Scenario Designers - Making Units Behave Like I want

[Wild Bill]

I just posted this as a reply but some of you may miss it. This is primarily for scenario designers. I hope it helps you.
You may want to print this out and give it a try, step by step.

There are three steps to making units do what you want them to do.

Remember, in a meeting engagement, it is next to impossible to get units to stay put. They have computer orders to advance.

You can set waypoints and reaction turns for them. The following guidelines, however, refer more to advance-delay and assault-defend type of scenarios.

Consider these things.

1. Computer Control:

If you want a unit to "do" or "not do" certain things it must be under computer control.

Now I know a force played by the AI is under computer control, of course.

What I mean is that you are to set it to do something different from what the computer would make it do.

To put a unit under this control, you do the following:

Click on the top right hand corner button from the Unit deployment screen in the editor.

Now you see on the right a listing of all the units and formations for one side. In the center you'll see a list of the leaders for each formation.

To the left of the name of each leader are three buttons. One shows arrows. The other shows the head of the leader. The last one has arrows pointing upward and outward.

click on the head of the leader. It changes to a computer. Now it will (or should) do what you tell it too.

2. Formation Stance:

On this same screen, the first button (the one on the right as you look at the screen) is the advance-defend button. When you click it, it changes a unit's status to one or the other. If you only want it to defend, set it that way. If you want it to move, even in a delay or defend scenario, set it that way.

3. Reaction Turn:

In the lower left hand corner of this same screen (I call it the HQ screen) is a button titled "reaction."

Click on it. Now the screen turns blue at the top. Type in the turn number you want to activate the unit. If you type in a 5, the unit will start to move on turn five. That is its reaction turn.

If you don't want it to move at all, set the reaction turn to 99. Now in a delay or defend scenario it should already say 99, IF you have changed the human head in the center to a computer. Remember that?

In addition, if you want the units to advance to a specific area or objective, you must set a "formation" objective. You do that in the deploy screen by clicking on the blue flag, then clicking on the hex where you want that formation to go.

Finally, if you want it to follow a different path from the most direct path, you must set waypoints. That is the third button (the one on the left) in the HQ screen. You click that, then plot it's course. You can set 10 waypoints. Just make sure the last one jibes with the objective you have set for the formation.

Here is an example to help you.

I have formation B, an American rifle platoon. The scenario is a German Advance, US Delay battle.

Okay, I want formation B to sit tight for about five turns, then move to hex 36, 40.

Here are the steps.

I click on the HQ button (top right hand corner) while in the deploy screen.

I find the B formation listed by its leader in the center of the screen. I click on the human head for B formation. It changes to a computer.

Next, I click on the circular arrows and change its mode from defend to advance.

Then I go down to the left and set its reaction turn to 5.

Now I go back to deploy screen and click on blue flag, then hex 36,40.

Now, what did I just do?

I put the B formation under direct computer control, set it to advance, but told it to stay in place for five turns, then proceed to hex 36,40.

After all of this, I can then set waypoints should I choose to do so.

If I don't want formation B to move at all, I set it to direct computer control, I leave it on defend, and then (very important)set the reaction turn to 99. It should stay in place when this is done properly

Following this procedure works well for me.


------------------
In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games

[Paul Lakowski]

Thanks this clears up alot of questions I had, My respect for the effort you guys put into this grows all the time, Thanks.

[Wild Bill]

Welcome Paul, nice to have you here on the forum. I've heard good things about you and your designing. I'm glad this helps. It came from a lot of trial and error learning, believe me

Wild Bill

------------------
In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games

[BruceAZ_MatrixForum]

Wild Bill: Thanks for the information.

Originally posted by Wild Bill:
I just posted this as a reply but some of you may miss it. This is primarily for scenario designers. I hope it helps you.
You may want to print this out and give it a try, step by step.

There are three steps to making units do what you want them to do.

Remember, in a meeting engagement, it is next to impossible to get units to stay put. They have computer orders to advance.

You can set waypoints and reaction turns for them. The following guidelines, however, refer more to advance-delay and assault-defend type of scenarios.

Consider these things.

1. Computer Control:

If you want a unit to "do" or "not do" certain things it must be under computer control.

Now I know a force played by the AI is under computer control, of course.

What I mean is that you are to set it to do something different from what the computer would make it do.

To put a unit under this control, you do the following:

Click on the top right hand corner button from the Unit deployment screen in the editor.

Now you see on the right a listing of all the units and formations for one side. In the center you'll see a list of the leaders for each formation.

To the left of the name of each leader are three buttons. One shows arrows. The other shows the head of the leader. The last one has arrows pointing upward and outward.

click on the head of the leader. It changes to a computer. Now it will (or should) do what you tell it too.

2. Formation Stance:

On this same screen, the first button (the one on the right as you look at the screen) is the advance-defend button. When you click it, it changes a unit's status to one or the other. If you only want it to defend, set it that way. If you want it to move, even in a delay or defend scenario, set it that way.

3. Reaction Turn:

In the lower left hand corner of this same screen (I call it the HQ screen) is a button titled "reaction."

Click on it. Now the screen turns blue at the top. Type in the turn number you want to activate the unit. If you type in a 5, the unit will start to move on turn five. That is its reaction turn.

If you don't want it to move at all, set the reaction turn to 99. Now in a delay or defend scenario it should already say 99, IF you have changed the human head in the center to a computer. Remember that?

In addition, if you want the units to advance to a specific area or objective, you must set a "formation" objective. You do that in the deploy screen by clicking on the blue flag, then clicking on the hex where you want that formation to go.

Finally, if you want it to follow a different path from the most direct path, you must set waypoints. That is the third button (the one on the left) in the HQ screen. You click that, then plot it's course. You can set 10 waypoints. Just make sure the last one jibes with the objective you have set for the formation.

Here is an example to help you.

I have formation B, an American rifle platoon. The scenario is a German Advance, US Delay battle.

Okay, I want formation B to sit tight for about five turns, then move to hex 36, 40.

Here are the steps.

I click on the HQ button (top right hand corner) while in the deploy screen.

I find the B formation listed by its leader in the center of the screen. I click on the human head for B formation. It changes to a computer.

Next, I click on the circular arrows and change its mode from defend to advance.

Then I go down to the left and set its reaction turn to 5.

Now I go back to deploy screen and click on blue flag, then hex 36,40.

Now, what did I just do?

I put the B formation under direct computer control, set it to advance, but told it to stay in place for five turns, then proceed to hex 36,40.

After all of this, I can then set waypoints should I choose to do so.

If I don't want formation B to move at all, I set it to direct computer control, I leave it on defend, and then (very important)set the reaction turn to 99. It should stay in place when this is done properly

Following this procedure works well for me.

------------------
"Lock and Load..."

[Wild Bill]

My pleasure, Bruce. I hope it is of some help...Wild Bill

------------------
In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games