Graviteam

Hello,

It is done;
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?z55oua1ku38vhzi

INSTALLATION:
Download
Enable via update.cmd
enjoy :)

****ONLY USEABLE WITH VOLONKOVKA (forgive my spelling) DLC****

Patchy 1= All vehicles with Spring 1943 paint, before Kursk
Patchy 2= Intermixed vehicles (see following pictures) with Summer 1943 colors

From original post;
(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_00_31_55_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_00_31_40_0000.jpg)
(NOTE: they ARE the same color, this is a not-as-faded version.)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_00_24_26_0003.jpg)
(Out of date; gun brake fixed, mg fixed, lots of weathering added)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_00_24_01_0002.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_11_30_23_36_18_0000.jpg)

They blend rather well with the Volokonovka or whatever

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_00_48_55_0005.jpg)

Very nice work

That tank line up in those colors is giving me flash backs to panzer elite....  There I was, in the desert......... Trying to figure out how to take out Spitla from the Africa Corp..  er hmm  :-\

That's just cause the "Background" for the Patchy 1 in the encyclopedia is a desert type thing. They actually look pretty good on the battlefield, especially the Tiger :)

It would be nice to have more options than we have now.

I think there is much potential for simulating some Kursk like quick battles with the Volokonovka map,alot of the weapons systems used in APOS were present during the Kursk battles,and Night Postmans Summer uniform mod helps also in this respect but the present vehicle color schemes available in APOS have always for me,put a damper on the overall immersive feeling for simulating that time and those battles.

SDKFZ 251C versions

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_21_54_13_0000.jpg)

sdkfz 251/9
(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_21_54_19_0001.jpg)

sdkfz 251/2
(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_21_54_26_0002.jpg)

sdkfz 251/10
(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_21_54_31_0003.jpg)

and last, but not least, the sdkfz 251C
(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_01_21_54_49_0004.jpg)

And to start off Sunday, the Sdfkz 232 and 231 have both been completed, along with the Stug

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_04_12_33_0000.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_04_12_49_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_04_12_55_0002.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_04_13_40_0003.jpg)

the Panzer III ausf J (short gun)
(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_04_14_14_0004.jpg)

And the Ausf N
(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_04_14_39_0005.jpg)

looks great  8)

Okay. I have the last of the armored vehicles completed;

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_17_57_11_0000.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_17_57_25_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_17_57_31_0002.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_17_57_42_0003.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_17_57_45_0004.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_17_58_09_0005.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_17_58_18_0006.jpg)

Now for Pak 36, Pak 40, and the 150mm artillery piece

Looks outstanding. Are these for a mod to be released?

Yep. I'm going to do atleast 2 sets though; one with just the yellow and one with a green pattern over top

First attempt at Tiger 1, patchy 2 :)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_19_44_57_0000.jpg)

Looks nice! Can't wait!

Yes,these will be very welcome additions.

Never been a big fan of the just left the factory or motor pool look on these vehicles at the beginning of each battle.

Lol I forgot to post pictures of the Pak guns :P

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_18_28_33_0000.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_18_28_40_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_18_28_42_0002.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_02_18_28_46_0003.jpg)

Cool 8) Guns too.

Looks like I'll be leaving the Winter wastelands of the Kharkov area behind for some more Summer action in Volokonovka.

Are you planning on anything for the Russians or is this strictly just a German paint scheme mod?

I don't believe the Russians did anything special with their tank paint schemes.

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_03_03_25_32_0002.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_03_03_25_29_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_03_03_25_25_0000.jpg)

Pak 40, patchy 2 :)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_03_03_28_25_0000.jpg)

http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthread.php?t=76030&page=15.

The Russian community seems interested in your work,but are a little confused it seems with your choice of color scheme and shading(gloss and surface roughness map) effects.

Lol. I thought the guy who called it garbage was hilarious :P

Don't pay attention to him,He is always argueing with Andrey about something or other every day on that forum.

Besides they are under the impression that you are simulating colors for 1942(Fall Blau) not early 43.

