Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: ralphtrick

There are some caveats. We're working on figuring out what those are. For example, the equipment slots are capped at what is currently in TOAW-COW.

This is a non-issue. Scenarios of even the broadest possible scope currently use rather less than half of the available slots. For my own efforts, I have duplicated many of the common equipment types in modified .exes, as well as adding some new items. I've not found the need to add more than perhaps eighty peices of equipment, leaving me several times as much space again.

ORIGINAL: ColinWright
Well, note that one is not editing units. One is editing the characteristics of the weapons that make up the unit. Beyond that, the simplist thing to do would be to download the Bioeditor and open it. Things should be clearer at that point.

As it stands, one can't do that without having COW installed, or having TOAW III installed and making a number of changes to the system.

TOAW III .exes won't open in BioEd at all.

ok, you can add just not modify? so if I wanted to make a Tiger II stronger, could I not just add it under a different name.. spelling etc? or did missunderstand totally above.. thanks

ORIGINAL: freeboy

ok, you can add just not modify? so if I wanted to make a Tiger II stronger, could I not just add it under a different name.. spelling etc? or did missunderstand totally above.. thanks

In fact it's pretty much the reverse- you can modify but not add. However effectively one can add equipment by overwriting items you're not going to use.

ORIGINAL: golden delicious

ORIGINAL: freeboy

ok, you can add just not modify? so if I wanted to make a Tiger II stronger, could I not just add it under a different name.. spelling etc? or did missunderstand totally above.. thanks

In fact it's pretty much the reverse- you can modify but not add. However effectively one can add equipment by overwriting items you're not going to use.

Well, there are slots for a dozen or so pieces of new equipment. However, I'm starting to almost prefer writing over equipment in the appropriate catagory. Already nicely sorted that way.

Thanks for the expllaiation Ralph, Colin, Golden, et al. If it DOES come to pass, please include "Unit Editinf for Dummies"[:'(]

ok, now I really am lost.. first you said

as well as adding some new items

.. maybe you should use create.. but so I understand.. no new items.. just modified equipment strength etc?

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll

Thanks for the expllaiation Ralph, Colin, Golden, et al. If it DOES come to pass, please include "Unit Editinf for Dummies"[:'(]

yes.

ORIGINAL: freeboy

ok, now I really am lost.. first you said

as well as adding some new items

.. maybe you should use create.. but so I understand.. no new items.. just modified equipment strength etc?

Well, to be precise, yes. But if you take "Biplane Fighter (late)", change all the numbers, and rename it to "FW-190 F/G", you've pretty much added a new item, replacing the old one.

right, so we can modify included name making a new item.. thanks.. cannot what to play around .. feeling like a kid in a candy shop

Now I am more confused than ever. With the present TAOW3 System, can we change the combat factors (or movement factors) of a unit, or create a unit in the database (say PZ 4 Batallion) with modified combat or movement factors? Put another way, do you need Bio Ed to do the above, or is it for creating or units that are not already in the database?
 
I own the game, love the game, but it can be confusing, espically the design/modify scenarios part.

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll

Now I am more confused than ever. With the present TAOW3 System, can we change the combat factors (or movement factors) of a unit, or create a unit in the database (say PZ 4 Batallion) with modified combat or movement factors? Put another way, do you need Bio Ed to do the above, or is it for creating or units that are not already in the database?

I own the game, love the game, but it can be confusing, espically the design/modify scenarios part.

Principally No.

With BioEdit, the only equipment editor yet, you can modify the equipment database of 'TOAW: A Century of Warfare'. You can edit any name, value and characteristics of any equipment, add it as a 'new' one to replace an 'old' one or use the free slots.

There is something in the work for TOAW3, that probably will come in the next or in an other future patch.

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll

Now I am more confused than ever. With the present TAOW3 System, can we change the combat factors (or movement factors) of a unit, or create a unit in the database (say PZ 4 Batallion) with modified combat or movement factors? Put another way, do you need Bio Ed to do the above, or is it for creating or units that are not already in the database?

I own the game, love the game, but it can be confusing, espically the design/modify scenarios part.

You keep referring to 'modifying units.' Units in TOAW are aggregates of the equipment in them -- of course you can modify units. Put in different equipment.

The Bioeditor has nothing to do with this. The Bioeditor lets one modify the characteristics of the individual items of equipment themselves.

So suppose I want to make a battalion of infantry able to move faster. I put in trucks. I've certainly modified it -- but this has nothing to do with the Bioeditor. Where the Bioeditor comes into play is if I want to give the trucks a recon ability or something. Then I open the Bioeditor, pull up the .exe I want to modify, find 'trucks', go to about page 5, and check the 'recon' box for that item of equipment.

I now save this .exe under a new name. From now on, if I use this .exe, trucks will have a recon ability.

TOCarroll,
 
It is a question of semantics.  What most people think of when they think of a "unit editor" is an editor that will change the characteristics of units.  However, that way of thinking is problematic is TOAW because a TOAW UNIT is composed of many "sub-units" (for instance, a regimental UNIT composed of many "sub-units" like machine guns and rifles and mortars, etc.).
 
So what we are REALLY talking about here in TOAW is an EQUIPMENT editor, which currently does NOT exist for TOAW3.  Such an equipment editor (if it existed) would allow players to change the characteristics of the EQUIPMENT in each TOAW UNIT.  With such an equipment editor, you could change the armor and speed and weapons characteristics of your Tiger tanks, for example.
 
