I personally like the anti aliasing because it makes the image looks more 24-bit and less 8-bit.
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The result of a "Smart Resize" on the US shield. No stars left, but it actually doesn't look that bad. No, I did not test in game, just pasted into an image.
Hmm... would it look better if you gave the unit type the central position, and delegated the nationality of the unit to the corner? Also put the corps size back at the top?
Are the current map colours for the countries the final ones? Maybe we should use (slightly different shades of) the country colours as the counter backgrounds.
Also, there seems to be something of a consensus about the US as olive green. Should the map colour be changed?
Also, there seems to be something of a consensus about the US as olive green. Should the map colour be changed?
Czechoslovakia and Tsarist Russia have the same colour, green.
I propose changing Czechoslovakia to LightBlue (colour of Greece and Argentina) to avoid confusion.
I propose changing Czechoslovakia to LightBlue (colour of Greece and Argentina) to avoid confusion.
As far as I am aware there has been no suggestion that the US's map colour should be made green. Thus, it shall remain blue 
Well personally I like the color scheme CORE uses, with the change in the map and all. But as long as there are no real big color issues, such as two countries nearby that have the same color, then I am happy.
If the US counters are to be olive green, then making their map colour olive green as well seems like a really silly thing to do. You'd spend ages looking for the counters.
As for the layout of the counter, let me ask a question: what is most important, the nationality of the unit or the troop type? To me, it's the nationality, which is why I made the flag the central, largest element. As a player you want to see your units (and those of the enemy) clearly. To find out what type of units they are, you'd be clicking on the stack anyway (because the screen only shows the topmost unit), and then you can see the unit types on the right-hand side. Therefore, the unit type markers are pretty secondary.
In fact, I could argue that the counters should only show the following information: land, sea or air unit, and perhaps infantry, cavalry or vehicles (though even that's debatable). To get anything more precise, you would need to engage the unit in combat - there are no spy satellites in 1914, and reconnaissance units would only be able to say "large body of troops", not "militia" or "attack division".
Land. sea or air could even be shown by a white or grey broad stripe along the counter (bottom edge for sea, top for air, none for land) rather than a symbol.
As for the layout of the counter, let me ask a question: what is most important, the nationality of the unit or the troop type? To me, it's the nationality, which is why I made the flag the central, largest element. As a player you want to see your units (and those of the enemy) clearly. To find out what type of units they are, you'd be clicking on the stack anyway (because the screen only shows the topmost unit), and then you can see the unit types on the right-hand side. Therefore, the unit type markers are pretty secondary.
In fact, I could argue that the counters should only show the following information: land, sea or air unit, and perhaps infantry, cavalry or vehicles (though even that's debatable). To get anything more precise, you would need to engage the unit in combat - there are no spy satellites in 1914, and reconnaissance units would only be able to say "large body of troops", not "militia" or "attack division".
Land. sea or air could even be shown by a white or grey broad stripe along the counter (bottom edge for sea, top for air, none for land) rather than a symbol.
Well, the "looking for counters" problem was why I included the "(slightly different shade of)" part.
But usually the intelligence networks were somewhat good at figuring out what was the quality of the enemy divisions. In the western front, at least. But I wouldn't mind just sticking the infantry saltire in every infantry type. It also helps by not having to dream up distinguishing features for all those types. How do you represent trench infantry anyway?
As for land/naval, I'd expect you'd be able to tell by just looking at where the counter is.
So I assume that from these two designs
you'd pick the bottom one. The unit size indicator is at the top because I still haven't tried to see if it can be placed somewhere else.
But usually the intelligence networks were somewhat good at figuring out what was the quality of the enemy divisions. In the western front, at least. But I wouldn't mind just sticking the infantry saltire in every infantry type. It also helps by not having to dream up distinguishing features for all those types. How do you represent trench infantry anyway?
As for land/naval, I'd expect you'd be able to tell by just looking at where the counter is.
So I assume that from these two designs
Hi guys, I was very impressed with the work going on here, and was putting stuff together for possible inclusion with CORE.