Great that someone is doing new skins\colour scheme..but I'm not sure I like the patchy ones...not sure I've ever seen this Camo before, is it  a historical colour scheme?

Yep. The Germans used a two tone green-on-yellow scheme during Kursk. During the first few months of 1943, Hitler ordered the yellow coloring of all his tanks. The crews then took green paint and made adjustments themselves :)

I have seen the yellow and green scheme but the stripes are around equal thickness. I also think the green should be abit more subdued..just a thought.

well, the green was given to the crews in paint buckets, so the schemes differed. These are only the preliminary schemes :)

in the field, dust was an extra filter on the paint  ;)

Updated

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_10_22_59_27_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_00_09_57_0000.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_00_10_22_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_00_10_39_0002.jpg)

They're progressing very nicely.

Looking great..looks good with abit more green on..

Scout platoon vehicles and Stug's completed :)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_03_14_05_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_03_13_24_0000.jpg)

Some in battle shots
(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_04_16_11_0004.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_04_18_36_0005.jpg)


I'm growing more annoyed every time I play, unfortunately. The AI is unbearably stupid, for some reason. The Tankers in SABOW are far better at keeping enemy tanks at bay for some reason; even the BMP's with their 73mm's have teeth if you get too close.

I do think the path issues where tanks and vehicles fall into trenches needs sorting out urgently..it's th eonly major issue I have with the game..I lose more tanks falling into a trench than by the enemy..

I find that it's impossible to do anything but slowly creep forward under the watchful eye of tanks or SPG's. Any armored charges turn into retarded melee's, the tankers ignoring enemy armor and charging forward while the enemy wreaks havoc with any following infantry. It's like they deliberately avoid eachother in some cases.

I have to use excessive amounts of priority targeting with armour..again something that needs looking at..though I have a feeling it's down to the armour  having restrictive LOS so they may not see the unit..also I think if you give an attack order to a tank unit it should move only as close as effective range rather than try and get toe to toe which doesn't feel realistic..Tanks would get with in effective range then stop and shoot..now they just carry on until they are next to each other..I instead of an attack order give a defend order some distance away from the enemy tanks so they will shoot at a decent range

I do the same thing.I very rarely give the attack or assault order because my units will rush pell mell into the defenses without out firing and maneuvering onto the objective.

If I want to assault an objective I issue the defend order to the units I want to attack and click on the objective,this way my units at least make an attempt at stopping occasionally to lay down suppresive fire while others advance against the designated objective.

Still,some of the close assault combat looks ridiculous when opposing units close to within grenade range of each other.Tank combat isn't any prettier at the close ranges either.

I try not to zoom the camera in to look at the close combat fighting because it spoils the game for me observing some of these insane melees where the combatants seem to be stumbling around like shell shocked zombies wearing horse blinders.

Another thing I do for the QBs is set the parameter settings for minimal casualties,it helps somewhat to keep the enemy AI from launching suicidal assaults over open terrain,I also set the battles to 3 hours so the AI at least trys to organize some form of plan and not rush all out piece meal to their early demise.

The AI does a pretty good  job on the defense,but on the attack they are horrible,if I want the AI to attack in a QB I find that I have to give them a 3-1 advantage ratio or set my defending units to low morale and/or low ammo settings to give the AI some chance of success and credibility.

3 hours!! I do 1 hour..but thats in a campaign game as you don't want the game to go on for so long that every combat ends up with a total defeat for one die or the other...

Even when I set the QBs for 3 hours my battles rarely last more than 45 mins or so before the issue is decided.Alot depends on where you initially set the units up before the battle begins.If I set them up at total oppisite ends of the 3x3  Battle grid it could take longer before the actual fighting begins.I do this occasionally if I want both sides to conduct meeting engagement recon battles.

As far as I have understood order ''defend' does not differ during the actual movement from orders ''move'' or ''march' (with free formation modifier). Defend order makes units move without formation to the destination - and once there they take defensive positions to the spesified direction.

