Strela's 'Small' Terrain Mod

[Strela]

Hi All,

I have been inspired by both Phoenix's graphic request and Wiggum's work on his terrain mod.

The aim of this mod is to create more 'realistically' sized map graphics for use in Panzer Battles Normandy. If the mod is popular I will update it for Panzer Battles Kursk.

The mod contains the following changes;

1. New trenches, bunkers, pillboxes and obstacles. Improved positions and sea defenses are unchanged.
   
2. New city, town, village, scattered and building hexes.
   
3. New brush, forest & orchard hexes. Orchard is bigger in the amount of coverage in a hex.
   
4. New railroad and minor road graphics. Trail and primary road are unchanged as their sizing is considered optimal.
   
5. New bocage and bridge hexside graphics. No other hexsides are currently changed.
   

The installation process is as follows;

• Download the zip file on the link below
  
• Unzip the zip into the root directory of your Normandy installation
  
• A new directory under the 'Map' directory called 'Map Variants' will be created.
  
• Under 'Map Variants' are two directories 'Original' and 'Small'
  
• Copy the contents of the Small directory and paste into the Map directory. You should be asked to overwrite some files, proceed.
  
• If you want to restore to the original files, go to the 'Original' sub-folder and copy the files within into your map directory, overwriting as you go.
  

Link to Version 1.0 of Strela's Small Terrain PzB mod



Here are some Original vs Modded shots in game. Original is at the top, the Modded version is below;




































David

[phoenix]

Fantastic, David. Many thanks!


I also simply unzipped the small map contents into my Kursk folder and it looks great in there too. You think it needs something else to work in Kursk?

[Strela]

Fantastic, David. Many thanks!


I also simply unzipped the small map contents into my Kursk folder and it looks great in there too. You think it needs something else to work in Kursk?

Hi,

It will definitely work in Kursk.

The areas I would tweak are the bunkers (from concrete to wood) and look at all the buildings to ensure they are appropriately Russian. I'd also have a proper look at vineyards which are more prevalent in Kursk.

Finally, I'd look at a version of these for Panzer campaigns possibly.

David

[phoenix]

A version for Panzer Campaigns would be excellent too. Though I have ended up modding all my titles with variants of Jison's and Phillipe's and my own artwork to scale down the buildings and trees and so on. The original version 1 artwork for PC titles wasn't very good, perhaps, but it did have smaller buildings, roads and rails that I actually liked and thought fitted the scale. The trees weren't so nice, and other things. But the files are now different sizes between version 1 and the current versions and it's hard to mix and match accordingly, especially if you only have 'Paint', like me.

This mod for Normandy is exceptional, for me, David. Many thanks. Much better immersion, for me, because it now no longer looks like an SB fight. There was an attraction in that, of course - amongst other things, as you said, the close-in bocage feel was clearer if the map was at a SB type scale. But I still prefer it more realistically scaled. And feel the terrain is easier to read now.

Thanks again!

Peter

[Strela]

Peter,

If your still using Paint do a search for 'Realworld Paint'.

It's free and a very good editor on par with a light version of Photoshop. You can use layers etc very easily and one of the reasons I could pull this mod together so quickly is this program.

There are a few other tools I use, but this is the primary one for all the graphics you see in game.

David

[phoenix]

Peter,

If your still using Paint do a search for 'Realworld Paint'.

It's free and a very good editor on par with a light version of Photoshop. You can use layers etc very easily and one of the reasons I could pull this mod together so quickly is this program.

There are a few other tools I use, but this is the primary one for all the graphics you see in game.

David

Thanks David. I'll get it. 

On the subject of Panzer Campaigns, I've ended up with Kharkov '43, for example, looking like this: 



Which was about as close to a normal, natural map as I could get it using Jison and Phillippe's mods, the Jison fix you kindly provided, the sideless hexes you also very kindly provided and Paint. I would like to really fiddle with the rivers and streams to try to take out more of the hexy angularity, if possible. Maybe if I pick up Realworld Paint that will be possible.

[Strela]

Very nice Peter.

I probably have the layered file for the rivers lying around here somewhere. Any assistance there would be appreciated.

David

[Compass Rose]

Thanks David!

[Xaver]

Nice, even after the release you are still working hehehe

Happy holidays.

[GerryM]

Thanks David. Looks very nice. Huge improvement I think.