My wallet is anxiously yearning for the day when such an equipment editor will be made available for TOAW3 so I can buy the game (I won't buy the game until that day).

OK. Thanks guys. I actually UNDERSTAND what it does and doesn't do. Muchas Gratias to all who contributed to lessening my stupor.[&o][&o][&o][&o][&o]
 
PS    If I know Matrix, It will be released when ready (which I aprove of). Keeps the number of patch versions down below 3 digits.

ORIGINAL: ralphtrick

SInce Jean-Luc's efforts at writing an editor have stalled, and I've made significant changes to the way that data is stored in TOAW, we've decided to store the equipment data in a separate file that can be loaded when that scenario starts in a manner similar to the way that scenario specific graphics are loaded..

WIth any luck you'll be able to use BioEd to edit the equipment data only, and store it in a separate file that will be automatically loaded when that scenario is loaded. If you have a currently modded TOAW-COW scenario, you've already done the hardest part.

There are some caveats. We're working on figuring out what those are. For example, the equipment slots are capped at what is currently in TOAW-COW. Scenario graphics are handled differently in TOAW III from TOAW-COW, so much of BioEd's editing aren't useful, etc.

Ralph

Ralph, you know if you save the equipment database in a datafile that can be read by excel then all you would need is a spreadsheet template and use excel for the database editor rather than fool around with BioEd.

As GD pointed out, no scenario uses all the equipment types so if one needs to "add" equipment to the list, you could easily tell users to overwrite unused equipment already in the database rather than try to add new equipment by tacking it on the end.

The only new function (in the game) you would need is a function to ensure that both parties of a PBEM game are using the same equipment database.

Are there any reasons why it's not that simple?

Best wishes,

ORIGINAL: shunwick
Ralph, you know if you save the equipment database in a datafile that can be read by excel then all you would need is a spreadsheet template and use excel for the database editor rather than fool around with BioEd.

As GD pointed out, no scenario uses all the equipment types so if one needs to "add" equipment to the list, you could easily tell users to overwrite unused equipment already in the database rather than try to add new equipment by tacking it on the end.

The only new function (in the game) you would need is a function to ensure that both parties of a PBEM game are using the same equipment database.

Are there any reasons why it's not that simple?

Best wishes,

Yes, you would be able edit the equipment datafile in a text editor. But it would not be a simple task. Finding the item you wanted to edit would be tedious, and how to edit the flags would be mysterious and difficult. BioEd (or something like it) will be a valuable and necessary aid.

The other complication we're working on is that Norm filled the equipment database with many arcane factors that have often been hard to decipher. Bear with us.

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

ORIGINAL: shunwick
Ralph, you know if you save the equipment database in a datafile that can be read by excel then all you would need is a spreadsheet template and use excel for the database editor rather than fool around with BioEd.

As GD pointed out, no scenario uses all the equipment types so if one needs to "add" equipment to the list, you could easily tell users to overwrite unused equipment already in the database rather than try to add new equipment by tacking it on the end.

The only new function (in the game) you would need is a function to ensure that both parties of a PBEM game are using the same equipment database.

Are there any reasons why it's not that simple?

Best wishes,

Yes, you would be able edit the equipment datafile in a text editor. But it would not be a simple task. Finding the item you wanted to edit would be tedious, and how to edit the flags would be mysterious and difficult. BioEd (or something like it) will be a valuable and necessary aid.

The other complication we're working on is that Norm filled the equipment database with many arcane factors that have often been hard to decipher. Bear with us.

Thanks for that. I must admit that I would prefer a dedicated equipment editor.

Best wishes,

Thanks for filling in some of the blanks between my ears[:D]. An EQUIPMENT editor, allowing one to change the attributes abd values of sub-units (e.g. recon ability of a Panzer Mk. III), would be exactly what the doctor ordered. As a true believer in Matrix Games (and the associated community), I do understand the wisdom of waiting for a product that works, instead of one that is released early and requires countless patches. Good luck with the project.[;)]

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

ORIGINAL: shunwick
Ralph, you know if you save the equipment database in a datafile that can be read by excel then all you would need is a spreadsheet template and use excel for the database editor rather than fool around with BioEd.

As GD pointed out, no scenario uses all the equipment types so if one needs to "add" equipment to the list, you could easily tell users to overwrite unused equipment already in the database rather than try to add new equipment by tacking it on the end.

The only new function (in the game) you would need is a function to ensure that both parties of a PBEM game are using the same equipment database.

Are there any reasons why it's not that simple?

Best wishes,

The other complication we're working on is that Norm filled the equipment database with many arcane factors that have often been hard to decipher. Bear with us.

..or simply don't do anything, the "smoke" flag being the best example, altho for arcane i do wonder why "road only" is given to so many vehicles then cancelled by "agile"..

..t3 with a BioEd = the Art of War for all periods, a game that goes beyond "Bench-mark" , "Classic", or 'ultimate"and may well just deserve the advertising formula of The Game..

..anyway, having solved the welding problem, it's back to the "ecologically sound sewerage for social housing systems in a 3rd world environment", " coffee cultivation methods " and "how to grow a decent red wine-grape on the equator" projects...

..Happy Solstice