Estab Editor

[springel]

I am planning to make a couple of scenarios about the 1940 Air assault on the Netherlands.

So I started playing with the editors.

When I make a clone of the default BFTBEstab, it fails to compile, complaining about 2 missing pictures.

I duplicated some random pictures to give them the required name, and that solved the compilation error (but it deletes an unused picture).

So it seems the un-compiled estab file is not completely consistent with the pictures.

I also noticed the importing of radio's in the compile log. I found them in the xml-file, but I couldn't find any reference in the editor or in the estab.xml file itself. I am just curious: what are they linked to, and does it matter for a 1940 scenario?

[simovitch]

The missing pictures is not fatal and should not have caused the estab file to crash but you would see the error message. I have tried to track those down but it is a laborious process.

Radios are not an active feature in BFTB.

[springel]

ORIGINAL: simovitch
The missing pictures is not fatal and should not have caused the estab file to crash but you would see the error message. I have tried to track those down but it is a laborious process.

Well, until I corrected this, a test to create a new scenario with this estab failed (scenario editor dies without a trace while loading estab data).

After supplying dummy images I can create a new scenario with the resulting binary.

So there is something sensitive.

ORIGINAL: simovitch
Radios are not an active feature in BFTB.

I was first trying to create a minimal Estab file that would allow me to build a test scenario.
I created two sides, each with two forces, one of them a HQ, but that would crash as well, so I was looking for a reason why the new Estab would be incomplete.
So you say missing radios are not the cause?

[springel]

I found the items with missing pictures by looking for the ID's:

- .50 cal M2HB HMG
- Humber Mk IV AC

When I checked the 'no picture' checkbox, the estab compiled happily, but commented that one picture was unused.
It doesn't give an ID for that one though. But that is not critical at all, I guess.

[simovitch]

I forgot about that issue with those 2 images. I thought we included those with the last patch but it's been so long maybe my mind is getting fuzzy.[:(] It's the "unused" image that tasks me.

There are several issues that would cause your estab file to fail, especially if you are starting from scratch. Best to use an existing file and work backwards. Not having radios should not be a problem. You need to make sure you have corresponding weapons, ammo, vehicles etc though. If a weapon calls an ammo type that doesn't exist it may be a problem, even if the estab compiles.

hope this helps.

[springel]

I made my new Estab from scatch work by giving all the upper-level entities (side, nationality, branch) an icon.
That appeared to be the missing issue.

Now I need to adjust something to my bullets, because a 100 men rifle Co appears as a strength 7 unit
I think they have explosive charges at the moment.

As both sides of the scenario use them, the duel became short and deadly, but I think they ran out of bullets without resupply.

Of course all of this is just fooling around to get an understanding of the various numbers.

[springel]

The strength number still puzzles me.

My company of 100 men with 7.9mm rifles, and nothing else, has a strength of 7/8 (depending on organisation)
AP value is 35, so not unusual I think.

The weapon and ammunition characteristics are almost equal to the carbines/rifles of the BFTB estab.

But the strength number on the unit icon seems to indicate that something is off by a factor of about 100.

I need to understand this, because my final Dutch 1940 infantry companies will use an unusual rifle, the M.95 6.5mm Carbine.

[Lieste]

Is it possible that the strength scale is dynamic and at 100 rifles this is the 'strongest' unit you have built?
As a test use a spare slot to build a Division Base with say 1000 rifles, and see what value your line Rifle Company then takes.
I would expect a 2 or 3, as in the existing Estabs, but I may be wrong.

[springel]

ORIGINAL: Lieste

Is it possible that the strength scale is dynamic and at 100 rifles this is the 'strongest' unit you have built?
As a test use a spare slot to build a Division Base with say 1000 rifles, and see what value your line Rifle Company then takes.
I would expect a 2 or 3, as in the existing Estabs, but I may be wrong.

Ah, yes, I already considered this as a possibility.

But in other scenarios I have never seen an 8 unit.

I will try it.

[springel]

Lieste, you were right. Adding a base with 1000 rifles brought the strength number down from 8 to 5. (a factor 8 (~10), which is the ratio of 1000 to 100).

I am curious what is the strongest unit in the default Estab that has the maximum 8 value. A very heavy artillery unit?

[Lieste]

Probably, either that or an armoured unit of large size. I think I've seen some 7s in a scenario, but forget which ones...