[stratweg]

After learning some things in CCMT modding during last weeks, and working French Mod and Gaza mod to do some little tests about modding possibilities of the game, my conclusion was that : before to create specialized mods, CCMT needs a complete refund/reorganization of oobs and parameters in a generic way, to create conditions of interessant gaming with.

Sample : The capacity of penetration of weapons : It would be more better to have a unic and generic scale from 0 (max) to 100 (max). 0 to 100 will not means 0 mm to 100 mm, it will just be a simply generic scale (abstraction).
And same for all other datas/parameters
To base parameters on a “realistic” scale (meters, mm, etc) is in my opinion an error that conducts this game to be not very playable in funny conditions.

So, I will prepear first a generic mod : “GUERRILLA MOD - AWM (Asymetric War Modelization)“ => Specific & generic mod for CCMT

It will conduct to a new conception of CCMT, and it will use :

1/ A generic ARMY oob (regular forces) with :
=> All classical military units (but only one unic type for each : one tank type, one APC type, one IFV type, one HMG type, one MMG type, etc : one type for each but all kind of units/weapons without exception will be represented)
=> Counter-guerilla units (special forces and paras) with the same model
=> Some new units concepts I added to CCMT (units that I have already prepared/implemented/tested for my French mod, they work fine in game) :

   – Combat helicos on ground (attack rockets and HMG helicos)
   – Transport helicos on ground (with large transport capacity)
   – Medical hélicos (to evacuate heavy damaged teams)
   – Ambulances APC (to evacuate heavy damaged teams)
   – Medical and assistance teams (inf) with one little “house rule” for human player
   – FO Observer with reco drones and attack drones
   – Enginers destructors (sabotages)
   – Civilians/otages
   – Flamethrower teams

2/ A simplified OPFOR oob, with very specific and adapted paramaters that will create more difficulty for human player ARMY vs OPFOR (guerrilla). OPFOR OOB will have also no armed and immobilized vehicles and depots, that will have to be destroyed by ARMY enginners during missions.


The mod will has to be played only :
=> as human ARMY vs AI OPFOR
=> as human ARMY vs human OPFOR

Each scenario will have his own definited objectives (independent or the vanilla game process). Objectives of missions will be :
1- Capture victory objectives (vanilla game)
And/or :
2- Destroy some enemy vehicles or enemy materials (“Search and destroy” operations) : they will be hidden on the maps and ARMY player will have to search, find and destroy them to success the mission
3- Save civilians & otages
4- Find on map some “guerilla chiefs” and to kill them

Some little “house rules“ (voluntary restrictions) will apply to Human player :
a/ MEDICAL RULES (obligation for player to conduct medical evacuation of all heavy damaged teams)
b/ CIVILIAN RULES (restrictions for these “units” in terms of movements and/or actions)
c/ DRONES RULES (restrictions of use)
d/ ENGINNERS RULES (restrictions of use : only these units may attack “enemy material depots” to be destroyed)
The goal of these little restrictions will be to create more difficulty for human player vs AI when he uses new units implemented in the game.

SIMPLIFIED OPFOR OOB will be that

REDTEAMS
HQ GUERILLA COMMAND
GUERILLA BAND x12 (6 RIFLES, 1 SNIPER, 1 RPG, 2 AT, 1 MG, 1 RGL/AGL) : these guerrilla band, with 12 mens for each, will allow important forces for OPFO : 12 x15 = 174 mens, so approx 2 compagnies : heavy force for a guerrilla side.
TANK  
ARMORED CAR
APC
PICK-UP
TRUCK
MORTAR 60 mm
MORTAR 81 mm
NO-ARMED & IMMOBILIZED TRUCKS/MATERIAL DEPOTS
(to be destroyed by ARMY enginners)

SOLDIERS
Rifle soldier
Sniper
RPG
RGL/AGL
AT (short range)
LMG
MMG
OPFOR soldiers (guerrilla) will have heavy protection parameters to simulate their
high capacity to be “invisible”and their weapons will be very light in weight.
And opposite for ARMY soldiers : their weapons will have heavy weight (lot of fatigue) and their protection will be lower : units of ARMY oob will move more slow and they will be more vulnerable because more “visible” than guerrilla troops. The game does not allow to set a “visibility parameter” for types of units but I will modelize that by other way.
To compensate, weapons of ARMY will have (like in vanilla game) better values than OPFOR Weapons (obsoletes weapons)
To compensate the low speed of ARMY inf units, the helicos of ARMY oob will have a high speed (max) and high transport capacity.

