Dev Diary #6 - 2D View: NATO and unit icons, chits explained

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads
Something like this, for instance.

And this is how it will pan out, if you choose say the large chit with the tricolor in the background. To show some alternatives you can do, the Egyptians here have an oversized chit too, with an outline and national flag in it. For comparison, the Brits are here with their standard chit.


That is quite a difference to standard French units:



So for the maximum effect, with minimum effort: go for the chits!

[Crossroads]

And what a better way to wrap this all up is by having a closer look at the screen capture of the Operation Musketeer Revisited.

2D View - Global NATO Map Symbols

NATO map symbols reside in Icons7d.bmp and its variants. It is a global placeholder for all map symbols in use. Each unit has a parameter pointing to the map symbol in its' Platoon*.OOB file. For a platoon level game you want to have a good idea of what kind of a unit you are looking at, so our very own Warhorse has put some 400+ individual NATO map symbols in place as of now, and counting!

If you want to modify the unit symbols on a global level, say you want to revert to an older military symbols than the current Allied Procedural Publication 6A (APP-6A) symbols, this is the place to go.

2D View - Nation specific Unit Graphics

The nation specific unit graphics reside in Icons7d[00-99].bmp files, where the 00-99 is the nation ID, 08 for France for instance. Again, you have 64x64 grids available.

These are nation specific + unit specific, so if you want to implement an Avalon Hill Arab-Israeli Wars unit counter mod for selected countries, this is the place to go instead!



Also, if you want to create nation specific map symbols, a WW II era example might be that you'd want to play your Normandy scenarios with German units on WW II era map symbols, Brits and US on their respective map symbols, this would be the file to go.

In the example above, I have included a little map symbol next to unit graphic to see how it would look like.

2D View - Nation specific Unit Counters (chits)

Finally, the chits themselves. They are nation specific as well, and reside in the same files as the unit graphcis. There's only one blank unit counter in use, so what ever static information you want to have visible on all unit counters, this is the place to put it. Again, with 64x64 grids there's plenty of room to play with, although with square chits the practical maximum is 50x50 or thereabouts (49x49 to be exact). So if you are really serious about having a NATO APP-6 based platoon simulation, you will whip out the standard chits we provide, and put in the APP-6 affiliation symbols instead. Or, the friendly / hostile ground symbols at least:

[Crossroads]

And that's it for this Developer Diary! Hopefully you've enjoyed it, it is a tad boring at times, but as a modder guide that's the way they go.

As a disclaimer, please remember everything shown here is still work in progress.

So rest assured, if there's something you don't like as how the end product will look like, to change them into something more to your preferences instead could not be simpler. If it's the chits themselves, just chuck in something completely different!

NATO symbols or equivalents, or nation specific unit icons, more work, but there you can dive in really deep. [8D]

I hope these mock-ups (for that's what they are!) shown in this thread give you some ideas.

Til Later!

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads
I hope these mock-ups (for that's what they are!) shown in this thread give you some ideas.

And here's one more for the road: Large, outlined Israeli chits with the white NATO symbols mod in place [:)]

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads
So rest assured, if there's something you don't like as how the end product will look like, to change them into something more to your preferences instead could not be simpler. If it's the chits themselves, just chuck in something completely different!

Meanwhile, lots of mock-ups of mod ideas in this thread, less so on actual look-and-feel (which is still work in progress, mind!). Here's how the current alpha looks at the moment:

Oued Fodda, Algeria]:[H2H][HIS][CSL]: A routine duty of the French in Algeria was patrolling the major roadways during the day. While typically uneventful, ambushes of varying degrees were common as the war progressed. One such ambush occurred as a company from the 4th Motorized Infantry Division was patrolling in the El Attaf region. While the patrol itself resulted in little, the return trip back to Chlef airbase found the company under attack by a well organized ambush by FLN units in the Oued Fodda area. [ALL][NONE][1.00]

Wreck counters (WR) mark the spot of the ambushed armored cars .

Dismounting from their trucks, men of the 4th ID spread out in search of the enemy, while the mortars team take up firing position outside Ouad Fodda. Vulnerable to any hostile action, the trucks quickly retreat out of the harms way.

[Crossroads]

Or how about this: previously - ambushed! Now - ambusher

[Tel al Ful, Jerusalem, Jordan]: [SIDE A][HIS][CSL]: A battlegroup of the 10th Mechanized Brigade had advanced over the treacherous roads and tracks to arrive at their objective along the Jerusalem - Ramallah highway at the abandoned town of Beit Hanina al-Jadid, a small community nestled beside the dominant terrain feature north of Jerusalem, Tel al Ful. Down to six Shermans and a handful of mechanized infantry, the battlegroup consolidated their positions while they waited for reinforcements. Elements of the Jordanian 6th Tank Regiment had other plans. [ALL][NONE][1.00]

With the new Visible Hexes option in use, the forward element of the mechanized infantry covers the three routes of possible enemy advance; only finding out they are all full of enemy armor. Outnumbered, the determined IDF forces manage to repel the first push of Jordanian M48 Pattons into village. Early days still, hold the positions, no counter attack despite of the enemy flag in the town center!

[Crossroads]

Outnumbered, the IDF Shermans engage the Jordanian armor. The outpost is lost, but with a cost to enemy. X marks the spot of four burning enemy Pattons.

[Crossroads]

And so it ends. Cautious, indeed! I don't know how I would have fared against a more determined push into village...

How about turning that AI aggressiveness up a few notches and playing again?



EDIT: Side B was Computer with FOW. I must have clicked the parameter while taking the screenshot.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads
How about turning that AI aggressiveness up a few notches and playing again?

Nice! AI send a full stack of M48 Pattons to flank the village, while advancing in force to town center. A Major Win for AI by margin of 2 pts...

