is game piece palette needed?

Module Design
1

Stalingrad and Blitzkrieg have both game piece palettes and at-start stacks. I think the palettes are hidden from the
players. I tried making a small game with only
at-start stacks and it seems to work. I’m about to build a bigger game and it would be simpler to add the game piece art only once.
Is this advisable? What functionality am I missing?

I’ve attached the game and a saved game.

Thanks very much
Stewart Strait

2

For now I’ve been assuming that there’s some hidden reason why the game piece palette is needed. It might depend on how you organize your game piece art on your computer, but in my case I was surprised to find out that it only took a minute or so extra to provide the palette. Since no one will be actually using it in play because of the at-start stacks, the palette doesn’t need any thoughtful organization.

I’m guessing that if my question were easy to answer the Vassal coding experts would have jumped in eagerly. More likely it’s at least slightly tricky and perhaps not worth investigating.

Thanks
Stewart

3

Stewart,

I almost always include a Pieces Palette.

If, for some reason, a piece is accidentally deleted during play, a player can go to the Pieces Palette and recover the deleted piece.

It is also easier to create the At-Start stacks by copying and pasting the pieces from the Palette onto the Stack.

Brian

4

Hi,

I decide from module to module.
Brian described a good reason why you should use it. It’s one of the reasons why I should it, too.
Anonther point is the “one time” creating of pieces. I use it if there are replacements. So I define the pieces in a hidden palette and use them. It’s easier as to build all in the original pieces.

5

brian448 suggests that a game piece palette could be used when a piece is accidentally deleted during play. While I’m taking his advice, I’d also like to know some of the ways these deletions can happen, so that I can avoid awkward mistakes.
Thanks very much.

6

Thus spake scs:

brian448 suggests that a game piece palette could be used when a piece
is accidentally deleted during play. While I’m taking his advice, I’d
also like to know some of the ways these deletions can happen, so that I
can avoid awkward mistakes.

Deletions can’t happen if you don’t provide the Delete trait on pieces.
Not providing the Delete trait can be annoying for users, however.

–
J.

7

That is interesting. Why do you think so? I’ve always been more annoyed be the necessity click on UNDO when accidentally deleted a unit in place of marking it as a disrupted (talking about Normandy’44 module here).

If there is a deadpile / graveyard, I find no use for a delete button–for units, at least. Markers, copy-able pieces–that’s another kettle of fish.

8

Thus spake grouchysmurf:

“uckelman” wrote:

Not providing the Delete trait can be annoying for users, however.

That is interesting. Why do you think so? I’ve always been more annoyed
be the necessity click on UNDO when accidentally deleted a unit in place
of marking it as a disrupted (talking about Normandy’44 module here).

If there is a deadpile / graveyard, I find no use for a delete
button–for units, at least. Markers, copy-able pieces–that’s another
kettle of fish.

I’ve come across a few modules where the designer gave some pieces a
Clone trait but no Delete trait. You end up accumulating pieces which
you can’t get rid of as a result.

–
J.