Hierarchy Module Document

[Curtis Lemay]

Same for the Inventory Report:

[Curtis Lemay]

Commander casualties also show up on the News Report:

Note that the above shows that commanders recover from wounds and can be returned to the game. They do so at a rate of about 1% per day.

In addition to becoming casualties, commanders can receive battlefield promotions under certain conditions. Their Charisma rating impacts their units routing/reorganizing and their recovery from those conditions. Their Initiative rating enables them to convert their formation from Out of Command to Under Orders ahead of the courier. Their Organizational rating impacts their formation’s FSDE value for the higher formation sizes. This also cascades down the hierarchy. It also scales tactical skills upon promotion to the higher ranks.

[Curtis Lemay]

Now let’s take a look at formation command radii and hierarchical command radii:

In the below, Grant has just arrived and the forces on the map have just been released from reserve mode. Most units are within their formations command radii (five units Under Orders and one Out of Command), but some formations at the top are out of command. Grant’s hierarchical command radius is 25. Note that McClernand is 24 MPs away and is In Command. But Sherman is 28 MPs away and is Out of Command. His hierarchical command radius is 10. So, his near brigades are within hierarchical command, but, because Sherman himself is out, the best they can be is Under Orders. But his far brigade (Stuart) is 20 MPs away and therefore is Out of Command. Note that its distance to Grant is irrelevant – only its distance to Sherman matters.

[Curtis Lemay]

This shot shows the popup for moving Under Orders:

The player has the option to move one hex at a time or all at once. The former is preferable if the enemy could be encountered.

[Curtis Lemay]

1. One feature remains to be finished. This was the Commander Vacancy Fill procedure. It is now finished.
2. Scenarios need to be modified/designed to incorporate the new features for testing and publication. Seven scenarios now so modified: Leipzig 1813; Shiloh 1862; Kaiserschlacht 1918; CFNA 1940-43; Soviet Union 1941; Germany 1945; Okinawa 1945.
3. Those scenarios need to be play-tested to ferret out any remaining bugs with the new features. There are already 3 or 4 bugs identified that remain in the new features.
4. There is a significant suite of legacy bugs that need to be fixed.
5. Language files need to be updated with the text of the new features. There were seven in TOAW-III:
_____a. English
_____b. Chinese
_____c. French
_____d. Spanish - finished by Josant.
_____e. German – not yet in TOAW-IV
_____f. Italian – not yet in TOAW-IV
_____g. Polish – not yet in TOAW-IV
_____h. Note to volunteers: Digital Translators make it unnecessary to speak the language to translate.
6. Documentation for the new features needs to be crafted.
7. Scenario Designers will be canvased for any new scenarios to add.
8. Matrix needs to make the installation build for the update.
9. That build needs to be tested.

My estimate/hope is that the release could come in the first quarter of 2025.

[Ranger6]

Bob, you have been busy!

[woos1981]

1. One feature remains to be finished.
2. Scenarios need to be modified/designed to incorporate the new features for testing and publication.
3. Those scenarios need to be play-tested to ferret out any remaining bugs with the new features.
4. There is a significant suite of legacy bugs that need to be fixed.
5. Language files need to be updated with the text of the new features. There were seven in TOAW-III:
a. English
b. Chinese
c. French
d. Spanish
e. German – not yet in TOAW-IV
f. Italian – not yet in TOAW-IV
g. Polish – not yet in TOAW-IV
h. Note to volunteers: Digital Translators make it unnecessary to speak the language to translate.
6. Documentation for the new features needs to be crafted.
7. Scenario Designers will be canvased for any new scenarios to add.
8. Matrix needs to make the installation build for the update.
9. That build needs to be tested.

My estimate/hope is that the release could come in the first quarter of 2025.

Thank you, Bob! You're my hero, and I can't wait to see this game shine again after a few years' waitting!

[cathar1244]

Bob

Did the bug that eats RAM and causes crashes to desktop get fixed?

Cheers

[kutaycosar]

I like the improvements on formations. I also hope that helicopters will be fixed in the new update to be immune to ground or air attacks during movement. Similarly, planes are vulnerable to air attacks while paradropping, but they are not affected by ground attacks(AA missile in modern scenarios to be precise) in any way.

[Curtis Lemay]

Bob

Did the bug that eats RAM and causes crashes to desktop get fixed?

Cheers

See item 4 in the last post.

[cathar1244]

Missed that bullet. Thanks for the clarification.

Cheers

Bob

Did the bug that eats RAM and causes crashes to desktop get fixed?

Cheers

See item 4 in the last post.

[cathar1244]

Sorry if I missed this.

Will legacy scenarios play without modification in this new version?

Cheers

[rhinobones]

This thread will give some details of the upcoming Update (which is known as the "Hierarchy Module").

First of all, great work. Secondly . . .

How much time & effort will it take to convert an existing scenario to the new format? Use your scenario CFNA 1940-43 as an example. Assume the person doing the conversion has to go thru the learning curve.

