H.Balck's AFRICA CORPS

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:14 am

H.Balck's Africa Corps - "the real"

Here you can see first steps to release an Africa Corps Campaign in my scale 1km=1Hex / Batallion level with all historical battles on exactly maps and historical names and deployments.

Here is the new download link to search the 1.04 problem and play the new test scenario with US troops and all other 107 new units.
Copy all filrs in Africa Corps folder in your mods folder (Generic Mod installer !) or copy all over a fresh copy PC.
Start the scenarios from your custum scenario folder.
https://rapidshare.com/files/3769984691 ... _Corps.zip
https://rapidshare.com/files/3717187842/scenarios.zip

Join me on slitherine server !
Pass: H.Balck

working steps:

28th August:
Creation of the first 4 north african vehicles - I will finish 45 new full 3d produced tanks, trucks and artillery. Also all guns come with crew yet - Looks better.

28th - 31st August:
Creation of 15 main infantry typs - here you can see the overview of the basically Infantry units - but thats not the end - I will need 26 yet.
viewtopic.php?t=27374

30th August:
Test the first 20 terrain tiles (basically srub and ground, 4 palm tiles, 2 hill tiles, 4 village tiles, 6 mines) - the plan is to build up 600 different tiles for an optimal terrain - all PC graphics gone and I will use my own set.

Include the new Mine system with small mine fields and large mine fields (river and stream setting to confuse every player to use sometime engineers or not to find the right way between the mine fields - most important fir Tobruk and El-Alamein scenarios)

1st September:
Include the first 2 units (Italian Infantry and British Infantry) in the Africa Corps engine and test it on a fiktiv map.
Produced a new special Intro Menu with an new Intro Music.
I use my old JTCS background effects for the ingame music sound. It looks like the PC engine supports no new own Intro video files !
LRDG_30cwt_Chevrolet_truck
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/8873 ... ttruck.png
Morris_C8_Quad_Artillery_Tractor
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4632/m ... lerytr.png
New Artillery Crews:
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/518/ ... psquad.png
First finished UI:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9079/u ... fantry.png
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/7735 ... fantry.png

2nd September:
Africa comes with a new road system - I include fast roads (for the Coast road Via Balbia) and inland unpaved roads - I use 3 blocks (1088 x 3264) in LayerRoads yet - the 1st for unpaved, the 2nd for the fast roads and the 3rd for connections for this 2 different roads. I hope the designers find a way to include a new feature for different movement road parameters. For now I will set unpaved roads with some gaps in the road setup to simulate a more slowly movement.
airfields (one of 6 small airfields - also I will create 6 bigger Airports):
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/8036 ... troads.png
First hard work map edit - Operation Sonnenblume - map quadrant 1/6 Agheila:
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5711/m ... gheila.png
Africa Corps comes also with a completly new movement system - all mobile units have doubled movement with some modifikations - thats better for this big maps and I think the original relation between infantry and tanks 3:5 movement is not realistic - in Africa Corps an german PzKfwIII can move 10, the Opel Blitz 15 on street, but only 5 in open ground, The Sdkfz 14 on street, but 7 in open ground. Also all planes have mutch more realistic moving range, but they have only 1-3 ammo to must return on airfield after a mission.

3rd September:
Now I rework the terrain to the same scale like the original PC - looks better, but I its hard - I need hunderts of plants, trees and buildings to work in the same nice style like the original, the most problem for me are the coast tiles, but I will find a way to optimize my style.
First example of the new look - an airfield - strongly ajar against the original.
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/678/dakairfield.png
3d view:
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3149 ... eldbig.png
Africa Corps comes with a 3 level terrain system with over 900 different tiles to show you the desert terrain in an fantastic atmosphaere.
Level 1 (LayerBase) - ground III - hammada01:
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/6825 ... mmada1.png
Example level 1+2 hammada01 + airfield01:
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/8599 ... 2airfi.png
level 1+2+3 hammada01 + airfield01 + villageSWS01:
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2941/g ... 3villa.png

4th September:
Terrain is on 5% yet !
Many new tiles include and programming new terrain parameters for scrub, hammada, thick palm trees, palm trees, wadi, rough, dune, sand, cactus, saltlake.
Also I work on the new srteet system - some road tiles are finished.
Some screens:
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5927/africacorps02.png
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/3230 ... orps01.png

5th September:
First of 80 hills finished:
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5834 ... hills1.png

6th September:
first rough version of swamp, sand and wadi - the sand will come with many dunes to see it better and the wadi will have another coast line block (Block 3) for falling edges.
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/7940/n ... nished.png
Also all units in Africa Corps will have sight 5 = 5 km ! I tested and its better for game play - the only problem is the not included broken line of sight, but I hope some one can do that with the next improved version.

7th September:
Hills and dunes finished:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3933/dunesandhills.png

8th September:
-Italian Gun Crews finished,
-unpaved Roads finished,
-ruins finished,
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/3599 ... ncrews.png

release shifted to 4th Oktober 2011 !

H.Balck

BriteLite · Post by **BriteLite** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 6:15 am

After viewing your YouTube PzC related videos I can only say one thing: I cannot wait for you to release your work! The PG series and now Panzer Corps I have always thought to be excellent platforms for developing battalion sized simulations. I personally have always enjoyed large map presentations and now taken together with your excellent unit graphics I see many late nights in my future. How do you find time to perform all these excellent works?

