Editor question

[damezzi]

This is the first time I'm messing around with the editor trying to make some tests to see if my chess scenario is possible. As I said, I barely know the game mechanics as a player, let alone as a designer and I still didn't read all the tutorials available. Anyway, I'm already messing around and got stuck in a point.

I've set two regimes with 3 units and one hq each. Each unit has one SFT type I derived from the rifle type. I've set them to full supply, experience, action points, etc. Also, I've set the two different regimes to war state.

Well, my goal was just to run some combat between those units in order to see how far I could control results, but, as soon as I begin the game I don't get the option of attacking with my first regime. When I click on an enemy unit I get the movement, transfer, etc, buttons on the bottom, instead of the attacking options(even if unavailable). If I finish the turn I get the status of the other regime units and the attacking options appear for both regimes, as if all were enemies. Here I'm able to set an attack on the first regime units, but not on the second regime units. Synthesizing: in one round I get the option for movement for all units (regime 1 and 2), but I'm only able to move regime 1 units; after finishing the round I get the option for attacks for all units (regime 1 and 2), but I'm only able to attack with regime 2 units.

Another thing I notice is that even if I can setup an attack with regime 2 units, not all of them seem available for attacking, even if they have full action points and supply. What else do I need?

Maybe I'm only missing something obvious here, but I would like to go on with tests before mastering the game mechanics, just to know if what I want to do is possible. So, any help will be welcome.

[Tufkal2]

Difficult to tell without a screeni.
One very likely problem might be that the two regimes are not set to be at war with each other?
This is in the regime menu under "Diplomatics".
Normally you should get buttons like move, transfer etc for your own units and buttons like attack, bombard etc for enemy units and some of these buttons for enemy controlled hexes in which you do not see a unit (example: You can bombard an enemy hex even if you do not see a unit but you can only attack a unit you see).
If this is not it I suggest to post some screens so people can have a look?
Have fun modding...

[damezzi]

Thanks Lunaticus. I don't have images here at the moment. They are on another computer. A I can tell to complement at this moment is that I have set the two regimes to war state. I have even set them to different people and people group, since I wasn't certain that could pose a problem. The counters show the colors of their respective regimes, yet I can't find the name of their regime in the unit configuration screen. I searched for a way to change units regime in order to see if they were really set to the correct regime (independently of color), but wasn't able to find a place to change the regime of a specific unit. Anyway, they seem to be in the correct regime, not only for their colors, but also because, even if they show the same kind of command buttons when selected, for a regime they are available and for the other they show as unavailable. It is like if both regime were the allied, but then, when I change turn and the attack buttons show for both of them, I'm able to attack (only with one of them).
Ok, I know that without the screenshots it seems confusing. I'll try to post them as soon as I have them available... or I can send the scenario file, if you have the patience to take a look at it.

[damezzi]

Lunaticus, here are some images. You can see that borders contain all units, as if of the same regime.
This show the first turn. Movement options are shown for both regimes, but I'm only able to move one of them.

[damezzi]

In the second turn I get the attack option for both regimes, but I'm only able to attack with one of them.

[damezzi]

You can see in this screen that an attack on the other regime is possible.

[damezzi]

Regimes are set to war state.

[damezzi]

I don't know if there is another screen that could help. If so, please tell me.

[CSO_Talorgan]

Good luck with this, for if you succeed Advanced Tactics might become a universal campaign manager, which would be very good for everybody.

[Tufkal2]

Well it is a bit sketchy but I think the cause seems to be that the hex you are trying to fight on is "unoccupied" meaning there is no regime owner for this. This looks also like this since there is not dividing line in the territory.
You should try the following:
In the editor go to the map and change the regime owner of the hexes so that they belong to the right regime. Then please try again.
If this is not it maybe it is possible to upload the scenario to the scenario bank?

[GrumpyMel]

Yeah, it looks like the "owner" of the hex the regiemea are occupying got messed up. Basicaly, for land hexes a regieme's units should never be able to occupy a hex it doesn't "own". More specificaly, it shouldn't be able to occupy a hex "owned" by another regieme.