Regards

[Curtis Lemay]

Sorry if I missed this.

Will legacy scenarios play without modification in this new version?

Cheers

Of course. Note that they will have the minimum level of unit shifting allowed (identical units can move between formations). To go back to no shifting would require a little work to set the "No detachment" flags.

[Curtis Lemay]

This thread will give some details of the upcoming Update (which is known as the "Hierarchy Module").

First of all, great work. Secondly . . .

How much time & effort will it take to convert an existing scenario to the new format? Use your scenario CFNA 1940-43 as an example. Assume the person doing the conversion has to go thru the learning curve.

Regards

Something I will be doing shortly! Not too long if you only want to add a hierarchy and commanders (assuming you've got the research done). Especially if the commanders are in the canned list. Longer if you have to create commanders unique to the scenario.

Now, for my Civil War Battles, I'm going to also add subordinates - regiments internal to the brigades. That will take quite a bit of additional effort. I'll also subordinate the carrier air groups in my Okinawa 1945 scenario.

I'll have instructions on how to create a hierarchy down the road. (I already have it done, it's just on the Development Board).

[rhinobones]

This thread will give some details of the upcoming Update (which is known as the "Hierarchy Module").

Appreciate the quick reply.

Another concern is the state of the manual. Is it being updated?
Of particular concern is documentation of the new editor triggers/effects. How to use them, how to build functioning events. There is a reason why the term "Evil Editor" was coined.

Regards

[Curtis Lemay]

This thread will give some details of the upcoming Update (which is known as the "Hierarchy Module").

Appreciate the quick reply.

Another concern is the state of the manual. Is it being updated?
Of particular concern is documentation of the new editor triggers/effects. How to use them, how to build functioning events. There is a reason why the term "Evil Editor" was coined.

Regards

See item 6 in the last post. The manual will not be revised. There will be a new document detailing the how-to for the new stuff.

[LOK32MK]

Thank you, Bob! This is amazing and I need some time to fully understand the changes!
It's going to be a very busy 2025!

[joey]

Wow I am impressed, Bob! I can't wait. Don't let me hold you up. I wish I could help, but programing is not my forte.

[Curtis Lemay]

I want to alert folks to some of the nicer parts of the new event stuff:

First, of the new triggers, especially note the “Event A AND Event B” trigger. This is like the “Event Activated” trigger except it now requires two events to both occur to trigger. That’s something that had been almost impossible to pull off before. Now, since this event can be daisy-chained, there can be an unlimited number of requirements to trigger.

Bridge Destroyed trigger can synch with many effects as well. Commander Casualties can synch with VPs.

Next, of the new effects, 12 are just to modify the Game Parameters (AAA Lethality, Attrition Divider, Density Combat Penalty, Engineering Rate, Entrenchment Rate, Hex Conversion Costs, Improved Road Divisor, MRPB, Mud Scalar, Naval Attrition Divisor, Readiness Costs, and Supply Costs).

28 are just to modify the Force Parameters (ARF ½, Communication ½, Critical Hit ½, Electronic ½, Intolerance ½, NBC ½, Night ½, Overextended ½, PGW ½, Proficiency ½, Replacement Comm ½, Replacement Prof ½, RFC Scalar ½, Supply Stockpile ½).

14 do new commander operations (Attach Commander ½, Demote Commander ½, Detach Commander ½, Promote Commander ½, Resurrect Commander ½, Return Commander ½, Withdraw Commander ½).

10 do new Unit/Formation operations (Attach Formation ½, Attach Unit ½, Detach Formation ½, Detach Unit ½, Upgrade Unit Equipment ½).

8 do the new variable operations (Variable2 +/-, Variable3 +/-, Variable4 +/-, and Variable5 +/-).

1 completes the Withdraw operations: Withdraw Formation. (goes with the existing Withdraw Unit and Withdraw Army events).

But now the rest get really exotic:

Bridge operations: Destroy Bridge and Repair Bridge.

Return operations: Return Unit, Return Formation, and Return Army. So, no more duplicates needed. Note: Returns come back in the state they left in - not all shiny and new.

Rename operations: Rename Unit, Rename Formation, Rename Force 0, Rename Force 1. No need to deliver a new unit each time its name changes.

Replacement operations: Equipment Start, Equipment End, Equipment Rate. This allows replacements to start and stop then restart, etc., with rates changing as you go. So, allowing very fine control of replacements.

Turn Stuff: Last Turn, Initiative, and Turn Interval. So, when the scenario ends can be variable by event. A side can be guaranteed to have the Initiative (think Commonwealth side on start of Crusader). And best of all, turn interval can vary over the course of the scenario. For example, day turns may be 1-hour while night turns are 12-hour, etc. Or the scenario may start with 1-hour turns on D-Day, then shift to longer and longer turns as the front moves past the beaches.