Höchst 1622 (WiP)

[Adebar]

Working on a scenario depicting the Battle of Höchst 1622; delaying action of the Protestant army under Christian von Braunschweig against the combined Bavarian and Spanish troops of the Catholic League commanded by Tilly.

The map is nearly finished, might change some minor details in the process. OOB, some scripting, descriptions etc. will follow.



Setting up the victory conditions will be a bit tricky and I surely will need a helping hand. Thing is that the Protestant side cannot win this by breaking the enemy army; the goal is to retreat in order while trying to delay the Catholic advance as good as possible. I think about adding baggage train units like in the Stadtlohn scenario, but mobile ones this time. The player has to evacuate the train to the other side of the Main River via the Pontoon bridge near the town of Höchst. Details about that will follow.

[fogman]

If you have FoG, this is an example of a battle, Grandson 1476, where one side, the Burgundians, needs to get as many troops as possible out of the reach of the enemy in order to win.
viewtopic.php?f=92&t=50967&p=479893#p479893

Alternatively, and this is not possible in FoG, you can set the Catholic break threshold to something low, like 30%. But that doesn't encourage the Protestants to run, thus altering the strategic considerations of the historical commander.

[rbodleyscott]

You could make use of this function:

// Function to report number of unrouted enemy non-artillery units within the specified rectangle - with optional exclusions.
FUNCTION NumberOfPlayerUnitsIn(x1, y1, x2, y2, excludeFoot, excludeMounted, excludeLights)

For example you could write code that would determine how many player units are on the whole map, and deduct the number of player units that are over the river. Once the number on the wrong side reaches a certain threshold (0?) the retreating player wins - as long as his army isn't routed first.

You would include the code in

SpecialScenarioVictoryConditions()

in the scenario script.

(See Lostwithiel.BSF for an example)

This will only work if the retreating side is Side0, but should also work for MP as long as the retreating side is Side0.

If you need help implementing this, PM me.

[Adebar]

If you have FoG, this is an example of a battle, Grandson 1476, where one side, the Burgundians, needs to get as many troops as possible out of the reach of the enemy in order to win.
viewtopic.php?f=92&t=50967&p=479893#p479893

Interesting, but I don't have FoG (anymore).

Alternatively, and this is not possible in FoG, you can set the Catholic break threshold to something low, like 30%. But that doesn't encourage the Protestants to run, thus altering the strategic considerations of the historical commander.

Ok, however regarding the given historical circumstances (Christian considerably outnumbered etc.) this is not an option. Thanks anyway!

// Function to report number of unrouted enemy non-artillery units within the specified rectangle - with optional exclusions.
FUNCTION NumberOfPlayerUnitsIn(x1, y1, x2, y2, excludeFoot, excludeMounted, excludeLights)

For example you could write code that would determine how many player units are on the whole map, and deduct the number of player units that are over the river. Once the number on the wrong side reaches a certain threshold (0?) the retreating player wins - as long as his army isn't routed first.

Very interesting, didn't knew that that is possible in P&S. Seems to be perfect for this scenario! I'll contact you when I start working on the victory conditions.

[Adebar]

The Protestant OOB is done so far, units are named.



Most of Christian's army is deployed south of the Sulzbach (which I set as a "deep stream" in the editor to make it a real obstacle for the Catholics) on the Schäferberg. Verlorener Haufen ("Forlorn Hope") in front, cavalry massed behind the infantry.

North of the stream lays Sossenheim, a fortified village near the only bridge over the stream. Here the Köchler Regiment is stationed, divided in a P&S battalion and 4 commanded shot units. South of the bridge are redoubts ("Schanzen") manned with musketeers.

Further east the marshland between the Sulzbach and the Nidda River where more commanded shot and some cavalry is placed.

---

Catholic OOB follows in a few days.

[Adebar]

The Catholic OOB is more or less done.

On the right flank the Spanish cavalry, mostly consisting of "free companies" (compañías libres), mixed units of cuirassiers and arquebusiers. Left of the cavalry a single German tercio (Fugger) and four Spanish tercios (Napoles, Spinelli, Bucquoi and Verdugo). Then Tilly's and Anhalt's infantry and on the left flank the League cavalry.



What follows next is the most difficult part of scenario design - scripting ...

[Adebar]

Hello Richard, I have some questions regarding AI teams and AI target points:

1. Is it possible to have more than 7 AI teams?

2. Can several AI target points be assigned to an AI team or is there only one target point per team?

3. How can AI target points be removed from the map?

4. AI behaviour: Does "32 - Use the threat map when moving around (use longer routes to reduce danger)" actually work? Can it perhaps be used (combined with one or more AI target points) to simulate an AI flanking movement?

