May I introduce myself...

[Panzermate]

..to y'all?
Howdy fellow PC2 enthusiasts!
I played the old Panzer General Game for years.
Started modding and creating custom content soon thereafter.
Did the same with Open General.
Now I am here.
I have bought the General edition and have played and finished
the regular stock game multiple times on the hardest level Generalissimus.

So I thought, let's start creating custom content.
Mainly for myself, but since I like doing things properly and with a knack for correct details,
who knows, maybe I might share my custom creations with the world later on.
But first things first.

So far I am impressed with the scenerio editor but I have several issues I need help on
and are somewhat baffled that there are no video tutorials out there explaining basic things
about the editor.

Here are things I master well without any outside help and would be glad to help out, if others have questions!
Smooth ride:

creating basic scenario settings like turns, factions, start date etc.
creating custom maps, even adjusting them and editing them later on, like reshaping in size etc.
creating units, hexes and requirement to win the scenario

Here are things I don't know how to master und would be glad to get some help from people who know how to operate them!

Rough ride:

Briefings
- How to use arrows and circles
- How to include my briefing text into the game ( The briefings box is empty)
- How to adequately create, use and implement custom audio, video or graphics files into the game

Triggers
- How to use triggers appropiately

Resource management
- How to manage and handle slots, core units, prestige settings etc.

Campaign management
- How to connect scenarios to grind out a campaign and handle the balancing
and managing from one scenario to the other.

I'm working on a African desert campaign with about 17-20 scenarios right now, historically correct
and with several options to alter the historical course a bit but not in the drastic shape of the stock game where on can
cruise through Persia and then enter the eastern front by advancing to the Cuacassus from the south.

Greetings

Panzermate

[terminator]

Screenshots ?

[PoorOldSpike]

...So far I am impressed with the scenerio editor but I have several issues I need help on
and are somewhat baffled that there are no video tutorials out there explaining basic things
about the editor..

WHOA, start simple at first by creating some small scenarios, and forget about stuff like triggers and other bells and whistles for now..
The Editor is one of the best and most user-friendly ones i've ever seen in my 40 years of wargaming, and you can leave many settings on default at first, then add new custom tweaks and things later.
Suggestion- use the Random mission generator to create a tiny scenario, it takes less than 10 minutes no kidding, save it, play it then keep coming back to it to add new features, new terrain etc to get a feel for what each new tweak does.
Have a go and let us know if you get stuck on any specific things.
Here's a shot of some of the Random editor parameters, you can either leave them on default or have FUN tweaking them..




PS- when you feel ready to create your own maps rather than random-generated ones, it's as easy as pie, for example here's a shot of an Iwo Jima one I made in no time at all-




And here's another I made-

[The Land]

Briefings
- How to use arrows and circles
- How to include my briefing text into the game ( The briefings box is empty)
- How to adequately create, use and implement custom audio, video or graphics files into the game

Welcome!

So under the Briefings box there is an "add" button. If you click this you will see the options for what briefing elements you can add. For instance there is a text option, if you do this it adds a text element into the Briefing box. You can then write / paste your text there. You can also add pause elements to separate the text. Note that the game appears to disregard the last text element so add a dummy element at the end to ensure your full text appears.

I've not used arrows/circles yet but there are elements for these, they are probably fairly intuitive to learn.

[The Land]

WHOA, start simple at first by creating some small scenarios, and forget about stuff like triggers and other bells and whistles for now..

If you read Panzermate's post in more detail, he says he's fine with map editing already

[Panzermate]

First of all, thanx guys.
Getting replies and feedback is always appreciated.
Okay, Spike, nice that you tried to make me avoid early headaches, but I think I'm past that already because
I have tinkered with basic stuff, tiny scenarios etc for quite a while.
And allthough this is a new game, some basic stuff remains the same, only the menues and connection options differ.
If someone like me has created some 30 campaigns on Panzer General IIID or later Open General, you have a basic grasp what to expect and what you want.
Only the neccessary steps to achieve it have to be learned and refined, because this thing here has a different game engine and a different interface
(not too different by the way).

That's where I'm at right now.

I have crafted the first 4 scenarios/maps and even placed historic units in the first two and played them the last couple of days
to make sure they work within the set parameters (number of turns, goals etc).
But there are some issues (of course) that won't work and maybe some of you can help me out.