WEAPONS
Assaut Rifle
Sniper rifle
RPG
RGL/AGL
AT (short range)
LMG
MMG
HMG

VEHICLES
TANK (obsolete model)  
ARMORED CAR
APC
PICK-UP TRANSPORT
PICK-UP MORTAR
PICK-UP GUN
PICK-UP AT
PICK-UP HMG
TRUCK
NO-ARMED & IMMOBILIZED TRUCKS/MATERIAL DEPOTS
(to be destroyed by ARMY enginners)

The mod will come with arabian voices I have collected to replace Russian voices
(sample in attachment)

[Antony_nz]

Interesting

[stratweg]

CCMT is a fascinating sytem to be modded : this game has a very great potential

SCHNELLEMEYER : 2 DATA QUESTIONS, please

1°/ QUESTION
Col 15 to 42 in BLUETEAM gives the “soldier list” parameter.
Looking MBT ABRAHAM, this tank has a crew of 4 mens (parameter given by col 124 in VEHICLE)
These 4 mens are (in this order), for “soldier list”parameter : 23, 23, 14,23
Ok.
But my question is that :
a/ Seems a little bit curious : why not 23,23,23,23 ? (14= soldier with M240 MG Bipod mount  : a little bit curious for a crew member...)
b/ May these parameters be changed as we want, for example in : 23,23,23,23 ?

2°/ QUESTION
The function of col 124 in VEHICLE is to set the number of crew for each vehicle
Ok.

The text of this colum 124 indicates that : Number of crew. Crew positions are automatically set at: 0 = Commander, 1 = Driver, 2 = Gunner, 3 = Loader, 4 = Asst. Driver, 5 = Asst. Gunner, 6 = Asst. Loader
Ok.

Looking MBT ABRAHAM, this tank unit has a parameter = 4 in col 124 VEHICLE. It’s mean that this tank has then a crew of 4
Ok.

But my question is :
in BLUETEAM col 43 to 46, this same MBT Abraham has “TYPE SOLDIER” parameters = 5,10,26,20
According the “type soldier" table, it’s means that :
5= Vehicle Commander
10=Gunner
26=Loader
20=Driver

1/ Why are these parameters different from the crew positions definite in col 124 VEHICLE ?
By example :
In col 124 VEHICLE, driver is in second position (after commander)
In col 43 to 46 BLUE TEAM (SOLDIERS TYPE), driver is in last position

2/ The only logical answer is that “crew position” is a different thing than  “type soldier”.
Ok.
But in this case, what is the exact function of “crew position” indicated by col 124in VEHICLE and “automatically set” ?

3/ Mays the parameters col 43 to 70 blueteam  be changed as we want ? If yes
(I think it may be the case), again the only solution is that “crew position” is a different thing than “type soldier”. And again in this case, what is the function of “crew position” definited by col 124 in VEHICLE ?

I would want to clear these questions before to begin heavy modifications

[stratweg]

The mod will comes with a little colored excel tool that will allow players to modify without difficulty all parameters of the mod as they prefer => I use actually this tool to work datas of the mod

Attached : work in progress with this tool (at this time, datas are "in mess" and not valid,  I am just creating/testing base of indices parameters 0-60, 0-100, 0-500,0-1000 etc

Some units, soldiers , weapons  or vehicles are missing and will be added

Schebellemeyer: If you read this post, please : see my 2 new data questions above :wink:

EDIT : Seems that my flame eginners squads will be a little bit dangerous... :roll:

EDIT : Founded a way to make infantry more fast or slow : If you set all weight parameters = 0 (weapons and clips), you create à "basic point" that gives relativly fastv infantry squads
After that, you have just to adjust these weight parameter to create : (as you want to do)
1/ Some unit that are more slow
2/ An entire oob with slower infantry than opponent (that's what I will do in the mod)

