Question re Rail Destruction Chance

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76mm
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Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

In my scenario, I want my troops to NOT destroy enemy rail lines, since they intend to use them. So I set an event on Turn 1 to set the Rail Destruction to 0%, with a Theater Option to change that to 100% if the situation changes.

But on Turn 1 the Rail Destruction Chance is still 100% Why, and how can I reduce it to zero?

Here is what the manual says:
Force 1 or Force 2 Rail Destruction Chance: This is the chance that units of the Force will destroy enemy Rail lines when advancing into enemy-controlled territory. The default is 100% (as hard-coded in earlier versions of the game).
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by rhinobones »

You have two Events which look like these, right?

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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

ORIGINAL: rhinobones
You have two Events which look like these, right?
To turn "off" rail damage, yes. But they seem to have no effect.

But...maybe I set up the Theater Option (intended to turn Rail Damage back on) incorrectly. I've never used Theater Options before, and there is not really anything on how to do it in the manual, so I just guessed, perhaps incorrectly. I used two events to create the Theater Option; one (#209) to create the Theater Option, and the second one (#210) for its effect:

Image

Actually, looking at it, I'm guessing that #210 fires when #209 does (on Turn 1), but then I don't understand at all how to create and execute Theater Options...
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by sPzAbt653 »

Make 210 be activated by 210 and it should work.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653
Make 210 be activated by 210 and it should work.
Thanks, will give it a try. I would never have guessed to use circular activation like that...perhaps an example of how to set up a Theater Option would be helpful for the manual? [8D]

[EDIT] That seems to have worked, thanks.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by sPzAbt653 »

The other trigger that I think is used most often for TO's is a Turn beyond the scenario's end. So say a scenario ends on turn 148, a TO can be set to trigger on Turn 999 then choosing the TO will Trigger that TO by the Activate Event field.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

Thanks, that's helpful.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

I got the initial Theater Option to turn rail destruction ON working, but now I want to create another theater option to turn it back OFF. While I can get the theater option to show up, I can't get it to have any effect.

Here are the events for the Theater Option to TURN ON rail destruction:
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

Here are the events for a Theater Option to TURN OFF rail destruction, triggered by the first Theater Option (so there is basically a toggle). But it doesn't work...the Theater Option appears, but has no effect:
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Anyone have any idea why its not working? I find Theater Options a bit confusing...
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by cathar1244 »

I find Theater Options a bit confusing...

You're not alone.

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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by golden delicious »

Your comments don't match the screenshots. You say "here's the event to turn off rail destruction" and then the screenshot shows an event that sets rail destruction to 100.

Anyway, from memory TOs can't be recycled for some reason, so you can't have toggle this way, but you can use an on-map toggle as follows:

Event 1: Force 1 occupies x,y, Effect ON
Event 2: Event 1 activated, Set ownership a,b to Force 2
Event 3: Event 1 activated, enable event 4
Event 4: Force 1 occupies a,b, Effect OFF
Event 5, Event 4 activated, Set ownership x,y to Force 2
Event 6: Event 4 activated, enable event 1

Something like that anyway. I don't remember the specifics of what has to be enabled and what doesn't. Then Force 1 can move a unit back and forth between two hexes to change the toggle.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

ORIGINAL: golden delicious
Your comments don't match the screenshots. You say "here's the event to turn off rail destruction" and then the screenshot shows an event that sets rail destruction to 100.
doh, sorry, I had them reversed...fixed in previous posts.
ORIGINAL: golden delicious
Anyway, from memory TOs can't be recycled for some reason, so you can't have toggle this way, but you can use an on-map toggle as follows:
***
Something like that anyway. I don't remember the specifics of what has to be enabled and what doesn't. Then Force 1 can move a unit back and forth between two hexes to change the toggle.
Thanks, helpful to know that they can't be recycled. I'll take a look at your suggestion.

I do think it would be helpful if some of these things about Theater Options were added to the community manual.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by golden delicious »

ORIGINAL: 76mm


Thanks, helpful to know that they can't be recycled. I'll take a look at your suggestion.

I do think it would be helpful if some of these things about Theater Options were added to the community manual.

Do you mean this:
https://www.matrixgames.com/FORUMS/tm.a ... =&#2826819
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

Actually I meant this, although I think Steve is maintaining a different document as well:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4690745

But the document you linked to looks rather helpful, perhaps it could be attached to or incorporated into one of these community manuals. In the meantime I will take a look.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by Zovs »

Also post 11 in that thread, not sure if Steve is still updating the original or not.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by sPzAbt653 »

I am taking suggestions as they come, but as for larger projects I don't have the motivation. Explaining the Editor, for example, is very difficult as there is a large range of comprehension and education levels that need to be clear to.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

Yeah, understood. Plus my understanding is that a lot of the old tips might not work with the current version of the game.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

OK, I was finally able to get this to work, by creating an "off-map" unit moving between two non-adjacent hexes to toggle rail destruction on and off. You have to enable each of the other option's event's when one event is triggered by occupation of the relevant hex. The hexes need to be non-adjacent because possession of adjacent hexes will flip due to ZoC. Thanks for your help.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by golden delicious »

ORIGINAL: 76mm

OK, I was finally able to get this to work, by creating an "off-map" unit moving between two non-adjacent hexes to toggle rail destruction on and off. You have to enable each of the other option's event's when one event is triggered by occupation of the relevant hex. The hexes need to be non-adjacent because possession of adjacent hexes will flip due to ZoC. Thanks for your help.

Cool! I don't think I ever used this mechanic myself but it used to be popular in a lot of scenarios back in the old TDG days.
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RE: Question re Rail Destruction Chance

Post by 76mm »

Trying to think of other uses to put this to now...the document you linked to has some helpful ideas, but nothing I can use directly.
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