Guille's PzCorps Support Base - Multipurpose Icons and more.

[guille1434]

Cw58: Thanks again for the very exhaustive test and ideas. I completely agree in that heavy, non self-propelled artillery has to have 0 movement.

Just a thought about this... How about making a new move type for heavy tractors when on rail wheels (instead of using the vanilla rail move with is all -200s except for a 1 in railroads), giving them the move ability over other types of terrain but with -100 (or even -150 or any other value just short of -200 that prevents totally the movement of the unit on the defined terrain, causing the grey-out of our precious switch button). I think this could prevent the switch button to become "greyed out" and if -100 is used the "rail" tractor will be able to slowly crawl over other types of terrains , but you probably will not want to use this "non-ability" since you can continue switching to the regular "road wheels" mode. Even if we use a value of -150, perhaps this possibility of crawling is cancelled out on most terrains, but you are still able to avoid the "grey-out" of the switch function. Besides, the "difficult" terrain types banned to vehicles with new movement type (I can think about mountains, rough desert, swamps, dense forest, etc...) should coincide with the types of terrains banned for the heavy artillery to deploy (in fact, in the vanilla game, you can't deploy towed artillery from land transports when placed on swamps, for example). This last is to avoid deploying the heavy artillery piece in a terrain banned to the rail-wheeled tractor causing a new "switch trap".

I hope I could explain myself clearly...

[cw58]

Cw58: Thanks again for the very exhaustive test and ideas. I completely agree in that heavy, non self-propelled artillery has to have 0 movement.

Just a thought about this... How about making a new move type for heavy tractors when on rail wheels (instead of using the vanilla rail move with is all -200s except for a 1 in railroads), giving them the move ability over other types of terrain but with -100 (or even -150 or any other value just short of -200 that prevents totally the movement of the unit on the defined terrain, causing the grey-out of our precious switch button). I think this could prevent the switch button to become "greyed out" and if -100 is used the "rail" tractor will be able to slowly crawl over other types of terrains , but you probably will not want to use this "non-ability" since you can continue switching to the regular "road wheels" mode. Even if we use a value of -150, perhaps this possibility of crawling is cancelled out on most terrains, but you are still able to avoid the "grey-out" of the switch function. Besides, the "difficult" terrain types banned to vehicles with new movement type (I can think about mountains, rough desert, swamps, dense forest, etc...) should coincide with the types of terrains banned for the heavy artillery to deploy (in fact, in the vanilla game, you can't deploy towed artillery from land transports when placed on swamps, for example). This last is to avoid deploying the heavy artillery piece in a terrain banned to the rail-wheeled tractor causing a new "switch trap".

I hope I could explain myself clearly...

I think you must be a genius! Using a new movement type makes it possible to create the 3-switch unit that you want. I'll explain:

I started with a heavy artillery unit (move = 0)
The gun can switch to a truck anywhere (wheeled move = 6 hexes) Because the gun has no fuel, the truck will have to spend the first refueling. This seems logical as a unit this big should take some time to load up for departure.
The truck unit can switch to a rail transport on rail or clear hex only* (new movement type = 10 hexes on rail, 1 hex on clear) *By editing the movement file, you can determine which terrain you want to allow the vehicle access to.
The rail transport can switch to gun-mode on a rail or clear hex.

I copied the rail movement section for the new movement type, changing the clear value to -100. Any more than that, it will not allow the rail mode. All others remain at -200 and prohibit the rail switch. While in rail mode, you can move 1 hex in clear terrain only or switch to gun mode in a clear or rail hex. This seems The equipment lines are here:

8001 21 cm Mrs 18 4 383 5 0 0 1 3 1 18 15 0 4 2 10 0 0 0 21cm_Mrs18.png 01.01.1939 31.12.1946 4 7 minekiller primary HvyArty 8002 sea rail
8002 SdKfz 7road 14 100 0 80 6 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 SdKfz_7.png 01.01.1936 31.12.1946 2 nopurchase Transport 8003 sea rail
8003 SdKfz 7rail 14 100 0 80 10 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 SdKfz_7.png 31.12.1946 31.12.1946 16 Transport 8001 sea rail

I used units that were at-hand and most values are arbitrary. The road & rail transports are still in the land transport class. The road transport has wheeled movement(2); the rail has the new movement type(16). I'll post screenshots if I can remember how.

