Battlefield: Europe MOD v2.4

[caesar67]

'As for giving them a different painting, these SE infantry units already have a different unit icon with different color so I do not really understand what you mean by that.'

Sorry, I am away from my PC for a week to check. But so far I can remember, I have problems to identify the both SE units on the map. They have the same look as the other infantery divisions, isn' t it? What do you mean with 'different icon'? Thank you for your answer, great job from you with this mod!

[McGuba]

Here is an SE Infanterie unit highlighted, on top of a regular motorized infantry (Schützen). Behind them is a regular non-motorized infantry unit:

SE.jpg (278.67 KiB) Viewed 2274 times

I think the look of these are quite different and it is fairly easy to tell them apart due to having different colors.

And by the way, infantry units in the mod do not really represent actual infantry divisions but rather the infantry element of an army corps i.e. about 20-40 thousand infantry soldiers. The other elements of the corps are represented by other units like anti-tank, anti-air and artillery units.

[caesar67]

Oh, thank you! Might be, you are much younger than me and have better eyes! Perhaps it would be better to make the plate with the '10' black?

[jeffoot77]

+1 idem for me, i can't see the difference between the two units easily ! Not possible to make numbers in black and plate in grey/white?

[Locarnus]

Oh, thank you! Might be, you are much younger than me and have better eyes! Perhaps it would be better to make the plate with the '10' black?

+1 idem for me, i can't see the difference between the two units easily ! Not possible to make numbers in black and plate in grey/white?

Hm, since this is mainly a single scenario thing and some units are not upgradeable anyway, perhaps it would be possible to use the editor distinctions between "core, aux, special & unique".
The "aux" units are much easier to differentiate from core units with the optional "PG Style Strength Plates" sub mod installed (see first post of Battlefield: Europe thread).
Unfortunately the "special" units then become much harder to read, especially in snow, since there is no "plate" behind the "strength" number anymore.

So units that can not be purchased anyway could be turned into aux units.
I tried that some time ago for my Addon and found it useful (to eg differentiate the similar looking Bulgarian graphics from the Romanians, and the Slovaks form the Germans, as well weaker security and Volkssturm units from regular ones).

Maybe that optional sub mod could be changed to make the "special" strength plates more readable as well, to get a good third differentiaton option. Unfortunately I'm pretty bad at the graphical side of modding, so I'm no help there.


"PG Style Strength Plates" - Image from first post in this thread:

[caesar67]

Perhaps it would be better to make a plate like in the picture. So you can put a symbol of the SE unit or other units you will emphasize on the right side, and the strength left.

japan.jpg (3.86 KiB) Viewed 2173 times

[jeffoot77]

on the right side ,there is already the country flag ... no ?

[jeffoot77]

on the right side ,with mods like PAK, there is already the country flag ... no ?

[caesar67]

on the right side ,there is already the country flag ... no ?

Yes, this picture is an example from Pak. But my suggestion is to put here a symbol only for the elite units to identify them quickly in the map.

[PeteMitchell]

Personally, I wouldn't go down the line of overloading the units with information... it's very clean and nice how it is at the moment imho

[caesar67]

Personally, I wouldn't go down the line of overloading the units with information... it's very clean and nice how it is at the moment imho

Oh, that will not happen! It is only to find your elite units easier (Look at the posts before and the pictures as well). So the game would be nice and clean, but also better for your (my) eyes

[jeffoot77]

it is like units with "unique" hero like Rudel with no disctinctive sign ...

Why theses specials units haven't a special color or just a special camo?

[Locarnus]

Perhaps it would be better to make a plate like in the picture. So you can put a symbol of the SE unit or other units you will emphasize on the right side, and the strength left. japan.jpg

The PAK mod totally reorganized all the on map unit information to fit everything.
Eg the strength plate got smaller and the "low fuel" and "low ammo" icons got pushed to the right, to fit that additional identifier plate in between.

