Changing Unit Names

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 8:17 pm

I find myself changing the names of my units to make it easier to keep track of them during battles. Changing them from "A0>GE Rifle Squad" or "B1>PzkpFw-IVd" to something like "B0> Bravo 1st Sqd" or "F2>White III".
Most of the time this works well. But sometimes I just don't have enough spaces for enough characters to adequately identify the unit.
Is there a way to expand the number of spaces in the unit Id box?

Tankhead · Post by **Tankhead** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 9:40 pm

Hi Phil!

No there is no way, the character box is hard coded in the exe.
Unless there is a magic trick I don't know about.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 9:47 pm

It does seem a little much to ask for, but, I'd be curious to hear how many people actually use that feature.

I used it once in MCLV, but the changes you make don't seem to carry over to the next scenario so I gave up doing it.

Tankhead · Post by **Tankhead** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 9:54 pm

Changing the name will only be good for that battle in campaign mode or scenario. Every new battle you will have to change the name. If you built your own campaigns or scenarios then the names you put in will always be there. When using the editor the name input is save with the battle.

Jim1954 · Post by **Jim1954** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 11:48 pm

I haven't done any long campaigns in SPWaW, but I know that in SP-1 and I think SPWW2, the names would follow the units to the next battle if they survived the previous encounter. Was there a change in SPWaW that stopped this. I think it's a useful tool, even in the MC's as it's easier to see at a glance which units are core and which are support, thus making it easier to see who to let finish off the enemy and get the kill & exp. credit. There are not that many core units in a MC and it doesn't take that long to affect a change. JMO anyway.

Hades · Post by **Hades** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 11:59 pm

I change the names of my tanks. Make you want them to live a little longer.

Jim1954 · Post by **Jim1954** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:01 am

I always change the A0 commander to me. I REALLY protect that unit !!!!

Supervisor · Post by **Supervisor** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:14 am

No magic tricks, and I also following Jim's path and change the HQ Commander to me just for fun, it's nice to see me running around the battle field sometimes.

Charles2222 · Post by **Charles2222** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:29 am

I've changed names whilst in WWII campaign, and I could've swore I've seen it carry over to the next battle, but alas, I am pretty new to doing it, so maybe I'm mistaken.

Jim1954 · Post by **Jim1954** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:32 am

I think you're right about this. Canned campaigns won't allow them to migrate, but the random ones seem to allow it.

Jim1954 · Post by **Jim1954** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:34 am

Gmenfan, if you keep adding stuff to your banner, I'm gonna have to get a bigger monitor. Almost won't fit on one screen.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:37 am

Thanks for the feedback.
In the long campaings, the name remains changed (to protect the innocent perhaps.

I used renaming to some degree in the past, but this last long campaign I went ahead and took the time to rename all the units of my core force. To me, it has been worth the trouble. It really helps me to keep things organized during a battle.
I took all the infantry units and gave them all phonetic alphabet designations that go along with their ID.... all the "C" units are "Charlie", "D" units are "Delta". (I had just watched Band of Brothers, so "E" was "Easy"). Each Squad is 1-2-3, The machine gun is simply "Delta MG".
The armoured units where all given Color names. Red, White, Blue and Green elemets. I ran out of simple colors for my platoon of Panzer IV's so I call this my "Sam" element.
The problem I ran into was when I went to the refit screen. I would go to do some upgrading and couldn't remember what each unit was. Was Green leader a Panzer IIc or IIf? The name stays to what you change to.
Anyway, I was just trying make it easier to know what each unit was.
Thanks again.

Jim1954 · Post by **Jim1954** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:41 am

I got around that by adding something like this: White III/1 IIf.
1st unit of 1st platoon, type is IIf. When you upgrade, you know what it was last refit.

Supervisor · Post by **Supervisor** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 1:04 am

Who says size doesn't matter. I'm at my limits with banners. I wish I could find smaller banners that would represent the same things, but I can't find any on the servers.

Tankhead · Post by **Tankhead** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 1:09 am

Mike!

Just resize the banners to make them smaller for your sig. If you need help send me all the banners you need resize and will do it for you.

Supervisor · Post by **Supervisor** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 1:59 am

Rick I don't think I can as the signature image banners have to point to a url address and unless we resize them on those web pages they won't shrink. But thanks anyway

Warhorse · Post by **Warhorse** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 8:45 pm

Originally posted by Jim1954
I got around that by adding something like this: White III/1 IIf.
1st unit of 1st platoon, type is IIf. When you upgrade, you know what it was last refit.

Good ole pen and paper, with all the units listed, then when I change the German tanks to unit numbers like 112, 113, ...., I know what they are in the refit screen!!

Jim1954 · Post by **Jim1954** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 8:50 pm

I used to do that with Steel Panthers, but you only had 24 units to keep track of. I used to do a spread sheet after every battle almost like an AAR but gave that up as too time consuming when SP-2 came out. Never got back into the habit. I spent more time record keeping than playing, thought I was back wrasslin the old ASL rule book again. Boy, thank God for computers and all they have opened up for us.

Warhorse · Post by **Warhorse** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 3:55 am

LOL!!! You're an old ASL vet too, eh, I remember those days all too well, you're right about the computers, although my wife isn't sure which is worse, the dice cup rattling, or the thud, thud, thud , thud coming from monster quad stereo sound!!!

G_X · Post by **G_X** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 4:33 am

The Dice Rattling while the phone's ringing because your neighbors are calling about your Quad Stereo sound