Map Request

[klesh]

MC: Thanks, I've always enjoyed playing as those snazzy-dressed axis, and Stalingrad seemed so good for play as the Germans as well. Practically all the units are from various Nemo masterpieces, so you'll recognize nearly everything. But some are together in the scenario for the first time. I think the units, will be a strong suit of the scenario. (pretty much thanks to Nemo and Alex )
BTW, I'm going to finish, don't you worry. But you can kill me if I don't. I'll agree to that.

As a general update, things are going well. Heavy into trials of stats for units. Because one has nothing to base one's numbers on properly, I have to test many a combination of units with only sligh variations in stats. On a side note, this is one thing I hope does not frustrate the player...the number of simminlar-type units. I've noticed that mentioned in other threads regarding unit confusion. Hopefully that will all be aleviated via the Civlopedia entries.
WV: Good thinking, I'll burn me up a few copies onto CD.

The real meat of the scenario, which is the Stailingrad campaign in its various stages is generated soley by the events. This, at the moment doesn't exist. I've taken this point to hold up and tidy certain things up in the labels, game and rules.txt.
I have yet to decide the scope of the scenario. I don't know how long I will be able to keep the player's interest. There are 4 or 5 (can't remember, too late, too induced) stages to be played through, but as of yet, I don't know if they will require their own rules and events and units files. I don't know how big I want to make this yet. I've come to appriciate just how much work it is to have multiple files via a bat program. I may just want to get the scen out, and do the multiple event things for v1.1?

But alot of cool things have been done, and stuff is moving along nicely.
One thing that I don't understand is how to set time. There is a way to use a multiple I guess, because I've seen scenarios with months followed by a year. How do you guys suggest that I time a scenario that takes place over the course of say... Aug-Sept.'42 through Jan-Feb.'43? I think individual days might be too long. I suppose it has to do with unit movement values as well, because most of the infantry are move 1, very slow. It will depend on proper unit generation to not be cumbersome.
Any suggestions?


[This message has been edited by Field Marshal Klesh (edited May 04, 2001).]

[klesh]

Okay guys, here's another question.

I am wondering if tech obsolescence affects event-generation. I'll explain further by example:


Tech A- Given to the Germans at the start. In the events, if Germans have tech A then create units... let's say 20 miles outside the city.

I want the Germans to continue to recieve units every turn via having this tech, untill they earn another tech by capturing something. This new tech would be Tech B, and it would make tech A obsolete. Could I then make an event to move the unit generation spots to.. say 10 miles outside the city? I would of course want the units to no longer be generated at the 20 mile point.

Basically I want to be able to move the generation points closer to the city as the player succeedes in certain missions etc. I don't know if the events that create units from Tech A would stop once Tech B is given.

Could this be taken care of by adding another 'if' to the code? Somehow possibly asking for the presence of Tech B before the generation of Tech A units?

I haven't had any experience with this language...or any computer language for that matter, so excuse the base qualities of the proposition.

So would all that stuff up there work?
Any ideas as to how I can get that 'closer to the city' effct from my unit creation? Thanks.

FMK

[Henrik]

When tech B is aquired you could make the space where tech a placed units ocean, that way no more units would be generated there, this I am afraid is the only way atleast whitout multiple event files.

[klesh]

Hey fellas,

Its been awhile since I've posted about my progress. Slowly but surely I have been tinkering on this thing, and it is really starting to take shape nicely. The AI has had no problems with some of the more odd things I am having it do.

I still have this annoying dither effect going on... small bits of ocean and also the white cursor get stuck on certain graphics. Once the screen shifts it goes back to normal, so its no big deal. Hopefully you guys can spot the problem during playtesting.

She is almost ready to be tested, at least the opening stages that is. I still have a few things to decide about and then implement. I am not sure just how I want to cover reinforcements. Should they be based on merit or turn #? By merit, I mean that you kill this or that unit, and then are given some reinforcements depending on what you killed. But beyond that, I still have to figure a way to keep the reinforcements semi close to the front. I don't wanna give you an infantryman and make you move him across the whole map in order to get in the fray.