[cw58]

Wheeled movement:

[cw58]

rail movement:

[guille1434]

Thanks friend again for taking all the time needed to make all the tests you describe!! I am immensely glad that we were able to find a way to implement this new kind of switchable units, so it seems that our teamwork resulted in geniality.

Moral: Never underestimate the power of custom move types!!

Just one question, about what you said:
[/quote]
The gun can switch to a truck anywhere (wheeled move = 6 hexes) Because the gun has no fuel, the truck will have to spend the first refueling. This seems logical as a unit this big should take some time to load up for departure.
[/quote]

Why is this? I remember that when mounting, for example, a 15 cm sFH 18, which has 0 fuel on an Opel Blitz, I can move the loaded transport out in the same turn. As you say, it can be a way to mod in the game the longer time it takes to put old, big guns in and out of battery, but I would like to know the reason why... Can you can explain me what causes this effect?

Another thing: we can experiment using a high numeric value, like, for example, a 10 in the movement tables instead of -100, to prevent the "one hex move" of railway tractor on clear (or any other defined terrain type for the new movement type), and still prevent the grey-out of the switch button. Except in the case that the tractor unit has an abnormally high move value (but tractors are, by definition, relatively slow vehicles with great towing power ---> so, the tractor, be it on rails or on roads, should have a move value of 4, 5 or so, and may be a little higher when on rails that on roads, but it should be slower than a regular truck), the program will calculate the 4 or 5 movement points of the units against the 10 of the movement table and will round it to zero (I think), preventing even the one hex crawl of the rail transport over non-rail hexes. I am telling numbers as an example, but we will have to tweak all the "system" to obtain the desire in-game values.

My concept idea about this three-way switchable unit is like this: Making the tractor a slow vehicle, the player still has to evaluate moving the heavy gun using the conventional rail transport (train) in case of having to move it over a long distance. So, for moving around your very heavy gun, you have the choice of using a slow but more versatile transport able to travel on roads, certain "easy" terrain types and rails, or putting the unit on a regular freight train and move it quickly to arrive earlier to a far place, but be limited to use the railway net. What do you think?

[cw58]

The gun can switch to a truck anywhere (wheeled move = 6 hexes) Because the gun has no fuel, the truck will have to spend the first refueling. This seems logical as a unit this big should take some time to load up for departure.

Why is this? I remember that when mounting, for example, a 15 cm sFH 18, which has 0 fuel on an Opel Blitz, I can move the loaded transport out in the same turn. As you say, it can be a way to mod in the game the longer time it takes to put old, big guns in and out of battery, but I would like to know the reason why... Can you can explain me what causes this effect?

The fuel situation is because it is a switched unit, not a unit with organic transport. The gun has no fuel so when you switch, you have an empty fuel tank. This could be changed by making one of the transports the primary unit. For example, if the truck is primary, then it begins the scenario with a full tank. Switching to the gun, you would still have the fuel you started with.

Another thing: we can experiment using a high numeric value, like, for example, a 10 in the movement tables instead of -100, to prevent the "one hex move" of railway tractor on clear (or any other defined terrain type for the new movement type), and still prevent the grey-out of the switch button. Except in the case that the tractor unit has an abnormally high move value (but tractors are, by definition, relatively slow vehicles with great towing power ---> so, the tractor, be it on rails or on roads, should have a move value of 4, 5 or so, and may be a little higher when on rails that on roads, but it should be slower than a regular truck), the program will calculate the 4 or 5 movement points of the units against the 10 of the movement table and will round it to zero (I think), preventing even the one hex crawl of the rail transport over non-rail hexes. I am telling numbers as an example, but we will have to tweak all the "system" to obtain the desire in-game values.

My concept idea about this three-way switchable unit is like this: Making the tractor a slow vehicle, the player still has to evaluate moving the heavy gun using the conventional rail transport (train) in case of having to move it over a long distance. So, for moving around your very heavy gun, you have the choice of using a slow but more versatile transport able to travel on roads, certain "easy" terrain types and rails, or putting the unit on a regular freight train and move it quickly to arrive earlier to a far place, but be limited to use the railway net. What do you think?