First of all, one general thing.
Since I would like to give the player historic units on both sides, there obviously is no "own" army for the player.
That basically means that there is no developing the units from scenario to scenario and also no heroes (therefore no traits) to go around.
That takes away some (for me) rather enjoyable components of this game, which is unfortunate but cannot be worked around if I want to have the historical correct units, or can it?
So I thought long and hard about the option to create 2 versions of every scenario.
One with prestige and slot settings to allow the player to build, develop and adjust his own army over the length of the campaign
(I really like the reserve option of the game to store away units that have no use in a certain scenario type
without outright releasing them and thus wasting the already gained experience of the unit and use them when they are needed again.).
And one with the historic units that actually participated in the selected battle.
What do you think?
Can it be done?

But now to some detailed things that don't work for me and maybe you guys out there can enlighten my
knowledge about some of these flaws and errors I keep experiencing.

Maps:
Strange as it may seem, sometimes the "play scenario" from the editor doesn't work.
If I shorten the map with the "Crop/Resize" tool (often cutting off 2 hex lines does the trick)
it works just fine, even if there are some unfilled hexes (black) still in it.

The use of the terrain tiles is also no big deal, except "Escarpment"
What exactly does it do?
And: how can I change the direction (East, northeast etc.) of the harbour tile?

Next are the hexes. What is "shroud" for?
And what does "Lua array" mean when trying to configure them?

Objectives:
Basically I understand the options but not in detail.
What are these other options beside capture all Vic hexes do?
I'd like to have to capture(or kill) certain units as an objective similar to getting Churchill's tank killed in the Stock London scenario.
How can it be done?

Okay lets forget the triggers for now but briefings are very important to me and
I can't brief shit as of right now. Not anything at all.

I have beautifully detailed text jewels, neatly structured and divided into multiple parts but
not a single one shows up in the opening briefing.
Nada, niente, zeron, null!

Also I can't load a portrait (JEPG) let alone an audio or video file.
As well as the arrows and circles to show where and how to attack would be great but NOTHING shows up.
When I play the scenario from the editor I see
The briefing box with the correct title of the scenario, date and a bunch of maps inside of it (I guess your own pics would show up there if I'd know how to get em there.) can be seen.
If you click on the arrow button, the instruction screen pops up and all you can do is to push the forward/backward arrow buttons but the inlay is completely empty.
No text, no audio, no circles or arrows on the map, NOTHING!

If somebody could instruct me to get this monster monkey off my back, I would be happy as hell!

Greetings

Panzermate!

Screenshots:



Empty briefing's box


Example of a custom designed map (Derna/Mechili)

[The Land]

Do you want to share a screenshot of what's appearing in the editor for the briefing? We might be better placed to help then.

[Panzermate]

Do you want to share a screenshot of what's appearing in the editor for the briefing? We might be better placed to help then.

Hey, Land!
Oh you mean the editor's interface?
Okay, here you go:



One Example!

Greetings
Panzermate

[PoorOldSpike]

Incidentally, the scen-building aspect of PC2 would be given a tremendous boost if we could put up our masterpieces somewhere for downloading by the popcorn-munching PC2 community.
I mentioned it in a post before christmas 7 weeks ago and a Slitherine staffer said they'd look into providing a special forum section for user-created scens but i've heard nothing since (sniffle)

[The Land]

Hi Panzermate - try adding pause elements after each text. And then have a further text element with the word ENDS after the last one.

[Panzermate]

Hi Panzermate - try adding pause elements after each text. And then have a further text element with the word ENDS after the last one.

Thank you, Mr. Land!

The "ENDS" text element isn't neccessary if you finish with a pause element.
Tried all variants after you suggested it.
You need to start wit a text block and then need to have pause elements in between every new "box", text or not!

First obstacle down.
Now, the arrows and circles.
Still none of it is working.
I tried to divide them neatly with pause elements over and under the respective text box and finally combined them
with the said text box, placing them inside pause elements along with the text box.
Nothing works...

Any ideas?
And then another thing.
Since I want to do it like the stock version of the German version of the game, I do my (written) briefings in German but want to add an
audio file, doing the exact same (spoken) briefing in English!
Maybe even trying to implement this funny German accent, the General uses...
So, how to implement circles and arrows and audio files into the briefing as well as images!!??

Greetings from Panzermate!

Here is the result:

[terminator]

By looking at how the official scenarios are made, you will find the answers to your questions

Yet you seem to have some experience in modding(Panzer General, Open General) (?)

