to give the unit the appreance of whereing the Waffen SS camo smock and trousers. Oh and my characteristic crest of course ;)

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/WaffenSS.gif

It will be released when perfected.

The map is 256x256 if I remember correctly.

Cheers.

Hm, that doesn't look like the Waffen SS. It looks like the Waffen ZZ, the s:s are mirrored. ;)

Heh,

Your right, odd that that got by me :eek: