Event based historical note

[Cabido]

It's the first time I tried to deal with the scenario editor. I was willing to create historical notes for a scenario based on events. It is kind of surprising that there appears to be no tool for creating simple historical text notes. The ideal would be to pop up a window with some designer text note (images would be welcome) after some event. Since this isn't available, I thought about using the news window (not the ideal, since it only pops up at the beginning of the turn), but even that wasn't possible, since the characters limit is very low. Is there some way to create historical notes in the middle of a scenario? It would be a very nice addition (and a very simple one, I suppose) to create immersion.

Additionally, I was only able to activate an event based on "Force 1 occupies" if the hex was previously enemy owned. Is there a way of activating an event when a unit enters a hex owned by its own force?

[Lobster]

I can see at least a couple that does not require an occupying event.

[Cabido]

I'm not sure I could follow you. How could I use those in order to activate an event by just entering a friendly hex with a unit. Suppose I own hex 5,3 at the beginning of the scenario, but I don't have a unit there. I want that when one of my units enters 5,3, an event will be activated.

[Lobster]

Even with an occupying event you can set a Theater Option that you can use when a second unit enters the hex. Accepting the Theater Option triggers an event. It will be manual (accepting the Theater Option) but it can accomplish what you want.

[Raindem]

As to the first part of your question, Newstrings are the only tool that's available. Personally, I would prefer the current news feed window over pop up windows anyway.

As to the second question, as you have discovered the x Occupies event trigger works off of "change" of possession. To recycle that event you have to change the possession back to the other side. You can do that with events, as long as there are no other friendly units nearby. But as Lobster pointed out there are other ways to accomplish the same thing.

[Cabido]

Thanks both of you. I'll try the alternative ways of doing it.

As for the pop up vs news feed window, I don't think one thing excludes the other. Being able to pop up a window with historical information or other important information would be a nice feature (and easy to implement, I suppose). As it is, we can't bring historical information related to a specific event on the moment they happen, in a way similar to the combat reports. Not only this, but the 56 character limit is just too small.

[Lobster]

About all you could do with that is provide a document and when the news window pops up include a page or paragraph number in the document for the players to read. In the Buttons Panel/Report Tab there is a button for the Scenario Briefing. If you click that button a pop up opens with a Documentation Button. If the player clicks that it will open any documentation that you've put together for the scenario. That's as close as this game comes to what you want.

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: Cabido

Not only this, but the 56 character limit is just too small.

Then put it on multiple news events.

[Cabido]

ORIGINAL: Lobster

About all you could do with that is provide a document and when the news window pops up include a page or paragraph number in the document for the players to read. In the Buttons Panel/Report Tab there is a button for the Scenario Briefing. If you click that button a pop up opens with a Documentation Button. If the player clicks that it will open any documentation that you've put together for the scenario. That's as close as this game comes to what you want.

I remember that back then there was a series of scenarios on the Vietnam War which seemed to have used this kind of approach. Even if I didn't played them, they seemed to be very nicely done. Undoubtedly, it would be better if the narrative could be integrated into the game. Using a reference document seems to be the only way though.

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
Then put it on multiple news events.

That could work for small two or three sentences texts, but not for what I was willing to try.