When advancing fast with tanks they tend to miss a lot of targets just because - as mentioned - their LOS is limited. If they can see and shoot the enemy within effective range, then there is no reason to advance with tanks untill you really need to storm the position fast preferably with infantry support.

I agree that the close combat in the game can be a bit ridiculous sometimes. But I understand it's very difficult to make A.I. intelligent enough to act naturally. I find it especially funny when one soldiers runs towards an enemy soldier and the enemy soldier does not react at all until the running soldier is within melee range hitting his face with his gun or kicking his balls  ;D
Also units tend to miss a lot even within extremely close dinstances. I have no idea how realistic is that under stressful situation, however.

Oh, the skins are  looking nice, but... maybe too clean?  :)

Blimey,
I really do play this game abit differently to some.
I also set my Campaign time for 3 hours, but often i run out of time!! :o
I generally use the movement order with armour out front, they then seem to craw along but engage the enemy at longer distances.

Ehh I have to disagree there. In the words of Heinz Guderian "The Engine is the tanks' greatest weapon". The more you let your tanks sit in the open, the more chance of them getting nailed by fire (in real life)


Actually, I've added more dirt and grime/weathering than the default skins had ;D

Cool 8)

That's what all these vehicles need for the Summer map when playing QBs.
I never liked how clean and factory fresh they look at the beginning of each battle.
Its like they were taken straight from the show room and plopped right on the battlefield.
The tanks should look like they at least had to travel to the assembly area and got dusted and dirtied up a bit.

Hunt is one of my most used commands when moving across the map looking for the enemy..

Whoops sorry to derail the thread!!

Marder III, 150mm Haubitze, panzer III short gun, and Flame-panzer/Pz III L done.

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_22_41_47_0000.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_22_42_34_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_11_22_43_14_0002.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_12_04_57_52_0000.jpg)

 8)
Looking forward to making some videos of this mod in action when it's done.

Final round of vehicles. Everything else gets the same thing for Patchy 1 for authenticity (not all vehicles had the same paintjob)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_13_13_29_23_0002.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_13_13_29_13_0001.jpg)

(http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n585/whukid/shot_2012_12_13_13_29_09_0000.jpg)

Now for Wehrmacht and Waffen SS uniforms :)

Night Postman already has a uniform mod with the SS,Panzer Grenadiers and other special units all sporting a camo look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9_bCRaoTdw

Really? Awesome! No more work for me ;D I'll have the release up in a few minutes

http://narod.ru/disk/62473532001.eeaecb427d9ae7127a18e0f5978fdd43/Achtung_Panzer_Ostfront_Kharkov.exe.html

Night Postman Summer Uniform Mod for August updates.

DOWNLOAD HERE:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?z55oua1ku38vhzi

Just did a quick test of Your tank Mod Whukid.

The camo scheme for the tanks needs to be set to Patchy #2 during QB option settings and if using this mod in conjunction with Night Postmans Uniform Mod you will have to move Night Postmans Uniform mod to the top of the Updater list otherwise they don't work together.

I'll do a video later on tonight to show the tanks and infantry in their camo modes.

Whukid it seems the German armored cars( Plus a few other vehicles) didn't get the camo scheme everything else so far looks fine from my quick glances.

Yep. That was intentional :)

Hi Whukid,

Been testing your new mod,I like the camo theme but I'm finding the yellow base coat to be way to "neon" and bright,it looks a little awkward.The lighting in this game hits the vehicles all wrong which tends to send off a major blinding shine at certain angles.I think the colors need to be toned down some.

Take a look at this video-the camo scheme is basically the same pattern but I think your mod would look much better with a different base color,something like what this video portrays(Not as much brightness in the yellow more of a brownish orange and not as bright of a green either).Please don't take this as a thumbs down for your mod,I like it.But, I thought you might be interested in a comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0APyWY4OErE&list=HL1355462469&feature=mh_lolz

I'm not using them because they look abit to acidic yellow..if it was muted down and weathered\faded more I probably try them out..

