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Modding oil use
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:19 pm
by gchristie
Hello, my name is George, and I have a problem: I'm one of those players that really struggles with oil usage when playing as Axis in PBEM games. Yep, I've read the posts, studied the AARs of elite players, rail oil consuming units, avoid moving/flying in mud zones, etc. but mastering this part of the game eludes me. So I've come to terms with the fact that I am a "not quite elite but fairly competent player" who is very creative in finding new ways to run out of oil and lose.
I own it, I don't blame the game developers or the modders, this one's on me.
My question for those with modding skills and the patience to break this down for someone with no modding experience (me), is there a way to mod the game so that instead of simply turning oil consumption on or off that oil consumption can be scaled back by some percentage? Adding advantages, even a minor one, really throws game balance out of whack (I know, you guys warned me) but reducing oil consumption by a small percentage may be enough to make my games go the distance - win, lose or draw - which is my goal.
Re: Modding oil use
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:29 pm
by rkr1958
gchristie wrote:Hello, my name is George, and I have a problem: I'm one of those players that really struggles with oil usage when playing as Axis in PBEM games. Yep, I've read the posts, studied the AARs of elite players, rail oil consuming units, avoid moving/flying in mud zones, etc. but mastering this part of the game eludes me. So I've come to terms with the fact that I am a "not quite elite but fairly competent player" who is very creative in finding new ways to run out of oil and lose.
I own it, I don't blame the game developers or the modders, this one's on me.
My question for those with modding skills and the patience to break this down for someone with no modding experience (me), is there a way to mod the game so that instead of simply turning oil consumption on or off that oil consumption can be scaled back by some percentage? Adding advantages, even a minor one, really throws game balance out of whack (I know, you guys told me so) but reducing oil consumption by a small percentage may be enough to make my games go the distance - win, lose or draw - which is my goal.
There are two data files where oil consumption is controlled. These files are unit.txt and technology.txt and are both located in the installed GS data folder. The last record in unit.txt is "Oil Consumption" and defines the base oil usage for all units. In the technology.txt file the column "OilConsumption" controls the increased in oil consumption for technology advancements. Note that changing either or both of these files will result in a checksum message when playing someone who hasn't modified these files. As per standard advice always backup your original files before changing them.
Re: Modding oil use
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 4:08 pm
by gchristie
Thank you. I see this is fairly involved but nowhere near as complicated as I thought.
I will play around with these and test them in hotseat to see if this is something of interest to PBEMers out there who are facing the same challenges with oil as I do.
Re: Modding oil use
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:49 pm
by rkr1958
gchristie wrote:Thank you. I see this is fairly involved but nowhere near as complicated as I thought.
I will play around with these and test them in hotseat to see if this is something of interest to PBEMers out there who are facing the same challenges with oil as I do.
You could even play was a set of customized files for the axis player, which lower oil cost, and the regular file set of the allied player. This would be a way to give the axis player an advantage without it applying to the allied player. The downside would be that you both would get checksum messages, which you'd need to ignore, every time you loaded your turn.
Re: Modding oil use
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:10 pm
by gchristie
rkr1958 wrote:Note that changing either or both of these files will result in a checksum message when playing someone who hasn't modified these files. As per standard advice always backup your original files before changing them.
I was thinking along the same lines, making minor adjustments only for some of the Axis units and not the allied. I appears that I can only use whole numbers, not fractions (1.5, etc.) correct?
If both my PBEM partner and I make the same changes to the files would we then get the checksum messages?
Re: Modding oil use
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:14 pm
by rkr1958
gchristie wrote:rkr1958 wrote:Note that changing either or both of these files will result in a checksum message when playing someone who hasn't modified these files. As per standard advice always backup your original files before changing them.
I was thinking along the same lines, making minor adjustments only for some of the Axis units and not the allied. I appears that I can only use whole numbers, not fractions (1.5, etc.) correct?
If both my PBEM partner and I make the same changes to the files would we then get the checksum messages?
If you are both using the same file then you will not get any checksum messages. The only way, I know, to reduce oil usage for axis; but not allied, units is to use to separate set of files.
Re: Modding oil use
Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 4:29 am
by BuddyGrant
You could edit the scenario file (EG: '1939.scn') to give the axis more oil to start with. If you want a gradual increase then increase the oil income of a German hex by 1 or 2 (or more). That would give them x (x = whatever amount you increased that oil hex value to) extra oil per turn. That hex change would have to be done either in the 'ww2.map' file or the '*.scn' file, or both - It's been awhile since I've manually edited these files.
Re: Modding oil use
Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:25 pm
by rkr1958
gchristie wrote:I was thinking along the same lines, making minor adjustments only for some of the Axis units and not the allied. I appears that I can only use whole numbers, not fractions (1.5, etc.) correct?
That's correct.
gchristie wrote:If both my PBEM partner and I make the same changes to the files would we then get the checksum messages?
No, neither would get the messages.