Guille's PzCorps Support Base - Multipurpose Icons and more.

[guille1434]

Hello Nono:

As I explained earlier, I prefer to spend my limited "modding time" in making new or improved game icons than making big unit graphics, that are not "operative" and more like "eye candy" (but, of course, they are a good thing to have, but if I have to make a choice, I prefer to add a new icon in the game, with all the associated files, like animations, audio, efx tables, than making a big unit portrait which only show in the purchase or upgrade screens). This causes, of course, that any player trying this mod will find a lot of missing big units. The idea is to complete the missing ones, but I cannot make promises.
To use images from other mods are a good and valid way to complete the missing images.

About the Sturmpanzer I, you can add an image from other mod or just to rename the big unit image present in the original game set. Besides, your comment about the problem in the Oslo scenario made me start a small research about this vehicle, and, as I believed, it was only put in service in time for the battle of France, so I changed the initial availability date to 10.05.1940 instead of 01.04.1940... Just in time for the invasion of France, but not ready for the Norwegian campaign. The good news are that I made the big units for this vehicle, both in regular Wehrmacht and SS camouflaged variants... So, another gap filled!

About the Sdkfz 10/4, as you mentioned that there were repeated entries in the equipment file, you have to note that in my equipment file, this vehicle has three switches (mobile AA, sentry mode and ground fire) and three variants (regular Wehrmacht, purchasable SS and bonus SS). So, there are nine total entries for this vehicle in the eqp file: The two original entries in the first part of the file (official game content compatible), and then seven more entries for the rest of the switches/variants at the final part of the file, reserved for the new units, variants, and switches added to the equipment file. In short, you have three variants: Regular Wehrmacht, SS purchasable and SS bonus, each with three switches... 3 * 3 = 9 entries.

Here I attach the big units for the Sturmpanzer I, and a new version of the equipment file with the Sturmpanzer I availability date corrected to 10.05.1940 for all the variants... I also added a new SS bonus variant for this vehicle, as this was not available in the previous version of the equipment file.

Greetings!

[glaude1955]

Personally I prefer vintage photos in black and white.
To build my file I started by recovering the bigunits of BE version 1.7 which I then completed according to the additions in the file Equipment.
You can also with a simple drawing software recover photos on the Net and put them to the right size (I use 240x165) then save them as .png

[terminator]

I prefer the versions colorized for the Big units, vintage photos in black and white often are not very successful.
Same Big image for the Sturmpanzer I AT and ATY ?

[nono hard et heavy]

Hello Nono:

As I explained earlier, I prefer to spend my limited "modding time" in making new or improved game icons than making big unit graphics, that are not "operative" and more like "eye candy" (but, of course, they are a good thing to have, but if I have to make a choice, I prefer to add a new icon in the game, with all the associated files, like animations, audio, efx tables, than making a big unit portrait which only show in the purchase or upgrade screens). This causes, of course, that any player trying this mod will find a lot of missing big units. The idea is to complete the missing ones, but I cannot make promises.
To use images from other mods are a good and valid way to complete the missing images.

About the Sturmpanzer I, you can add an image from other mod or just to rename the big unit image present in the original game set. Besides, your comment about the problem in the Oslo scenario made me start a small research about this vehicle, and, as I believed, it was only put in service in time for the battle of France, so I changed the initial availability date to 10.05.1940 instead of 01.04.1940... Just in time for the invasion of France, but not ready for the Norwegian campaign. The good news are that I made the big units for this vehicle, both in regular Wehrmacht and SS camouflaged variants... So, another gap filled!

About the Sdkfz 10/4, as you mentioned that there were repeated entries in the equipment file, you have to note that in my equipment file, this vehicle has three switches (mobile AA, sentry mode and ground fire) and three variants (regular Wehrmacht, purchasable SS and bonus SS). So, there are nine total entries for this vehicle in the eqp file: The two original entries in the first part of the file (official game content compatible), and then seven more entries for the rest of the switches/variants at the final part of the file, reserved for the new units, variants, and switches added to the equipment file. In short, you have three variants: Regular Wehrmacht, SS purchasable and SS bonus, each with three switches... 3 * 3 = 9 entries.