[terminator]

..to y'all?
Howdy fellow PC2 enthusiasts!
I played the old Panzer General Game for years.
Started modding and creating custom content soon thereafter.
Did the same with Open General.

What have you done for Panzer General & Open General ?

[Panzermate]

By looking at how the official scenarios are made, you will find the answers to your questions

Yet you seem to have some experience in modding(Panzer General, Open General) (?)

What have you done for Panzer General & Open General ?

Howdy, Terminator.

Not sure I can answer your question in a short manner, since haven't released my stuff to a broader audience
or even the comunity back then.
But I try to explain.

My modding history:

I played Panzer General IIID (german name officially it was called PG II) since 1998.
My early modding consisted only of some minor tweaking on some of the vehicles attack/defend/armor values of the stock version I didn't agree with.
I also disliked some images (namely some StuGIII graphics) so I looked around the internet which was back then a shallow of the endless stream of game communities
we have today and found a forum.
I think it was "wargamer.com" or similar, don't know if it still exists today.
My username was "Lovemate" back then.
Guys like whoopycat, Steve Brown, von Adler(a danish guy, I think), Jan Hedström (PzManiac - swedish), Dirk (US), Doug (Aussie), lvtjn, RedDrake, LuizGuzman,
and many many more I can't remember ad hoc really poured their hearts into it to enhance a great game to even better quality.
After getting familiar with the community developed tools I did mostly

- design scenarios (on already existing maps, I remember Steve Brown created a lot of maps)

- design campaigns (at first I losely strung together some stock scenarios just to enlarge the main axis campaign later created my own ones)

- equipment files ( I created my own AEF "alternate equipment file" to challenge the main competitor ones from Adler, Composite(candian guy?), Latin Generals(south american guy?)
but after hours and hours to finally reach decent - balanced - values for all the german units I ran out of enthusiasm to edit/create all the other nations stuff to be able to use them in a campaign.
So I mostly played with Adlers but tweaked it here and there to my personal liking)

- a little graphics and sound modding. (Allthough I worked for years in advertisment and had the proper tools I was so frustrated with the tiny resolution of the graphics back then so I quit that early on)

I have created some 47 (PG/OG) scenarios overall to (my) perfection (meaning testing them over and over again and working the flaws out, historically correct most of the times)
and 3 custom campaigns (one Africa Corps, one great war campaign 1939-1945 and one to picture the Heeresgruppe South)
which I played I don't know how many times but never "released" it because of the EQF issues I was never able to really eke out.
But I quit all of that after Open General appeared.
While I love Luiz Guzman and his tools and work, OG was an anticipated step towards more opportunities with
lots of minds working on an open source.
But somehow graphics, playability and "feel" weren't quite standard compared to todays games.
Panzer.exe and Unreal engine 4 are quite a difference as are the 20+ years in between.
For me PG is kind of nostalgia but nothing more as of now.

While I missed out on Panzer Corps 1 somehow I am hooked on PC2 but would like to really create more than the stock stuff the game offers.

One last thing though:
If I could really create my own perfect strategic, turn-based, hex second world war game myself it would be a perfect liason
between PanzerCorps 2 and "Civil War Generals 2", a similar old game of the late 90's from around the time of Panzer General 2
(it covers the civil war in the US.) It is comparable regarding menues, options and interfaces to PG2 only without modern weapons and aircraft of course.
But it has an important feature neither PG2 nor PC2 has that would do the trick in terms of long-term-developing a core army for for me:
numbers of men/incooperated units/officers/supply management.
Means that in the editor you can create
officers - with name and picture who get promoted, gain experience or can get killed/wounded in battle.
units of a certain type (sharpshooters, infantry, cavalry, artillery, recon) which you can outfit with equipment (own or captured)
and even put them in a hierachy like Army > Corps > Division > Brigade > Regiment > Battalion > Company and attach the created officers to the units thus managing your entire army down to company level if so desired.
The units gain experience but also lose morale and equipment when they suffer casualties when they have to withdraw, meaning you have to draw them back from the front line
in order ot avoid that said unit disintegrates completely. Also you have to manage the supply of food and ammunition yourself (no motorized units back then so no fuel).
So lets say a regiment of some 3000 men has lost 1000 men it's morale is very poor and it needs to refresh, rest and so on, because its battle value dropped significantly
- so the morale and organisation values(bars from green to yellow to red) indicates you have to act in order to safe the entire unit.
Give me that compared with basic PC2 and I probably won't play anything else- like ever.
No clue why this hasn't been merged as of today.
I mean there are games like "Gary Grigsbys war in the east" but this is too much micromanagement in my mind and lacks any decent graphics for obvious reasons!

