Alexspeed´s MIP - Map Improvement Package for Victoria 2

[Alexspeed]

Well this has to do with Danevangs V2 Map Fertilizer, he used a bigger size for the "colormap_water.dds", of course it is more detailed then, but it seems your mod installation somehow dosent work right with it.

Make a backup of your original "colormap_water.dds", and try replacing directly please.

I see if i can do something else to fix this abnormity

[Alexspeed]

Okay i resized Dannevangs excellent map to the standard size that the game is using normally, it is smaller and has therefore less detail, but it should work if you have this stretching error.

try this file instead of the one thats in the normal mod package:

EDIT: Download removed, see next postings for new fix

Thank you for the feedback, let me know if it helped

[Alexspeed]

More than 100 downloads in less then 2 days, i am impressed
And only one complaint till now, looks like its working nicely.

Thank you pepole & enjoy it,
i am allready working on the next things

[Alerias]

I have to agree with the "too brown" feelings but its not a deal breaker but I always play in the political map, especially now that it shows terrain too.

[shorty84]

Hi Alex, thanks for your quick fix.
Its working , the map size seems to have the right size now, apart from that the water is brown (maybe the pollution from the upcoming industrialisation? )

screeny:



Another question:

How can I get the more detailed version working? (I really do like details )

greetz
shordy

[Alexspeed]

Hi Alex, thanks for your quick fix.
Its working , the map size seems to have the right size now, apart from that the water is brown (maybe the pollution from the upcoming industrialisation? )

[IMG]screeny of brown water[/IMG]

Another question:
How can I get the more detailed version working? (I really do like details )

wth! why brown..? *grumble*

have you put in the changed "terrain_2_0.fx" file from my mod? and the other files too?
first try using the original "terrain_2_0.fx", please and see if its still brown then.
It looks like there is a shader missing or something like that.
I maybe could correct it with colour changes, but thats really odd.

If that also dosent help:
- please recover your original files completly (you have made backups like i said?)
- reinstall my mod completly by overwriting the original files.

If that also dosent helps come back and well work on it further.
I am a little stumbled as to why that is happening.

I cannot say more with the limited information i have, thats also true for how to get the more detailed version to work.
I guess it has to do with your graphiccard, it might be a older model or it has trouble with changed .dds file resolutions within this graphicengine.
And if thats the case there cant be much other done than getting other hardware that can display it correctly, i guess.

[Alexspeed]

I have to agree with the "too brown" feelings but its not a deal breaker but I always play in the political map, especially now that it shows terrain too.

I hope to be able to release another Map Texture soon that will be then als alternative included.

Thank you for the Feedback!

[Alexspeed]

wth! why brown..? *grumble*

have you put in the changed "terrain_2_0.fx" file from my mod? and the other files too?
first try using the original "terrain_2_0.fx", please and see if its still brown then.
It looks like there is a shader missing or something like that.
I maybe could correct it with colour changes, but thats really odd.

If that also dosent help:
- please recover your original files completly (you have made backups like i said?)
- reinstall my mod completly by overwriting the original files.

If that also dosent helps come back and well work on it further.
I am a little stumbled as to why that is happening.

I cannot say more with the limited information i have, thats also true for how to get the more detailed version to work.
I guess it has to do with your graphiccard, it might be a older model or it has trouble with changed .dds file resolutions within this graphicengine.
And if thats the case there cant be much other done than getting other hardware that can display it correctly, i guess.

forget that, i found the error, i will release a fixed file ASAP.

But what i wrote about the higher resolution map is true.
I cant fix that if your graphiccard cant display the higher resolution version

EDIT:

Here is the fixed file, just copy it over the brown one.

colormap_water_fixed_2

[Alexspeed]

Alexspeed´s MIP - Map Improvment Package 1.1 has been released:

I have included the dark texture overlay as another alternative from my Clear Map Overlay 1.3 Mod.
Also i have included CaptRobau's Map Font Mini-Mod 1.0 if you prefer his fully colored map font.
If you have problems with the large water texture file, theres now an alternative for that included that should allways work.

Thanks to CaptRobau for his Map Font Mini-Mod!


Included in this Release:
- 1 "Victoria 2" folder with several subfolders
- 208 country-.txt files in "\common\countries"
- 1 terrain_2_0.fx file in "\gfx\FX"
- 3 .dds-files & 2 .tga-files in "\map\terrain"

- 1 "optional" folder with subfolders
- 3 .dds-files
- 1 .tga-file

- 1 readme.txt file


Alternative Files in the optional Folder:

- If you want the Clear Map Overlay Texture instead of the Parchment Overlay Texture,
take the "map_overlay_tile.dds" from the "optional" folder to replace the file in "..\map\terrain".

- Or if you want the dark parchment texture instead of the Parchment Overlay Texture
take the "map_overlay_tile.dds" from the "dark parchment" folder to replace your original file in "..\map\terrain".

- If you want to use CaptRobau's Map Font Mini-Mod instead of the regular Map Font,
go to your "..\gfx\fonts" folder and make a backup of the "mapfont_56.tga" file.
Then copy the one from the folder "\optional\Alternative Map Font" in your "..\gfx\fonts" folder.

