Page 1 of 2

New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 11:58 am
by GottaLove88s
Pip, Iain & Team, As you can see we're all ecstatic you're raising the bar with a new BA2...!!

To start another little ball rolling on suggestions... Can I throw in some new map object requests for BA2?
pipfromslitherine wrote:Welcome to the Battle Academy 2 forums. Opening them this early in the process is a new step for us, but we want to try getting your feedback and involvement in the whole process of making BA 2 the best game possible.

Battle Academy 2 will focus on the Eastern Front of WW2. Part of the process we go through will be deciding how the break out all the various battles and fronts in this part of the war into interesting and consistent campaigns.

We at Slitherine will be using these forums for our own discussions as much as possible, so you can both get to see how decisions get made and also tell us what you think should happen. We're not always going to be able to take advantage of every idea, but we always promise to listen and consider! :)

We'll be populating the forum with threads on some of the key new features and hope to see lots of people here giving their ideas and hopes for this exciting new step for Battle Academy.

Cheers

The Slitherine Team

Re: New Map Objects...

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 11:59 am
by GottaLove88s
Please add a new "object" that displays a simple Compass Rose... Basically, just a cross with an arrowpoint on north, and N, E, S and W written at each of the points... So map authors can drop one in at one of the corners...

Re: New Map Objects...

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:01 pm
by GottaLove88s
Factories!!... Am having a hellish time creating a Colombelles steelworks using a mix of hangers, Nissen huts, and some of the scruffier looking tall houses from the Arnhem objects... Please include factory style buildings... So we can run crazy in and around them...

Re: New Map Objects...

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:02 pm
by GottaLove88s
GottaLove88s wrote:Factories!!... Am having a hellish time creating a Colombelles steelworks using a mix of hangers, Nissen huts, and some of the scruffier looking tall houses from the Arnhem objects... Please include factory style buildings... So we can run crazy in and around them...
Am guessing one of your Stalingrad extensions is bound to have a tractor factory in there somewhere? :-)

Re: New Map Objects...

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:02 pm
by GottaLove88s
Railway stations and railway lines... No need to have any playable functionality, but would be great to add these as map features...

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:18 pm
by pk867
Multi-level stacking (ie floors) for buildings.

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:19 pm
by Granfali
Text locations for maps please :wink:

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 6:51 pm
by pipfromslitherine
Granfali wrote:Text locations for maps please :wink:
What is this? You can already add text markers to the map using scripting.

Cheers

Pip

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 11:32 pm
by GottaLove88s
I'm not sure, but G might mean that "double ghosting" effect we've been seeing in text placed on MP maps. Is there a way to avoid this? Or was it a one-off?

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:55 am
by pipfromslitherine
I think it might be an issue with load/save. I need to dig down into it a little more to be sure. Nonetheless, the functionality is there I think - unless something else is being talked about.

Cheers

Pip

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 12:01 pm
by Nixoncc
Bunkers and defense positions with stationary artillery.

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:27 pm
by Richcat
Pip will BA2 require a new object exporter, as I'm still working on the fragmo one?

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 4:51 pm
by pipfromslitherine
The object format will probably be something similar, although I am trying to come up with a way that we can provide the exporter across more 3D packages without my having to navigate the hellscape of each one individually :).

Cheers

Pip

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 5:26 pm
by GottaLove88s
pipfromslitherine wrote:I think it might be an issue with load/save. I need to dig down into it a little more to be sure. Nonetheless, the functionality is there I think - unless something else is being talked about.

Cheers

Pip
Thanks Pip, I'm play testing another of the GJS'44 scenarios with more players, so we'll soon know for sure if our text ghosting replicates with more players/platforms. If it does, then I'll send you the .CPF... Thanks for your help solving this one! :-)

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 5:29 pm
by GottaLove88s
pipfromslitherine wrote:The object format will probably be something similar, although I am trying to come up with a way that we can provide the exporter across more 3D packages without my having to navigate the hellscape of each one individually :).

Cheers

Pip
Any built-in method that makes it possible to export 3D graphics to some sort of standardised CAD application, modify and re-import would be a HUGE step forwards... Pip, just explain to the guy who pays for the dev about how many new units the Slith platform would get, for free, if he invested in letting us have this... :mrgreen:

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:39 pm
by pipfromslitherine
GottaLove88s wrote:
pipfromslitherine wrote:The object format will probably be something similar, although I am trying to come up with a way that we can provide the exporter across more 3D packages without my having to navigate the hellscape of each one individually :).

Cheers

Pip
Any built-in method that makes it possible to export 3D graphics to some sort of standardised CAD application, modify and re-import would be a HUGE step forwards... Pip, just explain to the guy who pays for the dev about how many new units the Slith platform would get, for free, if he invested in letting us have this... :mrgreen:
To be honest it is more of an issue of time. Building exporters that handle all the different cases in any number of packages is a huge task - as borne out by the pretty dire lack of anything robust that works on a variety of platforms. Even just a single app (e.g. MAX) is a ton of work, even more if we want to deal with skeletal animation and it's (e.g. again in MAX) multiple approaches and packages.

My hope is to try and use some free 3rd party app (e.g. a DX exporter) to do the heavy lifting and then build a conversion tool, but I don't have a solution as yet.

Cheers

Pip

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:48 pm
by GottaLove88s
We have faith in the One Pip! :-)

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 11:09 pm
by Old_Warrior
Mines please. This should be something that is inherent in the series.

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 4:52 pm
by Granfali
pipfromslitherine wrote:
Granfali wrote:Text locations for maps please :wink:
What is this? You can already add text markers to the map using scripting.
I mean a button on the editor. You press the button then press on the place you desire to put the name and it open a dialogue box where you type the name location ("road to Caen", "Pt109" or similar). Easiest way... :D

Re: New Map Objects... Requests & Confirmations?

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 8:18 pm
by GottaLove88s
Granfali wrote:
pipfromslitherine wrote:
Granfali wrote:Text locations for maps please :wink:
What is this? You can already add text markers to the map using scripting.
I mean a button on the editor. You press the button then press on the place you desire to put the name and it open a dialogue box where you type the name location ("road to Caen", "Pt109" or similar). Easiest way... :D
Now THAT is a really good idea for designers... A text button in the Editor to add location labels to new maps... Yes please!