Map retexture mods and PWCG

[Mtnbiker1998]

I was messing with some of these Kuban retextures today, they're pretty neat, and I was curious if it would be possible to implement some missions into the generator that could use these?

 

For a simple example, the Kuban winter mod. PWCG already has a pseudo Winter Kuban campaign using one of the "custom" East maps, but if the missions were just generated in the Kuban Autumn map with the proper dates set, a little message could pop up along the lines of "For best experience please activate the Kuban winter mod in jsgme" it could work quite well, right? The generator should be able to do its own thing the way it usually does, but when people go in game with the mod activated they'd see the winter version. It would be optional as those who don't download the mod would just fly the mission in the autumn version of the map. Assuming I'm not missing something (which I may very well be, please feel free to tell me I'm an idiot, lol) theres no reason this wouldn't work.

 

On another note, and one that would probably be MUCH more work, Would it be possible to make a North Africa campaign using the Kuban Desert retexture? Obviously this would require making a whole new front, with the proper planeset and all the work that entails, but in theory the generator should be able to do that, correct? And then when someone generated a mission and went into the game with the mod activated they would see all the nice retextures, and those who went into the game without the mod running would still have a perfectly playable mission with a historic NA-era planeset, just without the retexture work. Obviously this would come with the same disclaimer to activate the mods for the best experience.

 

In a similar vein, Maybe something for the Kuban Asia retexture too? I'd imagine this is less feasible, since we really don't have the proper planes to do this. There are a few Japanese skins out there for some of the planes, but it would be a very hacky experience.

 

Links for the retexture mods could be on the PWCG website, just like the skinpacks you already have. If I'm right about how all this works, they'd be optional just like the skins but would be available to provide the "best experience"

 

Obviously I'm not trying to make any demands for content here haha, just a thought I had, moreso a question about if something like this would be possible and maybe just put some ideas into your head Pat   You've already done plenty of amazing work for the community with your software.

[PatrickAWlson]

Awhile back I was in discussions with somebody modding Kuban for NA.  I said that I would work it once the map was done.  Haven't heard anything in awhile.  

 

The only change for Kuban Winter would be different settings in the header for season/terrain/etc.  I could have it off by default and let people turn it on if they chose to use it.  This assumes that no airfields or other map components were changed - just the textures.

[Mtnbiker1998]

1 hour ago, PatrickAWlson said:

Awhile back I was in discussions with somebody modding Kuban for NA.  I said that I would work it once the map was done.  Haven't heard anything in awhile.  

 

The only change for Kuban Winter would be different settings in the header for season/terrain/etc.  I could have it off by default and let people turn it on if they chose to use it.  This assumes that no airfields or other map components were changed - just the textures.

Thats good to hear about NA, and makes perfect sense. I remember the author wanted to completely redo the map with city names and things like that, looking at his thread over on the modding subforum it seems like there hasn't been too much in the way of updates, who knows whats going on there, hopefully he is well. 

 

As far as I'm aware the winter version is just retexture work, nothing else. I could be wrong but looking through the files its all texture stuff.

 

I remember awhile back starting a Kuban campaign and taking leave to see how the front line changed over time (wanted to see how far south it would go, I love the mountainous area of the map), and when Winter 42/43 came around my Kuban squadron was reassigned to an airbase on the east44 map. I figured that was a stand-in for Winter given the lack of one for the Kuban map. Would the fronts and airbases and everything need to be redone to be put back on Kuban for that winter period? Or did I stumble upon something else entirely and that period of the Kuban battle is already in the generator?