Campaign Series: Vietnam -- Works in progress news and sneak peeks

[Crossroads]

With CS: Middle East 1.02 UPDATE being finalised for a release in a few weeks time, we are continuing our work towards the next game in the series; CS: Vietnam.

True to the Campaign Series approach to game titles, this game will also span a long period of time, covering conflicts for instance:

• First Indochina War
• Second Indochina War
• Laos Civil War
• Cambodian Civil War
• Chinese-Vietnamese Border War

The game will continue to be equipped with a full series of editors, as well with a Random Battle Generator and a Linked Campaign Game option. Dynamic Campaign Games are being discussed, given the DCG mechanism is to go a complete overhaul, likely after CS:VN 1.0 is out, whether it will be included from the word go is still under discussion.

While we're very happy with the game engine itself, and the rich variety of gaming features and options it provides, the user interface continues to be in the center of our attention too. In-game dialogs are the first to begin their long due overhaul. Front End menus too will receive some attention, all things going well.

This time around, 3D will get a thorough overhaul, with a new set of terrain tiles in the making. All 3D units continue to be lovingly hand painted too. We've got two project members dedicating their full development time to 3D. The design philosophy continues to be that of the hand painted table top miniatures, familiar to CS players from the previous game titles. More of them later.

On 2D, after the two new Zoom levels that appeared with CS:ME, the tasks in hand are the development of the new Tropical temp zone terrain tiles. The design philosophy here continues to be that of a Boardgame look and feel. To that aspect, now with the Counter Stats being available for chits, the 2D Graphical Unit Icons view receives a new design approach. 2D NATO symbol view remains the same, with 420+ individual platoon and section icons available to describe the various units.

Everything shown here is work-in-progress and subject to change though. As always, we are quite open to share incomplete work in public fora, so if you have any questions, comments or wishlist items to make, shoot! Let us make the months fly away toward the eventual game release.

There's a lot of foundation work done already all along while the JTCS 2.0 and CS:ME 1.0 titles were being developed. We hope to release CS: Vietnam in some 12 months time from now, all going well. Here's hoping!

Oh, the first sneak peeks... Here's the very first mock-up of the new US 2D Graphical Unit Icons. 100% handpainted units and vehicles only.



On behalf of Campaign Series Legion,

-crossroads-

[Crossroads]

Oh, the first sneak peeks... Here's the very first mock-up of the new US 2D Graphical Unit Icons. 100% handpainted units and vehicles only.

For comparison, the same with Standard Counters (46x46px) and with Action Point thermometers ON.



Previous picture was with Alternate Counters (48x48px), them being designed mainly for unit icons, and these for NATO icons. Can be mixed and matched though.

[JasonPratt]

  {repeatpaste indefinitely}

[-budd-]

Looks nice, looking forward to the new title. How's the AI helicopter use coming along? Or are u guys not to that point yet.

[Crossroads]

It's there in the list, finalising new terrain features first to allow for scenario design commencing. Navigable in-hex canals in the making at the very moment I believe.

[jomni]

 O0 O0 O0

[Jarhead0331]

Sure would like to get a look at the OOB for all the belligerents.

[mirth]

Sure would like to get a look at the OOB for all the belligerents.

Well, there's me, you, Star...Gus is a minor power.

[Jason Petho]

Sure would like to get a look at the OOB for all the belligerents.

Definitely one of the most challenging set OOB's I have put together.

Not done yet, I still have Cambodia and South Korea to do, but the rest are pretty well complete.

Jason Petho

[Blucher]

Sure would like to get a look at the OOB for all the belligerents.

Definitely one of the most challenging set OOB's I have put together.

Not done yet, I still have Cambodia and South Korea to do, but the rest are pretty well complete.

Jason Petho

You should try and reach Boonierat on Matrix forums or Armchair General forums he put together the excellent Vietnam Combat Operations scenario's for TOAW III. He is very knowledgeable on Vietnam OOB's.

https://sites.google.com/site/vietnamcombatoperations/

[Jason Petho]

Yes, of course. We chat on Facebook about it and he has even designed a handful of scenarios for us.

The areas that are most challenging are the time frames not covered by the major conflicts.

[Crossroads]

Work with CS:Vietnam continues, with Chinese OoBs and 3D graphics completed. The 3D graphics continue to be lovingly handpainted by Warhorse and papalazaru5, and now the boardgame view fans get to enjoy them too, as the new 2D Graphical Units option.

Here's a test I did with some of the units finished. The 3D tiles are reduced in size to some 60% of originals but still look quite nice on top of 2D counters don't they.



The image is a result of resize + white outlines having been put to place. Once done, I will then have a look at the contrast, desaturation and lightness settings for the finished article.

White outlines are important as the 2D unit graphics and counters continue to be decoupled, so if anyone wants to mod the counters say with a camo pattern, the units would still stand out from them.

Once the Chinese set is completed, it is the US next. Looking forward to post more sneak peeks as we go along. :)

[Philippe]

I realize this is only a test screen, but it's better to notice this now rather than later in the unlikely event you

aren't aware of it.  And I'm hoping that this is all moot because the terrain you're showing is just a stand-in.



General background texture (no letter on map):

The plain background that underlies all of the terrain textures is too flat.  It doesn't need a lot of texture because

you don't want visual clutter fighting with terrain information, but the texturing here is so light it doesn't look like

there is any.  And the field of slightly different colored pixels that you find in most Tiller games is NOT the way to

go. Take a look at the plain terrain in one of my Napoleonic or Panzer Campaigns mods for one solution.  There are

others.

A) Shrubbery (?). 

I like the individual bush being applied in a scattered pattern across the hexes.  You might consider using more than one

tree shape to avoid the impression of monotonous repetition.  The bush/shrub that you are using has one purple pixel in

it that needs to be removed from all of the bushes, but that should be easy to repair.

B) Marsh (?)

Unless this hex type is intended for rice paddies, the symbol is much too regular.  There is also a problem at the edges

where two marsh symbols come together which can be avoided simply by never allowing the symbol to extend to the side of

the hex.

C) Grove of trees

This is good symbol for a commercial plantation because of its regularity.  Not so good if it's supposed to represent

something that occurs naturally.

We tend to think orchard and nice neat rows and files of trees when thinking about commercial plantations, but that may

not have been how things looked in Indochina.  What kind of trees do these represent ?  Some of the groves are a bit more

irregular, though because they're commercial they tend to lack ground cover.

D) Rocks

There's been some variation here, but a bit more is in order.  Too many of the rocks have been 'scattered' along a sw-ne axis. 


E) Missing vehicle

I'm sure you noticed, but just in case you didn't...

[Crossroads]

I realize this is only a test screen, but it's better to notice this now rather than later in the unlikely event you

aren't aware of it.  And I'm hoping that this is all moot because the terrain you're showing is just a stand-in.

Thanks Philippe! Yes, some but not all terrain and vegetation tiles are placeholders as-is. But since I haven't really started on them tiles yet certainly not moot either. Your comments appreciated  O0

Showing counters at this post including the missing rifle platoon one. Not gotten into foot infantry yet. Vehicles done, mortar and artillery next, foot infantry last. Still some work cut ahead for me for sure