Multinational campaigns

[Tazak]

I've been playing around and thought I'd post this in-case anyone wants to put together a multinational campaign

Once you put together your first scenario with the core forces, you can select a different nation for the later scenarios giving the result of multinational forces without having to edit/combine the user data xls.

i.e. core forces in first battle are UK, 2nd battle additional forces are US, 3rd battle additional forces are WG. As the campaign progresses you'll find in the 2nd scenario onwards mixing core UK forces with US/WG forces, the only minor downside is all forces use the same colour background as the core forces.

[CapnDarwin]

There are a couple downsides.
1). As you noted there is only the one background counter used.
2). Only one national dataset is being used for all of the forces. Not a huge problem, but should be noted.

This is an area we will be improving in 2.1.

[Tazak]

Thanks CD, wasn't sure on the nation dataset, hadn't drilled down that far into how the engine handled things, I take it the engine uses the first scenario dataset.

TBH I was expecting "missing data" type errors but was pleasantly surprised when it ran smoothly, now I have lots more options to play with[;)].

[CapnDarwin]

Be nicer if counter backgrounds got stored. We will be doing that and more for 2.1.

[JohnOsb]

Understand about the background counter used by the default unit that is select for the core forces, but for the data being used for all the forces. I f you know what you will add for the next scenario in your campaign, couldn't you add those forces to the data itself. For example, I'm using a data forces of an American Mech Infantry for the first scenario battle and then for the next scenario in my campaign, I'm adding some West German recon elements to my American data User spreadsheet just for this campaign. Would that work?.

[CapnDarwin]

John,

I think you end up with the same outcome as Tazak is doing. The unit data is from the correct datafiles, but only one National values (command radii, timings, etc will get used. The one that sets the background.

All of this will be fixed in 2.1 where full multi-national forces can be used.

[JohnOsb]

Ok, no problem. Can't wait to get 2.1 [:)]

[Plodder]

There are a few things that you can do.
What I've done for the Berlin scenario I'm working on, which has US, UK, French, West Berlin Police on one side and East Germans and Soviets on the other, is I merged the data files together using some excel concatenation functions where I added a letter code to each nation's weaptag number in the weapon lists (an American M16 changes from "SA5" to "USSA5"), then update the weapon list in the units tab using more concatenation functions to reflect the changes. That way each nation's units are using their correct weapons.
In the PICID, I've added a nation letter tag to the bitmap name. I've then used batch processing to add each nation's flag to the all unit bmps in the common data folder and save them in the BerlinAllies nation folder. This will allow each allied nation to have unique unit pics, check the infantry units below for an example. It does quadruple the amount of pics the game loads but as they are only 8mb total per nation, it's not a big issue. I've also given the allies a common counter background, in this case blue.

[CapnDarwin]

Very cool work!

[Mad Russian]

Wow Plodder, that's some scenario you have going there. Looks like it will be a worthy addition to that world class map. [8D]

Good Hunting.

MR

[JohnOsb]

interesting, Plodder, I sent you a private message about how you did that. Question, do other players will have to have the spreadsheet that your working on to play the campaign?

[CapnDarwin]

John, others would need the scenario, map and artwork changes. The data is in the scenario file. The Plodder could supply the data file if he wants, but it not a necessity.