Vichy/Free France

[sPzAbt653]

Hello Veteran Modders ! I am a rookie at this and have spent the last couple months learning some scripts [Unit, Purchase, Decision, Research]. I am interested in doing something a little more advanced but not sure where to start, or if it is even possible. I'd like to have Free France as a separate Major. I think the 'Major 6' slot can be used because it is currently not in use, but I am not positive about this. If it is possible, then I would like to make it so that if the Axis conquers France then 'France' is not eligible to be resurrected by 'liberation'. Instead, 'Free France' will be created. So to get started:

1. Can Major 6 be used for a Free France ?
2. Can France be blocked from liberation ?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice/assistance

[BillRunacre]

Hi

1. There are some free Major slots that could be used for Free France, and you would have to create this country using a TERRITORY script. Without looking I think that 8 is free, but you can check in the Editor. You can also set it so that Free France uses the same unit sprites as France.

2. This is more of a challenge so I don't want to definitely say that it can be done, at least not in a comfortable way that will necessarily feel right.

However, it should be possible to transfer French territory to Free French territory after liberation. I'd recommend running some tests in a small test campaign using just a few hexes transferring hands to see how it works and what else might need to be considered to see if it feels right in an actual game.

A different approach would be to have French territory including Paris transfer to Germany after the fall of France, with it transferring to Free France when the Allies retake it.

Whether this solution feels right is a good question, but run some tests and I'll think you'll get a good feel for whether or not there is a way to achieve what you're thinking of.

[sPzAbt653]

Thanks very much for the advice Bill, I'll start tinkering with it.

[dhucul2011]

The problem with setting Free France as a major is research.

They would have to start from a preset research level and spend MPPs to progress over the course of the war.

They would probably have very few MPPs each turn unless you artificially gave them MPP bonuses.

Without this, by the time Free French units are on the board and later in the war they will most likely be several levels lower in each research category than their allies.

I think that the best solution is to make them a minor of the UK once the UK says YES to the DE to support them.

I have designed it this way.

1. FF is a minor of the UK that activates (mobilizes) when the UK says YES to the DE to support them.
2. The DE has been adjusted to cost the UK 5 MPPs per turn to support the FF.
3. I have added an off map city hex called "Libreville" in the far corner of Greenland. It starts as French owned.
4. Upon mobilization this resource is transferred to FF with a popup that the FF have captured French Equatorial Africa. FF uses the old French Equatorial Africa slot in the country list.
5. FF now has a capital, Libreville.
6. Units only arrive by script. The Triomphant will transfer to FF control (instead of UK), Leclerc and a Corps will appear in Egypt, De Tassigny and a Mech will appear in the UK, all at set dates.
7. The FF will now share research levels with the UK.

I hope that this helps.

[sPzAbt653]

Hi David, thanks very much for all of this. So far, I had sort of made the Free French [FF] a minor of the USA. Well, not really, I just added the FF units to the USA build list. This is not the best solution, but the bigger problem I had was that when France is liberated, they then become active [as does their units build list]. While certainly not a major issue, in my mind it undermines the credibility of the mod. With that, I was trying to figure out how to get France to not be liberated, and as a further step trying to separate the USA and FF by having a separate FF as a major. However, I like much better your stuff:

1. I guess I could use the US instead of the UK here. I feel like the US is a better match, as the US provided all the equipment and training for the FF, and FF units were modeled after US toe's. Also, the UK and FF were not quite friendly with each other after the incidents earlier in the war.
2. Sounds good.
3. I was going to try a 'Brazzaville' in the Congo at an area of southwest Africa, although this area of the map is difficult to navigate due to the UI down there. So maybe Greenland is a better choice !
4. I had already thought to use the China slot for a FF major, but your solution is much better I think.
5. Or Brazzaville [;)] I only checked the Wiki page for FF capitals, so I'm not sure where Libreville came into play.
6. Just thinking off the top of my head, my initial idea would be to have HQ plus corps arrive in Tripoli when liberated by the Allies, and a second corps at Algers when liberated. This may be problematic and I can see where your solution is more bulletproof.
7. Sounds good.

This absolutely helps a lot, thanks very much for the step by step solution, and I might get back to you with more questions [:D]

[dhucul2011]

If you have FF as a USA minor then I think that you will have a problem activating them and placing any units while the USA is neutral.

Brazzaville was the main city in FEA but I believe that the first FF administration was in Libreville. I could be wrong but it doesn't matter. 😄

Let me know if you need any help.

PS. You can have a liberated France go to FF control as long as FF is already active. The only concern is whether this will "boot" any Axis units out. I'm going to test this,

[sPzAbt653]

Well, I thought I would make the minor map change first, and I'm embarrassed to say that I can't figure out how to do the simplest of things. I wanted to use about five of these circled hexes to add Free France, Brazzaville as its capital, and the borders and text. I can't figure out how to do one thing. I couldn't place a capital because I get an error that a capital already exists for that country, then I couldn't figure out how to create a country. At one point a box popped up that I could type in text, but I could never get it to pop up again. It's frustrating and I am completely jealous that you guys know how to do this stuff. [:)]

[BillRunacre]

When you first go into the Editor it defaults to wanting to draw land (the hex layer).

