CSI Sweep: Extra!

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bru888
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CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

Based on what I recently learned about the literal nature of "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit" (see this thread), I thought I would revisit the campaigns and individual scenarios that I have CSI-swept by invitation from their designers. It's the least I can do, considering my misconception of this condition.

This shouldn't take too long, since I know exactly what to look for: scenarios that provide for the possibility of early endings. It is this situation that leads to an error if "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit" is used for secondary objective triggers and elsewhere.

Germany East 43 - All clear. Every scenario has only one "Capture/hold all X objectives at scenario end" primary objective and each trigger is evaluated only at " Scenario turn limit" so there is no conflict with any other trigger with the same condition.

Germany West 41-43

Metaxas Line - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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Screenshot 1.jpg (481.76 KiB) Viewed 2002 times

Iraklio - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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- Bru
bru888
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

US Navy Campaign 1941-1946

Pearl Harbor - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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Midway - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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Guadalcanal - This scenario can end early. Therefore, these triggers will not work because they are set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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Rabaul - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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Tarawa - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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Philippine Sea - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

Screenshot 9.jpg
Screenshot 9.jpg (319.53 KiB) Viewed 2001 times
- Bru
bru888
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

Forgotten Army 1941-42

Force Z - This scenario can end early. Therefore, these triggers will not work because they are set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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And that's all for this campaign. It all depends on how the primary objectives are set up. Most of the other scenarios were like this one in this respect:

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That is, they had at least one primary objective that was not marked as completed from the start and was to be evaluated at "Scenario turn limit" which makes it all right for secondary objectives and other triggers to also use "Scenario turn limit." (Gin Drinkers Line and Hong Kong could end early but they had no other triggers using "Scenario turn limit.")

Thread to be continued . . .
- Bru
Erik2
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by Erik2 »

I hope someone pays you overtime for the Extra editions...

I have not checked every scenario in your list, but I got a general concern.
I usually use 'scenario end turn' conditions for rewarding sec objs. As far as I know this is the only way to check if for instance units have survived etc.
What do you suggest instead of this condition?
The pri objs probably need to stay as is in these scenarios.
bru888
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

Erik2 wrote: Wed Sep 18, 2019 7:55 am I hope someone pays you overtime for the Extra editions...

I have not checked every scenario in your list, but I got a general concern.
I usually use 'scenario end turn' conditions for rewarding sec objs. As far as I know this is the only way to check if for instance units have survived etc.
What do you suggest instead of this condition?
The pri objs probably need to stay as is in these scenarios.
Yes, I know you do "use 'scenario end turn' conditions for rewarding sec objs." Fortunately, I hope, there is a workaround because I don't want you to have to revise any primary objectives.

In the "CSI Sweep: Germany West 1944" thread (which is finished, by the way), I was reviewing Falaise when this matter was uncovered. In conjunction with that scenario, I said the following:

So. Here is the first instance [I meant, while doing that CSI sweep] of the new "What does 'Scenario turn limit' mean, exactly?" rule:

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Unless somebody comes along to negate what I showed in that thread and what Gabe confirmed, we need to keep this in mind: To use Gabe's words, "awarding secondary objectives at scen turn limit without the primaries being awarded only at the end also, makes no sense." Thinking positively about this "hopeless scenario," :) "The scenario will end when 8 objectives are on German hands." Unless that happens on the very last turn, this "Units survive" trigger will never fire because it is set for "Scenario turn limit" which is literally "Turn = 20."

Wow, how many times have you used this sort of secondary objective design using "Scenario turn limit" with early-ending scenarios? Well, the question is moot.
[Well, I chose to "unmoot" it, as you can see.] At least we will know what to look for in the future.

So how to design this type of thing where a condition must persist until the scenario ends, whenever it does, so that a reward may be given? Here's a suggestion; remember it's based on the objective being marked as competed to begin with, only to fail if more than 3 units are destroyed:


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Screenshot 9.jpg
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First, the fail trigger turns off the rewards trigger.
Second, the rewards trigger checks for the primary objective being completed.
Third, the rewards trigger is set for the same event that triggers the primary objective and ends the scenario; in this case, "Capture VP Event."


In the following post in that thread, I included a report of instances of this issue that I saw in Germany West 1944 upon revisiting prior scenarios. There weren't very many. You can pick up the thread from that point on as to whether there were any more.

