Is there "For Dummies" Guide to the Game Editor?

[mdsmall]

I wonder if a reader of this Forum can help me. I have been a keen player of Strategic Command, both WW1 and War in Europe, for six months. To get a deeper understanding of the game, I need to start looking at the Game Editor and reading that section of the Game Manual. Unfortunately, I am completely baffled when I try to open the Editor and I find the relevant section of the manual equally a head-scratcher. No doubt this is because I have no prior background in computer games and no familiarity the underlying systems on which this game runs.

Would someone be willing to write out for me and post all the steps to follow to find and launch the Editor? In particular, I am trying to read the Events folder for the Fall Weiss 8.3 mod that I am playing (which a friend installed for me) and I can't figure out how to do this. Any help concrete "how-to" offered would be very much appreciated.

Michael

[BillRunacre]

Hi Michael

There should be an option to open the Editor from the game's Launcher Menu, if there is then click on that.

You will then need to open the relevant campaign, which is the third button along:



Select the relevant .cgn file from the file names that will then appear (in this case one with Fall Weiss II in the name).

Click on Open. The campaign will open shortly.


There will be a menu along the top. To view scripts, click on Campaign. Click on Edit AI Scripts or Edit Event Scripts, depending on which you want to look at.



Then select the relevant script type you want to look at, click on Open/Edit and the script file should open up, ready for you to look at.

[getsome123]

question - how to edit actual scripts. I have read the manual and still not sure how you can affect the scripts behaviour.

Give you example, the graf spee event, how might i edit it so that percentage chance of the graf spee returning to germany was 100%

I can see where you can set the strength etc

[getsome123]

thanks

[El_Condoro]

(Assuming you have made a copy of the official campaign)

If I was going to do that, there are two files to edit:
1. popup.txt - set #FLAG= 0 on the Graf Spee historical event so that it doesn't appear.
2. unit.txt - this will place a unit in the designated location at the designated date.
{
#NAME= Graf Spee arrives back in German port
#POPUP= The Graf Spee ...
#IMAGE= if you have one in the \Media folder for the event image.png
#SOUND=
#FLAG= 1
#TYPE= 1
#AI= 0
#LEVEL= 0
#GV= 1[1,100] - if it is always to fire
#LINK= 0[0] - if a DE is made to trigger the event, enter the correct numbers here
#TRIGGER= 100 - this will make it fire 100% of the time, all other criteria being met
#PRIVATE= 1 - if just for Axis player, 0 otherwise
#DISPLAY_TURN= 1 - if for Axis player
#COUNTRY_ID= 45 (Germany)
#FULL_RESEARCH= 1 - if it has the current research level
#DESTINATION_RESOURCE= the map co-ord of the port at which it arrives
#DATE= 1940/1/1 - the date you want it to arrive
#FAILSAFE_DATE= 1940/2/1 - if the event must fire by this date
#VARIABLE_CONDITION= 45 [1] [100] [0] - any variables (this one is Germany is mobilized and not surrendered)
#CONDITION_POSITION= 0,0 [0,0] [0,0] [0] [0] - if unit conditions needed. This example is blank
#UNIT= 38 [10] [0] [Graf Spee] - I'm not sure what you will designate the Graf Spee (I have selected Cruiser = #UNIT_ID= 38), at full strength and no experience. Set it according to your idea.
}

[BillRunacre]

With the scripts there is a description field at the top of every file, and I would suggest referring to that while browsing the scripts.

Perhaps make a small test campaign with just a few scripts, set them to fire on the first turn, and then play with their settings to gain more experience, e.g. linking them to Decision Events, or the movement of forces.

It really is something that is best learned by doing, but of course we are here to help answer questions if needed too. [:)]