- If you have a problem with the sea terrain texture file (ugly stretching, does not fit, game runs much slower suddenly),
Use the one from the "\optional\Smaller Water Colourmap" directory instead, that should work for sure.


changes in 1.1:

- Included the dark parchment optional file,
- CaptRobau's Map Font Mini-Mod file
- and a lower size alternative "colormap_water.dds" for anyone that has problems with the bigger sized original.


The Download:

click here: Map Improvment Package 1.1


Images:

Optional Dark Parchment Overlay:



Optional CaptRobau's Map Font:

[Alexspeed]

No new comments... seems its working now for everyone


Just a update on the development process:

I am working on the next map texture set for this mod and on
several other things, mostly map settings changes in the .fx files,
that can give results like a non see through diplomatic map mode and lesser fog of war in all map modes.
But its alittle more complicated than i thought, so it will take more time than expected,
as soon as i have something new ready i will release it seperatly
and then integrate it in this package (if it makes sense).

You can follow my development in this thread where i give updates,
explain things about modding the map and everyone can discuss and participate.

[shorty84]

Hi Alex,

was a bit busy, so I couldn't comment.
Everything's working fine now - except, that I can't use the detailed version of the water.dds *grumml*

I opened the file and it looked correct (well it's standing on the head, but I think that it has to be like that ) - so my graphic card (radeon x1950 gt - quite old, but capable) is able to handle that thingy.
In addition I tried every (re?)solution of the game, but nothing worked - quite mysterious.

Anyone has ideas on that issue?

thanks
shordy

PS:
good to hear you keep up with your work

[Alexspeed]

Hey, thanks for letting me know that it worked

Yes it has to be upside down, thats correct.

Opening the file in a graphic program and using it with the game engine are actually two different tasks for your graphiccard, because you can do one dosent mean automatically that the other thing will work.

The thing is, your graphiccard has to store this HUGE watermap in its memory and for that there isnt enough memory there to display it right AND display all the other stuff thats going on on the map.

And you have to consider that a radeon x1950 gt is just barely in the minimum specs for Victoria 2 (radeon x1900 is the lowest supported), so its not a big suprise to see that it has problems with the much bigger detailed watermap.
You will do yourself a favour when you use the smaller version, because the big one, even if it would display correctly would make your game lag much more than it possibly is even now.

If you have the option, get a cheap upgrade card that will most likely solve not only this problem but make your general gameplay experience better (even with other games) in the long run

Anyway, have fun, and i am glad at least the small one solved your issue

[shorty84]

Hiho,

didn't notice the minimum req's of V2 - damn it, just upgraded my PC and thought "your grafic card is still good and sufficient for the next 2 years" , well it seems, that I was wrong

Got to use the small file then, it's still looking very well.
Thanks for your help

shordy

[katzen-kratzen]

is it possible to have a different map for infrastructure view so that we can see what level of RR is in each province and not simple Green/Brown? Going to try this mod but damn, pink France is gonna get it's original colour back.

[Alexspeed]

Hiho, didn't notice the minimum req's of V2 - damn it, just upgraded my PC and thought "your grafic card is still good and sufficient for the next 2 years" , well it seems, that I was wrong
Got to use the small file then, it's still looking very well.
Thanks for your help shordy

Youre welcome

is it possible to have a different map for infrastructure view so that we can see what level of RR is in each province and not simple Green/Brown? Going to try this mod but damn, pink France is gonna get it's original colour back.

About altering the Infrastructure Mapmode:

Sorry, i would like to change it as well.
I tried out to find something where i could specify the values for different stages of built railroads.
But i havent jet found anything that would EVEN relate to that,
it might be in another file then where i searched, or not changeable at all.

---
France has a alternate colour in its file too if you like that better, its a light blue. No problem really, its easy to change.

Hope you will like the mod.

[Athalcor]

You write that it is compatible with your untransparent map mod, but when I install it I overwrite this mod's terrain_2_0.fx. Do I lost some part of MIP?

[Alexspeed]

You write that it is compatible with your untransparent map mod, but when I install it I overwrite this mod's terrain_2_0.fx. Do I lost some part of MIP?

No you dont loose anything if you use the "terrain_2_0.fx"-file from the Untransparent Map Mod,
the lessened fog that the MIP version has is incoorperated and replaced by a better version (thanks to Modestus),
that is even adjustable if you change the specific values in the file, in the Untransparent Map Mod.

You can just overwrite it, MIP will get the new version of Fog of War adjustment too in the next update, along with other things i want to get in.

Clarification:
The "terrain_2_0.fx"-file from the Untransparent Map Mod is the more advanced and better one until this mod will be updated.
It can be used with this mod without a problem.

EDIT: I clarified it in the Untransparent Map Mod´s description too, thanks for pointing it out

[Athalcor]

Thanks for reply. Your mod is simply gorgeous.

[Alexspeed]

Thanks for reply. Your mod is simply gorgeous.

Thank you for using it and the feedback

[Modestus]

Just noticed you have adjusted the FOW for all map mods, that is excellent I will borrow I presume that terrain_2_0.FX file for my map if you dont mind.

Will mention this fact of course.

Edit: I tried that file but its not what I want as it seems to lighten what is underneath rather then thin out what is on top.