Personally, I wouldn't go down the line of overloading the units with information... it's very clean and nice how it is at the moment imho

Oh, that will not happen! It is only to find your elite units easier (Look at the posts before and the pictures as well). So the game would be nice and clean, but also better for your (my) eyes

Finding the right balance is imho really tough.
PAK information bar beneath units is a lot when coming from vanilla.

But I also had some problems with unit graphics alone. For me it was mainly the identification of switch modes for units with thin or short barrels (like SdKfz 10/4 and early StuG III). And especially later on units that did not show any graphical changes when switching.
Although in retrospect I probably went a bit too far with my switch identifier (for my Addon mod).

it is like units with "unique" hero like Rudel with no disctinctive sign ...

Why theses specials units haven't a special color or just a special camo?

The unit icon (eg "grey Pz IV with short 7.5cm gun") is exclusively linked to the unit type (eg "Panzer IV E"), as specified in the equipment.pzeqp file. Each unit type has exactly one unit icon.
While the hero is linked to the actual unit on the battlefield (eg "3. Panzer") which currently has a specific unit type (eg "Panzer IV E", but can be changed to another unit type by being upgraded (eg to "Panzer IV G").

So to have ONE additional camo pattern for ALL unit types, you have to completely clone ALL unit type entries (and assign new IDs for each). That was done for the "bonus SE" units (that do not use up core slots when deployed and have a camo pattern in unmodded Panzer Corps). This is the reason why PzC camo variety is very limited for most mods (and conversely PAK mod has such a massive equipment file).



I extended the optional "PG Style Strength Plates" from the first post with the "special" plates from unmodded Panzer Corps.
This gives 3 distinct strength plates: CORE (top and right), AUX (bottom - grey) and SPECIAL (left - glowing border)


It would be independent of changes to the unit icon itself (if those unit icon changes do not require a change or resize of the strength plate).
After installing the file below, the specific units would just need to be recategorized in the editor (SHIFT + LeftMouseClick on the unit in the editor). Not perfect, but imho still helpful for unit distinction.

This is the modfied/extended file from the "PG Style Strength Plates" in the first post of this thread Graphics\Overlays\strplates.png

[jeffoot77]

Thxs Locarnus,

And your work is so good, at the moment, i m playing one game with europe BE map (turn 15 pending) to test some new strategies , it is so perfection!

(just a AA unit left on airfield when pocket of kiev has surrendered, i was surprised.. is it normal? )

[PeteMitchell]

Perhaps it would be better to make a plate like in the picture. So you can put a symbol of the SE unit or other units you will emphasize on the right side, and the strength left. japan.jpg

The PAK mod totally reorganized all the on map unit information to fit everything.
Eg the strength plate got smaller and the "low fuel" and "low ammo" icons got pushed to the right, to fit that additional identifier plate in between.

Personally, I wouldn't go down the line of overloading the units with information... it's very clean and nice how it is at the moment imho

Oh, that will not happen! It is only to find your elite units easier (Look at the posts before and the pictures as well). So the game would be nice and clean, but also better for your (my) eyes

Finding the right balance is imho really tough.
PAK information bar beneath units is a lot when coming from vanilla.

But I also had some problems with unit graphics alone. For me it was mainly the identification of switch modes for units with thin or short barrels (like SdKfz 10/4 and early StuG III). And especially later on units that did not show any graphical changes when switching.
Although in retrospect I probably went a bit too far with my switch identifier (for my Addon mod).

it is like units with "unique" hero like Rudel with no disctinctive sign ...

Why theses specials units haven't a special color or just a special camo?

The unit icon (eg "grey Pz IV with short 7.5cm gun") is exclusively linked to the unit type (eg "Panzer IV E"), as specified in the equipment.pzeqp file. Each unit type has exactly one unit icon.
While the hero is linked to the actual unit on the battlefield (eg "3. Panzer") which currently has a specific unit type (eg "Panzer IV E", but can be changed to another unit type by being upgraded (eg to "Panzer IV G").