[rbodleyscott]

Hello Richard, I have some questions regarding AI teams and AI target points:

1. Is it possible to have more than 7 AI teams?

2. Can several AI target points be assigned to an AI team or is there only one target point per team?

3. How can AI target points be removed from the map?

4. AI behaviour: Does "32 - Use the threat map when moving around (use longer routes to reduce danger)" actually work? Can it perhaps be used (combined with one or more AI target points) to simulate an AI flanking movement?

1) no

2) yes, but only by scripting the change of target points. This is easy to do, and I can tell you how.

3) good question. - I do not have access to the program today, so I am not sure

4) I have not tried it so I am not sure. i achieve the same effect in different ways. However, the answer is that it probably will not work in the way that it would in BA. all individual AI units in pike and shot move using the threat map at all times, but if I recall correctly the Pike and shot threat map code only takes into account terrain and not enemy units. This is why light and medium foot units will tend to route through terrain if there is any nearby, and other troops will attempt to avoid it.

What you want to achieve is fairly easy to script, however, and I can help you with that if you want to try it.

[Adebar]

1) no

Ok, then I have to find another solution.

2) yes, but only by scripting the change of target points. This is easy to do, and I can tell you how.

If I understand the concept of the AI target points correctly, an AI group goes straight for the target point that is assigned to it. So if I do assign more than one AI target point to a group by scripting does that mean that the group will go for the next target point if it has reached the first one (following a route on the map marked by target points )?

3) good question. - I do not have access to the program today, so I am not sure

I have to know this because I littered the map with target points and I cannot find a way to move/remove them.

4) I have not tried it so I am not sure. i achieve the same effect in different ways. However, the answer is that it probably will not work in the way that it would in BA. all individual AI units in pike and shot move using the threat map at all times, but if I recall correctly the Pike and shot threat map code only takes into account terrain and not enemy units. This is why light and medium foot units will tend to route through terrain if there is any nearby, and other troops will attempt to avoid it.

What you want to achieve is fairly easy to script, however, and I can help you with that if you want to try it.

The idea is to make a part of the League cavalry doing a vast flanking movement - over Rödelheim, Griesheim to Nied (see first screenshot) and perhaps as far as Höchst. The map is as large as it is because of that. Question is: Is this possible to represent such a movement by using target points (as under 2.) or is the scripting method you hinted at above perhaps more efficient?

[rbodleyscott]

I will get back to you tomorrow on this.

[rbodleyscott]

2)) yes, but only by scripting the change of target points. This is easy to do, and I can tell you how.

If I understand the concept of the AI target points correctly, an AI group goes straight for the target point that is assigned to it. So if I do assign more than one AI target point to a group by scripting does that mean that the group will go for the next target point if it has reached the first one (following a route on the map marked by target points )?

The method recommended by Slitherine is described in

http://www.slitherinebravo.net/GameWiki ... _older_hot

I had already devised my own method before this method was added, so I have not tested it.

I don't know what criteria the engine uses to decide that the team has "reached" each point. My only concern would be whether the units might bunch up a bit at point 1 before changing orders to move to point 2.

If you try it and are not happy with the results, let me know and I will suggest an alternative method (which I have tested in an unpublished scenario).

3) good question. - I do not have access to the program today, so I am not sure

I have to know this because I littered the map with target points and I cannot find a way to move/remove them.

I don't know how to remove them. Try posting the query in the tech support section. But the extra ones won't do any harm, and you can move them off the playable map if you like.

4) I have not tried it so I am not sure. i achieve the same effect in different ways. However, the answer is that it probably will not work in the way that it would in BA. all individual AI units in pike and shot move using the threat map at all times, but if I recall correctly the Pike and shot threat map code only takes into account terrain and not enemy units. This is why light and medium foot units will tend to route through terrain if there is any nearby, and other troops will attempt to avoid it.

What you want to achieve is fairly easy to script, however, and I can help you with that if you want to try it.

The idea is to make a part of the League cavalry doing a vast flanking movement - over Rödelheim, Griesheim to Nied (see first screenshot) and perhaps as far as Höchst. The map is as large as it is because of that. Question is: Is this possible to represent such a movement by using target points (as under 2.) or is the scripting method you hinted at above perhaps more efficient?

I would try the recommended version first and if it does not suit your needs ask me again.

[Adebar]

Ok thanks, I'll check that next week. I'm short of time ATM.

[Adebar]

Just a short note for today: I'm still alive, had some troubles at work recently and no nerves left to do further work on this project. The dramatic migration crisis and the fatal role "my" government plays in this mess did in no way cheer up my mood, not to speak of the dystopian results in my hometown. Don't want to loose further words on this topic, it's just depressing. Choose inner immigration. So expect some updates in autumn/winter this year.

Richard, in case you're reading this: Great work on "Campaings"! Thanks so much for this game!

[jomni]

Sorry to hear about your disappointment.

[Adebar]

Just a quick note: work on this scenario will continue ... soon ...