Here I attach the big units for the Sturmpanzer I, and a new version of the equipment file with the Sturmpanzer I availability date corrected to 10.05.1940 for all the variants... I also added a new SS bonus variant for this vehicle, as this was not available in the previous version of the equipment file.

Greetings!

Hello mr Guille. Thank you for the feedback. Like I said previously, I tried to create big units (with paint.net) that were missing but the result was disastrous So, I looked at the records big units of other mods (amulet mod by Messmann, battlefield europe by McGuba, update unit by Wolfram, ...) and I use the missing images (some are in black and white, others in color). I hope to see your work again when Panzer Corps 2 comes out. Have a nice day.

[guille1434]

Thanks guys for your opinion about big unit images... Personally, I prefer to use the vanilla game style images, modifications from them, or images from scale models taken from the internet in the right perspective and have more or less the "vanilla look". In the Sturmpanzer I example, I found a very good image icon (I think it was taken from a page about World of Tanks) which more or less look to the correct direction, and for the SS version I recolored said icon using the DCS software. As those images are not showing in the game, just in the static purchase screens, I felt there was no need to make different versions of the big unit for the AT and Aty switches, so the same icon will do for both variants, again the time factor (or lack of time, more precisely) is paramount to me.

The good think about this game, however, is that each player can mod in the game the image style he likes the most! Also, anyone can make the Sturmpanzer AT icon I just uploaded and make it a new one with a more elevated barrel...

Nono: I doubt I will make all the work AGAIN (six years of more or less continued icon making) for PzCorps 2, because the present icons will not be compatible with the new game (at least, in the vanilla projected game) and I cannot make 3D icons. So, I will stay here in the PzCorps 1 trench to the last bullet... heheh...












s

[Yrfin]

So, I will stay here in the PzCorps 1 trench to the last bullet... heheh...

Last standing troops of PzC ?
I think you have about 2-3 year before 3D shoot.

[nono hard et heavy]

Hello mr Guille. At the beginning of the grand campaign 41, my planes are Bf 109E, Bf 109F and SE Bf 109 E-3. I would like to know if it is possible and how create Bf 109 E-3 and SE Bf 109E and SE Bf 109F. I saw that there were these entries in the file eqp but these units do not appear in the game's purchase menu.

[guille1434]

Hello Nono: I think I cannot understand exactly what your request is, but I can tell you this, may be this is useful for you:

1) At present, my focus is set on the early war equipment (1939-40) so, I did not start making or modifying icons present from 1941 and later. I don't have (yet) an icon for the Bf-109F, but I think I would be able to upload one soon.

2) Bf-109E: There are already present in my mod a rather complete range of icons for the 109E variants, with their regular and SE versions, and all of them are implemented in the eqp file.

Bf-109E-1: This unit takes the place of the "generic" vanilla game Bf-109E. It was armed with four 7,92 mm machine guns, two on the engine cowling, and two in the wings. This fact is reflected in the equipment file with a reduced Air Attack value.

Bf-109E-3: This variant added a 20 mm MG-FF cannon firing through the propeller hub, so it has higher Air Attack. In fact, this centrally mounted cannon was prone to jamming, and was not very popular for the pilots flying this variant, being often dismounted from the aircraft.

