Author Topic: Operation Husky patches (Read 8419 times)

Krusty · « **on:** May 17, 2007, 10:43:52 PM »

2 points

1) I know the scenario hasn't begun yet, but this can take a long time. Don't see why we can't start now

2) I don't want to clutter the Battle of Britain thread with Op Husky patch discussion (it's cleaner this way).

I had an idea for a patch. Still kind of rough right now. I wanted opposing forces, as if fighting for Italy itself. One early idea I had included rocky mountainous terrain under the axis side (as if defending Italy from seaborne invasion). The fight would be against a light blue sky backdrop (where we focus in this game). In my head I had put in one of the stronger symbols Italy used, the Fasces, right along the center as a split down the left and right. The allies and the axis would be represented by a P40, B24, 109, and C205 silhouette. I drew this all out on paper with pencil while at work.

When I got home I started up Photoshop and have this so far. I incorporated my early idea by having Italy itself represented by the mountainous terrain underneath the sky (in the center).

It uses only 7 colors. No merrowed edge. It has a thin black border but is similar to Stalin's Fourth at the edge (which has a thin border at the edge but no merrowing).

I wanted to present a second idea as well, having the Fasces higher, and the sky behind it on the left be a US roundel (star on blue) and the left being a LW cross (black and white) but this screwed up things with the planes on the background, made it far too dark, and blended the axe blade on the fasces into the star on the US roundel, so I totally scrapped that idea.

I wanted to come up with an idea that incorporated some idea of defending Italy. Let me know what you think.

EDIT: I plan to remove the radio masts from the 2 planes and the tail wheel from the 109. Need to simplify it, or it won't show up well in patch form. NO markings on the planes themselves. They are far too small and it'll just be blobs of thread if they try to replicate it.

Odee · « **Reply #1 on:** May 18, 2007, 02:59:43 AM »

Shweeeeeet! Leave the masts, take the wheels.

BlauK · « **Reply #2 on:** May 18, 2007, 09:35:17 AM »

Good start

Howabout replacing the mountain with map of Sicily? It may be difficult to make the mountain shape self-evident... as recognizable mountain.

In my experience, the plane silhouettes should also be larger.

One idea might also be to choose between a mountain/map and the fasces. Having those both may be one theme too many. Usually the simpler the better.

Keep it up

Krusty · « **Reply #3 on:** May 18, 2007, 09:41:45 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by BlauK
One idea might also be to choose between a mountain/map and the fasces. Having those both may be one theme too many. Usually the simpler the better.

Good point! And you've just sparked an idea. Unfortunately, I can't play with it until I get home.

I just thought about 2 major changes when reading your post:

1) take the planes out, replace them with the nose of a P-40 (from the canopy to the nose) on one side, but much larger, and just the nose of the C205 on the other side, but much larger. The tails would be cut off by the border of the patch.

2) Remove the mountains behind the Fasces and play arond with something else. I haven't decided what, but I'll think of something. I really wanted to keep the land in there, but if it doesn't help the patch I have to learn to cut it out!

Random thoughts:

One idea I had after posting my initial idea was to take the Fasces and make it smaller. Remove the planes. Put the entire shape of Italy in the center with a blue water background. Italy is at a 30-degree angle almost, so I'd put the smaller Fasces and a LW cross on the water northeast of Italy, and a US star and RAF roundel southwest of italy over the water. I think it's a different approach, but a weaker idea.

BlauK · « **Reply #4 on:** May 18, 2007, 09:57:35 AM »

In the idea 1) you could maybe have some water at bottom and then some land and mountains far in the horizon below the planes as a fairly thin horizontal section.

... an additional thougth.. some landing crafts in the water.

Krusty · « **Reply #5 on:** May 19, 2007, 01:48:26 PM »

Well, here's what I have after a session of working on it.

I work sort of like a brain storm. Try one thing, see where that leads, try another... The file itself has undergone 20+ changes (and I have iterations of them saved for backup purposes).

These are the current mutations. I like the idea of breaking the internal border and using the outer edge.

The original version, Version "G"

Version "L"

Version "M"

Krusty · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2007, 10:19:10 AM »

Well I heard from Gaiden on vox that he liked "M" best. I think that's my current favorite as well. Doesn't seem many others care to discuss this yet. Perhaps I should table it and come back at a later time?

Thanks for the help Odee and BlauK.

BlauK · « **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2007, 11:05:35 AM »

Krusty,
I think there are still a bit too many elements which are a bit too small.

Maybe, e.g., USAAF star, Italian AF 3x black fasces in a circle and just Sicily without Italy mainland.. and larger plane sihouettes could do the trick.

btw. Fasces could be at top left and star at bottom right, to present more real loactions of the forces.

Krusty · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2007, 11:11:18 AM »

That could work, too.

I didn't think the average person could identify Sicily without Italy next to it, though.

Krusty · « **Reply #9 on:** May 23, 2007, 11:31:38 PM »

I've got some idea for a new version. Won't be able to work on it until this weekend, though.

Roscoroo · « **Reply #10 on:** May 23, 2007, 11:52:24 PM »

Here it is resized down to were the other patches are .(yes, i held a BoB patch over it ) so it fits on my pc ... tee hee

they avg 3 inches so get out your tape measure thats what they need to be compressed down to . Hope this helps

Krusty · « **Reply #11 on:** May 24, 2007, 09:29:55 AM »

I figured it would be downsized, which is why I've been keeping the plane silhouettes "larger". I figure it's better to work large and just look at the proportions, and resize it later.

Krusty · « **Reply #12 on:** May 24, 2007, 11:18:03 PM »

It's changed quite a bit now.

If you like anything from any of the previous ones, would like to see "this part" on "that patch" or whatever, I'm very open to suggestion!

Here's what I had, 2 variations of the same, then I thought "hrm.. well if folks think that's a little crowded, how about an alternate of both?" so I pulled off the insignia on either side.

BlauK · « **Reply #13 on:** May 25, 2007, 10:04:37 AM »

I have been wondering the fasces symbol you have proposed, but then I found this link

I would rather use the 1940-1943 symbol. At least to me it is more common and more well known.

...and make the emblems (US and Italian) the same size

Krusty · « **Reply #14 on:** May 25, 2007, 10:25:41 AM »

I thought that this symbol would be more recognizable, when I first sketched it out on paper. The symbol changed, but I think some fighters still had the Fasces near the cockpit.

I could just drop it and put in a LW cross instead?

P.S. The US roundel and the fasces are the same size. I put one over the other to compare, to make sure they were the same. I think the white border around the Italian one makes it look smaller.

As another thought, I could just remove the plane shapes and make malta take up the entire center area (on top of the same blue field) and have the text "Operation" and "Husky" (or "June" and "2007") stay exactly where it is.

IMO that seems a little bland, but it could work.