Reusing a force?

[scorpio_rocks]

Anyone know of a way to quickly and easily "re-use" a force in a different campaign or battle (rather than writing down or screen shooting the force composition and re-purchasing)?

[RightDeve]

I presume you've read this post?
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showp...29&postcount=6

Now, to re-use those battle-scarred troops, simply load the "Saved-game-turned-Scenario" on the Scenario Editor (aka Game Editor), and from there redraw the maps, and delete, add & deploy units for either you or the enemy's (using the BUY and DEPLOY buttons there). And you're done for the next battle.

Keep in mind the Experience/Morale rating doesn't increase if using this method. For that you need the Campaign string mechanism.

--------------

Now, if you're talking about re-using troops that are still fresh, it's simpler than that: load a Scenario on the Game Editor (Scenario that contains the troops you want to re-use). And then re-draw the maps, add/delete units, and deploy the troops, all using the buttons on the Game Editor. And then save it under a different scenario name. All without playing and saving and converting the saved file into SpScn file, as in the previous method.

[RightDeve]

There's something more:

The "D" shortcut key while deploying troops on the Game Editor (Scenario Editor) is a very powerful tool to edit the various statistics of each of the unit on the map. You can manipulate the ammunition counts, the weapons they're carrying, their speed, even the armor thickness, stabilizer, vision, EW ratings, damage/casualties, etc etc.

This, together with the trick I previously mentioned, AND, the Campaign string mechanism, allows the player to simulate extended combat engagement, and even the supply status for the next battle (low ammo, low fuel), replacement and damage of guns, equipment (the tanks' optics previously damaged are now restored), men (Pfc Joe just returned from his wedding back home). Coupled with the settings on the Preferences Screen, you can also simulate weather, climate, even fatigue (spotting low, inf toughness low, morale low), etc etc.

This is a mighty flexible game, provided one has the patience to invent & implement the abstract "operational-strategic rules" (e.g manual dice roll to decide Weather, and if it's Frost, more equipments and men damaged, OR, if this rear victory hex is taken, for the next battle the force is automatically isolated thus morale will be low and no supply -- lower ammo and lower speed, etc).

[scorpio_rocks]

Thanks - what I had in mind was something more along the lines of "I enjoyed that campaign - I would love to use the same force composition in another campaign against enemy B"

[RightDeve]

If it's a brand new Generated or Long campaign, I'm afraid there's no way to do that.

But there's a way if you're using the User Campaign mechanism. But it's so hilariously tedious & complicated I don't think it's worth it:


The key here is to save your last campaign game, convert it to scenario, load that scenario on Game Editor, flag all of your forces as Auxiliary units, set game length to 1 turn, save the scenario. And then put that scenario on Slot #1 of a User Campaign (the 2nd battle, because there's no Aux units on 1st battle), make sure the path for DL (decisive loss) is set to 2 (the next battle). Now, create a random battle using the Game Editor, buy only one unit A0 HQ for both sides, set game length to 1 Turn, save it as a Scenario, and then put it on Slot #0 of a User Campaign, i.e the 1st Battle, and then don't forget to also set the DL (Decisive Loss) value to 1, so you may advance to next battle without doing anything. Start that campaign and buy a new force (just a single unit, so your original force stays relatively pure without new units), and play the Campaign until 2nd Battle where your Auxiliary units appear. Play that 2nd Battle until turn 1, save the game, convert the game to Scenario and edit on Game Editor, remove the Auxiliary flags on all your original force, save that scenario, rename those scenario files into SpSv / saved-game format and place them back to Saved Game folder. Now, before you play that saved game, you must already prepare the next string of battles on that User Campaign (by creating random/auto-buy auto-deploy Battle saved as Scenario, then plugged into the User Campaign slot). Don't forget to set the Support Points, DL ML MV DV values on those Battles, BPR DIV, etc. Now, play that saved game, so you advance to the real battle, i.e Battle #3 onwards. Obviously because you somehow created the next battles too, there's less of dynamic surprise as in Generated/Long campaign.


The important thing to take from this ridiculous method is that even a Saved Game from a campaign, converted to Scenario to be manipulated on the Game Editor, and then converted back to a Saved Game to be played, when that battle ends the Campaign still moves forward as usual, thus not a one-off battle.

Cheers!

[scorpio_rocks]

You are right it probably is easier just to re-buy from scratch - but thanks for the explanation. It has certainly cleared a few things up and given me some other ideas!

Thanks!

[DRG]

In a couple of weeks if you own the CD version.......



Pressing that will allow you to save a game in progress as a scenario. Handy for scenario designers to craft a sceanrio as a "battle in progress"


Don

[Oche]

This is VERY useful for making "WTF" (Yes, you all know what WTF means ) unpredictable, "instant action" scenarios. Thank you.

[DRG]

All the smoke, wrecks, casualties etc are all transferred and saved just like a normal game but it will start play as turn one of a scenario

[Mobhack]

Its a way of having a scenario with stuff dead and damaged already, forces already in contact (and some of your stuff spotted already etc) some retreaters on both sides and so on.

It only works in a generated battle (not PBEM, campaigns etc) so you cannot save off a scenario to cheat an opponent, or to cheat yourself (other than a singleton battle generator scenario).

(Reminder to self - must check if it works playing a scenario as well. Not sure if that should be disallowed - it may be handy for scenario testers to be able to save off a snapshot, to see what the OPFOR is currently doing, and if a player does so - he is only cheating himself.)

The scenario save resets the clock to the initial turn. It can of course be loaded into the scenario editor to play with as well.