How do we make maps?

[Strela]

All,

I answer a simple request from Compass Rose and we're now in a business model discussion!!!  

Firstly, the decision around editors to be released or not has dated back as far as Talonsoft. John Tiller has continued that approach for a number of reasons around quality and commercial viability.

Whether we agree with that or not is a separate discussion, but there is a belief that with the range of titles (Panzer Campaigns) released there are plenty of maps available for modders to go crazy on.  The first two big titles I worked on were mods - I did Volcano Man's Korsun mod and PZC Kharkov '43 was a mod that I was going to release with 15 - 20 scenarios as an add on for Kharkov '42. A random reach out to Glenn Saunders resulted in that title being published.

I don't view the lack of map editor for Panzer Campaigns as an impediment to modders - there is not people out there wanting to do it is more an issue in my view.

For Panzer Battles we're taking a slightly different approach, we have trained up a number of people to use the map editor, which is a big improvement from where we were 12 months ago. With Dave Blackman passing away in the last 6 months we lost the most experienced map maker for all series and we didn't want to risk that single point of dependency.

The people trained up bring a lot of new skills to the team and in a number of cases are active modders already - see Chris M's page here  http://thesharpendgaming.blogspot.com/ for a number of his unique scenarios built using the map editor. Chris's current scenarios work with Kursk, but we're looking at ways that we can get free content out to ANY potential player without requiring a purchase or ownership of a prior title.

So what does this all mean? We're looking at ways to bring you professional, reviewed content in a quicker way. This includes full titles as you've seen in the past, but we're also looking at how we can get additional content for purchased titles as well as free standalone content. Using this approach we have a chance to build a strong in house team of modders/scenario designers and we can get more stuff out quicker to you all at the quality we think is required for professional release. There are projects underway as we speak.

A final word on look and feel. A number of the requests made here are graphics mods - height graphics, slope hex sides etc. None of the graphics you're seeing are final and as the team know I tweak constantly until release day. Some of the requests made here though are modernising the engine, changing graphics formats, user interface etc. We're looking at all these and we don't disagree with a number of the areas suggested for improvement, These need to be prioritised against work on new titles and patches as well as programming resources. Just be aware we want to improve these things as much as you do - we play these games too....!

David

[Xaver]

I know that you can edit OOBs using a text editor (i use notepadd++ for example) but is not the easier system to create full OOBs, for example i wanted create a small scen for France14 with a german "modern" division (closer to PzC style, with 3 regiments, more firepower and defensive value, extra arty specially indirect fire arty etc etc) to made it face 2 normal french reserve divisions but i had a lot of problems editing the OOB, i want a fresh OOB for the scen but i cant made it work... even when i manage to edit EP14 OOB to add extra units and have it working, UK naval division with UK as 3rd nation in OOB (curious, before you release Koenigsberg scen in last patch i want create when games was released a scen with UK naval division landing near to help rusians take it).

Returning to PzB... well, i have now open 3 scens for PzB2, 2 historical (based in PzC Normandy scen but in specific parts of a bigger scen), 1 total fantasy orientated to PBEM (a scen with a WWI trench warfare style), i expect close one soon (doing some tests to find bugs and balance scen, specially victory points that are my Achilles heel) and is not like have few ideas (orienated all to PBEM) searching fun scens with diferent options.

I need admit that PzB is refreshing in many aspects compared with the older series, specially in the info area, and has all you need to edit except maps.

I think is not a lack of interest in mod, are games with a loooot worst modding area and they have a lot of great mods (i think in Close combat... for the 5 version you find things like Spanish civil war, WWIII, Okinawa, Berlin.... and saddly to unfinished mods, oe for Gallipoli and other for Surabaya... this had a demo), for me is the lack of made it easy for modders... i think in the only full mod for PzC... Jarama37, for me rework it using FWW engine could be interesting, you can add in a title covering first battles in war, specially battles around Madrid to complete a title... Madrid defense+Jarama+Guadalajara (and maybe small actions in early war), even is possible use PzB engine (that for me is the best scale to cover FWW trench warfare part of war... like Pacific actions)... maybe something i want see in PzB is more titles like Salerno, small battles with their own OOB and map to dont need for every title a single big map and OOB.

I buy a lot of Tiller titles, part to play but as reference map-OOB to help my reading, for example i only dont buy 2 titles from JT page and both are SB titles, i want continue buying Tiller titles but some changes could be interesting specially to made games more attractive, in last years wargames evolutioned a lot and not only in art area... but is not like improve only art fix all problems... many modern games for me are not even capable to beat an old dog like "Steel panthers" even in art area.