I have implemented and tested the following scheme into the game (for most majors, the Commonwealth, most European minors)
The NATO icon remains the same, so you can see it on the next zoom. The flag can also be made out at the next zoom level as well, although similar flags may be confusing.
I have implemented and tested the following scheme into the game (for most majors, the Commonwealth, most European minors)
The NATO icon remains the same, so you can see it on the next zoom. The flag can also be made out at the next zoom level as well, although similar flags may be confusing.
Wow you guys all have good stuff there... and yeah Stephen has a point, if we put the unit type on the corner, then in a stack you might easily be able to pick it out.
You guys should take a look at my Counter-mod Compilation and see what you can get out of that. A lot of the counter-mod greats did stuff like bevelling, and some convenient easy-to-discern changes like:
- Having a small infinity symbol in the corner for air units
- Tying the unit size to a little arrow on the right hand side
Gwalcmai, have you tried tying the bevelling to counter_size.bmp instead of the other one? It might free up some palette space.
You guys should take a look at my Counter-mod Compilation and see what you can get out of that. A lot of the counter-mod greats did stuff like bevelling, and some convenient easy-to-discern changes like:
- Having a small infinity symbol in the corner for air units
- Tying the unit size to a little arrow on the right hand side
Gwalcmai, have you tried tying the bevelling to counter_size.bmp instead of the other one? It might free up some palette space.
Thanks Xie, they were very useful!
One question, does anyone know where to find the BMP area that has the graphics for counters that show when a carrier group has an aircraft on board, and when a transport group is full of troops? I have looked all over for them, but they are missing!
One question, does anyone know where to find the BMP area that has the graphics for counters that show when a carrier group has an aircraft on board, and when a transport group is full of troops? I have looked all over for them, but they are missing!
Found it!
Here is what it looks like. I figure that there will be little chance of a single TF containing both an aircraft carrier and transport that the overlap shouldn't matter.
Here is what it looks like. I figure that there will be little chance of a single TF containing both an aircraft carrier and transport that the overlap shouldn't matter.
Those counters look suspiciously like the symbols from Strategic Command, the hex based WW2 game.........
It could be purely coincidence. After all, the NATO symbology is extremely popular and the background is simple like the game strategic Command. What we are looking at is a very simple yet effective counter that is info-TASTIC. The fact that strat.com. had very similar counters is just evidence that those working on this mod know what they're doing.
ptan54 said:
I got the idea from my symbols from the old "Operation Crusader" game, as well as posts from this thread. In fact, virtually every Hex Based wargame uses these types of units, Strategic Command far from being the first.
Looks good, McNaughton. How are you doing the flags? Gwalcmai's way?
Can't say i adore having rounded corners on my counters, tho, but it's a matter of personal preference.
Anyways, I finally managed to get the Counter Mod on the server. Remember its just a compilation to other ppl's work, so yeah. See if you guys can dissect it and maybe it might give you guys some extra ideas.
Can't say i adore having rounded corners on my counters, tho, but it's a matter of personal preference.
Anyways, I finally managed to get the Counter Mod on the server. Remember its just a compilation to other ppl's work, so yeah. See if you guys can dissect it and maybe it might give you guys some extra ideas.
by the way mcnaughton, what file did you find the aircraft/transport ppl graphics?
McNaughton, those are really good! I have seen TFs with loaded planes and troops, but it's not very usual. Which one of the icons shows when the two are there?
Xie, the files are in Gfx\Interface, they're named loaded_air.bmp and loaded_inf.bmp. And, no, I didn't use the counter_size for the bevel because that file always uses the same palette, so I'd have to colour all the counters the same (besides, I would have to find which palette is used for it).
Xie, the files are in Gfx\Interface, they're named loaded_air.bmp and loaded_inf.bmp. And, no, I didn't use the counter_size for the bevel because that file always uses the same palette, so I'd have to colour all the counters the same (besides, I would have to find which palette is used for it).