Tutorial: Simple Scenario Creation 102

[Vic]

Simple Scenario Design 102

This tutorial continues where SSD101 stopped. At the end of SSD101 we had created a basic Netherlands 1940 scenario. But one thing immediatly catches our attention.
Those ugly Hs on the HQs. There should be propper flags there. Not only to make the HQs look nicer, but also because these flags are used in the GUI itself (topright turn info in play mode).
The small unit symbols in the top left corner are also wrong for the Netherlands.

[Vic]

Go the the regimes subscreen (a) and select the netherlands regime (b), press the statistics tab (c) and then press the button next to the HQ graphics (d). Then browse to the default/national/ directory and select the french flag (it looks closest to the dutch flag). Do the same for the national icon (f). Then do the same for the Germany regime.

ohhh.. and before we forget both regimes are now using the default pictures for the subformation types because there ExtraGraphic = -1. Lets set the extra graphic (g) of the Netherlands to 2 and the extra graphics of Germany to 3. This way we see allied troop pictures for the dutch and german icons facing west for the germans.

[Vic]

I also detailed the landscape a bit further by putting in some wetlands (swamps) and more rivers. This already looks a lot better.

Historically the germans overran the Netherlands in 5 days. Lets play test the current scenario and see how much time i need with the germans. It is important you play both sides as human for this play testing. Unless of course you want to make a single player scenario.

[Vic]

The scenario plays historically well. the screen shot shown here is made on may the 15th. This is in line with historical reality. However the dutch already capitulated a day earlier. So what i will do is start giving the dutch morale penalties upon losing a big city (5 vp towns) of 25% lower base morale per big town lost. I will do this by using events!

Before i make any event i will write down the coordinates of those dutch big cities:
The Hague (5,13)
Amsterdam (9,11)
Rotterdam (6,15)
Utrecht (10,14)

[Vic]

Go to the events subscreen. There is already one event there we made in SSD101: the event that increases the range of aircraft. We now add another event by pressing add(a) and this time we click on the button next to the name of the event(b) to actually give it a name(c). Naming events is only usefull for the designer in order to keep track. It is even possible to make event groups in the settings subscreen and sort events in different groups to keep track of them in very complex scenarios.

[Vic]

Anyway the event should look like this. Dont forget to toggle it to turn check so that the events is checked every turn (a).
The code of this event is very easy. Basicly Line 0 looks if Utrecht is in German hands, if it is not then no further code is executed.
If it is in German hands then on line 1 there is an exec that lets Regime 0 (the netherlands) lose 25% of base morale.
And one line 2 there is a message generated that is send to both players to tell them that this event has occured.
And finally on line 3 a blockevent exec is set, which means that this event will never be checked again. (otherwise the dutch keep losing 25% every turn)

You will have to make 3 other events here for The Hague, Amsterdam, rotterdam. Luckily there is a copy and paste button.

[Vic]

Another thing that annoys me is that the morale of the Dutch units starts on 20-25 xp but grows way to fast. Its not realistic to have training effects on this timescale. so i am going to the settings subscreen (a), click on the rulevars tab (b), select the xp rulevars tab (c) and then click on the rulevar 63 (d) that determains up to which xp level your troops get free xp every round due to training. Click on the button right next to it (e) to set its value to 10. That will do and keep those Dutch soldiers inexperienced.

[Vic]

Then there is another thing. The Germans will always win this scenario. So i have added an event which checks when somebody has amassed the neccessary number of victory points. If this happens the event checks howmany days the battle took. If the germans take their victory points within 3 days it will be declared a MAJOR german victory by a message exec, within 5 days a MINOR german victory, within 7 days a MINOR dutch victory and longer a MAJOR dutch victory. If the dutch take Duisburg it will be a TOTAL dutch Victory, but that is highly unlickly to happen.

[Vic]

I attach this scenario now so you can download it and check it out in the editor or even play it.

This concludes this Simple Scenario Design 102.

Next lesson will be Advanced Scenario Design 101.

Kind regards,
Vic

[Vic]

Erratum:

I set the rulevar for experience, but since the scenario was still set to the default masterfile that setting would be overwritten. So i disabled the masterfile by click on the masterfile button and then pressing cancel (a)

Also i forgot to set the Victory Point Win Condition in the settings screen. I set it to 39 now. (b)

[PDiFolco]

Vic,
Good scen, and short to play, it should be sold as an intro scen w/tutorial !

I've played it as germans, it's fun, maybe a couple things may be reviewed :
- German inf is mainly on foot, and so slow it's just not possible to reach the VP towns in 3 days. Maybe the land move rates should be increased somewhat ?
- The german Art unit doesn't have enough horses for the accompanying inf, so it moves at foot rate ..
- The fortress on the dyke seems rather useless, I took it on the first attack with the northern troops
- (edit) I think this is a bug : Victory/end of game message can't be acknowledged (the button is here but does nothing) !

[Vic]

the picture for the german victory was to big. i fixed it. thanks PDI.

there are some trucks in the OKW you can use to increase mobilization.

the horses are just to mobilize the art

the fortress is not useless if the dutch occupy it properly.

kind regards,
vic

[Arkady]

Question about own graphics: files should be placed in Bin\Graphics subdirectory?

Do they need stick in specific directory ? National flags and ID in default/national or can I create directory for my graphics files ?

[Vic]

hi Arkady,
 
yes they must be put in the graphics directory, but you can create your own directories and subdirectories and put any graphic anywhere within them.

[Adam Rinkleff]

ORIGINAL: Vic

hi Arkady,

yes they must be put in the graphics directory, but you can create your own directories and subdirectories and put any graphic anywhere within them.

master

But how do we access them? I just want to make a desert hex? [&:]