Mod: Counters = Sprites Mod

[novapaddy]

Counters = Sprites Mod for Darkest Hour.

Maybe like me, you're tired of the counters in HOI2/DH, and don't like playing with sprites?

Old type counters:





Well here is a solution. In this mod, I've created counters that look better than sprites and still have all the information you require from your counters.


Land


INF: MARINES: MECH: MILITIA:

MOUNT: PARA: L/TANK: TANK:

MOT: CAV: GAR: HQ:


Air

INT: MULTI: NAV: STRAT:

TAC: AIR TRANS: CAS:



Sea
edit: I've had to remove some of the pics as there are too many pics in the post... Please see later on in the thread to find the sea pics.


I don't have in-game pics of the H-Subs, Flying Bomb and Rocket, but I'll leave this to you to see what they look like.

Hopefully like me, you'll love the totally new feel to the game, as colourful aircraft and units populate the map and give a whole new experience to the game.

If there are any units or tweaks you wish to make, please feel free to do so. Think of this as a starter-pack for you to either use or change as you wish. I just got so tired of the HOI2 counters, I HAD to make them better, or stop playing!


Edit: If you're like me, your imagination will be prompted now to think of Roman DH, Napoleonic DH and maybe even Cold War DH, for now you may see the possiblities .. you just need to draw in your Roman Velites, Napoleonic Huzzars or Phantom Bombers....


UPDATE August 22nd, 2011. NEW FILES POSTED.

THESE ARE THE LATEST 3 FILES YOU WILL NEED

To use the mod, you need to do this: Files are at the bottom of the post in a zipped folder.

1: Go to Darkest Hour\gfx\map and copy the original hoi_counter_strip file to a safe place.
Copy the hoi_counter_strip from this page in its place.

2: Go to Darkest Hour\gfx\interface and copy the file select_counter to as safe place.
Copy the select_counter file from this page in its place.

3: Go to Darkest Hour\gfx\map and copy the original hoi_counter_size file to a safe place.
Copy the hoi_counter_size from this page in its place.


Job done. Start up and I hope you enjoy it. I've done this for my own enjoyment, but I believe in sharing, as others have done for me.

I've redone some of the counters. Files are above. Examples:

INF: MILITIA: GAR:

HQ:

I'm not planning to do any more work on this as I feel I've reached "Job Done". I encourage you to change and try other ideas for units as you please. Mine are only "good attempts" from a non-graphics person (ME!), so I'm sure a good artist can do much better.

EDIT 20 February 2012:

It's been a while since I did any work on these. I've included 3 strips plus whatever other files you will need in the compacted file here: Instructions are above.

REMEMBER TO COPY AND BACK-UP YOUR ORIGINAL FILES, before you do anything, ok!

FINISHED COUNTERS.7z

[MartinBG]

Congratulations!

Added to Recommended Mods thread: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...commended-Mods

[LodovicoAriosto]

Well done! Thanks.

Clicking on the counter might be problematic sometimes but these pics definitely refresh the game.

Also works with HoI2 and AoD - of course.

[JRHINDO]

Hey, criticism:
-I dont understands whats going on in the Mounted counter...
-Do I see a row boat for the Marines? Poor guys give them a Higgins boat or a LVT
-Mech counter looks slightly weird.
-Whats up with the black stripe on Pegasus? I had seen it before on the old thread, but did think to report.
-Well drawn horse, but I dont like the "Hussars charging panzer" theme More realistic to have an armored car/tankette/IFV-AFV.
-The Garrison soldier charges too much for someone who is supposed to be stationary
-The warships look too cartoony!
-Why change view side for the Carrier only?
-The light planes seems gunless?

-Also you will need to change the movement arrows, they dont fit the new counter shapes.

But they are still beautiful!

[novapaddy]

Hey, criticism:
-I dont understands whats going on in the Mounted counter...

I think you mean Militia? Idea was partisans... sniper, guy celebrating and explosive-charge generator switch unit.. type of thing you see on ww2 films when they have to blow up a bridge?