Looking at how the official scenarios are made?
Where?
How can I load stock maps, scenarios in my editor?
You have a path for me?

Greetings from Panzermate

[terminator]

Where are you on the list of authors ?

Capture d’écran (689).jpg (324.4 KiB) Viewed 2614 times

[Panzermate]

Where are you on the list of authors ?


Capture d’écran (689).jpg

Maybe the text was too long, so you didn't read it thoroughly?

I wrote:
"...since haven't released my stuff to a broader audience
or even the comunity back then."

and

"I have created some 47 (PG/OG) scenarios overall to (my) perfection (meaning testing them over and over again and working the flaws out, historically correct most of the times)
and 3 custom campaigns (one Africa Corps, one great war campaign 1939-1945 and one to picture the Heeresgruppe South)
which I played I don't know how many times but never "released" it because of the EQF issues I was never able to really eke out."

Therefore I can't be mentioned/featured on any list, can I ?
Maybe I am mentioned on the "scroll of honour" if that still exists somewhere...

Anyway, still no path, no hint, no facts on where/ how to get a handle on stock/mods sceanrios or campaigns to learn about.
I just wrote Rick in a PM that it would be awesome if someone could help me out on how get an already existing scenario opend into my editor.
All I can open are my own designed ones...

HELP would be appreciated!

Greetings from Panzermate

[Panzermate]

So again to that "data issue".
Rick and others told me that one can open (and therefore edit) any given scenario from the stock ones to the modded ones via the editor, right?
Well, I start the game, select the scenario editor and then go to File/Open...

The data path is: own Documents/my Games/Panzer Corps2.
So far so good.
But the only folder which contains any scenario data is the one I created myself called "custom campaign".
None of the other folders beside that one contains any sceanrios, maps, briefings whatsoever.
Even if I look after "all files" instead if "scen files" no data is shown inside the other 10 folders.

See here:



Maybe someone with knowledge could give me a hint?
Thanx

Greetings from Panzermate

[Panzermate]

After quite some digging I finally found the stock scenarios.
At least I can take a closer look at them now trying to figure things out.



But still no idea where the mod scenarios from the Grand Campaign can be found.
Since they feature some intruiging ideas I'd like to examine them too...
Anyone here could take an educated guess where those might be hidden?

Thanx and Greetings from

Panzermate

[PoorOldSpike]

I can't find anything labelled 'Grand Campaign' but for the record these are the battles currently on my hard drive-

[Panzermate]

I can't find anything labelled 'Grand Campaign' but for the record these are the battles currently on my hard drive-

Morning, Spike!

Well, I have them too, these are the official DLC's.
Even if you haven't bought them, they are still there via game update.
You can only play them regularly when purchased I assume, but one can take a look at
them via editor anyway.

Well, Rick told me to look for a folder named "mod" or "mods".
That's where any added (modded) content stores the respective scenario/campaign data.
Only I haven't found it yet, neither in the "Program files section", nor in the "my documents" root tree.

On the PC2 dashboard after starting the game here:





you go to mods, then select "mod-manager"
After that you are shown all available mods (check/uncheck box) with the logo/brand on the right side of your screen, see here:





So, I have this particular mod available and ready
(I just learned this particular GC is a remodeling of the Panzer Corps 1 campaign for PC 2 because lots of people wanted to play it in PC 2 as well, so some modders adopted it)
and can play it by selecting the modded campaigns on the start screen at the main dashboard
along with the regular (main) campaigns or purchased DLC campaigns.

And while the campaign/scenario data of main/DLC content is stored at the location I posted earlier, I have no clue where
the modded content is located.
But it's gotta be somewhere, otherwise I wouldn't be able to select and play it right out of the main PC2 dashboard, right?

I tell you, when I have some basic knowledge and understanding of how this all works best for a potential modder, I will create
a basic tutorial so others don't have to endure this mess without having any clue how to seriously get started.

I mean walking down "try & error"-Avenue this hard is a total bummer for me.

Anyway, let's try to find that hidden sucker folder, mainly because this modded Grand Campaign has some nice features in it I want to
explore and adopt, like great AI behaviour, commendation points and various goals/aims other than capturing Victory hexes as well as solid briefings!
So the search might be worth the effort.


Greetings from Panzermate