Thank you very much and as I said I can't wait for your releases.

Fritz · Post by **Fritz** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 6:30 am

Very nice.

massi · Post by **massi** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 8:09 am

good work Mike

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 3:18 pm

New Artillery Crews:
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/518/ ... psquad.png

First finished UI:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9079/u ... fantry.png
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/7735 ... fantry.png

H.Balck

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 3:42 pm

It looks good.

warhammer · Post by **warhammer** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 8:07 pm

Great job!

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:56 pm

Africa comes with a new road system - I include fast roads (for the Coast road Via Balbia) and inland unpaved roads - I use 3 blocks (1088 x 3264) in LayerRoads yet - the 1st for unpaved, the 2nd for the fast roads and the 3rd for connections for this 2 different roads. I hope the designers find a way to include a new feature for different movement road parameters. For now I will set unpaved roads with some gaps in the road setup to simulate a more slowly movement.
airfields (one of 6 small airfields - also I will create 6 bigger Airports):
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/8036 ... troads.png

First hard work map edit - Operation Sonnenblume - map quadrant 1/6 Agheila:
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5711/m ... gheila.png

All other maps I have finished, but I need the first entry map from Tripoli to Bengazi and Derna.

Africa Corps comes also with a completly new movement system - all mobile units have doubled movement with some modifikations - thats better for this big maps and I think the original relation between infantry and tanks 3:5 movement is not realistic - in Africa Corps an german PzKfwIII can move 10, the Opel Blitz 15 on street, but only 5 in open ground, The Sdkfz 14 on street, but 7 in open ground. Also all planes have mutch more realistic moving range, but they have only 1-3 ammo to must return on airfield after a mission.

H.Balck

hankinc · Post by **hankinc** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:31 am

Looks amazing!

How many hours on your day?

Razz1 · Post by **Razz1** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:40 pm

He is the best graphic artist man concerning units.

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 4:53 am

He is the best graphic artist man concerning units.

Thank you - but I hope I can make you happy also with my new terrain graphics.
Now I rework the terrain to the same scale like the original PC - looks better, but I its hard - I need hunderts of plants, trees and buildings to work in the same nice style like the original, the most problem for me are the coast tiles, but I will find a way to optimize my style.

First example of the new look - an airfield - strongly ajar against the original. Later with mutch more scrub, little stones and Dirt it will looks better with the underground
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/678/dakairfield.png

3d view:
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3149 ... eldbig.png

H.Balck

massi · Post by **massi** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:57 am

great job!

Razz1 · Post by **Razz1** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:17 pm

What!!!!

No camels? ? ?

I know it is allot of work but.... maybe if you could shrink a couple Flak units and put them on the airport tile.

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:31 pm

Africa Corps comes with a 3 level terrain system with over 900 different tiles to show you the desert terrain in an fantastic atmosphaere.
Level 1 (LayerBase) - ground III - hammada01:

Example level 1+2 hammada01 + airfield01 / level 1+2+3 hammada01 + airfield01 + villageSWS01:

What!!!!
No camels? ? ?
I know it is allot of work but.... maybe if you could shrink a couple Flak units and put them on the airport tile.

Yes - I will include Camels as transport unit for the Libyan desert autochtones and set this Tuareg units to neutral or in some scenarios to allied or axis.
Flak is no problem I have them all as 3d graphic but I think looks good - but its not my favorit for the game play - the most airfields have an flak unit as unit - the airfields need no additional flak as terrain graphic but I will include some different sandbag points - comes later - Now I will finish the terrain.

H.Balck

AgentX · Post by **AgentX** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 10:31 pm

Another great looking mod from HBalck. Love how that one artillery has a crew. Would be really cool if all those type units (artillery, AT, and AA) were manned. Any plans on adding crews to other units? In fact, that's something I'd like to see the PC developers think about adding in the future: crews for artillery, AT and AA units.

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:14 pm

Another great looking mod from HBalck. Love how that one artillery has a crew. Would be really cool if all those type units (artillery, AT, and AA) were manned. Any plans on adding crews to other units? In fact, that's something I'd like to see the PC developers think about adding in the future: crews for artillery, AT and AA units.

In Africa Corps - all towed units will come with a crew and also some of the transport vehicles. (example SdKfz's or the Bren Carrier).

H.Balck

HBalck · Post by **HBalck** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 9:13 pm

Terrain is on 5% yet ! Africa corps will come with over 1200 different tiles yet !
Many new tiles include and programming new terrain parameters for scrub, hammada, thick palm trees, palm trees, wadi, rough, dune, sand, cactus, saltlake, fortress, ruin, village, city, industrial.
Also I work on the new srteet system - some road tiles are finished.
Some screens:
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5927/africacorps02.png

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/3230 ... orps01.png

H.Balck

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 9:19 pm

If you want, you can use my Italian monarchic flags from the period.

nikivdd · Post by **nikivdd** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 9:21 pm

Great screenshots. It looks impressive with such a critical eye for detail. Can't wait to push the panzers forward

What a fantastic project you are developing!

AgentX · Post by **AgentX** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 9:36 pm

Very nice looking work. Really like the look of those rocks (especially when the infantry are on them).