[Stwa]

I am always thinking of new projects. Sometimes I finish them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I do them, and then pitch them because I don't like them.  

But here is one I am going to try. Its called ARAB SPRING, which is a modification of my RTB mod, which is a modification of CCMT. Here are the requirements for phase 1.

1. Develop Syria and Libya Icon sets.

2. Modify Blue and Red team data files. Syria and Libya Army in Blue, Syria and Libya insurgents in Red.

3. Modify Vehicle Data so NATO ON-CALL air and helos support insurgents.

4. Modify overview icons for all Arab forces.

5. Modify morale bars for all Arab forces.

6. Modify terrain flags to be invisible. I will explain later.

7. Modify VL markers to be invisible. I will explain later.

8. Modify screen pics to use Arab Spring instead of The Road to Bagdad on title block of each screen pic.

9. Modify Main Screen gadgets for all Arab forces.

10. Modify battlegraph gadget on Debrief Screen.

I have completed step 1 already.  

[Stwa]

step 2 complete.  

[Stwa]

Step 3 complete.  

[Stwa]

Testing: now that all the data has been modified, I can run the game and verify that the icons are properly matched with each team.  

[Stwa]

Testing: Check the Fixed Wing and Rotary strikes for ARMY and OPFOR, and be sure they are getting the right vehicles. My testing revealed that I needed to put the Russian aircraft ahead of the NATO aircraft in the Vehicles database before everything was good.  

[Stwa]

Now, I am gonna test OPFOR strikes. If everything checks out, then all the new data works OK, and its clear sailing from here, since everything else is just graphics mods.  

[ScnelleMeyer]

Looking good Stwa!  

Makes me wish I had more time to do stuff like this..

[platoon_michael]

Wood Rubble from explosions in the middle of the desert?

Or is that the hidden entrance to King Tut's tomb?

[Stwa]

Uh-Huh ... Oops   [impersonating Barney the purple dinosaur]

[Stwa]

OK, moving right along.

I need to fix a few icon errors. There were some black flecks in the Syrian Army flags that I need to correct, and since there is still plenty of BG Icon space, I decided to add the Kurds.

It doesn't make much sense to add all these factions, if there is not some differences among them, and for that I have upped (by 1), the training and experience values for the Syria and Free Syria forces.

Here are the Kurds.  

[Stwa]

The Syria Icons are fixed.  

[Stwa]

Some of the Ebro maps might work for Northwest Syria. But, my guess is most of the fighting is in the cities and towns, not in the rural areas.

I have been agonizing on how to get maps for this mod. But, I am going to use the AFR 40 maps and some Ebro maps. I am going to change their names and use fictional classifications like I did with the CCM Modified set I did along time ago. So maps will be classified as either Coastal, Desert, Mountain, Rural, or Airport/Airbase.

I am trying for 20 maps. I should be able to pull it off, since AFR and Ebro have about 90 maps altogether.

[Stwa]

Here is AS Coastal 2.  

[Stwa]

OK, I jumped ahead a bit and completed step 8.

I am still deliberating on what I want to do with steps 4-7.

[Stwa]

Unlike other re-releases, CCMT will only support 2 terrain flags, morale bars, overview icons, etc... Since I am just using flags on on the BG Icons for multi nations, the game itself really doesn't support more than 2 nations at a time.

So, for the national icons, bars, etc... I decided to use Syrian and Free Syrian.  

[Stwa]

With the completion of the morale markers and now the overview icons, steps 4 and 5 are complete.

I made these larger than the ones I had shown before. Check em out.  

[Stwa]

The only way to be able to use all national insignia for this plugin, is to create 2 plugins. Arab Spring - Libya, and Arab Spring - Syria. I may do that.

Another thing, I discovered that the green color that I used on the Libya insurgent icons was too dark. It was the same color I use for the Libya Army flag, which is really darker than the green that apears on other Arab national flags. So, I had to fix the BG Icons and I fixed the overview icons too.

Anyway, here are the Libya overview icons in game.  

[Stwa]

OK, I decided to do 2 plugins, AS-LIB and AS-SYR.

The only differences are the national insignia, terrain flags, morale and VL markers, and overview icons.

When I started the project, I was going to make terrain flags and VL invisible and describe their locations in the OP-ORDER. But in the end, I abandoned that idea as too extreme.

So, steps 6 and 7 are complete. You can always use the option dialog box to make these invisible anyway.

I still have a few steps to do, like the main and debrief screen gadgets.

But, the plugins are totally operational.  

[Stwa]

Well, I was able to download and use 22 maps.

14 are from Afrika 40, and they make up 1 Airfield, 6 Coastal and 7 Desert maps. These maps are very nice, and although they are for WW2 are still convincing enough for Arab Spring.

8 maps are from Ebro, and somewhat less convinving than the Libya maps. There are 4 rural and 4 mountain maps. None have trenches. These maps would probably be sufficient for NW Syria and for any agricultural area in West Syria.

Of the two maps sets, I favor Africa, but the desert there would proably not look much like any desert in Syria. For some reason me thinks Syria desert would be rocky, and not so much an African desert?

[Stwa]

So, for anyone putting together their own Libyan War of Arab Spring, you can use this as a "campaign map".

Me thinks there is no real frontline.  

Which makes it perfect for CCMT.