[Pete]

Hey all,

I am in the process of converting our Ortona '43 mod from CC5 to Cross of Iron. The conversion is based on the West Front mod to make things a little easier for me. The Ortona maps are being converted to COI. This means that all maps have to be recoded to the COI elements file -which can be done fairly quickly- and that they have to be turned and flipped in order to represent the correct direction of attack while maintaining correct shadow direction.
Currently it is in playable state but the map coding needs refinement.

Pete

[ScnelleMeyer]

Thanks for the update Pete! - Good work your doing on this one - looking forward to playing it in COI-mode. I hope it will be as hard as it was in CC5:D

[Pete]

[ScnelleMeyer]

Did you look into implementing some of TT-tricks ? - The hardest game in the series is in my opinion CCMT and its elements file is in large responsible for it IMO - Might want to check up on your elements file - see if something can be done there?

[dj]

Yes thanks Pete.  I never could get CC5 working in compatibility mode in Windows 7.  Always wanted to try your Ortona mod, good stuff!

[Pete]

To answer your question about converting Ortona to Gateway to Caen: there are things not to like about the forcepool and battle group system of the latest versions  PiTF and GtC. It's complicated and in order to add units to the forcepool you can only do so by creating  platoon sized units as a minimum. It is far more difficult to get the units in your roster than in COI . Suppose you lose 1 or 2 units you can not replace them individually.
Apart from that , I intend to use the Ortona COI data as a basis for a conversion of the Scheldt mod to COI.

[Pete]

[ScnelleMeyer]

TT- Was the guy behind TT-VETBOB of CC4. It made playing against the AI quite a challenge.

Here is a link to a short interview with him:
http://www.closecombat.org/csoforums/viewtopic.php?f=172&t=10167&p=73992&hilit=tt%2C+interview#p73992
 
Basically coding changes for vehicle and infantry teams, stacking VLs to make AI attack and smaller maps.

Regarding COI elements - dont have experience on modding COI, but I have an OK understanding of the elements file itself. - I will take a look and at it and get back to you.

[Pete]

[ScnelleMeyer]

I had a feeling you knew:) - I think you are on the right track, just keep in mind that support units means variety and change. To few might make for boring play IMO.
The main difference I found while quickly scanning COI and CCMT elements are that HINDRANCE values are upped a great deal in CCMT especially for building elements.

Infantry are generally to easy to spot in the other releases. - And if you see them... - You can kill them. Often in CCMT I recieve enemy infantry fire and have a hard time finding the hidden enemy. I think this is both more realistic and harder.

[dj]

Any chance you can make the single player mod version later?  Thanks again Pete for your efforts.

[reconscout]

WOW!!!!!! this sounds great, I enjoy playing COI and so does my son. Thank you for all your work Pete. I look forward to playing this mod.

[Pete]

Quick update: since I have never been completely happy with the coding of the Ortona CC5 maps I am now reviewing them and improving coding where necessary. This will of course delay the COI conversion because the reworked maps will have to be converted again . Most of the work is now in recoding and reconverting. Datawise it is just a matter of details. Battles play without issues.

[Pete]

New update: I have converted the recoded CC5 maps again to COI. Turned out I was still not very happy with the LOS on some maps. Due to the excessive height differences tanks had commanding LOS across the maps so that infantry were sitting ducks. I decreased the elevation in most maps (the COI maps) and went back to testing. In the process I am designing battles and operations.

[Pete]

Now, on the subject of designing Operations I need some help. I created a 4 map Op, played it and occupied 3 maps at the end of the Op. Yet, my result was a 'major defeat' . I was the attacker.
So , how are victory conditions determined?

[reconscout]

Sounds great what you re doing so far, not sure how the game engine decides what is the result of a battle. When you fought each map you were given a result for that map right? Not sure if COI shows an overall result for a campaign on several maps. It has been awhile since I played but I believe CC3 didn't and COI is based on that games engine.

[dj]

Anyone know how to modify CoI victory conditions?

[Pete]

Brake replied to my question on the Close Combat fb group. However, it didnot answer my question on how I lost the Operation with 3 of 4 maps in my possession. I understand that the number of VL's, casualties play a role and I did better with both.

[mick_xe5]

[Pete]

It was the result of the Operation Debrief. The Battle Debrief was Total Victory or Major Victory I think.
So the results were in terms of casualties 1:2 in my advantage, I had 3 out of 4 maps completely under my control and roughly 65% of the VLs. I had at least 250 requisition points remaining.
On the other hand: I had 2 teams more to start the campaign with and somewhat more requisition points throughout the operation. The last battle was over quickly because my opponent had less than half of my teams.