Has anyone done a 'How to sandbox' tutorial?

[RogerJNeilson]

Probably the title says all I need to say.


Roger

[wdolson]

I don't think anyone has, but it isn't that tough. Open a scenario in the editor, save it to a new slot, then start editing.

Bill

[Symon]

Doing an effective sandbox is a bit of a PITA. There are ins-and-outs and gotchas, based on the engine and how it handles changes to the scenario databases. Lots of people do "sandboxes" but they miss certain salient engine features that cause their results to be useless. Agree that someone like Alfred, or some others, could put this into a decent tutorial form, but all I can do at the moment is give certain suggestions that work.

1) as Bill says, use the editor. Better yet, use the WitpLoadAE utility program. Use one of the short map scenarios and wipe all the OOB LCU slots clean. You don't want the "next turn" part of the engine swamping your work with every little thing that appears at a base in the intervening period from 'start' to your 'test date'.
2) your 'test date' is important, because no matter what you have as 'test' LCUs or Airgroups, they all point back to the base files, that DEFINE subsequent database file entry conditions.

Now one must set up the test conditions. Just saying B-29s against CAP doesn't cut it. Every single test MUST, SIMPLY MUST be a SINGLE PARAMETER evaluated against a SINGLE PARAMETER. Yes, I know, a 9 dimensional parameter set, but who's counting if you have the math?

But, that's just the database tweaks. What does the code do? When one launches the game, the game initiates a seed value for all randomizations. One runs tests under the the same 'game', they will get the same result, forever and forever.

To get it right, one must launch every test from desktop. It's all from Demming, and it's all simple math.

Ciao. JWE

[RogerJNeilson]

Okaaaaay. think I'll not have enough days in my life to do all that....

Roger

[wdolson]

Depending on what you want to do, I cobbled together my first sandbox in about 1/2 hour. You can leave a bunch of stuff you aren't looking at in the scenario and just ignore the results.

For example I was testing land combat stuff, so I took the Coral Sea scenario and plopped some units I wanted to test (some from both sides) in the same hex in northern Australia. I set the date to what I needed. Then I ran the scenario and set the units to do various combat modes and tested the combat routines.

So there were various naval units and such running around the map, I didn't care what they did as long as they left my units alone. I think I started in head to head and grounded all air units to make it run a little faster.

Some other tests might take a bit more effort to set them up, but you are free to tweak and test over and over again. If something is happening you don't want, just go in, change the scenario, and restart.

Bill

[RogerJNeilson]

I think for me the key issue would be selecting an area of the map to use, or do you just use the whole map and only look at the area you are interested in?


Say I want to sandbox a situation in Manchuria, is there any way of just defining a map within set limits that cover there so I don't have to look at the whole game surface?

Roger

[wdolson]

Yes. In the editor's scenario data section where you set the start date, number of turns, etc., you set the map corners. If you look at the grand campaign compared to say Coral Sea, you will see the map corners for the Coral Sea map is much more limited. Open the grand campaign map before you start and figure out which hex coordinate numbers you want for your limited map.

It's been a while since I did a sandbox, but if I remember right, the code simply ignores any units that aren't within the bounds of your limited map.

Bill

[Alfred]

Roger,
 
If by Manchuria you mean the area which is taken into account for activating the Soviet Union, be very careful about the date you choose.  Over the years there has always been various problems in getting the Soviets to properly activate (or Japan to respond appropriately) early.  Safest would be to choose a date after the Soviets are automatically activated.
 
Alfred

[RogerJNeilson]

Thanks to you both, sound advice.


Roger

[Symon]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3
Say I want to sandbox a situation in Manchuria, is there any way of just defining a map within set limits that cover there so I don't have to look at the whole game surface?

Roger

Bill and Alfred are doing their best to make things simple. As far as it goes, that's fine.

To answer your question, yes there is a way of just defining a map within set limits. But when you make a sandbox, you need to know that the engine doesn't care where you are: you could be in Manchuria, China, India, heck San Diego. It just doesn't matter.

What matters is the point of your sandbox. Are you doing Land combat? Are you doing Air combat? Are you doing Naval combat? What kind of hex spread do you need to accommodate your sandbox, i.e., what are the ranges of your air units if you are doing an Air sandbox. What is the underlaying terrain and that of all the different hex edges, if you are doing a Land sandbox? And what is the marginal DL from some vestigal sub somewhere, if you are doing a Naval Sandbox?

We have a totally blank slate Scen set that we can provide you. It has no LCUs, Ships, Airgroups, nothing. You can zero in at any point in the map using the Scen menu, and populate your desired hexes with anything you wish. That's what we do. It really isn't hard, once you get the basis done. After that, the rest is easy. If interested, send pm.

Ciao. JWE