Bf-109E-4: A heavier armed variant, the engine mounted 20 mm cannon was deleted, but the two wing mounted machine guns were replaced by two 20 mm cannon of the same model. So, it had two engine cowling 7,92 mm machine guns and two wing mounted 20 mm cannon. This heavier weight installed away from the center of gravity of the aircraft somewhat reduced maneuvrability, so this fact is reflected in the equipment file with a higher Air Attack value, but a lower initiative value. This variant should be better when used to attack bombers and no so good when attacking high performance fighters (like the Spitfire). It is worth to note that this early war 20 mm MG-FF weapon was not the same as the 20 mm MG-151 cannon used by 109F and later variants, because it had a lower powered ammunition, with lower initial velocity and a more curved projectile trajectory (less precision), and also a lower rate of fire and less ammo capacity in its magazine.

This of course, does not include the also implemented Bf-109E-1B which was an E-1 fighter that when replaced by more modern variants in fighter units service, was modified with an under fuselage 250 kg (I think) bomb mounting pylon to be used a fast pin-point fighter bomber, which is also present in "my" mod.

As I said, all those variants have their own distinctive regular, SE, desert and SE-desert icons, and (regretably) a "generic" "one for all" big unit portrait for them, so I think your in-game needs should be conveniently covered.

[nono hard et heavy]

Hello Nono: I think I cannot understand exactly what your request is, but I can tell you this, may be this is useful for you:

1) At present, my focus is set on the early war equipment (1939-40) so, I did not start making or modifying icons present from 1941 and later. I don't have (yet) an icon for the Bf-109F, but I think I would be able to upload one soon.

2) Bf-109E: There are already present in my mod a rather complete range of icons for the 109E variants, with their regular and SE versions, and all of them are implemented in the eqp file.

Bf-109E-1: This unit takes the place of the "generic" vanilla game Bf-109E. It was armed with four 7,92 mm machine guns, two on the engine cowling, and two in the wings. This fact is reflected in the equipment file with a reduced Air Attack value.

Bf-109E-3: This variant added a 20 mm MG-FF cannon firing through the propeller hub, so it has higher Air Attack. In fact, this centrally mounted cannon was prone to jamming, and was not very popular for the pilots flying this variant, being often dismounted from the aircraft.

Bf-109E-4: A heavier armed variant, the engine mounted 20 mm cannon was deleted, but the two wing mounted machine guns were replaced by two 20 mm cannon of the same model. So, it had two engine cowling 7,92 mm machine guns and two wing mounted 20 mm cannon. This heavier weight installed away from the center of gravity of the aircraft somewhat reduced maneuvrability, so this fact is reflected in the equipment file with a higher Air Attack value, but a lower initiative value. This variant should be better when used to attack bombers and no so good when attacking high performance fighters (like the Spitfire). It is worth to note that this early war 20 mm MG-FF weapon was not the same as the 20 mm MG-151 cannon used by 109F and later variants, because it had a lower powered ammunition, with lower initial velocity and a more curved projectile trajectory (less precision), and also a lower rate of fire and less ammo capacity in its magazine.

This of course, does not include the also implemented Bf-109E-1B which was an E-1 fighter that when replaced by more modern variants in fighter units service, was modified with an under fuselage 250 kg (I think) bomb mounting pylon to be used a fast pin-point fighter bomber, which is also present in "my" mod.

As I said, all those variants have their own distinctive regular, SE, desert and SE-desert icons, and (regretably) a "generic" "one for all" big unit portrait for them, so I think your in-game needs should be conveniently covered.

Hello mr Guille. Excuse me for my bad english (Google translator). In the start of grand campaign 41, i can only buy this 3 planes, Bf 109E, Bf 109F and SE Bf 109 E-3, no other. Is this normal? For example, why i can't buy normal Bf 109E-3? Thanks

[guille1434]

Ok, this is not related to the equipment file, because I checked the availability dates and they are correct. I even corrected the vanilla game initial date for the Bf-109F which was 01-09-1940, when, historically, this model of the fighter was available from the start of 1941.
Maybe you are using a different equipment file for the GC 41 campaign. Take this example: If you are playing the GC 39 and GC 40 using an equipment file present in the "Data" game folder, it can happen that when you start the GC41 the game software takes the data from a different equipment file which is present in the GC41 folder. At the start of a campaign, when loading data, the game will first look in the specific campaign folder for an equipment file, and if there is no such file present there, it will load the data from the equipment file present in the "global" data folder in the game main directory.

