Starting units in suppressed mode

[cbssecman]

Is it possible to make units start a scenario already suppressed? I'm working on a scenario based on an engagement where two Tigers caught a company of Soviet tanks completely by surprise in a village, and I need a way to limit the Soviets ability to react instantly.

Separate question: Is there any way to randomize the turn of entry of reinforcements?

[pipfromslitherine]

Both these will require some scripting. For the suppression you would just go through the units at the start of the first turn and reduce their morale. For random reinforcements you would also need to script them to occur as desired.

Cheers

Pip

[cbssecman]

Can you recommend a tutorial anywhere on scripting. I'm new to this. I've got plenty of experience writing scenarios for miniatures, but I'm one of those old farts who doesn't know anything about computers...

[pipfromslitherine]

The BA wiki has most of the core info, with BA2 specific stuff in its own wiki. Take a look at the scripts for some existing missions too, it will help see things in context. Mission scrips are in the SCENARIOS folder of any campaign, named the same as the .BAM (map) files.

http://www.slitherinebravo.net/GameWiki/doku.php - BA
https://sites.google.com/site/battleacademy2/ - BA2

Cheers

Pip

[cbssecman]

Both these will require some scripting. For the suppression you would just go through the units at the start of the first turn and reduce their morale. For random reinforcements you would also need to script them to occur as desired.

Cheers

Pip

Forgive me for being clueless, but I have no experience whatsoever in scripting or coding or doing anything like that...but I'm trying to fumble my way through this.

So, I finally figured out that I can open a .BAM file using my notepad app...
I see that all the deployed units are listed there, for example:
UNITTS_0_8 GERMAN_OSTRUPPEN
UNITX_0_8 48
UNITY_0_8 33
UNITROT_0_8 225
UNITTEAM_0_8 0
UNITFIX_0_8 TRUE
UNITST_0_8 0
UNITCAR_0_8 FALSE
UNITREINF_0_8 0

I get that "UNITTS_0_8 GERMAN_OSTRUPPEN" means this unit is on Side 0, unit# 8, description Ostruppen. (Just out of curiosity, what doe the "TS" part of "UNITTS" stand for?)
I get that its location is 48,33.
I get that ROT is its facing, its on TEAM 0, and that its deployment is FIXED, i.e. "TRUE".

Questions:
UNITST? What is that? What does the "0" mean?
UNITCAR? What is that? Ability to carry another unit? (And thus FALSE because it's an infantry unit...)
UNITREINF? Does this mean its in reinforcement group 0, i.e. it starts on the board and does not come in later?
If I wanted to start this unit in suppressed mode, would I modify this block somehow to reduce the starting morale of this particular unit? Or is that something I have to do in the Text1 or Text9 file?
If I have to do it in the Text1 or Text9 file, what exactly would I have to type into that file to have this particular unit start the game in suppressed mode? (an example would be very nice - I have tried to find one in other scenario files, but I really don't know what I'm looking at...)

I won't even ask about scripting random reinforcements yet...unless somebody can give me an example to follow...

Thanks very much for any help!
CB

[pipfromslitherine]

You will generally never want to edit the BAM file directly, there is no need. It is now where you do scripting - you would create a BSF file with the same name as the BAM file and do it there. I recommend looking at existing scenario scripts in one of the game campaigns to get an idea of how they work.

Cheers

Pip