So we aren't too far away from the opening stages of testing, though I won't ask for people just yet. But jsut know that it is comming...

FMK.

[klesh]

I'm not sure if this will work, but here is a screenshot of elements of the 112th Inf.Div. and the 16th Pz. as they move behind the Orklova salient and begin their assault on the northern industrial section of the city. Their first objective is the suburb of Spartakova.

PS. I think the quality of the shot isn't that good because I had to make it a jpeg. I'm no good at this sorta thing.
Enjoy,

FMK

[Grothgar]

You could make it into a gif file. that doesnt take up too much room and it is much better in quality. but i know what you mean you have to have something that could save it as gif. so mspaint dont work on another note i would be very happy to playtest this when you allow playtesting

[Henrik]

Originally posted by Field Marshal Klesh
I still have this annoying dither effect going on... small bits of ocean and also the white cursor get stuck on certain graphics. Once the screen shifts it goes back to normal, so its no big deal. Hopefully you guys can spot the problem during playtesting.

That's becouse some parts of a basic terrain is transperent, when that happens the effects is that the cursor/terrain you clicked erlier/etc will fill up the space that's transperent.
Just mnake sure you haven't got any transperent (pink) in the main diamond.

Atleast that's the problem I had when making terrains for the scenario I am making (the symptoms of the problem where the same ones).

[Henrik]

Originally posted by Field Marshal Klesh
I still have to figure a way to keep the reinforcements semi close to the front. I don't wanna give you an infantryman and make you move him across the whole map in order to get in the fray.

Easy one
Just make the list of coordinates where the unit will be placed begin in the "city" fartest from where the civ receiving the unit "starts".

That way it will allways be placed in the "city" fartest away (nearer the front).

Then again if you are not using cities (I am not sure you are) you could do the same thing but whit the coordinates of imobile units, which once they are destroyed will serve as the new renforcement arival points.

[klesh]

Henrik,

I looked for you on AIM, but you aren't signed on as you are posting.

I have scoured my terrain1 and 2 files up and down to find the problem. I have sent it to some other guys who looked at it...all to no avail. Do you care to take a crack at it? I can email the files to you whenever.


And, thank you for those unit generation suggestions. They are both ideas that I had yet to think of. Good show old chap!


FMK.

[Case]

Originally posted by Henrik
Just make the list of coordinates where the unit will be placed begin in the "city" farthest from where the civ receiving the unit "starts".

In my experiance, if you use events to create units in cities, the AI never moves them out. However, using imobile units as Henrik suggested works very well (as Captain Nemo demonstrated in the first part of Red Front )

[klesh]

Either one of those techniques will work nicely. I may have to use both. The units generated in cities can be for the human controlled Germans, as he will move them out without a problem. The Soviets can have all their guys generated on the banks of the Volga, and will naturally move west to face the Germans. Yes, these will work nicely....MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

FMK.

[master on high]

Originally posted by Grothgar
You could make it into a gif file. that doesnt take up too much room and it is much better in quality. but i know what you mean you have to have something that could save it as gif. so mspaint dont work.

No, it's possible to save BMP files as GIF files with MSpaint.

[klesh]

Not with mine. You pull down the 'save as type:' menu and everything is listed EXCEPT .gif.

[master on high]

really...?

I convert stuff to .gif all the time with Paint.

[Grothgar]

what windows version you have master on high?

[master on high]

98

[SunTzu]

Well if all else fails you can go into MS-Dos Prompt and change the file types and whatever using commands. I used to be able to do it but i forgot what exactly to type when you find the file you want to change.

[klesh]

If anyone knows what SunTzu is talking about, or could provide a more detailed explanation, it'd be greatly appreiciated. Thanks.