I'm guessing the regieme that isn't able to attack because the hex it is trying to attack is it's OWN TERRITORY (i.e. the engine doesn't let you attack your own territory).

Essentialy when creating a scenerio in the editor you want to make sure that all land hexes are owned by which-ever regieme has units occupying them.

I haven't tested it out myself, but I suspect that you can run into the issue you are experiencing if you change the ownership of hexes after placing units there...or possible move units in the editor to new position (outside their territory) after you have placed them. Some combination of the above is probably what is at play.

As Lunaticus pointed out.... as long as you correct the ownership of the hexes in the editor to match the units who occupy them....you should be ok.

[damezzi]

Thanks GrumpyMel and Lunaticus. That was exactly the problem; once I changed the hex ownership, things worked as they should. My error was thinking that the engine would change ownership automatically in those cases, but, maybe there is a use to such a condition.

Talorgan, I don't think I'll be able to setup an universal campaign manager, since, even if I succeed controling combat results, the AI turn is inaccessible. My chess scenario would use chess to resolve combat only on the player turn; on the AI turn the combat strenght of units will be used normally, so that the player will get a different board setup each time his turn begins. Only Vic can have control over combats during the AI turn, so... but having a game which could be used as a campaign manager would make the day for a lot of people. I've seen demands for such a system in other forums, too. And it would be a first step in integrating different games representing different levels, something I think will happen at some point in the future.

[damezzi]

Is there a way I can disband a non empty unit, as if destroying it?

I was able to make units which always win when attacking, but which can win or lose when defending, so that in the AI turn the game will play normally. In the player turn, the player will set the attack only when he won the game used to resolve battle (a tactical level game or a game like chess) and will be able to jump into the captured hex. Yet, if the player loses the 'outside' game he must disband his own unit. Transfering the subformations to another unit and disbanding the empty unit will keep the subformations in play. How can I destroy them using simple game commands?

[CSO_Talorgan]

ORIGINAL: damezzi

having a game which could be used as a campaign manager would make the day for a lot of people. I've seen demands for such a system in other forums, too. And it would be a first step in integrating different games representing different levels, something I think will happen at some point in the future.

Good to know that other people feel the same way.

As far as I can make out there are two modes such a game may be played in: "campaign manager" with editable saved game files; and "PBEM" where editing is not possible. Don't see why both can't be catered for.

[damezzi]

ORIGINAL: damezzi

Is there a way I can disband a non empty unit, as if destroying it?

I was able to make units which always win when attacking, but which can win or lose when defending, so that in the AI turn the game will play normally. In the player turn, the player will set the attack only when he won the game used to resolve battle (a tactical level game or a game like chess) and will be able to jump into the captured hex. Yet, if the player loses the 'outside' game he must disband his own unit. Transfering the subformations to another unit and disbanding the empty unit will keep the subformations in play. How can I destroy them using simple game commands?

Nobody?

Even a negative answer would help, since I would think about a work around and give up a straight solution.

[Tufkal2]

Hi Damezzi,
I think the way the system works is as follows: First you need to delete all subformations of a unit and then you can delete the unit itself.
Have fun modding.

[damezzi]

It seems then that there is no way for a player to just exclude a subformation from the game, apart from losing it in combat...

I thought about using an HQ as repository for 'out of game subformations'; I would set this HQ in an isolated area and it would receive subformations which players would exclude through transfer, but for that I would need to have infinite transfer capacity and no distance restriction. Is there a way to set this up?

[Jeffrey H.]

There is a way to remove units via the "disband unit" button on the information page of the SFT. If you click on a picture of the SFT of an actual unit, you will be taken to an information screen showing the unit stats. There is a "disband unit" button there that will do what I think you need done.
 
The AI in the game gets strat transfer for free, so there may be some way to access free strat transfer in the editor via command or via the unit specific settings.
 

[damezzi]

Thanks Jeffrey, that's exactly what I needed. I don't know how it passed unnoticed.

[Jeffrey H.]

Great news and good luck with your mod !