Change the icon so that it wants to select rather than draw, highlight the relevant hexes, right click and select Hex Owner/Controller.

Then you can choose a country to give those hexes too... i.e. whichever one you are going to change to be Free French.

[sPzAbt653]

[:)]

The text is still a mystery. The input box came up once so that I could type in Brazzaville, but I can't get it to reappear for the port, and it says at the bottom left 'right click to edit', but right clicking doesn't do anything.

[dhucul2011]

Those hexes are where I put Dakar! [;)]

I hate scripted invasions and attacks so I have added French West Africa and am in the process of removing and changing the scripts associated with the auto invasion.

For map text, make sure that you have the pencil chosen and then choose the map text layer and you just have to type the text in the popup box and then left click on the appropriate hex. If you right click on a hex with text already it will use that font and size and colour. You just have to then type in your new text.

[TheBattlefield]

ORIGINAL: dhucul


I hate scripted invasions and attacks so I have added French West Africa and am in the process of removing and changing the scripts associated with the auto invasion.

Yep. No auto invasion of Norway and Iran. I have also taken out these scripts and rework the suitable offensive orders of the AI.

[sPzAbt653]

Dakar and FWA ! Sounds like I should stop my mod and wait for yours [:D]

For the text, I think I'm doing what you are saying, but I'm not getting the pop-up to input [it showed up once and I can't figure out what I did to get it].

Here is the top bar cut and pasted above what I did so far. I can't get the pop-up, left clicking gives me 'type text here', and right clicking does nothing. I'm sure it's something simple and I'm just being an idiot.

[sPzAbt653]

ORIGINAL: TheBattlefield

ORIGINAL: dhucul


I hate scripted invasions and attacks so I have added French West Africa and am in the process of removing and changing the scripts associated with the auto invasion.

Yep. No auto invasion of Norway and Iran. I have also taken out these scripts and rework the suitable offensive orders of the AI.

I just feel like the scripted invasions are good for the beginners, I know I appreciated them when I started. Now that I know how to do it myself, I've been taking Norway and Denmark on my own. But I leave the scripts in in case beginners could use them. Of course, if you are modding for the non-beginners then its a non-issue.

[TheBattlefield]

Well, the events can be already formed a little user-oriented , or not?

"#LEVEL= What minimum skill level, as selected from the AI difficulty level screen in game, with this event apply to?"

[;)]

[dhucul2011]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

ORIGINAL: TheBattlefield

ORIGINAL: dhucul


I hate scripted invasions and attacks so I have added French West Africa and am in the process of removing and changing the scripts associated with the auto invasion.

Yep. No auto invasion of Norway and Iran. I have also taken out these scripts and rework the suitable offensive orders of the AI.

I just feel like the scripted invasions are good for the beginners, I know I appreciated them when I started. Now that I know how to do it myself, I've been taking Norway and Denmark on my own. But I leave the scripts in in case beginners could use them. Of course, if you are modding for the non-beginners then its a non-issue.

Just finished all of the script changes to un-script the attack on Dakar. Only the AI will have the option to attack by script.

Next up is Denmark and Norway although I'll still give the Axis player a few helpers via script.

[TheBattlefield]

Hi guys, I need a little thrust on a theoretical problem.

Task: I want to prevent the release of the Norway Invasion (and other) script for level 4, and instead fire only the "old" garrison helper after a successful occupation. As a result, various script helpers should be taboo starting at level 4.

Problem: A decision event specifies the following for the addressing of the difficulty level: LEVEL = What m i n i m u m skill level with this event apply to ...
For my purposes it would be better if there were on a second line: What m a x i m u m skill level with this event apply to...

Probably I think too complicated but I am currently on no solution approach. How do I solve this? [&:]

[crispy131313]

You could have a game opening DE string that asks the player which difficulty level they are playing on. Based on the difficulty chosen use an alignment condition (dummy hex in far North West corner of map). The alignment condition can be used to ensure only certain events fire even if scripted conditions are met. I have used this so far to end reoccurring events without changing the conditions enabling. I used this alignment trick in my mod and have liked the results, although for a different purpose.

[TheBattlefield]

ORIGINAL: crispy131313

You could have a game opening DE string that asks the player which difficulty level they are playing on. Based on the difficulty chosen use an alignment condition (dummy hex in far North West corner of map). The alignment condition can be used to ensure only certain events fire even if scripted conditions are met. I have used this so far to end reoccurring events without changing the conditions enabling. I used this alignment trick in my mod and have liked the results, although for a different purpose.

Uhhh. Thanks Crisp.
So finally I do not think complicated - it is complicated! [:D]

[sPzAbt653]

You can also set it so that Free France uses the same unit sprites as France.

I was looking into this because it would be a nice touch, but it looks like this is only possible for a Major Country. I have taken Dave's advice and made Free France a minor [of the USA], so I think FF is stuck with the brown Minor Allied color ?

[BillRunacre]

It is, but if research is the only reason not to make Free France a Major then you could always make its research costs less than everyone else's.

It's research progress per turn, as well as the MPP and chit limits in research can be tweaked if desired too.