Scenario Editing, having trouble saving

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:09 am

I am actually rolling on this. I have a whole new gallic campaign roughed out, and I'm to the point of actual scenario editing.

But I'm having some trouble saving my edited scenarios.

Can one of you slitherine guys please run through exactly how you save an edited scenario, step by step, please?

Take the first scenario in the gallic campaign, Starving Peasants. Assume we've edited it. How exactly do we save it, and can it have a new name?

Thank you very much =)

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:24 pm

The best thing to do is to create a mod and edit the scenarios in your mod. Technically you are at the max maps you can have already so only mods are going to work. Just load up, do the edit and then submit your map (save). That should be it!

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:36 am

Hehehe, come on, Ian. I'm not a complete idiot

I read the post on scenario editing. Indeed, I have a copy of it saved locally that I consult as I go. I've read it through at least a dozen times.

I am making a mod.

It's not as simple as just loading the scenario, editing it, and clicking submit. There's a box pops up and asks you for a name.

What's happening is that my edited scenario isn't overwriting the Starving Peasants scenario (scenario_32.bsf), it's creating a new scenario file (scenario_125.bsf).

So my main question is, what am I supposed to type in that box that pops up when I click submit scenario? Is it asking for file name? Or the name that will appear in the scenario list? Or something else entirely?

A possibly related issue is, what about the rename button at top right? It doesn't seem to work. So how do I rename the scenarios? It seems like the scenario names should be among the data in the localisation file...

magobarca · Post by **magobarca** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:25 am

Best thing to do is to get our big canoes, bateauxs, and paddle our provencal selves across the Atlantic, although I have to negotiate Niagarra Falls from where I am situated, hmmm, and then land at Land's End in Cornwall, whereby after reprovisioning and recruiting we march upon Ian's Keep Camuloudon or York or hopefully Cheshire (I think) since that would be the closest (I think again, dangerous to do that sometimes), then we nicely ask for admittance to Ian's Keep, and if denied we then storm it and take it. Whereupon, after such victorious battle, we then have Ian complete the mod and any others we so desire under threat of being cursed by our Druids and Banshees. Simple methinks, except for the negotiating Niagarra Falls part. Maybe Ian can help us with that, too.

Maybe so, Magobarcid

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:42 am

ROFL, no no, no need for hostility

Problem solved. The rename button is evil! If you use the rename button to try to rename the scenario, (which it doesn't do), then for the rest of that session, all saves will appear under a new file name, which is a bad bad thing.

OK, so you do not touch the evil evil rename button, you just do, uhhh, well, like Ian said (blush). You load the scenario, you edit it, you click submit, and viola, the name box that pops up already has a name in it (it was blank for me before). You click to accept that default name, and it overwrites the existing scenario file.

You rename the scenario in the localisation file. Once you've done that successfully, and restarted LA, the scenario now appears in the scenario list of the editor with the new name

A few observations for my fellow modders.

1) The user.txt file is not in the root directory, it is in /data

2) You also need to make a /data directory in your mod, not just a /db directory. Files in that /mod/mymod/data directory will be read properly. Do your messing with localisation files in there. Also your editing of mappurse file, arenasides file, etc.

3) Don't copy the whole /db directory to your mod. It's huge and will bloat your mod. Just copy files there as needed. Like, only the ones you're going to change, eh?

4) The game apparently won't let you start a campaign will less than 4 units.

I have the 4 scenarios in the first group of my campaign playable and close to finished. I am going to bed now.

Good night, all!

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:20 am

Yes you must overwrite the old scenario by using the same name. Using a different name will create a new scenario & that is what causes the problem.

You can start a campaign with less units but look in the arenasides.xls file. If you delete units you must reduce the number of units specified, so its not just a matter or removing the squad ID, you must also tell the code to look for less squads.

We never said this would be easy

magobarca · Post by **magobarca** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:18 pm

Modding is wearing on one's soul, even soles depending on the modding type, mind, and time availability. Therefore, in conclusion, when other people are making a mod, be nice to them, encourage them, and eventually you will get a copy of the mod.

Also, I just purchased a nice used and cheap outboard motor for my bateaux, so now I have 4 paddles and a motor. Invasion plans are progressing adequately.

Chips Ahoy!! and all that, Magobarca

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:59 pm

Ian, ooooh, great point about the arenasides file, thanks! And yes, you did warn us.

Mago -

Thanks for the kind words of support =)

spedius01 · Post by **spedius01** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:09 am

Ave possum,

Very well done, my friend.

I'm so glad that you've decided to "pick up the baton", so to speak.

You are one of the few people with the ability to accomplish something extra special.

Good luck

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:49 pm

Speedy -

Why, thank you for your kind words, sir.

We creative types thrive on praise, you know =)

Hey, how's your available time and interest in LA? You want to be one of those who playtest this thing for me?

My main concern is difficulty.

Most basic question, is it too difficult? Since I am designing it and playtesting it myself, on the "Hard" setting, it should be possible to just dial it down to "Normal" for a given battle that's too tough for a given player.

But if there's one thing I have learned through many hours of scenario/map/game design, it is that no designer can ever have a realistic idea of how his/her own design is going to play in the hands of others.

antipasta · Post by **antipasta** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:54 am

I am trying to put together a number of Historical Battle Mods, each one containing just one scenario. My problem is that although I have restricted the DB folder to just the one required scenario, and have amended the MapPurses.txt file to just this one entry, once I have completed my first battle/scenario the Mod doesn't just end there but continues with the next "standard" scenario for the Romans or Celtic campaign.

There is obvioulsy a file that contains a list of all the scenarios, and their order of execution, within a particular campaign. However I have not yet found it so far. Once I have done so I hope to start creating Historical battle mods. I shall need to be a liitle inventive with non-Roman, non-Celtic Armies: Kadesh might be a little too problematic!

Thanks

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:59 am

In arenasides.txt you have to specify which map is the last one in the campaign for that side. Look at the xls version to see how it works.

antipasta · Post by **antipasta** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:42 pm

Thanks for the quick reply Iain - I can now specify the final scenario!

However I cannot see where to specify the first scenario. It appears that the Tutorial always starts with scenario11, the Roman Campaigns (LA/CoM) with scenario13 and the Celtic Campaigns with scenario32. Is this the case? If so that's not a problem and I won't need to search further.

BTW, I couldn't find a copy of the xls equivalent of ArenaSides.txt in LA, CoM or another of the Mods folders.

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:57 am

Send a mail to info@slitherine.com and I'll send it to you.

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 3:36 pm

Hmm, Ian, isn't there a file somewhere, a "bitmask" type file, that tells the engine what scenarios go in which campaign?

And antipasto, please share your info on arenasides.txt

What did you change to designate the final scenario?

antipasta · Post by **antipasta** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 10:07 am

Iain, when emailing to your postbox I keep getting the following error message ...
info@slitherine.com; Failed; 5.1.1 (bad destination mailbox address)

Possum, I hope to post later today a breakdown of the ArenaSides.txt file (as fas as I have been able to figure out).

antipasta · Post by **antipasta** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:50 pm

ArenaSides.txt format is (I believe)

Campaign
ID
Starting Fame
Starting Denari
0 ?
Number Of Starting Squads
Each Starting Squad ID in turn (from Squads.txt)
...
Started/Unlocked flag (?)
LA or CoM flag (?)
Last Scenario in Campaign

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:10 am

The mail box is .co.uk - info@slitherine.co.uk