Questions relating to editing the official campaign

[Mannock]

I feel like I am asking a lot of questions here, and hence starting a lot of threads. I will try to keep my questions contained in this thread from now on, so there won't be so many threads started by me.

I've created my Sevastopol scenario and I want to implement it into the official campaign (between Moscow 41 and Stalingrad). I have created the necessary campaign texts and I was about to edit the file called 'campaign.pzdat'. I understand I need to jam the Sevastopol scenarion in there at the right spot and make the correct connections between the scenarios.

My question is what program I should use to edit the file. I opened it using the notepad first but editing in the notepad is a hassle. I was able to open it with Excel, which made it easy to edit the file, but when I try to save the file, the program warns me certain features of the file might be lost.

So what program should I use? Is notepad my only option perhaps?

[Mannock]

A second question for a scenario to be used in a campaign.

In scenario params, there is a line called 'Initial prestige'. Should the axis (the human player of the campaign that is) have any prestige there? I mean the player carries over all prestige he had from the previous part of the campaign so this number should be set to '0', correct?

[Hanal]

May I ask a question regarding your scenario? Is this scenario just for MP play or does it indeed have a working AI? I have not the time yet to go over he editor so I was wondering if you are able to script an AI opponent for the scenarios or if they are MP only...
thanks

[Razz1]

Set prestige to balance the game.

Ai can be scripted very little at this time, but enough to help make it better.

[Rudankort]

ORIGINAL: Mannock
So what program should I use? Is notepad my only option perhaps?

Use Excel and just ignore that warning - any special feature it might not be able to save in this format are not needed.

[Rudankort]

ORIGINAL: Mannock

A second question for a scenario to be used in a campaign.

In scenario params, there is a line called 'Initial prestige'. Should the axis (the human player of the campaign that is) have any prestige there? I mean the player carries over all prestige he had from the previous part of the campaign so this number should be set to '0', correct?

Initial prestige field set in Scenario Editor is used only if the scenario is loaded in single scenario mode. If it is played as part of the campaign, the player already has a certain amount of prestige, and you can award him with more, separately for each outcome leading to Sevastopol. This is configured in campaign.pzdat file.

So use Initial prestige field to properly balance your scenario for single scenario mode, and campaign.pzdat to balance it for campaign play.

[Rudankort]

ORIGINAL: J P Falcon

May I ask a question regarding your scenario? Is this scenario just for MP play or does it indeed have a working AI? I have not the time yet to go over he editor so I was wondering if you are able to script an AI opponent for the scenarios or if they are MP only...
thanks

As Razz said, options for AI customization are limited at the moment, but it does not mean that the AI cannot handle any custom scens. In traditional scens involving capture or defense of VHs it should work. But if you set fancy victory conditions, like we use in some of our own MP maps, the AI won't be able to figure them out.

[Mannock]

ORIGINAL: Razz

Set prestige to balance the game.

Ai can be scripted very little at this time, but enough to help make it better.

The scenarios are all (I have done Sevastopol and Crete and will be working on some other of the campaign scenarios of PG that wasn't in PC) built to fit into the main campaign. This is not for MP.

Though when creating the scenario, and when I edit a specific unit, I can set it's AI routine (Defender for example for the Soviet troops in the Sevastopol scenario). Won't that suffice?

And I am not using fancy victory conditions of any sort. Just using the same victory hexes as used in the original PG scenarios of its campaign.

But if that isn't enough I guess I will have to scout for a person who's capable of scripting.

Thanks for all the assistance and patience!

[Rudankort]

ORIGINAL: Mannock
Though when creating the scenario, and when I edit a specific unit, I can set it's AI routine (Defender for example for the Soviet troops in the Sevastopol scenario). Won't that suffice?
...
But if that isn't enough I guess I will have to scout for a person who's capable of scripting.

Yes, this will suffice, and in fact, this is the only AI customization option available to scenario designers atm. Any ideas what other options would be useful in AI department would be helpful. I'm reluctant to implement a proper scripting of AI, using some sort of script language, because then only programmers will be able to mod it. I would prefer to have it easy enough for most modders out there, if possible at all.

ORIGINAL: Mannock
And I am not using fancy victory conditions of any sort. Just using the same victory hexes as used in the original PG scenarios of its campaign.

Then it should be fine. PGF AI was able to handle the original PG scens, so Panzer Corps AI should be able too.

[Mannock]

Creating operation Dragoon (Anvil) scenario right now. Allied side is US and Free French, which I have selected in the scenparam.

However, when I am placing units, no Free French forces are available for placement. Is there a bug or am I doing something wrong? (yes, I have checked the date in scenparam and I have set it to 16 august, 1944, so that shouldn't be the issue)

[Razz1]

It has to be the date or you picked Free France to be Axis.

You also click on all units (not just those in the scenario.)

[Rudankort]

I don't see any Free France units in the editor either. It may well be that there are no units assigned to this nation in the equipment file.

[Mannock]

ORIGINAL: Rudankort

I don't see any Free France units in the editor either. It may well be that there are no units assigned to this nation in the equipment file.

Ah, that was a bummer. I guess I will have to replace the Free French with more US troops in operation Dragoon then.

Thanks for the help.

[Mannock]

Okay, so all scenarios are done and I have implemented them into the official campaign by editing the campaign.pzdat.

Using the cheatcodes I skipped ahead to my scenarios and noted one odd thing that ensures me I have done something wrong.

In all scenarios no units (includes ground, naval and air) were showing up for the Axis side (ie the player side). The units I am speaking of are the pre-placed units by me in the editor, that are in support of the players core units.

Anyway, I had the same problem in all five scenarios, so I must have done something wrong, right? At first I thought it might be because I had set Aux units to 0, but changing that to 20 for example didn't help, no pre-placed units showed up.

I feel I am making some sort of stupid mistake here... Help please!

 

[Rudankort]

So, the units which you placed in scenario editor - are they core or auxiliary? They must be explicitly set to auxiliary, because any core units are removed from the map in campaign mode - the player is supposed to deploy his own core units instead.

[Mannock]

ORIGINAL: Rudankort

So, the units which you placed in scenario editor - are they core or auxiliary? They must be explicitly set to auxiliary, because any core units are removed from the map in campaign mode - the player is supposed to deploy his own core units instead.

Yeah, I missed doing that.

Thanks Rudankort, you're my saviour!