Custom Scenario's

[Toby42]

I downloaded the game and the single player scenario's. The game let me install one (Betio), but do you have to manually install the others? If so, how?

Thanks

[uran21]

When you play campaign, which is set of interconnected scenarios, you will unlock scenarios played and they will appear in scenario list. Then you will be able to play any of those scenarios in stand alone mode.

[adherbal]

I think he means the custom scenarios listed on this subforum:

Just download and extract the content (a folder containing several files) into your <My Documents>/My Games/Order of Battle - Pacific/Scenarios folder.

[Toby42]

I think he means the custom scenarios listed on this subforum:

Just download and extract the content (a folder containing several files) into your <My Documents>/My Games/Order of Battle - Pacific/Scenarios folder.

Yes that's what I was asking. I didn't know about unlocking scenario's. Good information from both of you.

Thanks

[edward77]

I was advised by Erik to put my queries in this section. I now have had a deeper look at the full range of features and compared it with Uran`s Manual. Although he addresses Map creation, Alliances, Settings, AI Teams and Mission very well, he stops short of describing the many different features of the Triggers, which is probably the most complex part of the editor and as he says "In order for the objectives to be functional they shoud be defined by triggers" At the moment I am trying to design a "Philippine Sea" scenario where US primary objectives are 1) Destruction of at least 6 Japanese Carriers, 2) elimination of all land planes on Truk, Rota and Guam and 3) Not to lose more than 4 Carriers. Rather than trying to explain my problems in very concise language I have taken the liberty of attaching the file. The scenario runs fine but I have a major problem with the triggers working properly in counting the gains/losses for each objective. I would be very grateful for any help you can offer. Thank you.
I now discover that the file extension .scz is not allowed. So How do I send it please?

[uran21]

Try to zip a file and see if this works.

[edward77]

OK Here it is. Many thanks

[edward77]

Uran, by the way, please feel free to make any changes you deem necessary to make it work. The japanese land based planes are in AI teams 13 and 14. Thanks

[uran21]

First advice I can give you is when you decide for the objectives set the Mission tab then set the Triggers tab with triggers related to objectives before you place all the units on the map and set other triggers and AI setup. The reason why this is helpful is because now when you have objectives-triggers set you can place only those units needed to test do objectives work properly. There is always something being omitted or not working as intended. It happens all the time. This way you can concentrate on testing your objectives from various angles, situations and make sure everything is working before proceeding with the rest of the work. It is a huge time saver on the long run. When you are sure in your objectives working properly you continue with unit placement, AI setup and other triggers. Now your playthrough scenario tests other things like tension, pacing, AI behavior, ect.

First look at your scenario tells me your objectives are not enabled. They should have small white square at the leftmost box. If you want to destroy exactly 6 Carriers than Kills & Casualties definition should contain =6 but if it can be 6 or more definition is bigger than 5 or >5. When in Effects you want to add campaign or scenario variable use + some number. This means this number will be added to variable in question. You use = mark in conditions to check for that number for certain variable. For example if if all 6 enemy carriers are destroyed you give in effects +1 campaign variable and than in next scenario among conditions check for =1 campaign variable this will inform next scenario all 6 carriers were destroyed in previous scenario.

I am not aware that game can make a difference between land based and carrier based aircraft. Also how many of them do you want to be destroyed is useful information for the player and needed to trigger. You can set trigger to measure units by type, class or category (Air). In my attached example I used 2 units from air category.

Since you want some of your own units to survive you can check this at Check Unit Count condition. Since you are allowing 4 carriers to be destroyed and in my example there are 5 on the map I am checking for more than 0 to be alive. Because this condition is met from beginning objective will be marked as completed. When you complete all Primary objectives game will proclaim victory. No need to set failure to enemy side if your objective is achieved.

Since you can lose more than 4 Carriers there must be an option to mark failure to this objective. You assign separate trigger for it measuring those conditions. Because in my example there are 5 carriers losing more than 4 means losing all of them so condition is set to =0. Carriers are placed as core units because this way you can disband them to check for conditions.