-

Do I see a row boat for the Marines? Poor guys give them a Higgins boat or a LVT

It's a rubber dingy, and marines would quietly row to their target area to start an attack?

-Mech counter looks slightly weird.

It's taken from this photo. I forget the name of the german vehicle?

-Whats up with the black stripe on Pegasus? I had seen it before on the old thread, but did think to report.

The black stripe is the Lance. I have only black or white colours to play with and as Pegasus is already white, hence the lance is black.


-

Well drawn horse, but I dont like the "Hussars charging panzer" theme More realistic to have an armored car/tankette/IFV-AFV.

Dunno, there were lots of horses and cavalry units in the early part of WW2, and ....


-

The Garrison soldier charges too much for someone who is supposed to be stationary

I agree.


-

The warships look too cartoony!

Yes, I can see that now, how you may think that. ... but
1: Space is very limited.
2: Need to have a consistent image that progresses through the units, from DD to BB.
3: Frontal image would be the same for BB, BC and CL, as they all have big guns, how would I make them different? Remember, I only have black/white and 2 grey colours to use...
4: Side image... they are long and thin items, so how to make them better, different from the original counters?

-

Why change view side for the Carrier only?

I liked the Carrier. The Light Carrier gave me the chance to show how a real L/Carrier looked, as I could grow the image upwards, and not side-ways.. as no room.


-

The light planes seems gunless?

Do you mean the carrier planes? Yes, I thought of putting in tracer-like rounds coming from the planes and bombs from the bombers. ...

But they are still beautiful!

Yes, it has me playing DH again, and I've not done that for ages and ages... (I haven't played ANY game in ages) Like game-depression?

But overall, these are only a "starter pack", an initial attempt to improve things. I'm not a graphic artist, so I'm hoping that others will pick up on the theme and improve things a lot. Unfortunately, we are very limited in the space we have to do that.

The counters are 64 pixels wide. The originals were 32. I did try enlarging to x4 times, to give me the space to have real-looking BB's, but it crashed the game constantly.

Everyone is welcome to change them as they wish. This isn't a fixed Mod, it's an idea, a revolution in ideas... like this....

Take a quick look at the old DD manual, and then take a quick look at the DH manual I did... a revolution in ideas...

I'm hoping that this starter pack will ignite people to make the DH game images better and better, as the game improves constantly and why not the images as well?

Thanks for the criticism, as I don't see stuff until others tell me.. kinda blind in a way?

[JRHINDO]

I think you mean Militia? Idea was partisans... sniper, guy celebrating and explosive-charge generator switch unit.. type of thing you see on ww2 films when they have to blow up a bridge?

I meant the Mount counter. Nvm I just realized what the things were. I mistook it as for mounted infantry but that didnt made sense since theres a cavalry counter already. Tho just for the sake of criticism, the left soldier's backpack look like a lantern

It's a rubber dingy, and marines would quietly row to their target area to start an attack?

Thats more for special forces guys, but that works I suppose.

It's taken from this photo. I forget the name of the german vehicle?

I see. I was abit confused at the 'bubble' (front windows) and rear shape.
Theres always the more iconic halftrack: http://www.3dshop.org.uk/images/halftrack%201.jpg

The black stripe is the Lance. I have only black or white colours to play with and as Pegasus is already white, hence the lance is black.

Ohh I didnt see it! So its the little guy on the back thats holding the lance ok.

Dunno, there were lots of horses and cavalry units in the early part of WW2, and ....

Yes thats true, but horses were most generally used for transport and most units acted as normal infantry when in combat or had armored vehicles to replace the horses. Could be worth it to keep the Hussar, but make an alternative counter with an armored car.

I liked the Carrier. The Light Carrier gave me the chance to show how a real L/Carrier looked, as I could grow the image upwards, and not side-ways.. as no room.

Cant argue thats its awesome and shows that Carriers are now the ship that lead and strikes.

Do you mean the carrier planes? Yes, I thought of putting in tracer-like rounds coming from the planes and bombs from the bombers. ...

Well planes except the bombers and carrier planes (too far) need guns to be drawn, just simple black sticks coming out of the wings are needed. No need to have bullets and bombs going everywhere that could create some confusion as seen in last thread and planes arent always shooting, no?