(http://stahlhelm1939.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/696.jpg?w=950)
20th Panzer Division, Spring 1943

(http://stahlhelm1939.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/530.jpg?w=950)
13th Panzer Divison, June 1943


http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=6090&page=1

If you don't want to use the mod, that's your choice. However, the historical accuracy I set out to create has been achieved and I do not plan to change or add to this mod.

Thanks :)

Those colors look much better.Weathered and not bright and glossy.

OK,
I wasn't doubting the historical authenticity of the mod,my concern mainly was how the color scheme interacted with the game lighting and more importantly how it looks on the Volokonovka map.
The mod tends to make the vehicles stand out in this terrain instead of blend in or help conceal from a visual perspective.The gloss and shine also tends to blur the vehicles at certain camera angles.

Maybe this mod will react more favorably on some of the next Summer maps that Graviteam is creating in the future for this game.

Whukid..


I know your going for accuracy..I just think the base yellow is off compared to even the pics you've posted here..the game makes it too gold\acidic..not muted enough. The pics below have abit more of a beige\tan colour compared to your skins..I think it is also a lighting issue. I'd just try and make the base yellow abit more muted and less greeny\yellow that looks gold in certain light...try adding abit of brown to the yellow to tone it down a touch.

However if your happy thats what matters..

Still good work..just trying to point out possible improvements..

I did some more testing with this mod and tried it on the Rakitnoe map.All the issues I mentioned earlier were non issues on the Rakitnoe map.Your mod looks very good here though out of place considering the snow on the ground.

So it seems the major culprit here for the acidity,brightness and sheen stem from the lighting effects on the Volokonovka map itself and has nothing to do with your mod.

Lighting,shading and shadows have always been issues with the Volokonovka map,so I guess I'm not surprised with the negitive effect it has on your mod too.

I hope the lighting issues are not inherent in all the new Summer maps being designed for this game in the future.Otherwise I predict Andrey may be getting a butt load of negitive feed back on this forum.

What is a "lightning issues"?

Everything will remain exactly the same. Now the lighting setup for the summer season is very similar to that we see it in real world (for human eye).

Please, if you write that something is wrong with the graphics or some other subjective perception of things - please put a screenshot from the game and from the real world, in another case we get a very strange conversation.

Volokonovka map vs Real word
Same conditions same season.

http://imgur.com/nfnCL

I do not see any lighting issues. If any will see - point to them specifically, and we will discuss them.

Lighting issues-Are issues I have with the game concerning glare and shadowing effect.

Whether it is realistic or not,it tends to have a negative effect on game play.The glare tends to blur and the shadows in some instances are too dark.These "lighting issues" tend to give the map an overly acidic look,that even if realistic makes for a visual presentation that is not very pleasing to the eye and in some instances creates viewing issues that are less than realistic in perception.

Realism in this instance seems overdone and is not necessary in my opinion.A more pleasing result can be accomplished without the enhanced lighting or briteness that is represented by the Summer sun in this game regardless of the time of year being represented.The Summer sun on the Volokonovka map puts out too much light and makes viewing the map details very difficult with the overshadowing and glare it presents.

We must have differing Volokonvka maps, because mine is all mud :P


Lighting issues = everything is too damn shiny.

Please screenshots. Game vs Real world. Here's how I put it to the previous post.
Otherwise, the conversation not constructive  ;D.

Its a wrong way.
May be for some usrs and gravity have a negative effect on game play, but ...  ;D


It individually for each user, we can not do for each his graphics or his game. Therefore we do as it is in real world (try for it).

If you have any objections, but not in style like / dislike you personally - that's the reality it is..., but the game is not..., I am ready to listen. With examples of course  ;D.

Its a real word in summer

http://imgur.com/nfnCL

I can not do anything with it in real world - sorry  ;D

I did a comparison of lighting effects between the Rakitnoe and Volokonovka map using the same weather effects-mid day and clear.Obviously the the two seasons are different and the sun would be higher during the Summer months,but because of the angle of the sun and the enhanced briteness for the Summer months being represented the glare and shadowing between the two maps was much different and I found the Rakitnoe map to be much more pleasing to view with less negative issues.

