HELP - Question on Map Making

[Joe Osborne]

Folks,

I've been trying to build a map for PBEM play that will display only 3 vhexes on it worth ten points each. This map will be applied to a battle generated game.

When I first built just the map and applied it to a battle generated game I got the traditional five areas of vhexes in the shape of a cross....ok, I said there really isn't anything in the map editor to lay down vhexes....

So I started to build the map in conjunction with a scenario because I noticed if I loaded any scenario map into a battle generated game I got the vhexes that came with the scenario..great.

So I just threw together a force structure as I wasn't intending on using the scenario forces just the map....got the vhexes placed on the map...saved everything.

I then tried loading the map into a battle generated game...and bang....I got the traditional layout of vhexes.

I KNOW I'm doing something wrong Any ideas?

Maybe Wild Bill and the Raiders can save me from myself

Regards,

Joe Osborne

[skukko]

Hi Joe : )

Only way I did find was at the editor buy some platoon to each player and save it as scenario. Then when loading it as pbem-game you can throw away those platoons and buy some new more the way you like it. Moving vhexes after they have been generated is beyond my knowledge.

mosh

[M4 Jess Housley]

Hi Joe, no need to buy a platoon, just go to the buy screen and buy nothing, go to deploy, and save as a scenario. This way you only have a HQ unit on the map.

M4

[Gurney Halleck]

Morning Joe,

I am fairly new to the map editor myself but have managed to create a few battle maps for pbem play with limited VH's. I read a older thread in this forum that the location of VH's wont save properly and will be reassigned by the AI if you edit/move them useing the player1 deploy button and Im not sure on this but I had trouble when the 3 VH's were to far apart, but I didnt test this. I made a map with only 3 VH's right before writing this following these steps:
I opened the editor and loaded up a map in my case I used the Tunisia-Countryside. Then I hit the Nation flag button to select player 2, and clicked the player 2 deploy button. I used the VH edit button thingy to move all 21 VH's into 3 piles where I wanted them (I kept them within 30 hexes of each other not sure if this matters) and assigned all but 3 to 0 points leaving the other 3 at 10 points each. I closed the deploy edit screen.. and opened the map edit screen and clicked the disk button to save as a map I renamed it and saved in a empty slot. I then tested it in solo and pbem was able to load it as a battle map and my 3 hexes were placed exactly where I wanted.

Hope this helps some.

Gurney Halleck

[MindSpy]

Originally posted by Joe Osborne:
Folks,

I've been trying to build a map for PBEM play that will display only 3 vhexes on it worth ten points each. This map will be applied to a battle generated game.

When I first built just the map and applied it to a battle generated game I got the traditional five areas of vhexes in the shape of a cross....ok, I said there really isn't anything in the map editor to lay down vhexes....

So I started to build the map in conjunction with a scenario because I noticed if I loaded any scenario map into a battle generated game I got the vhexes that came with the scenario..great.

So I just threw together a force structure as I wasn't intending on using the scenario forces just the map....got the vhexes placed on the map...saved everything.

I then tried loading the map into a battle generated game...and bang....I got the traditional layout of vhexes.

I KNOW I'm doing something wrong Any ideas?

Maybe Wild Bill and the Raiders can save me from myself

Regards,

Joe Osborne

Hi Joe

Well near as I can figure, I don`t see how only three hexes can be achieved without a
custom vic. option.
But even if I didn`t quite get the gist of your point clearly, I have been doing much the same for my own games to prevent the computer launching an ohh too early counter-attack especially in the older games of SP - that is using fewer victory hexes.

Basically, tackle the battle generator as normal.(I usually start in hotseat at every sitting).
Then depending on the game either hit Chandla
or just save your game as normal. (unsecure)
Exit your game. In your File Manager locate
the new files.
Then convert your files to scen types and open them in the EditorScreen.
Adjust according to your recipe.
Then you need only save the file and either return it to a save type in FIle manager now ready for secure play with all your picked units and custom vic flags and points or just open the scenario in the game and once your first turn comes up
click the save game button.

Using the method of starting in the Scen Editor is best I think though.
After all your units have been selected
and you have adjusted your flags then your are now only two saves away from a game start.
One for the Scenario itself then after exiting Scen Edit one to move the game from the end of your first turn to the Save game directory.

I hope you weren`t thinking pbem though
without seeing each other`s forces!
Succesive clicks of the Map button in the battle generator screen will give you different options.
I am not familiar with each of them since I prefer to work straight out of the editor but
I suspect that even if three cannot be achieved then the only other option keeping both players from seeing the forces would be to just accept what minimum number you can get your opp to agree on and not attack those although it is a weak option.
I like the idea of editing the flags first then when loading a map in preparation for a battle clicking past the custom map to one of the other options and just accepting what the edited map is transformed into best since this still maintains the element of surprise.


MindSpy

[This message has been edited by MindSpy (edited January 04, 2001).]

[Raindem]

The responses to your question point out one important thing, that the V-hexes are saved as part of a scenario and not part of the map itself. This adds flexibility, in that you can use the same map for different types of battles. But it also adds some editing chores to get the effect you want.

[Kharan]

Originally posted by Raindem:
The responses to your question point out one important thing, that the V-hexes are saved as part of a scenario and not part of the map itself.

They are, if you set them in deploy editor and save the map in map editor. The important thing is that if you place even one Vhex on water, the battle generator will reset them all to the default formation.

Still wondering why reinforcement hexes don't "stick" always...

PS. You can have only 3 Vhexes if you place them over another. It will even show the point sum correctly!

[This message has been edited by Kharan (edited January 05, 2001).]