With these manipulations, your weight parameter will become absolutly irrealistics but it has no any importance if you respect reasonnable proportions between light units and heavy units (units with heavy weapons)

Updated the databook tool in work

[stratweg]

Working on SCALE ARMOR PIERCING INDICES, I would need some advices about the scale I plane to build

Attached is the image :
Left col = weapons
Right col = target that may be destroyed
Central col : the armor indice that weapons can pierce and that target have


In the list :

- "UN VEHICLE" is light united Nations vehicle (UN observers vehicle)
- LIGHT VEH is utility vehicle
- RECO VEH is a light vehicle with low armor
- SPECIAL OPS VEH is a vehicle with little armor and fast speed
- Light armored vehicle is a light "armored car"
- Armored car is a "heavy armored car"
- Light tank is light tank
- Medium tank is medium tank or obsolete tank
- MBT is modern tank

RPG =rocket anti personnel (HE)
RGL = rifle grenade
AGL = automatic grenade luncher
AT = Anti tanks (short range, medium range, long range)
MG = machine guns (LMG,MMG,HMG)
AT MINE= Anti tank mine

To build first a generic scale and a prime generic oob  will allow later to create  easely "specialized mod", with specialized graphs and images : French mod, Middle-East mod, etc

Schnellemeyer : If you read this post, please see my new 2 data questions in post above this one  
Questions posted one or two posts above Fri Oct 20, 2023 8:56[i]

[ScnelleMeyer]

[ScnelleMeyer]

1°/ QUESTION
Col 15 to 42 in BLUETEAM gives the “soldier list” parameter.
Looking MBT ABRAHAM, this tank has a crew of 4 mens (parameter given by col 124 in VEHICLE)
These 4 mens are (in this order), for “soldier list”parameter : 23, 23, 14,23
Ok.
But my question is that :
a/ Seems a little bit curious : why not 23,23,23,23 ? (14= soldier with M240 MG Bipod mount  : a little bit curious for a crew member...)
b/ May these parameters be changed as we want, for example in : 23,23,23,23 ?

a) yes, this is clearly the wrong soldier. The stock data has some very strange errors...
b) Yes you can change it to any soldier class you want.


2°/ QUESTION
But my question is :
in BLUETEAM col 43 to 46, this same MBT Abraham has “TYPE SOLDIER” parameters = 5,10,26,20
According the “type soldier" table, it’s means that :
5= Vehicle Commander
10=Gunner
26=Loader
20=Driver

1/ Why are these parameters different from the crew positions definite in col 124 VEHICLE ?
By example :
In col 124 VEHICLE, driver is in second position (after commander)
In col 43 to 46 BLUE TEAM (SOLDIERS TYPE), driver is in last position

Disregard the information given for this coloumn in the workbook about crewpositions are set automatically - they are not for CCMT. Only the newer Matrix releases does this.

2/ The only logical answer is that “crew position” is a different thing than  “type soldier”.
Ok.
But in this case, what is the exact function of “crew position” indicated by col 124in VEHICLE and “automatically set” ?

Coloumn 124 has to be seen as a counter for how many crewmembers this vehicles has defined.

3/ Mays the parameters col 43 to 70 blueteam  be changed as we want ? If yes
(I think it may be the case), again the only solution is that “crew position” is a different thing than “type soldier”. And again in this case, what is the function of “crew position” definited by col 124 in VEHICLE ?

No the soldier types for vehicles are restricted in CCMT. There is a certain order they must be entered and only certain types are allowed - at least for AT-guns I know this can be a problem. If you follow the same order and numbers as in the stock game - you should be good.

And by the way - there is no reason to "Ping" me in every post just because I havent replied yet. If I have the time I reply to your questions.

[stratweg]

Ok, thanks for reply, more clear now.

I have added in the game 2 sorts of drones pilot squads : anti personnel drones (HE), and AT drones : they work fine, with a adapted sound. Added also saboteurs engineers (with explosives TNT) : now, player will be able to see in CCMT the danger of drones for infantry and armors, like in Ukraine war.

[stratweg]

United Nations obervers teams are now implemented in CCMT. It will allow UN missions for ARMY forces (UN Observers made prisoners otage by Guerrilla, UN veh convoy to protect, etc)

[stratweg]

A graph question, please : Flags objective in principal map can be modified easely : no any pb with this process to edit terrain file.

