Matrix Games Forums

I'd like to adjust the random campaign core units a bit, but I can' t find the xml they live in.

In the Data folder are Presets folder, for battles, and Random Campaigns, for campaigns.

Take a look at the document for making Randoms before you modify anything so that you see how they work.

I did look at the documentation. The xml for the RBG presets makes sense -- there is a TOEE listed, and it's used for allowed unit selection value.

The xmls in Data\Random Campaigns do not have any any XML in them for TOEE. There is a description section, scenarios section, scenario description section and replacements section. The TOEE for the campaign is only in the desciption, and I doubt the code parses the desciption field to populate the actual campaign TOEE? There should be something somewhere that's lists the exact TOEE for each Rand Campaign, since it's static from generation to generation.

I think I answered too quickly. I think the Battles folder files are what you are looking for but make sure you understand how it all works together.

I see how it works now. It looks like the original TOEE is generated from a hard coded value, then inserted into the Rxxxxxxxxxx.xml file that is used to define the specific battle. That makes it quite awkward to adjust the TOEE for Rand Campaigns, since it has to be done on a battle-by-battle basis. Ouch, painful. It would be really nice if they separated out the Rand Campaign TOEE into its own XML files.

EDIT: oh, I see now. The template for the campaign is shared with the RBG one, and lives in \Battles.

Then it becomes less random doesn't it? That's the idea of the random part, to be random.

Hopefully people will start designing battles and then campaigns and you will have a lot to chose from.

Actually, the original TO&E for random campaigns is defined in the driver files for each campaign. Those files also define when the units are upgraded and what kind of force mix and reinforcements are possible for each timeframe. You can have completely random capmaigns (like the 1st Panzer Division campaign) or semi-random campaigns that mix some set battles with some random battles (like the 3rd Panzer Division campaign) or completely historical campaigns of linked set battles like the Kharkov campaigns.

Changing the driver files to define your starting force and its upgrades is not that time-consuming, but it does take some careful editing.

Regards,

- Erik

The driver file reference the TOEE files stored in \Battle, they don't actually contain any TOEE. You can see this relationship in the editor when you double click on a battle cluster. It opens the battle file that contains the TOEE.

Sorry, I considered those part of the driver files. The files in /Battles are the ones where the TO&E is defined, along with many other parameters for random campaign battle generation. The first file for the campaign's time frame effectively sets the core force. Each of those files has a date range for which they apply.

Regards,

- Erik

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Sorry, I considered those part of the driver files. The files in /Battles are the ones where the TO&E is defined, along with many other parameters for random campaign battle generation. The first file for the campaign's time frame effectively sets the core force. Each of those files has a date range for which they apply.

Regards,

- Erik

Does that mean if I want to mod the TOEE for a long campaign, I only need to mod the very first one of the campaign and any (Upgrade) ones?

ORIGINAL: sage

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Sorry, I considered those part of the driver files. The files in /Battles are the ones where the TO&E is defined, along with many other parameters for random campaign battle generation. The first file for the campaign's time frame effectively sets the core force. Each of those files has a date range for which they apply.

Regards,

- Erik

Does that mean if I want to mod the TOEE for a long campaign, I only need to mod the very first one of the campaign and any (Upgrade) ones?

No, I'm pretty sure you need to make sure your edited set of core forces appear in each of the battle files that gets called.

Thanks
rick

ORIGINAL: Rick

ORIGINAL: sage

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Sorry, I considered those part of the driver files. The files in /Battles are the ones where the TO&E is defined, along with many other parameters for random campaign battle generation. The first file for the campaign's time frame effectively sets the core force. Each of those files has a date range for which they apply.

Regards,

- Erik

Does that mean if I want to mod the TOEE for a long campaign, I only need to mod the very first one of the campaign and any (Upgrade) ones?

No, I'm pretty sure you need to make sure your edited set of core forces appear in each of the battle files that gets called.

Thanks
rick

Oh, bummer. That's brutally large number of files for a long campaign.

21 files for the full 7th Panzer Division campaign, for example. I think you could do that in under an hour with a good text editor if your goal is just to change the core force a bit rather than the possible reinforcements or other parameters. Creating a whole new full campaign is quite a bit more work.

Regards,

- Erik

ORIGINAL: sage

Oh, bummer. That's brutally large number of files for a long campaign.

I would experiment with a shorter campaign, then jump into a long one. Once you're comfortable with the files you can do them pretty quickly.

There is really a LOT of flexibility in the campaign system, but that also means a bit of complexity.

thanks
rick

ORIGINAL: Rick

ORIGINAL: sage

Oh, bummer. That's brutally large number of files for a long campaign.

I would experiment with a shorter campaign, then jump into a long one. Once you're comfortable with the files you can do them pretty quickly.

There is really a LOT of flexibility in the campaign system, but that also means a bit of complexity.

thanks
rick

Indeed. I always appreciate easy modability like this.