Aesthethics: Please True Equipment & Sprites

[unmerged(15982)]

In the new game, please, I hope we'll get rid of the Sherman tanks as neutral country default tanks.
If you can't find the correct model for a sprite, use a default tank that looks the period and is somewhat anonymous, like a Pz 38t or Italian P40 or something for "Basic Light Tank". Just can't stand those Polish Shermans in 1938.

Change sprites for all categories (i.e "basic", "improved" "advanced") not just weight class. There's a world of difference between a Char B and a JS-2. (Provided of course, the current categorization or something similar will be retained.)
Emphasis should be put on main standard tank of period. For example a Soviet Basic Medium should be a T-34/76, not KV-1. An Improved Medium should be T-34/85, not some minor series vehichle like the T-44 or something.

Also, there is no reason for desperate historicity at all costs in unit type names if nothing suitable can be found, but these should be kept up to the highest standard as long as there was a historical tank or aircraft that would fit the category. Let the player change designations at will.
For example, the Swedish "Basic Light Tank" is named M-31. This is just plain wrong. The M-31 was an experimental vehicle from 1931. The real "Basic Light Tank" should either be a Landsverk M-38, M-39 or M-40. All these tanks existed and were serially produced.
The Swedish "Basic Interceptor" is an Italian Falco bi-plane. In reality a Falco, like all bi-planes, would be a "Pre-War" fighter. There simply never existed a Swedish first generation monoplane like Me 109 or Hurricane. There did exist an improved or advanced fighter though (J-21). In such a case it's better to just designate it as "Basic Interceptor" and let the player come up with a name he or she prefers.

Note: Sweden was just used as an example because I play that country currently so I'm aware about the details. It has nothing to do with being pompous or trying to look important.

 

[J.J.E.]

Ah the details we want, the details we want.

Seriously, it would be nice with the things you mention, but I'll rather see a great game engine than a lot of time spend doing sprites, and the equipment can always be fixed in mods. I'll admit though, it would be nice if it could be perfect from the start, but there will always be glitches.

 

[unmerged(15623)]

I couldn't care less about the sprites, useless eye candy them.

I do agree that the current unit names are rather not-so-accurate (there is supposedly an improved variant of the .csv file somewhere but I couldn't find it). However, I'd personally prefer that P-Dox would scrap the current unit type system althogether. Especially the different plane types are just wierd. A more flexible system would definetly be needed.


It would be nice to have a less historically deterministic system where only the starting equipment would be historical. There would be no actual unit techs in the tech tree and the player would have to place order for, say, new type of medium tank separately (and the new units' abilities would then depend on your current techs, the quality of the research team and so on). An American M4 medium tank would not always be Sherman and the Germans could order an ahistorical plane desing to be their third basic fighter type (with Bf-109 and FW-190).

Most likely such a system would cause too many unforseeable balance and micromanagment problems to be included though.

 

[Jadelith]

i think the modders are doing a great job in terms of sprites, so paradox should work on the ai and the combat system and the r&d system and .... P) instead of worrying about the visuals

as i have said, it is very easy to change the visuals for the modders, but they cannot change the way the game is coded

 

[unmerged(15982)]

Dammit, I like eye candy!!!

The only problem with player made sprites is they point the wrong way, have the wrong size or basically a number of incompatible characteristics.
Standardization is beauty.
Better have a central outlet to do this rather than rely on the gamers, who *might* have done what you're looking for. (Interestingly, there's still no T-34 in the entire Dasein of HoI modding.) Besides, it's hard work for a non-professional, so anyone who has ventured into this land should be commended for it.
What's so difficult about providing some ordinary good-looking sprite based graphics to a game? In an age where everything is supposed to be supra polygon 4d ultraflash real physical movement and bang for a game of chess?

 

[jacob-Lundgren]

while getting exact models for EVERYONE would be sweet, tis a bit unneccessary. shermans were widely supplied to all sorts of peoples so countries that dont have their own production on any scale should get sprites of whoever is most likely to supply them. dont see a need to spend time making sure each and every country has sprites that perfectly match everything they used during ww2

 

[aprof]

I agree with Ardito that the modded sprites come in varying degrees of size, detail and so forth, and that they often don't look as if they go together. I too, want a nice range of Paradox-quality sprites to represent each country's light, medium and heavy whatevers.

Though as jacob-lundgren says, it isn't necessary to get every sprite to be historically accurate for every little country.

 

[unmerged(15982)]

shermans were widely supplied to all sorts of peoples

Not in 1938! The M4 Sherman should be the basic or improved medium of the US. Nothing to see action before 1942.

Sprites for everyone, well, ideally, but it's far from necessary. Unique tank sprites for the larger powers, definitely (provided the game should use sprites at all and not just counters. Have a feeling though the dev team want to keep sprites for extra marketing value).

It should be noted that I fully agree a good system is about 6 times as important as graphics, but there's no harm in bringing up the subject.

countries that dont have their own production on any scale should get sprites of whoever is most likely to supply them.

In general, this is a good principle. Agreed.