So to have ONE additional camo pattern for ALL unit types, you have to completely clone ALL unit type entries (and assign new IDs for each). That was done for the "bonus SE" units (that do not use up core slots when deployed and have a camo pattern in unmodded Panzer Corps). This is the reason why PzC camo variety is very limited for most mods (and conversely PAK mod has such a massive equipment file).



I extended the optional "PG Style Strength Plates" from the first post with the "special" plates from unmodded Panzer Corps.
This gives 3 distinct strength plates: CORE (top and right), AUX (bottom - grey) and SPECIAL (left - glowing border)


It would be independent of changes to the unit icon itself (if those unit icon changes do not require a change or resize of the strength plate).
After installing the file below, the specific units would just need to be recategorized in the editor (SHIFT + LeftMouseClick on the unit in the editor). Not perfect, but imho still helpful for unit distinction.

This is the modfied/extended file from the "PG Style Strength Plates" in the first post of this thread Graphics\Overlays\strplates.png

This seems to make a lot more sense to me... glowing border is good

[Locarnus]

This seems to make a lot more sense to me... glowing border is good

I just tested it, giving eg the "historical heroes" those glowing/backlight strength plates and it works really well.
Makes it a lot easier to identify those special units.

Thxs Locarnus,

And your work is so good, at the moment, i m playing one game with europe BE map (turn 15 pending) to test some new strategies , it is so perfection!

(just a AA unit left on airfield when pocket of kiev has surrendered, i was surprised.. is it normal? )

You are welcome, happy to hear you enjoying it.

Hm, the AA thing is probably unintentional.
I guess that AA moved to the airfield for some reason (does not spawn there).
And the airfield is probably not in the surrender "zone" because zones were double used and including it would clash with another use of the same zone (the base BE 2.3 scenario was still on the 1.31 patch which has a 32 zone limit).
Because of those interdependencies I'm also rather hesitant to make changes, since I'm not sure what other scripts will be affected (deservedly burned my meddling fingers quite a few times already ).
I would roleplay that as "stubborn last stand of a single unit".

[...]

Speaking of unintentional units behind own lines, I recently watched the ongoing
"Battlefield: Europe 2.4 multiplayer match on youtube"
(german audio commentary, since both players are from germany, but the auto-translations for the subtitles seem to be slowly getting better):
Herzog Sieg (Axis) playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PIrk_b ... tDqDP79k5p
Duedman (Allies) playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kfh0Ii ... mGauNuniIW

The Axis player made a very rapid advance into and beyond Moscow.
Which seems to have outpaced some of the trigger settings for reinforcement units that spawn between Moscow and the Volga and Oka rivers.
Essentially spawning those reinforcements directly behind the german advance that already reached those rivers, thus between the soft german arty and train transported units.
Which unfortunately was exploited by the Allied player with sometimes devastating effect.
Example at timestamp 5:35 in this video from the Allied player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UROmr-5StzE&t=334

Hope this helps with the further development of the BE multiplayer, I'm amazed at the complexity you deal with to make that viable at all.
Taking the PzC engine limitations and especially two sometimes erratic humans into account.
Kudos!

[tortiator]

hi hi
i restarted the Barbarosse @real Scenario without the start in poland etc... just the big map. it turnes out that in somehow @hereos@ are not activted... tried to get so *forced to 2000 kills( but even with killing units with 0/10) nothing will happend.... is thery a trick tu turn hereos creating back on?

[PeteMitchell]

I don't think so, I had heard the same before

[tortiator]

hm tried it twice now... but with this file the heros creations doesnt work

[jeffoot77]

I m playing (and enjoying) like you the map barbarossa without poland start and i got heroes.


a bug ( i aways got before in another game) : starting turn 15 , i should get 240+40+100(merchant boat)+25 sub = 405 prestige and i got... 0 ! (and should have got 170 from previous prestige + 405 = 575)
i know i got a new bf109 for changing KG strat bombing in Wien but it should remove 200 prestige and not 575 !
obviosuly i cheated and add 375 prestige ont turn 16.