So in general, in the secondary objective trigger, you would need a "Check [Primary] Objective State" condition for each primary objective trigger that could possibly end the scenario early. Basically, you are timing the secondary objective trigger to fire as soon as every scenario-ending primary objective has been completed. Try to use the same Trigger Event if you can or, if more than one event is involved, fall back on "Any Event."
- Bru
terminator
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by terminator »

There is another solution to your problem "Scenario turn limit".
If you have validated ALL the Primary Objectives, the scenario will not ended instantly, it will only ended at the beginning of the next turn so you can create a Trigger with Trigger Event=Turn Start, Conditions=Check Objective State and validate the Objectives that are open :idea:
Erik2
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by Erik2 »

I chose the quick and dirty fix. Added scenario turn end to a suitable pri obj.
bru888
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

Erik2 wrote: Wed Sep 18, 2019 4:37 pm I chose the quick and dirty fix. Added scenario turn end to a suitable pri obj.
That will work, too. Wherever the game has to wait for a "Scenario turn limit" primary objective, everything else with that condition is fine. I just hope that you are not changing the nature of your work in this way, just for this. I am somewhat confident that my procedure would work and terminator is essentially refining it; he includes the "Check [Primary] Objective State" condition that I am advocating. This way, none of your primary objectives would need to change at all.
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bru888
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

I am sorry, by the way, that I did not learn/catch this sooner. I could have saved you some additional work. But as you know, the other prominent reason for me to do CSI sweeps is so that I learn more about the game. That process continues.
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Erik2
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by Erik2 »

Life is a long OOB-learning experience.

BTW, I'm not too concerned about players needing to play all turns to benefit from the sec objs rewards.
I've they are impatient there is always the nuke option, especially if you have already won.
bru888
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

Indeed, learning OOB may prove to be a lifelong experience. :)

Germany East 1944 - All clear. Most of the scenarios have a "Capture/hold all X objectives at scenario end" primary objective whose trigger is evaluated only at "Scenario turn limit." The few scenarios that can end early do not have any triggers that use "Scenario turn limit."

US Corps 43-44

Gela - This scenario can end early. Therefore, these triggers will not work because they are set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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Troina - This one is tricky. The scenario can end early and the only trigger affected would be this one:

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But the mission is already marked as completed from the beginning; shouldn't that make it alright?:

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Well, no. When the player captures all 4 objectives, the scenario will end and if Axis units have been prevented from exiting the map, the secondary objective will also be completed. But the trigger that awards the specialisation point will not have fired because it is waiting for Turn 30.

Anzio Landing - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

Screenshot 5.jpg
Screenshot 5.jpg (422.58 KiB) Viewed 1930 times
- Bru
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

Road to Moscow - All clear. Most of the scenarios have a "Capture/hold all X objectives at scenario end" primary objective whose trigger is evaluated only at "Scenario turn limit." The few scenarios that can end early do not have any triggers that use "Scenario turn limit."

US Corps 44-45

Pointe du Hoc - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

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Only one - not too bad for 18 scenarios. A number of them involved this situation:

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Your style for dealing with objectives seems to vary; in other campaigns, you may have marked "Never lose your HQ" as completed in the beginning, only to fail if the HQ is lost (you can do this if you have at least one other, open primary objective). But here, you didn't do that. Instead, you are making the game wait until the end of the scenario to decide whether to award this objective. That means any other trigger using "Scenario turn limit" will work fine.
- Bru
bru888
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

Germany East 41-42

Metaxas Line - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit" (Heh, I just realized that this is the same scenario as in Germany West 41-43 - it's proof of my diligence that I found the issue again!):

Screenshot 1.jpg
Screenshot 1.jpg (481.6 KiB) Viewed 1919 times

Leningrad - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

Screenshot 2.jpg
Screenshot 2.jpg (507.33 KiB) Viewed 1919 times

Zhitomir - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

Screenshot 3.jpg
Screenshot 3.jpg (492.79 KiB) Viewed 1919 times

Kotelnikovo - This scenario can end early. Therefore, this trigger will not work because it is set for "Check Turn / Scenario turn limit":

Screenshot 4.jpg
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That's not bad, either, for 28 scenarios. That brings us up to date with you, Erik. See the latest CSI sweep thread for Germany West 1944 for a few instances of this issue therein.
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bru888
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by bru888 »

Conboy, you invited me to look over your three single-player scenarios so far, so it's your turn.

Anzio Beachhead
- Your "Hold Femminimorta Crossroads through turn 16" (which is the Turn Limit) has a condition for "Turn Start / Check Turn / Scenario turn limit" so this scenario cannot end early. Hence there is no issue here.

Operation Dragoon - This scenario can end early. However, I don't see where you used a "Turn Start / Check Turn / Scenario turn limit" condition in any trigger that would fail if the scenario did end early. You use that condition only in a few instances where the player has gone through all 20 turns without completing an objective so it's time to fail it and award the corresponding AI objective. Hence there is no issue here.

To Le Tholy - Your "Clear Vosges VP <7 Hexes" and "Remaining VPs Captured" triggers are set for "Turn < 26" (which is one more than the Turn Limit) so this scenario cannot end early. The only times that you use a "Turn Start / Check Turn / Scenario turn limit" condition is when the player has gone through all 25 turns without completing an objective so it's time to fail it and award the corresponding AI objective. Hence there is no issue here.
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Re: CSI Sweep: Extra!

Post by conboy »

Thanks Bru -- for all you do.

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