Yes, it has me playing DH again, and I've not done that for ages and ages... (I haven't played ANY game in ages) Like game-depression?

But overall, these are only a "starter pack", an initial attempt to improve things. I'm not a graphic artist, so I'm hoping that others will pick up on the theme and improve things a lot. Unfortunately, we are very limited in the space we have to do that.

The counters are 64 pixels wide. The originals were 32. I did try enlarging to x4 times, to give me the space to have real-looking BB's, but it crashed the game constantly.

Everyone is welcome to change them as they wish. This isn't a fixed Mod, it's an idea, a revolution in ideas... like this....

Take a quick look at the old DD manual, and then take a quick look at the DH manual I did... a revolution in ideas...

I'm hoping that this starter pack will ignite people to make the DH game images better and better, as the game improves constantly and why not the images as well?

+1
DH is great breath of oxygen!

Thanks for the criticism, as I don't see stuff until others tell me.. kinda blind in a way?

Nah thats normal, I cant see my spelling mistakes until the puts a red line under the words. The brain assumes that you are right

Great work! Onward!

[Wowwars]

epic.

[novapaddy]

epic.

Thanks! I'm already working on improving the shipping...

BB:

[MartinBG]

A very nice BB!

[novapaddy]

A very nice BB!

I think I'm well on the way to improving the shipping...

BB: BC: CA:


Comments appreciated.... thanks. The yellow is the direction of movement.... which needs to be sorted out... another day's work.

[novapaddy]

epic.

NEW UPDATE:
I've totally reworked most of the Navy ships:


DD: BB:


BC: CA: CL



The designation is now found under the flag, in case there is any confusion... (BB being dot dot.. dot dot) etc.

I re-did the TAC. I think this plane is more iconic than the Japanese one I had earlier. I was a bomber as well as a transport. (JU52):

I also re-did the MILITIA:

Please find below, the latest hoi_counter_strip.

Attachment 39151

[JRHINDO]

I preferred the old militia and old tac bomber.

[novapaddy]

I preferred the old militia and old tac bomber.

Well if you carefully Copy (remember it's 64 pixels wide only) whatever unit you like, and Paste it into the other counter strip, you'll be able to use whatever you like.

[novapaddy]

UPDATE: I've posted new files in the first post. This will probably be the last update, as I think I'm done!

Pic from game:

[JRHINDO]

Sorry to say it a big coldly but the infantry now looks of lesser quality compared to the rest of your artwork!
Tho I suppose its only a matter of clearing those black spots.

The designation is now found under the flag, in case there is any confusion... (BB being dot dot.. dot dot) etc.

Isnt there space under the flag? I think there is. You can put the designations.

[novapaddy]

Sorry to say it a big coldly but the infantry now looks of lesser quality compared to the rest of your artwork!
Tho I suppose its only a matter of clearing those black spots.
Isnt there space under the flag? I think there is. You can put the designations.

Hi JRHINDO: I meant designation for the ships only, as it could be difficult to tell the difference between a BB and a BC?

I've turned my attention to Sprites .. and am currently working on Revolutionising the sprites, as I think most of what I've seen are blurred and fairly poor.... IMO!!

[eeeex]

I just want to say that you did an amazing job in creating these counters but my problem is that i cannot download your mod because whenever I click on a link - no matter what link - it says invalid attachemend specified .... I really want to try your mod out so hopefully you upload your mod again or somewhere else THX ;D

eeeex

[novapaddy]

I just want to say that you did an amazing job in creating these counters but my problem is that i cannot download your mod because whenever I click on a link - no matter what link - it says invalid attachemend specified .... I really want to try your mod out so hopefully you upload your mod again or somewhere else THX ;D
eeeex

Hi eeeex! Sorry, I had to remove them as I needed to upload a couple of savegames for Vicky2. Let me have a look and see if I can find what I posted then, and re-post it. Cheers

[novapaddy]

Updated first post with the files you need. Enjoy

[eeeex]

Thank you very much!