The actual movement rates are something you (as the modder) will have to decide. I will test your idea of 'using a high numeric value, like, for example, a 10 in the movement tables instead of -100, to prevent the "one hex move" '. I think you are probably right. And for this test I will use a move value of 4 for road & keep 10 for rail. I'll let you know what I find.

[cw58]

The fuel situation is because it is a switched unit, not a unit with organic transport. The gun has no fuel so when you switch, you have an empty fuel tank. This could be changed by making one of the transports the primary unit. For example, if the truck is primary, then it begins the scenario with a full tank. Switching to the gun, you would still have the fuel you started with.

The solution underlined here is incorrect. I have a mod that allows the purchase of land transports but most people do not. So the simplest solution, since this is a unique 3-switch unit, is to give the gun a fuel value.

Now on to the latest test. I changed the road unit's move value to 4, the rail move value stayed at 10. I changed the movement file's clear hex entry (for the newly-created move type) several times. It wasn't until the value was greater than the move value that I got the result we were looking for. With a clear hex value of 11, the rail transport could no longer move on clear terrain but you could still cycle thru all 3 switches. It looks like we have a winner!

[guille1434]

Cw58: Your work is just nothing short of brilliant!! The fuel value on the gun (which, after all has 0 movement) and the fully switchable heavy gun - land tractor - rail tractor without the unrealistic crawling of the rail vehicle outside the railway net is just what I was craving for! Now, on to make some icons!

Yes, to make the transport one of the primary units, would make the unit no purchasable for unmodded games, besides I like the unit to appear in the artillery class when looking at it in the purchase or upgrade screens... But, on the other hand, is good to know that we have a resource to give some types of heavy guns a "delay" in its redeploying process.

[guille1434]

Meanwhile...

Yesterday, after having read the new postings in the Battlefield Europe thread, with its good news about the "easy" and "moderate" versions present, I also decided to review the unit icons present in that outstanding mod. I saw many very good and detailed icons, one them was the Soviet Naval Infantry unit, I just loved the detail of the blue and white striped t-shirt visible underneath the jacket! So, making an homage to said mod, and the Soviet Naval Infantry units that gallantly fought in the war, I made a new version of that unit... As a base I used the icon made by Akkula for his also Soviet-themed mod (It showed better the dark grey/black trousers and navy blue jackets that were used by those troops, also, the berets were less like the ones in the Mountain troops icon) and added the detail of the blue and white striped t-shirt.

So, to anyone who likes to pick it, here is my humble addition to our icon library, I made a 1939 (with Mosin-Nagant rifles) and a later war (sporting some PPSh sub-machine guns) variants of it... Enjoy!

[Intenso82]

I configured an Ar-234 which can be configured with recon cameras or bombs, but just in the air base, not while in flight...

Switch 1: Bomber mission payload: Regular bomber stats, regular air type movement
Switch 2: Landed aircraft on base: Fuel same as above, movement = 0, any other stats value = 0, Unit class = 6 (structure). Movement Type: I created a new move type which allows said unit only to move on airfield hexes. So, if the aircraft is flying (i.e. not on an airfield hex) it cannot switch because the switch button is greyed out.
Switch 3: Recon mission payload: Better spotting, no attack values, just passive air defense (The Ar-234 had two rearward firing 20 mm cannon).

This way, when you are on an airfield, you can cycle without problem to all of the three switches, but after leaving the airfield, the switch button cannot be activated. This was developed from an idea from forum member Intenso82, who is making a terrific modding work.

It is worth adding that the cyclic switch mode system used in PZC1 is not the best option for switching the modes of the unit.
It would be better to approach a system which could be switched once per turn.

As for the landing mode, if you want this to work completely,
then you need to add another Switch 4 mode: Landed aircraft on the base.
Total 4 lines in the equipment file for 1 unit.
Of course, you can do 3 modes, but then you need to determine the order, which mode can be switched once in the air. This is also quite acceptable for a number of units, I believe.

one them was the Soviet Naval Infantry unit, I just loved the detail of the blue and white striped t-shirt visible underneath the jacket!

[guille1434]

Hello Intenso!

Yes, I know I owe you an answer... Just got sidetracked with the new rail/road tractor, which being a joint project with Cw58 took me sometime, but this class of collaborative work is what give me more joy!