In short: you have to check if there are a different equipment file inside the GC41 folder. If you find such a file there, you should delete it from that folder or replace it with a copy of the equipment file present in the Data main game folder. If this is not the solution to your problem, I really can´t tell another reason.

I hope this helps!!

[nono hard et heavy]

Ok, this is not related to the equipment file, because I checked the availability dates and they are correct. I even corrected the vanilla game initial date for the Bf-109F which was 01-09-1940, when, historically, this model of the fighter was available from the start of 1941.
Maybe you are using a different equipment file for the GC 41 campaign. Take this example: If you are playing the GC 39 and GC 40 using an equipment file present in the "Data" game folder, it can happen that when you start the GC41 the game software takes the data from a different equipment file which is present in the GC41 folder. At the start of a campaign, when loading data, the game will first look in the specific campaign folder for an equipment file, and if there is no such file present there, it will load the data from the equipment file present in the "global" data folder in the game main directory.

In short: you have to check if there are a different equipment file inside the GC41 folder. If you find such a file there, you should delete it from that folder or replace it with a copy of the equipment file present in the Data main game folder. If this is not the solution to your problem, I really can´t tell another reason.

I hope this helps!!

Hello mr Guille. I understood what you are explaining. I use your mod and GTPG 1.16 final by Nikivdd at the same time. Maybe they are not compatible with each other. Thanks for taking time to respond to me.

[guille1434]

I suppose that "my" equipment should be compatible with all the mods created by Nikivdd, at least with the his most modern works. A rapid check to the GTPG v1.16 files tells me that they should be compatible, may be there is another, unknown reason

[guille1434]

Hello:

A new artillery unit... the 15 cm sIG 33 heavy infantry gun. As I decided to make heavy artillery guns (150 mm and upwards) immobile or near immobile in my equipment, I included a more mobile, but shorter range, gun in the 150 mm category. The sIG 33 has now the 1 hex mobility as the regular artillery units has in the unmodded game...

[guille1434]

Here is an alternative unit pack for that same gun, with just the icon and no crewmen, also including the basic icons and masks.

Greetings!!

[guille1434]

Here is an update of the "Guille's Equipment Mod" with new versions of the following files:

strings.pzdat
movement.pzdat
equipment.pzeqp
efx.pzdat

Whats new?
- sIG 33 15 cm infantry gun added with animation and sound effects.
- Mercedes Benz L4500 heavy truck added, with sound effects (a wheeled and more economic transport for heavy artillery units, 15 cm sFH 18 cannot be transported by the faithful Opel Blitz any more, you need a L4500 truck or a Sdkfz 7 halftrack prime mover.
- sIG 33, Sturmpanzer I and Sturmgeschutz III short barrelled variants given the "fortkiller" trait, but just when switched to direct fire (AT) mode (you have to draw the guns very close if you want to fire into the forts gun openings!)
- New movement type for heavy towed artillery guns (150 mm and heavier): now this type of guns can only move one hex just when on roads, cities, ports, airfields, and that when roads are in dry condition, in any other terrain types they just need organic transport to be able to move.
- Some tweaks in the multiple Bf-109E variants stats.
- Stats improved for the D.520 French fighter (same initiative than other first rate fighters, like Bf-109 and Spitfire).

Enjoy!!

[guille1434]

The above mentioned Mercedes Benz L4500 icon unit pack...

[guille1434]

Sorry, I forgot to upload the new movement type icon for heavy towed guns...

[Yrfin]

Good work !

Thanx for Movement icon for Heavy Arty, but can you make another with 1 pair of wheel ? .

[Wolfram1951]

Decent work!

[guille1434]

Thanks guys for the nice words!