Icon changes for VP

[pineappledan]

With VP nearing its final stages, I think some of the Icons used in VP could use a facelift. I was looking through Pouakai's Enlightenment era mod, and was stunned by the high-quality icons made by Janboruta and Sukritact for the mod. I have not asked them for permission yet, but wanted to see if there was interest in swapping out some of the art in VP for some of the excellent work that has been done elsewhere.

Below is a list of the icons I specifically noticed as having alternative icons. The current icon is on the LEFT, and Janboruta/Sukritact's alternative is on the RIGHT

Summer Palace:

Spoiler :

Crystal Palace:

Spoiler :

Explorer - both are pretty good actually:

Spoiler :

Cuirassier - bonus points for actually wearing a cuirass:

Spoiler :

Cruiser:

Spoiler :

Light Tank (both are Renault FTs):

Spoiler :

Smithsonian Institute - This one I feel is actually pretty serious, because the current icon is a picture of the Prussian House of Lords with two American flags swapped in. This appears to be an icon taken from the Civ 5 E&D mod, where it is used for the German Bundesrat national wonder:

Spoiler :

Field Gun:

Spoiler :

For the Field gun, I think that a change in the unit model would be appropriate as well. The current field gun used by the game is a french 75mm, which were brought into service around 1890, and are best known for being one of the most common artillery pieces on the western front in WWI. This puts the 75mm roughly a century later than when they are unlocked in-game. Something closer to Napoleonic or American Civil War would be more fitting

Please let me know what you think. I'll try to see if I can get Sukritact and Janboruta to release the icons for use in VP over the next few days.

Are there any other icons that people would want to see changed?

 

[Hinin]

The Garrison artillery from the Canadian Dominion mod by Colonialist Legacies seems to fit well with what we want for the Field Gun (although the flag of the unit appears a bit too small ingame, but it can be rescaled, and that the colors of the units doesn't seem to change according to the civilization owning it, like for the Cacadores).
The French 75 is more of a Modern era unit (maybe tier 1 of the era techs), while the Artillery, being a WW2 model, is a Atomic era unit (but, since there is currently no new siege unit during the Atomic era, moving the Artillery there would be a gameplay change, which isn't the goal of this project).

 

[Infixo]

All these icons (but Light Tank) are from Enlightenment Era mod. If you start moving them into VP there will be issues with EE.

Smithsonian is a native EE Wonder. VP just renamed MOMA.

 

[pineappledan]

@Infixo
Cuirassier and cruiser - no conflict, EE just swaps the icon for the same unit

Explorer - no conflict. If this change was made then just use the old "adventurer" icon for the VP explorer, and use the new icon for the EE "explorer"

Field Gun - 2 options:

• Not really a conflict. VP just uses EE's field gun icon for its field gun, and EE uses VP's old 75mm icon and unit art for "Howitzer". The industrial era being compressed by the inclusion of an enlightenment era makes the anachronism of where that weapon is placed less egregious
• could use Hinin's suggestion and swap for Canadian Garrison Artillery instead (by TPangolin):
  Spoiler :

  

Summer Palace/Crystal Palace/Smithsonian - They are the exact same building

• An argument could be made that, since they are the same building, they could use the same icon
• alternatively, if VP made this change, then EE could use the old icons
• Alternatively-alternatively, EE could find non-overlapping wonders to replace with the ones taken by VP

 

[Gazebo]

Sorry, but most of these are not up for debate, as they were made by contributors to the mod and I’m not going to disrespect them by replacing the icons. Sorry!

G

 

[Infixo]

@pineappledan In theory it is ok. Problem is that I don’t change EE at all, the mod is in its original version. I am tweaking it after loading to make it compatible with VP. So you can’t say „EE will use that or that” because it won’t - it will still be using its original icons. I will have to „undo” the changes VP makes to bring EE to its original state.

 

[Matutin]

Could one use the icons on his own? And how would one proceed? Would a permission by the mod-authors still be needed?

 

[infidel88]

To be honest, as a long time board game player and strategies player since 1990, I don't care about such details. Because you look at it once and thats it.

But I would go with this for Crystal Palace

 

[Matutin]

Well, it does contain the building in question.... Sort of....

 

[pineappledan]

Sorry, but most of these are not up for debate, as they were made by contributors to the mod and I’m not going to disrespect them by replacing the icons. Sorry!

Fair enough, if people have contributed special icons only to VP then that is only right.

I am guessing this leaves at least 2 possible swaps, however: Explorer and Smithsonian.

Explorer i'm ambivalent about, they are both high-quality icons made by the same guy (janboruta), I just put it in for completion.

The current Smithsonian icon, however, is a modified Bundesrat icon from the E&D mod. I think changing that one would actually be the more respectful option.
Bundesrat icon for reference:

Spoiler :

 

[Gazebo]

I

Fair enough, if people have contributed special icons only to VP then that is only right.

I am guessing this leaves at least 2 possible swaps, however: Explorer and Smithsonian.

Explorer i'm ambivalent about, they are both high-quality icons made by the same guy (janboruta), I just put it in for completion.

The current Smithsonian icon, however, is a modified Bundesrat icon from the E&D mod. I think changing that one would actually be the more respectful option.
Bundesrat icon for reference:

Spoiler :

Smithsonian was me (I was in a hurry), the updated one is fine by me.

G

 

[pineappledan]

I’ll see if I can get a hold of @sukritact to see if he will release the smithsonian icon for inclusion in VP. Otherwise I can make a new icon some time this week

UPDATE: Looks like Smithsonian icon is a go from @sukritact. Thanks Sukritact!

Spoiler :

@Gazebo, Please find attached the Smithsonian Icon

 

[Gothic_Empire]

Sorry, but most of these are not up for debate, as they were made by contributors to the mod and I’m not going to disrespect them by replacing the icons. Sorry!

G

Are there any art assets we need or could stand to have?

 

[Gazebo]

Are there any art assets we need or could stand to have?

Maybe? I'm not super attached to the Field Gun (my quick work up), Cuirassier (stole from JFD and sawed off the gun), or the Explorer (also stolen from JFD).

Probably the oldest mod art in the game is the diplo unit art...but I made that stuff back in 2012...attached to it almost out of nostalgia.
G

 

[pineappledan]

Are you attached to the 75mm unit model? I think something “older” would be better

 

[Gazebo]

Are you attached to the 75mm unit model? I think something “older” would be better

There aren't any truly good-looking models in-game available, so yes. I think it's fine, definitely do not want to go down the path of messing with models.

 

[pineappledan]

Well at the very least, the cuirassier and explorer icons could be replaced from the EE mod (in the OP), once we have gotten the appropriate permissions from the artists.

I don’t think the explorer needs to be changed; it’s a good looking icon as is. The cuirassier, however, I think could be replaced with a picture of someone... you know... who is wearing a cuirass

Edit: were there no artillery models from the civil war scenario? I forget