I guess I forgot to turn my own aggressivess up a notch too. Having said that, my Sherman M50s took a severe beating the few times they came from their hull down positions. Should have used the infantry more aggressively instead. They are quite deadly in urban surrounds you know...

[Crossroads]

Maybe I could do a little DAR while playtesting one of the "Middle East" scenarios? Anyone interested to see that?

[Hexagon]

Me [:)] maybe something classic in 1973 (chinese farm for example) or 1967 (rushing any of the Sinai strongpoints)

I am curious about the title after see the counter art a great improvement in the serie... is any plan to add in counter the unit OOB colour??? i refer like in other JT titles where you can see divisional colour or battalion colours and the highlight unit formation is going to be improved with more visible colours???

Thanks and waiting the AAR.

PD: a little question the is still planed the use of Modern Vol 1 (Middle east56/67/73+Vietnam) and Modern Vol 2 (i remember something about NATO VS WP, Korea) in release???

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Hexagon

Me [:)] maybe something classic in 1973 (chinese farm for example) or 1967 (rushing any of the Sinai strongpoints)

I am curious about the title after see the counter art a great improvement in the serie... is any plan to add in counter the unit OOB colour??? i refer like in other JT titles where you can see divisional colour or battalion colours and the highlight unit formation is going to be improved with more visible colours???

Thanks and waiting the AAR.

PD: a little question the is still planed the use of Modern Vol 1 (Middle east56/67/73+Vietnam) and Modern Vol 2 (i remember something about NATO VS WP, Korea) in release???

There's a new Linked Campaign Game by Jason available for playtesting in a couple of weeks time I think, following a battallion of the Israeli 500th Armour Brigade and its adventures along the Suez Canal during the Yom Kipper War of October 1973. While waiting for that to become available I might have a go at one of the smaller vs-AI scenarios.

Regarding the more visible highlight colors, are you familiar with the new Variable Unit Highlight Colors option introduced in MCS 2.0x? If I understood your question right that would be it, perhaps?

We have a few other ideas regarding making units more distinguishable, hopefully we'll have something to report on that front at some point.

Regarding the coming titles as posted by Jason, "Middle East" is planned for release at the end of May, while "Indochina and Vietnam" is planned to be out around Q1 2016. More titles to follow, including what is called the 2.1 UPDATE for MCS, bringing it up to date with the latest functional and graphics enhancements.

I need to start lobbying to call it MCS 3.0 instead, it will be such a huge UPDATE anything less will not do [;)]

[berto]

We have a gameplay surprise in store for ME 1.00 also. (Which will also apply for all other games in the Series, MCS included.)

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: berto


We have a gameplay surprise in store for ME 1.00 also. (Which will also apply for all other games in the Series, MCS included.)

We have lots of gameplay surprises in store for ME 1.00 and beyond... What Berto is saying is we have A gameplay surprise in store! [8D]

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Hexagon
PD: a little question the is still planed the use of Modern Vol 1 (Middle east56/67/73+Vietnam) and Modern Vol 2 (i remember something about NATO VS WP, Korea) in release???

The plan has been modified to the following:

The Campaign Series: Middle East (including battles regarding Israel 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973 plus the additions of Israel in Lebanon 1982, Jordan vs Syria in 1970, French in Algeria, Egyptian vs Libyan Border War in 1977 and the Egypitnas and UK in Yemen in the 1960's). Released end of May 2015

The Campaign Series: Vietnam (or Southeast Asia) includes both the French in Indochina and the Americans in Vietnam, with additional potential for Vietnam vs Cambodia). Q1 2016

The Campaign Series: Korea. The Korean War. Q3 2016

The Campaign Series: Asia (including Iran/Iraq War, Persian Gulf War, USSR vs China, India vs Pakistan). Q1 2017

The Campaign Series: Cold War. Q3 2017 or Q1 2018

We also have a WW1 game we're working on, a release date has yet to be determined.

Jason Petho

[76mm]

Thanks for all the info, this game (series) is looking good.

Sorry if you've mentioned this elsewhere, but will the various enhancements also apply to the East Front game?

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: 76mm
Sorry if you've mentioned this elsewhere, but will the various enhancements also apply to the East Front game?

Yes, they will be rolled into the 2.10 UPDATE expected to be released sometime in 2016.

Jason Petho

[Hexagon]

Thanks for the reply Crossroads, yes, i refer to change the colour in units border... i need search JTC and reinstall it to see it... the other part was about add colours to see better in counters the unit formations... well, lets see that new improvements you talk about to made units more visible.

Thanks you to Jason for the planded release list, interesting the Asia and Cold war titles... WWI well, is attractive but i dont know if engine can deal with it... maybe here the biggest "weak point" in JTC for me is increased in a WWI, i refer that infantry units show strenght in a single number and not in number of soldiers... i nefer like a lot tactical games that dont use for infantry number of soldiers.

Any way thanks again for the info and waiting more info.

PD: "A" surprise??? but we need NBQ suits to touch the "A" surprise??? [:D]

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Hexagon
maybe here the biggest "weak point" in JTC for me is increased in a WWI, i refer that infantry units show strenght in a single number and not in number of soldiers... i nefer like a lot tactical games that dont use for infantry number of soldiers.

The strength represents half-squads for the infantry units. 1 SP = 1/2 squad or around 4-6 men.

Understood about prefering the actual number of soldiers though.

Jason Petho

[HoustonAerosFan]

<<We also have a WW1 game we're working on, a release date has yet to be determined. >>

Might I suggest getting this released while the centennial is still on?

My interest in the period at least quadrupled last year. Sadly, no tactical games available except for Tiller's rather incomplete and map-editor-less game.

Scale might need to be revised, with trenches about 100m apart and the basic maneuver unit being the company.