BG Waterloo Campaign work-around

[simovitch]

After noodling with this task for a while I finally figured out how to run the Campaign Game, i.e. port over the results from the PTW:Ligny and Quatre Bras Historical Scenario into the Waterloo Historical Scenario.

This campaign option was available in the Talonsoft versions, but not the Matrix versions. It's a series of hoops to jump through yes, but it tells me that the process to patch this may not be as difficult as Matrix has heretofore suggested. This has not been tested with Vista so that may be the kicker that requires Mr. Tiller's input (?)

1. You will need to download 2 files from John Tiller's website. These are the modified BG_Start front-end executables for both Waterloo and Prelude to Waterloo. First, back up the files called "BG_Start.exe" from both your Prelude to Waterloo and Waterloo folders because you will be over-writing these.

here is the link: Download Page

Near the bottom of the page there are links to the old 32 bit front end files. Download the file called "Modified Battleground Waterloo front-end" and unzip the file into your Waterloo folder.
Download the file called "Modified Prelude to Waterloo front-end" and unzip the file into your Prelude to Waterloo folder.

2. On your C drive at root level, create a folder called "bgw".

3. Copy (not move!) the folder (not just the files in the folder) called "WL" from your Matrix Games\John Tiller's Battleground Napoleonic Wars\Waterloo folder into the bgw folder. WL should now be a subfolder of "bgw" in your root directory; i.e. C:/bgw/WL contains a copy of all the waterloo scenarios and oobs, etc.

Your Prelude to Waterloo folder should contain a file called CAMPAIGN.ORG. If it doesn't do a search for it, it may be in your Waterloo folder (sorry, I've moved the files around so much I lost track where I found this file.)

OK, you are almost ready to go. From the "readme.txt" file in PTW: (note: BGW is Battleground Waterloo)

To import results of Prelude to Waterloo into BGW, play scenario 4, Ligny and Quatre Bras. Save the game as Campaign.btl. From the menu screen select special options and then campaign. This will import your results into BGW...

Well, actually it created the campaign scenario files to C:/bgw/wl. These files are called Campaign.scc and Campaign.oob. copy these 2 files over to your Matrix Waterloo/WL folder.

Start BGW using special options and campaign. The casualties suffered in PTW will be reflected in BGW unit strengths.

It works! I verified (just a few units so far) that the strengths from my Ligny and Quatre Bras game ported over to the Waterloo Campaign scenario.

If someone gets this to work in Vista, and if you have other problems, please post here. This should be a sticky until an offical patch comes out.

cheers,

[1NWCG]

Very cool man! Glad you are able to share this with us.

[AdmiralSolo]

It's great to see this feature finally work, thanks! I always wondered how it would be possible back in 98. However, did you also find a way to continue the campaign in BGW as 2 player game (with fog of war)? I only managed to load the file as a 2 player game (all units visible). Or is it possible to change the files any further once the campaign is imported?