ANZAC OOB - Motor Company

[DRG]

TDR said:
Well maybe fine, but do you have any design constraints on the various units I should know about first? What happens re AI pick list, ordering within OOb etc?

OOB's for nations that already exist, to be compatible with pre-existing scenarios, MUST maintain the same unit structure as the existing OOB. That is, if unit 010 is a Crusader I then the new OOB better have a Crusader I in that slot otherwise any sceanrio that uses that piece of equipment will display that WinSPWW2 Icon you see in MOBHack when you click on an empty unit slot.
If Unit 175 is a "patrol" then there needs to be a "patrol" in that unit slot otherwise that WinSPWW2 Icon will pop up in every scenario that uses that unit. Obviously, not every unit gets used in every sceanrio but this will eventually bite you if those units are not maintained. Now......let's assume that you don't want a "patrol" unit in your OOB. OK, fine...now lets assume that "patrol" is being used in a dozen scenarios ( I have seen similar things happen with other OOB's ). The ONLY solution ( besides redoing every sceanrio ) is to re-nationalize the unit ( nation 99 is handy for that ) when a unit is re-nationalized like that it will not show up in the purchase menus but it WILL show up just fine in the old sceanrio that uses it. Now....... you COULD decide that you like that "patrol" unit but want to rename it....no problem, go right ahead but don't just delete it and what ever you do don't decide to "tidy" up all the units so they are listed by type ( all the tanks in one place, the infantry in another etc etc for all the reasons listed above.

To maintain the pre-existing internal coded AI picklists picklist structure you MUST ensure that if formation 006 is a "Tank Squadron" that runs from 1/42 - 12/49 then you need to place your Tank Squadron in the same place and cover the same dates because the picklist is set up to buy formations based on the existing formation structure. If the new OOB simply cannot fit into the existing formation structure then the alternative is re-nationalizing formations and placing the new ones further down the list and leaving these old ones in place for the AI to use.

OR we rewrite the picklist but that's an exception, not a rule


For a nation that does not exist and IS going to be added ( and I make NO promises one will be.....) then there are no restrictions on unit or formation placement becasue a picklist will need to be written for it. If it's to be used in one of the "spare" OOB slots for AI use ( green, blue or red ) then the existing formation structures in those spare OOB's apply

Adding a new nation is NOT a trivial matter. Writting an OOB for it is just the start

[TDR]

Don Fine, but sounding messy OOB structure wise.
Some other issues not public forum which comes into this. As I said " Part of this can parallel along with some other work I am doing". The OOB issues with this are but a flow off of that work and as such, needs to be pointed out off air so to speak. May not be a problem, but!