(11-23-2014, 11:11 AM)dwin Wrote: [ -> ]I am just getting back into this series and have some question about the mods.
1) The Volcano Mods - saw that these create alt scenarios using a new database. Does this change the existing OOB for the scenarios or are new ones created for the alternative scenarios?
2) Why couldn't I just use the MapMods without Volcano Mods? Outside of the alternative scenarios what would I be missing?
3) And then there are the mods by Phillipe_at_bay - it looks like that lets you get a different look for the zoomed out map which looks good - is there anything else?
Thanks in advance!
I'm not sure exactly which mods you're thinking of, but I think I have a sense of what is going on in Philippe's mods.
The mods for the Tiller games essentially fall into two categories: Napoleonic mods and Panzer Campaigns-related mods.
The Napoleonic series is a set of complete overhaul mods, changing the 2D graphics, 3D graphics, the presentation of the UI, the music, and many other features of the games to produce a consistent aesthetic product.
The Panzer Campaigns mods are less ambitious, but grew out of a preference for using wargame maps that give the illusion of being real maps, as well as a desire to get as many of the incidental details as historically authentic-looking as possible. I'm a big fan of Volcano Man's mods, but there are things that happen graphically in his mods that could be ironed out or simply done more to my taste. After much consultation we came up with a formula for presenting his material in my fashion (which essentially means that things like the little Nato symbols in the unit images always show up in exactly the same place in the image so you can tell at glance exactly what it is) -- material that is common to his mod and my mod only appears in his mod, which is why you always need to install his mod first.
My Panzer Campaigns-related mods are not total conversion mods like the Napoleonic mods. They make major changes to the 2D maps, and only minor changes to the 3D maps. If you want to stare at a 2D map that looks more like a real map and that allows you to turn the hex grid on and off when you need it, you should try one of my mods. If you always want to see the hexgrid and don't care if the map looks slightly antique or not, don't use my mod.
An additional note about my WW I campaigns mod(s). Apart from the map folder, the End of the Belle Epoque mod doesn't really work too well since the latest couple of patches, which is a shame since it's my favorite mod. I'm currently giving it an overhaul that should be done in the next few months (and when it's done there will be a companion mod for Prussia).
As to why you couldn't use Mapmods without installing Volcano man, you can, but you'd be stuck staring at out-of-the box Tiller artwork in the unit panels. If you don't care, fine (and if you don't care, that also means that you probably won't like my mods either, so save yourself the bother of downloading them).