Preset Campaign Picklists
 

Hey guys

Not sure if this counts as a feature request, or more a case of asking whether its possible.

When in a campaign, I'd like to be able to choose what formation I am going up against.

Before each battle, would it be a possibility in the future to select an enemy "super formation" from a list, for example your enemy is the USSR, so the list would look like:

Inf Co
Inf Bt
Inf Rg
MechInf Co
MechInf Bt
MechInf Rg
Arm Co
Arm Bt
Arm Rg

etc. etc.

So you would select one or more of these, and each super formation selects pre-set regular formations(although the equipment of those units still based on the existing AI Picklists), with remaining buy points for support units based on picklists too.

This would make it a lot less messy from the players point of view, because selecting from the list would be the equivalent of intel from scouting, etc.

It would also mean that you could avoid the main problem of campaigns/battles where the AI picks its units, in that it seems to be all over the place.

So, any ideas on whether/how this could be done?

Re: Preset Campaign Picklists
 

Sounds like you need to design yourself your own custom User Campaign. You can then choose the exact map, opponents and so forth as a series of linked scenario games.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Preset Campaign Picklists
 

There is a way to do this, sort of, but it takes a bit of fiddling.

You start as usual, buy force, and deploy. Then, while still in the deploy phase save the game. Rename the save files to change them to scenarios. There should be 2 files, a .dat & .cmt. They are named SpSvXXX.* Change to SpScnXXX.* .

Open the mission editor and load the "scenario", pick/purchase enemy force and auto deploy. (Can send and have someone else deploy too, for best results. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif ) When done rename the files back to save format, load and play as normal.

I haven't run into any issues when I've done this, but, do at your own risk. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Preset Campaign Picklists
 

Hi Andy

I've made a few campaigns for myself in the past, I was more referring to whether it is possible (outside of the way BaronvonBeer has suggested) to do this for generated campaigns, so that there is still the element of only having rough information on what the enemy has in terms of equipment and support, along with where they will be deployed, etc.

For instance, say you're playing a 1980 campaign as the US against USSR, you would know (because you picked it) that you are facing a reinforced armoured battalion, but you have no way of knowing whether that will be a battalion of T62's with a bit of infantry and mortar support, or a battalion of T80's with massive artillery, fixed wing and rotary support.

Basically I'm just suggesting a way of refining the current semi-randomised picklists, so that they are cleaner and also make more sense in terms of formations deployed.

Re: Preset Campaign Picklists
 

Nope - the only way to get what you wanted are the two methods outlined above, or the use of the AI Tank Heavy switch for a bit more armoured focus - assuming the AI has been granted the points to do so.

Our new pick code does stop the old SP1-3 style of pick, where in a company you could get the tank types in the platoons all mixed up - ours chooses one type and sticks with it for the company buy. But a company buy is the largest element in the AI picks.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Preset Campaign Picklists
 

By the way, Baronvonbeer, the procedure you outlined appears not to work - I rename the save files, but then it simply makes them not appear in the save game list in the game.

If I rename one but not the other, it appears but doesn't open.

Re: Preset Campaign Picklists
 

You have rename them to be SCENARIOS then put them in the SCENARIO folder and then open them up with the editor. You cannot open scenarios in the save game folder.

Don

Re: Preset Campaign Picklists
 

Ah hah!

Thanks.