OOB

[wqc12345]

Will there be a better way to cycle through units? Like a tree structure OOB? Highest command through lowest? For TOAW III, it appears to be arranged in a top to bottom view, but it's hard drill down into individual formations. I get that there aren't connected like a true OOB, but it would be nice to have a way to select individual formations and their pieces? Will this be modeled somehow?

The reference I'm using is WiTW, where you can click a "+" sign to see each unit and how it's connected to their individual commands, with the top of the command being OKW, or OKH for example. I know this is not how TOAW works, but something similar would be a nice addition.

Like below.

[sPzAbt653]

Thanks for pointing out that this type of system is not used in TOAW.

Therefore, something like this would be an accessory, or extra feature. Two things would have to happen to make this possible. First, each scenario designer would have to arrange an official oob, and second someone would have to code in a display for it. Hopefully you can agree that the first is a lot to ask, and the second is most likely too much to ask.

Some scenarios may include a text document of some sort that contains an official oob [well, a few of mine do]. Otherwise, believe it or not, it is easy for you to make one that you can print out and have in front of you.

[wqc12345]

thanks for the clarification, and sadly, what I had thought the answer was. Just wanted to see if this is was something that was maybe an addition.

However, there is an excellent example of your suggestions in the "Anzio 44" scenario in TOAW III. This is very very very helpful to understanding the order of battle, how the pieces fit together and how to employ said pieces. just wanted to point this out.

[sPzAbt653]

Anzio 44 is a great example, it doesn't get any better than that. And you can see how much work it is to do something like that. Plus, not all of us are into having such detail. So, if such a thing is not available for a scenario I am going to play, it only takes a few minutes to look up an oob online and put it into a text document.

[Lobster]

Yes you can open the entire OOB. Within the OOB you can click on a formation and open a window with that formation. You can click on a button and go back to the OOB. You can click on individual units in the OOB and be take to that unit. It doesn't collapse. Instead you can scroll through the OOB. It doesn't do the same thing as Tiller's Panzer Campaign series or GG WitE but it gets the job done and quite well.

[Pax25]

The only thing I hope TOAW IV improves with regards to the OOB is when one of your units gets divided. For some reason when selecting through units in TOAW III the system skips over these units, which was always frustrating because I am a player that likes to check all his units before hitting end turn.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Pax25
The only thing I hope TOAW IV improves with regards to the OOB is when one of your units gets divided. For some reason when selecting through units in TOAW III the system skips over these units, which was always frustrating because I am a player that likes to check all his units before hitting end turn.

Sometimes there's a workaround for some of the TOAW eccentricities. For those occasions when one of
the "middle unit(s)" of a formation will divide and the focus transfers to the first piece of the old
unit and after you've moved the two or three pieces of the old unit the last whole unit is skipped and
the game engine goes to the next formation. The workaround is to open the formation display and manually
select the unit that hasn't moved yet and move it. Do the same for any other units in that formation
that haven't moved yet. Once all the units in that formation have had a chance to move THEN go to the
next consequtive formation.

This is what I do myself.

EDIT: also, you can scan through the OOB looking for units that have MP's remaining. Those can still move.

[Pax25]

Yeah, I already do that. I open every formation and make sure all units have been moved. However, I wish it was more like the Campaign Series games where it goes through all your units and notifies you when you're done.

[Lobster]

The game takes split units and puts them at the end of the OOB. To see this open a scenario that allows units to divide. Divide a unit, click on one of the unit's parts and then open the OOB by clicking View on the menu bar and then clicking OOB. You will be at the end of the OOB and will see those divided units. When you recombine the units the recombined parent unit will occupy the position in the OOB it had formerly occupied.

Keep in mind that units that have been split because of a combat result will also drop to the bottom of the OOB.

The reason for all of this is because the OOB is not dynamic. In other words it is a set structure that can only be added to by placing new dbase items at the end of the set list. When a parent unit is divided it's place in the OOB is given a 'placeholder' and the divided units are added to the end of the set OOB. Then when you recombine the unit the divided parts are 'removed' from the end of the OOB and the parent unit is then visible in it's original position of the OOB. It never left you were just no longer able to see it there.

What needs to be done is have the game go to those split units in the same order as their parent formation was.

[ncc1701e]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

Therefore, something like this would be an accessory, or extra feature. Two things would have to happen to make this possible. First, each scenario designer would have to arrange an official oob, and second someone would have to code in a display for it. Hopefully you can agree that the first is a lot to ask, and the second is most likely too much to ask.

This is clearly a feature. But, to me, the first must not block the second. This could perfectly be handle by an option (there are already a lot of options in TOAW III). By default, the option is disabled so all scenarios continue to work. But, if one is enabling this option, he could build the OOB creating or adapting any existing scenario.