These same flags objectives for the "unzoom-map" are in scren.gadget file, that can be edited with RBT tool

I did it and replaced the graphs in the 3 concerned  subdirectories : 0295 CMSPLITLARGEMARKER,0296 CMSPLITLARGEMARKER,02977 CMSPLITLARGEMARKER

The 3 subdirectories are those who contain the 3 tga images of mini flags objectives (ARMY, OPFOR and 50/50% flag) for the "unzoom map" (you obtain them when unpacking the ScrenGadg file)

After graphs modifications and re-packing the SrenGadg file, I had no any pb of crash game and game works normaly. But seems that my modification have no any effect : mini flags objectives stay at same vanilla look even when I use my new ScrenGadg file with modified mini glag objectives.

I searched in other gadget files and in terrain file, and I did not found any other file that may contain these 3 mini flags objectives : the only awailable are on screenGadget file in the 3 subdirectories described above

Perhaps these mini flags objectives are they hard coded in the exe ?

[ScnelleMeyer]

No, they are in one of the graphics files. Just can't remember which one right now.

[stratweg]

Ok, I will continue to search. Please say me when you will remember  

Attached : the 2 kind of drones I will implement as VEHICLES (in addition of the 2 attack drones squads I already implemented in CCMT, which work like sorts of distant mortars) : a large reco-anti tank drone (armed with 4 missiles AT) and a little reco anti personnel drone (armed with grenades charges)

There are in work, I will make them a little bit more dark to avoid high contrast on map

I took model on a image I found on the forum, concerning drone.
http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=94509#94509
Mines are less visible, but it's a good think for a drone

On this image, it's curious : the drone seems overpass on OPFOR infantry, I ask to me what is the definited class for this drone-vehicle... I experimented to attribute "air class" to the drones, but game crashes when I do that (and it does not crash if I attribute a "ground veh class")

[stratweg]

Another graph question, please : I explored the tex files and I have seen that each Tex contains a txt file named "Hot point"

In this file, there are always 17 lines (one for each of the 17 files in the text I think), and they give sort of coordinates that are always identical for each tex

Considering (by example) these coordinates for  the "aM1128_norm_hull_but" (type of stryker), I noticed that in this file the coordinates are 13,37

If I consider (after conversion in png) the look of the graph file for  "aM1128_norm_hull_but", I can see that the 13,37 pixel point seems to be the center of the place of turret for this vehicle.

So, my deduction is that the HOT POINT files lines in TEX file gives for each tga it contents the coordinates of the center or turret for turret rotation.
EDIT : And in addition, the center for smoke when destroyed.

Is it a correct interpretation ?

In the attached image is the graph of aM1128_norm_hull_but,  the little white pixel (I placed it) is the 13,37 point (I have placed a yellow circle to better see the white pixel)

In addition, by deduction with the hot point system above, I founded a little tip to give shadows to my new drones without to have to edit all the shadows files (lot of fastidious work for that, because it needs to rotate a great number of times the shadow graph for each unit)

[ScnelleMeyer]

I think you are correct, and I am sure this file is described in some of the manuals for the RTB tool by Mafi.

[stratweg]

Ok, thanks.

I founded a way to have shadows in game with my new drones without work shadows files (64 files to be edited would need too long time) : You have just to include the shadow in the graph of drone and place the hot points by a certain way.

Of course, there is a no symetric résult comparing other vanilla units, but only with drones it is not very visible. I created a empty spr file specimen of shadows directory (with 64 empty tga files) to erase vanilla shadows, I think this file may be used for all shadows, juste need to change the name of concerned the spr file.