Yes, due to the inclination of the orbit of the planet, in the winter sun's rays fall at a different angle than in the summer (in the same time). A lighting depends on the cosine of that angle. This is a fundamental law of nature, the way it should be. And it was made in the game.

It would be strange enough for realistic game to make cartoon graphics.

Regardless,I'm not convinced realistic lighting in this instance enhances the game at least not from my perspective.I find the glare and shadowing on the Summer maps to be a distraction even if minor in some respects.All I'm suggesting is that the briteness be toned down a bit as to be not so obvious in enhancing some of the negative aspects that it presents.

I will post a video example later of the glare differences between the two maps concerning in this instance an APC and the effects that IMHO are less than pleasing when viewed in these separate instances.I find the Rakitnoe map example to convey a much more pleasing visual and think the same effect could be accomplished on the Summer map without sacrificing realism in a negative way.

Sorry Whukid,
Didn't mean to highjack your thread with this issue,but it was your mod that brought up this debate and your mod is also what I'm using in the video as an example of lighting differences and their effects.

After some further testing during different daylight periods it seems sun angle has no difference in glare on the vehicle.

Results are pretty much the same on the Summer map regardless of time of day.The intensity or briteness of the Summer sun on the Volokonovka map to me is what's causing the glare issue.The acidity is quite pronounced for the Summer map during these comparison study tests.

Rakitnoe Map-Mid day and clear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnBfdj0jeF0

Volokonovka Map-Mid day and clear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrFT5kuGsEs

Well, may be adjust the textures on vehicles, but not change the laws of lights physics?   ???  ;D
Such as roughness and specular intensity maps will be change?

Real world
In summer
http://www.valar.ru/gallery/0911/_4063123.jpg
http://fi.ill.in.ua/m/371x240/19506.jpg
http://armor.kiev.ua/Tanks/Modern/T84/oplotm/oplot_m_15.jpg
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/9639/008ar.jpg

In winter
http://wartime.org.ua/uploads/posts/2012-08/thumbs/1344247962_3.jpg
http://militaryrussia.ru/i/284/294/aoK7Y.jpg
http://militaryrussia.ru/i/284/308/dqNEE.jpg

Dane turn HDR off in the options and it should help.

Thanks wodin,

Disabled the HDR and that helped.The color distortion is still evident,but at least the blinding glare is gone.Not perfect IMHO but palatable.

Now I can go back to playing the Summer map without the "Well,this sucks" moments. ;D

I understand your position on this matter Andrey.And applaud your efforts at achieving the most realistic lighting effects,but for me in this instance it is not completely desirable.I guess what it comes down to is personal preference and I'm in the sacrifice a little realism for a more pleasing visual detail camp.
I may be in the minority in this respect but that is my opinion on this subject.
It certainly isn't a game breaker for me and this is still my favorite game that I play at least once a day and maybe 2-3 times a day on the weekends :D

PS. Disabled HDR that seemed to help somewhat,wasn't aware exactly what that option actually did in the game for visual effects.Thought it was more for defining detail not lighting and contrast.

HDR is the famous bloom effect you get in all games these days..

No.
HDR itself dont have any visible effect. Its a render buffer format.
Bloom effect is a bloom effect not an HDR. It can be done and with LDR render buffer format, but with some artifacts.

HDR only allows to apply some effects that were difficult to do on the LDR without artifacts.
In our game this effects are Tone mapping and Light bloom effect.


Once again bring this collage
http://imgur.com/nfnCL - both in the game and in the real world.
Without HDR in most cases difficult to do to match.

Well I'm no coder..all I know is usually bloom and HDR can go hand in hand..and from what you say HDR affects light bloom?

Either way I think Dane wants the glare taken out with an option and I thought the HDR might help.