FMK.

[klesh]

Here is a snazzy fortress graphic I made tonite. Dig it!

[klesh]

Is there a way in events.txt to put a message within the border... like a title-type one?

Here is a screen grab I took along time ago while playing RedFront. BTW, it was the Germans who lost the 93 units...

What I want to know is if there is a method to do this within typing a codesimmilar to this:

@IF
TURN
turn=1
@THEN
TEXT
^FROM THE DESK OF OKW:
^
^Herr General,
^
^ Your 6th Army...............
ENDTEXT
JUSTONCE
@ENDIF

I want the 'From the desk of OKW' to be where the words 'Defense Minister' are, and also to be in that different greyish text.

I know that the defense minister message is an "@Message" type one in the game.txt and that the text after the '@' is what is displayed.

Is there possibly something to add within the event.txt's code to get the same effect?

Thanks,
FMK.

[klesh]

I have looked high and low for this. I assumed it was in the game.txt and I looked there several times. The file is huge so I might have missed it. I want to know where to locate the text:

"The firtile XXX empire now has XXXXX citezens"

A simple question indeed, and I can almost swear it should be in the game.txt. Any thoughts?

FMK.

[The ANZAC]

Klesh: You have notepad, right? If so open game.txt with it and click "search" and click "find". Then type in part of the pop up message and notepad will highlight the matching phrases and it quickly checks the text.

[klesh]

Originally posted by The ANZAC
Klesh: You have notepad, right? If so open game.txt with it and click "search" and click "find". Then type in part of the pop up message and notepad will highlight the matching phrases and it quickly checks the text.

you know, I was just using that feature to look for other things...didn't even cross my mind to look for that thought...

[klesh]

Still looking for any ideas concerning the pop up window,
Thanks,
FMK.

[Henrik]

In the game.txt just change the Title entry, it is that simple, you can change all text in a popup except the one beside the @ which isn't shown in the game annyway.

[klesh]

Originally posted by Henrik
In the game.txt just change the Title entry, it is that simple, you can change all text in a popup except the one beside the @ which isn't shown in the game annyway.

Of course, I understand this.


I am afraid I didn't ask my question properly. I want to do this proceedure in the events.txt.. not the game.txt. I am not sure whether the macrolanguage in event.txt has the ability to put 'titles' in your event-generated pop ups.

@IF
TURN
turn=1
@THEN
TEXT
^FROM THE DESK OF OKW:
^
^Herr General,
^
^ Your 6th Army...............
ENDTEXT
JUSTONCE
@ENDIF


The @THEN is not the same as "@'s" within the game.txt.

I guess one cannot do this.

FMK.

[Mercator]

Well, if you want to know, why don´t you just try to use this GAME.TXT syntax in the text part of the event structure? If you´ve already done that, without any luck, I guess it´s not possible. By the way, Allard Höfelt posted some extensive info about changing and abusing the different possibilities in pop-ups sometime ago in this forum, maybe that´ll interest you...

The thread´s here: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...&threadid=9791

[klesh]

Oh yes, that is tasty reading indeed. Thanks Mercator.

FMK.

[Colwyn]

Talking about with what you can do with events and everything, is it possible to put in a randomiser command for some of these events.

Especially where units appear, get sent too, and where terrain gets modified.

Slight variations in these(as in one space in any direction) would make replay values in scenarios much higher without distorting historical accuracy too much.

Ie in Red Front randomisation where the pontoon bridges went and appearance on map of event generated units.

[Cavalcadeus]

How is the scenario going?
I just finished watching the movie Enemy at the Gates.
I think its opening would be a great opening for this scenario.
If you have not saw it yet, I copied it down.

The German Third Rich is at the hight of its power.
Hitler's armies are charging through the heart of the Soviet Union towards the oil fields of Asia. One last obsticle remains. A city on the Volga where the fate of the world is being decided, Stalingrad.