You are right, I just checked my own modded equipment file and the whole system includes four switches: Air Recon --> Landed --> Bomber --> Landed. This prevents any possibility of switching the aircraft unit while on flight.

About the "one switch per turn" function: that would be ideal... Think about the possibility to implement the option to build or develop units on the map...
For example: turn 1 --> Small field fortification
turn 2 --> Large fortification
turn 3 --> Tremendous fortress (you can add as many intermediate steps as you like to regulate the construction time of any battlefield or rearguard structure).
END (no more switching possible).

And you are obliged to advance one step at each turn...

I am happy you liked the modified Soviet Naval Infantry icon, IMHO, it looks really good!

Besides, I was also working on some soviet aircraft in landed configuration. Here are the Hurricane Mk.I with two different SE type camo schemes...

[guille1434]

Also, to complete some more the Soviet Hurricane theme, here is a unit pack with all the variants of the regular green painted aircraft (Mk.I, Mk.IIC, Mk.IID, Mk.IV) including the landed configuration icons.

The variant features were:

Hurricane Mk.I: Regular fighter, with eight rifle caliber machine-guns mounted on wings.
Hurricane Mk.IIC: Fighter/Ground attack variant, with four wing mounted 20 mm cannon, and underwing bomb hardpoints.
Hurricane Mk.IID: Two underwing pods with 40 mm cannon, and two wing mounted 7,7 mm aiming machine-guns (with tracer ammo load).
Hurricane Mk.IV: Variant with "universal Wing", a single design able to mount two 250 or 500 lb bombs, two 40 mm podded Vickers S guns, drop tanks or eight "60 pounder" RP-3 rockets. Two 7,7 mm machine guns were fitted to aid aiming of the heavier armament. The radiator was slightly deeper and armoured. Additional armour was also fitted around the engine.

Enjoy!

[guille1434]

Time to disclose another modding project, about torpedo and gunship aircraft units: Range = 1 for aircraft!

I was thinking about modding the torpedo planes with the same capability they had in Pacific general, which was to be able to launch torpedoes not only from the same hex where the target ship was, but also from adjacent hexes (providing that both the hex where the aircraft launched the torpedo and the target ship, obviously, are water hexes). To provide for this, I thought it would be necessary to give the torpedo bomber with an in-flight switch to the same unit plane but with a different type of movement type, allowing it to fly only over water for the torpedo launching run.
This possibility makes "a reality" in the game the tactic of combining the attack of dive bombers (from the same hex) and torpedo bombers from and adjacent hex to ships in the same turn.

Example:

Switch 1: Aircraft in regular flight en route to target. It can fly over land and water, naval and ground attack = 0 (just with the vanilla air movement type).
Switch 2: Aircraft in torpedo attack run. It has to be flying over water to make this in-flight switch, it can fly only over water hexes

This "system" allows the modder to tweak the unit stats (mainly Air and Ground Defense) giving them different values while when in ferry flight and when taking the final low level attack run.
Unfortunately, I could not find a way to give aircraft a range of 1 hex instead of the regular zero attack range. Incidentally, this range = 1 feature would be also a nice feature for "flying gunship aircraft" (aircraft with large caliber guns) to be able to attack land (or even air) targets from outside the range of the targets defensive weapons. Trying to give the aircraft unit class 4 (artillery) did not yield positive results. It seems that the game, overrides the range value higher that 0 when a unit has air movement (or something else)...

I have one more test to do: to create a new, non purchasable unit class: "Torpedo plane" and giving units in this class a range = 1, and see what results from this. IDEA! --> Combine the previously written in this line with a new move type different from the vanilla air movement type!! Definitely, more testing is needed.

So many ideas, so little time...

[cw58]

Cw58: Your work is just nothing short of brilliant!! The fuel value on the gun (which, after all has 0 movement) and the fully switchable heavy gun - land tractor - rail tractor without the unrealistic crawling of the rail vehicle outside the railway net is just what I was craving for! Now, on to make some icons!

Guille, you are way too kind. The ideas were yours and most of the ideas for the solutions were yours too. But thank you, it was a pleasure to combine forces with you.