Lower the turn count of a scenario so you can check what happens if you do not achieve your objectives. If you do not achieve your objectives and enemy does not achieve his game will end in a draw. Like in my example. For loss to be possible enemy needs to have his objectives set with triggers about its completion if his objectives were complete. I didn’t made this part in my example but the safest thing is to set objectives in a way where one side needs to prevent other in achieving its objectives. So set enemy with equal number of primary objectives being counterpart to your own. So AI needs not to lose 6 carriers, not to lose N number of planes and destroy 4 your own Carriers.

Last advice I would give you is not to jump at complex and big scenario right away. Try to experiment with something smaller for beginning. If not in real scenario than in some test one where you will try to make various objective ideas to life. This approach can bring you very far. Sorry I didn't edit your own scenario file but I think observing my attached example and experimenting will bring you to tracks. Try to repeat those steps in your own test scenario before you edit Philippine Sea.

[edward77]

Thank you very much for your help

[edward77]

Eric, after your advice making good progress. Hopefully will send you some scenarios shortly. One problem though with trying to create historic scenarios is the planes/ship ratio. Typically a US Carrier would have say (28F 18TB 18DB). In the game we have (1,1,1) so one has to scale down the ships, include a lot more land based planes or accept a lot more surface to surface naval contact. Obviously a big increase is not feasible but perhaps doubling the capacity would help. I understand that there is a mod which allows larger capacity carriers by editing the unit files. How does one go about doing this? Where are the files? What is the procedure? etc. I have looked through this whole section without finding any description. Many thanks

[Erik2]

The game only allows you to land 3 air units on a carrier. But the editor actually allows you to place 5 units there.
They are all available when running the game, but once all 5 have been launched you can have a max of 3 one the carrier.
Usually I set 1 squadron = 1 air unit and disregards the actual number of planes in the squadron. This number would vary a lot anyway.

Look for the units.csv file in the main game folder -> ...Data -> Resources folder.
Make a backup as entering something odd may cause the game itself to fail at start.
Put the backup in the Mods -> "yourmod" -> Data folder. This allows you to run the modded units when you start the game.
The units.csv file is a spread-sheet file, I use Open Office to edit it as Excel has caused trouble for me.
There are a large number of columns with unit data and a header at the top.
You can experiment without running a mod, keep the backup in a safe place...

[edward77]

ERIC
Thanks for last advice. I am having a go at Coral Sea with Jap AI. Can I have your permission to use your map? More questions I`m afraid. What exactly is the defininition of "distance" in the triggers? I have looked at the scenario text file but not sure what all the codes mean. How do you set up event messages? Thanks again

[Erik2]

I have never used any trigger/events with 'distance'. Sorry, no clue.

Please use any of my scenarios as a template. If you publish it, please credit in the scenario briefing.

There's a specific event for messages. You enter the header and the main txt and can link to a picture (.png only?) in the scenario folder.

[edward77]

ERIC
Thanks for permission to use map and how to set up messages. Hopefully only one more question for the moment. Changing category or class of units is straight forward but how do I change the Unit type? Clicking on it takes you to the map but then selecting the correct unit on the map has no effect.

[Erik2]

You change the unit type by clicking on the unit in the bottom list (after changing country of course). The same list you use for deploying new units.
Not intuitive, i had to ask the devs when I first tried this

[edward77]

Erik
FINALLY GOT IN !My user name has never been changed right from the very first time I joined. Strange??? Thanks again

[edward77]

Erik, Please find Coral Sea Japan AI enclosed scenario. It runs very well and is quite tight for a finish. However, running it several times, although I appear to acheive all primary objectives I keep getting only a draw so somewhere a trigger is wrong. Would welcome any advice. Notice I used 6 planes /major carrier successfully. Ah! Can`t enclose file. Too big! What now?

[Erik2]

Erik, Please find Coral Sea Japan AI enclosed scenario. It runs very well and is quite tight for a finish. However, running it several times, although I appear to acheive all primary objectives I keep getting only a draw so somewhere a trigger is wrong. Would welcome any advice. Notice I used 6 planes /major carrier successfully. Ah! Can`t enclose file. Too big! What now?

Open a dropbox account. You get a few GBs for free and it is a very easy way to share files. I use it for all my 'public' scenarios/files.

[edward77]

Erik, I sent the scenario directly frm drop box to your e-mail. Was not too clear how to do it to forum.