12/22/2009

New Icon Ideas

Here are some icon issues:
  • Standardize icon format for compatibility between PGX and PGF, both in graphic format and in standardized unit slots (so we know #35 is Tiger I so that multiple efiles work with multiple icon sheets in multiple games)
  • Pick a style (SSI "monochromatic" or more color? Larger aircraft icons? PG2 icons (slightly overhead view and large infantry)? Overhead view to match overhead view of map?)
  • Provide information about the unit in or on the icon, such as a flag to denote "bazooka" or "'43" infantry or an airborne symbol to denote airborne guns and vehicles that will ot be evident from the information box, so you can tell at a glance of the map without having to move the mouse to the unit
  • A game that reads the efile and displays tiny icons (a parachute for airborne, a mattock for mountain movement) on the unit icon will require fewer unit icons (you would not need to make another PaK36 unit icon with the airborne symbol)
Here are some icon experiments:

The first two show a parachute symbol that could denote airborne HW, mortars, ATG, artillery, and vehicles (and, for consistency, a standard infantry with new airborne symbol could replace the SSI icon of some Sad Sack dragging a white parachute across Europe).

Next is a Pack Mule transport that is similar to the cavalry icon.

The others show a single soldier to denote an infantry unit (or light artillery unit), which is consistent with cavalry or armor units that show a single cavalryman or tank (not a cluster of tanks).

The type of figure could tell you the type of unit, as indicated in the examples.


The sizes and artwork are rough for the experiment but this gives a general idea of the icons on the map.


If making the icons smaller leads to two soldiers per icon, the "lead" soldier can indicate type (conscript, reserve, grenadier, etc.) and the following soldier can switch from rifle to bazooka for "43" infantry.

However, cavalry works with one soldier and a one-soldier icon can denote bazooka with a tiny symbol or flag.

Update 12/23/09

All the icons here are no bigger (taller) than the original PG cavalry icon (within a certain margin of error). Any smaller and the horses usually look very bad and the men are close to being stick figures again:

Update 12/26/09

Here are the color single-soldier infantry icons with color vehicles made by others (different contrast levels but gives a general idea):


Here are "monochromatic" single-soldier infantry icons with standard PG vehicles (different contrast levels but gives a general idea):

2 Comments

Anonymous luckyfelow@yahoo.co.uk said...

this is great but how can i get hold of the game?

Blogger AGW said...

Hello. You might get the original games through eBay, get customizations through http://panzercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=37222 , get the PGF interface through http://panzercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45039 , and get AGW efiles through http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/agworkshop/ .

Track progress of customized icons at http://panzercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45004 .