Edit: I re-read your last post and realize you are well on your way to making the torpedo bomber. I don't believe you'll need a new class or movement type (I tried both); just change the target type from 2 to 0, 1 or 3. All 3 of those choices will give you a range of 1 (or more). It will also give some strange side-effects (depending on which # you choose) but I think that's the only way. Best of luck!

[guille1434]

Hello Cw58!
We have to note that without the valuable time you used in testing all those ideas, the most probable outcome of all would have been that it remained as a theoretical idea only (as many of my ideas remain). As you said, I came up with some ideas, BUT the teamwork was the factor that allowed us to achieve our objective. Thanks again for the exchange of ideas and suggestions. It was also a big pleasure to me to work together!

About the torpedo bomber: It seems that the target type = 2 (Air target) is the culprit of the program not allowing air units to have a range greater than zero. I was afraid that this was the problem, in this case we are stuck, because I would prefer not to give an aircraft a different target type than "Air" because I think we will unbalance all the relations between ship's air attack/air defense values, and even the occasional shore-based AA battery that could be placed to defend target ships in ports or close to the shore will became useless.

I will try something, but if the stumbling block is the target type defined in the eqp file for the unit in question, it will be very difficult to overcome.

Maybe it is time to start buggering the game developers team to make a new version of the .exe which unlocks the range limitation for air target type units, in the same way they did with the Attack Sub v1.31 .exe?

Greetings my friend and thanks again!

[guille1434]

Back to the Soviet Aircraft chapter:

Now, here I upload the complete Soviet Hurricane pack, with several camo schemes for every variant present in the pack, and also the landed icons for all of them! Please note, that the landed aircraft icons that I previously uploaded had the small bottom icon image misplaced (it was in a too high position). The file present here has all the correctly drawn icons.

A note about over wing red star insignia: As I found many references which showed Soviet Hurricanes with and without red stars painted on the wing upper sides, I decided to make the icons without upper wing insignia, but nevertheless, I also included a template to add those stars to any of the icons, and a separate one to paint the stars on the landed aircraft also. So, If you like your Red Air Force aircraft to show the red stars over their wings you can easily add them on your units!

Enjoy!

[Intenso82]

About the "one switch per turn" function: that would be ideal... Think about the possibility to implement the option to build or develop units on the map...
For example: turn 1 --> Small field fortification
turn 2 --> Large fortification
turn 3 --> Tremendous fortress (you can add as many intermediate steps as you like to regulate the construction time of any battlefield or rearguard structure).
END (no more switching possible).

Now in RAW mod for this I use scripts.
The player receives several mobile bunkers with the strength = 1 before the Battle for Moscow.
After installing them, each turn adds 1 unit of strength to them. In the range up to 10-15.

Now, here I upload the complete Soviet Hurricane pack, with several camo schemes for every variant present in the pack, and also the landed icons for all of them!

An interesting series dedicated to the Hurricanes.
In my mod I use the most numerous modifications IIB, IIC.

Also, I have long time added to equipment file model Hurricane Mk IIB (Upg.) which was modified by the Soviet side.
On it was put Soviet armament 2x20 mm cannon and 2x12.7mm machine gun, because the rifle caliber of machine guns was inadequate against full-metal German aircraft.
Also on it was increased protection.
But this modification appears only in May 1942.

For this model I would like to try use your version of the icon SE_Sov_Hurricane_Mk.IIC.png (green-brown camo)
But can i ask you for a version with a red nose for it?)

[guille1434]

Hello Intenso! Check also in your thread for some Red-nosed Soviet Hurricanes

[speedythefreak]

Hello Guille

I was wondering if you could help me with some new icons I've made as a first attempt. I think the unit roster for the US has been neglected graphically speaking, so I decided to create a complete set for the M4A1 Sherman caracterized by a cast hull. So here are the 3 versions of the M4A1 based on technical data : M4A1 with the standardImage 75mm gun, the M4A1(76)W, with the 76mm gun and the last version with the Horizontal Volute Spring System. I still haven't figure how to create masks for these units, the guide in the DCS tread doesn't have images anymore, so I would really appreciate if you could create some masks my units. I intend to make them available on the forum for the few people who are interested in using US units. I'm also working on the M4A3 versions. Your feedback on my work, that is far from perfect would also be greatly appreciated.

[speedythefreak]

I forgot those 2