Mega New Elk WIP

[Black_Elk]

Ok just saving these here, cause I have them scattered everywhere. At 96px and 24px

I have been trying to create some upscales that would work with the larger unit sets or the UHD

This has been done a thousand times probably, but I'm a stickler I guess lol. I have included some alternative variants, just for completion and since some of the traditional OOB designs are invented or anachronistic, I took some similar liberties. Examples would be like for Anzac, since I recall that old thread with the clutch quotes https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/24984/was-there-an-anzac-roundel

Since it wasn't like a separate air force or anything in WW2, sorta just went the invention route here. The film Gallipoli came out in 1981 so maybe that sorta hit around the time that A&A did in the States, who knows? I wanted to put the Kiwi see if I could make him ride on the Kangaroos back wearing a crown but that doesn't really show up very well hehe.

Instead I put the Kiwi inside the Kangaroo's heart, where it doesn't show up, but bounces together in spirit I guess lol

Anyway the RAF night roundel or the RAF type C with the thinner yellow border seemed to make sense for Pacific forces, after they ditched red inside to avoid confusion with the Japanese red sun hinomaru. The modern Kangaroo by itself worked alright I thought I just sorta mashed em together. Included both just in case anyone want's to try something different. Did the same for some others like Italy, or to give an Alt for I had laying around.

[RogerCooper]

@black_elk The kangaroo symbol for Australia only goes back to 1956 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Australian_Air_Force_Ensign, but it so cute that it should be used. The kiwi flag for New Zealand is not historical at all but it is a nice symbol.

[Black_Elk]

Yeah I tend to agree, sometimes we have to make little compromises for the vibes hehe.

This is the earliest example I could find from around the era... although it's pretty clearly from after the War, since they know the end date1941-45 haha. Probably a remembrance deal there...

I thought about trying to use that design for the Roo the, but just seemed simpler to go with the more formalized shape from later on. Of course there's bound to be lag between say first appearance and official adoption, so I suppose it's possible it could go back to WW1 or whatever. Also when like google image search/Wikipedia become the primary way to hunt stuff down, and then trying to match expectations from other games. I think people just get used to seeing the anachronisms and then assume they must be accurate, when usually it's some sort of novel design. Also like once we go with one invention, and pandora's box is already opened.

You know like if we're already going there for Germany and Italy, might as well go for broke and try to get the colors to play well with each other haha. Between the OOBs from A&A or the HBG decal sets, I can usually get a sense for what works or what's floating around, and then just try to recreate whatever motif from similar materials. I also enjoy it when stuff leans historical, but only to an extent. I feel like boardgames and computer games are not really in the same category as say an Encyclopedia Britannica or some illustrated history tome to be read by adults and academics. Ages 12+ or 14+ suggests to me that things need to be a bit more Saturday morning cartoon style sometimes. Even if it makes the history buffs grumble, we gotta tow the line there I think. My rubric to follow is basically old Hollywood flicks from the Golden Age of the Silver Screen, plastic army men and GI Joe. I feel like that's generally the way to go for this stuff. Customizers can always customize to their tastes, but long as it works for the basic thrust of the thing with the default package.

[Black_Elk]

Ran another quickie Hard AI vs itself. Felt pretty solid

I think Axis stabilize pretty well in the midgame. Computer USA foot drags it a bit into N. Africa, but I think juicing them any more at the outset would probably just make it too easy for computer Allies to get a leg up right away, while also making things rather less interesting when playing as Allies vs computer Axis. Overall not too shabby for a split by teams from rounds 5-8 or thereabouts when things start to either swing towards one side or settle into more of a stalemate. In this one France did pretty well by hanging on Syria and then using it as a resistance wedge to stall Axis convergence. Seemed like Computer Japan was poised to secure East Africa for them, but then India cracked back and ejected them from Bombay. Pretty fun to watch from the peanut gallery.

I think instead of tweaking the opener much more, I'd just go with income modifier for the computer, something like 10%-15% to the enemy team for a challenge, maybe up to like 125% if controlling the whole side Axis or Allies. I think that prob takes care of the lower income powers getting bombed off the board, since the income cushion sorta takes care of that, and pad the transports buys a bit.

I'm sure I'll be playing BG3 for the foreseeable future, so probably could just roll this for now and see how it pans out.

I think probably at this point we could noodle the place again for the visual on launch. I couldn't decide on which roundels I preferred, I ended up using the 1943 roundel for USA, and switched a few others just to see which ones felt cool. I think most of them held up pretty well, so more down to flavor preference I guess, or whatever seems easier to distinguish at a glance.

Save and a couple screens from that last bout into round 10 spectating hehe

2025-4-19-UHD-WIP-1940-45.tsvg

For me the UI displays like so at the 1600p default Font 150%. Still has some jank with the interpolation applied there, but not too bad. I think should be serviceable

[beelee]

@black_elk

I'll get back to this soon. Or hopefully I will. So, just need the new flags then ? Don't worry about the units ? Or should I use the new ones as default and put the others in a separate folder for folks to swap if they want ?

[Black_Elk]

@beelee Yeah I say do what you feel, whichever ones look best to you

I tried my hand at the Ironman, USA vs computer Axis with 125% income boost to the machine. Didn't quite get there lol

2025-4-21-UHD-WIP-1940-45_USA_vs_Axis_125_Round_11.tsvg

Mostly KJF plan with what felt like a moderate press vs the Med. G went pretty monster with the extra money! I didn't think we'd quite have the juice to liberate France with our computer pals pursuing their own agenda, but we did make a little blast vs the Balkans over there which had us feeling like we made a contribution. Although perhaps not enough to keep the Soviets in it to win it lol.

Japan has been fighting tooth and nail for the home island. It was pretty entertaining on the water hehe