I will follow same way to implement a CH47-CHINOOK (heavy transport helico) with high large transport capacity

[stratweg]

Attached is the CH-47 Chinook I will add in CCMT

The second helico is not mine, it comes from the mod RedStormRising (RSR) and I adapted his wings on a CH-47 CHINNOK I founded in WSPMBT icons (and a little bit modified in size)

I noticed something strange in CCMT : testing a way to have less vulnerable helicos, I set their armor to a value at 9000 for each part hull and turrets, to see what happend. But T 72 OPFOR had no any difficulty to pierce immediatly this armor and to destroy helicos. Very strange, because the databook gives for the T72 only a piercing capacity of 650 mm (gun of T72 = D-81TM 125-mm Cannon, class 49 in WEAPONS)

So, CCMT seems just to be a (very funny and addictive) game. But just a strategy game, nothing really seriously realistic

This constatations reinforce my conviction that a generic oob would be better than "realistic" parameters values in meters, mm, etc

Also attached is the empty shadows file (spr file) I use for drones, for those who want use it : It would be better to edit the 64 files contained in shadows spr, but it's a long and hard work to set the orientation of graph and to build the 64 files. In place of that, you have just to edit the tga files of tank.azp and to create a graph that includes (ar the place of  your choice) the shadows of drone or helico (and you have also to set the "hot point" file at the center of the drone or helico).

To use this empry shadows file, you need just to rename it with the name of the vehicle you want to use : the vanilla shadows of this vehicle will become invisible, and will be replaced by shadow of graph unit

[ScnelleMeyer]

That T-72 should not have even fired at the helicopter if you set ALL of its armour values to 9000. Either the game doesn't recognise the 9000 number, because its too high, or you have not entered it in all the correct places.

[stratweg]

Possible that 9000 was a "ignored paramers", it's effectivly very high

In case 9000 would not be recognized by the programm, I tested with"only"  900 mm
cf images : 900 mm armor for turret and hull, and in addition, all protection crews parameters (hull and turret) set on 512 (the max)

And exactly same result : T 80  do not destroy all helicos but they fire on all helicos and they can destroy some of them

T80 is given to pierce only max 650 mm in databook (not 900mm)

900mm  can not be a "non recognized" value like 9000 : In CCMT, some weapons can pierce more than 950 mm in data book (see by exemple AT-13 Saxhorn-2 ATM, that may pierce 950 mm armor)

We could suppose that perhaps it depends of the classe vehicle (col 1) we choice for helicos, but my attack helicos are in classe 1 (VEHICLES) = AFV = Armored fighting vehicles (exactly the same class than T 80).

We could also suppose that perhaps it depends of the unit type in BLUE TEAM (col 5) . But in this case, effectivity of parameters of WEAPONS.txt would depend of the class of unit in BLUETEAM (col5) and not of the type vehicle set in vehicle (col 1) : curious and unrealistic organization =900 mm armor are 900 mm armor, the fact that it is mounted on a tank, a AFV or other vehicle is the same

EDIT : Concerning the victory objectives files for "unzoom map : I finally founded them, not in scrngadg file but in Gamegadg file, mixed with more large interface files.

There are 6 files named   :

omvl + German (or american or Geramer depending of case) = 3 files
mmvl ++ German (or american or Geramer depending of case) = 3 files
 
The 3 files I founded precedently in scren.gadget file (0295 CMSPLITLARGEMARKER,0296 CMSPLITLARGEMARKER,02977 CMSPLITLARGEMARKER) are files that are used only for screen in end of game (victory or defeat)

[stratweg]

Helicos have been a little bit modified : One look for attack, and another look for transport or medical.
Same for CH-47  CHINOOK  (one for troops transport and one for medical evacuation : this one could be a "destruction objective" for OPFOR in secure mission : for example, if you have 3 or more groups of heavy wounded civilians to evacuate with your medical CHINNOK anf if it is destroyed, you fail the mission.

I will create a immobilized chinook in data book (or create "house rule" that human player may not move this helico before it is full of medical wounded and ready to start. And in scenarios, I will set an objective very near it... : OPFOR will probably comes to see what is around...

CH 47 will have a enormous transport capacity, more than basic helico. I will also explore if it would be possible to transport vehicles in this kind of helicos (but seems be problematic, I think, because transport capacity is not set in asbractive value but "in mens". One other critic for this game : It would have been more better to set all parameters with abstractive scales.

I also erase some white residual pixels in the original graph

[stratweg]

CH 47 in action on map : real monster helicos with enormous transport capacity. They will soon receive their shadows. OPFOR attack them by priority when has mortar : user of these helicos would have to take care... :roll:

The turret they have on their hull will be erased