Questions about random battles

The Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985 is a new turn-based, tactical wargame that focuses on conflicts in the Middle East.

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76mm
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Questions about random battles

Post by 76mm »

I have three questions about random battles:

1) Are leaders ever created in random battles? I wanted to try to practice using them (have never really used them in a game), but none seem to appear in the forces generated in a random battle.

2) I've gotten a couple of errors while generating random battles; one I reported previously, something about the "snowy trees" graphic not being available (this for a desert random battle!), and just now I got one saying that the forces could not be generated (after I'd hit "random" for all the settings).

3) It seems odd how often the random battles are assigned weather of fog, rain, etc. given that the battles are in the desert--in fact most of the time. Is the weather assigned in random battles "probability weighted" (ie, rain less likely to appear than more "deserty" weather?
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by Jason Petho »

ORIGINAL: 76mm

I have three questions about random battles:

1) Are leaders ever created in random battles? I wanted to try to practice using them (have never really used them in a game), but none seem to appear in the forces generated in a random battle.
No, they aren't included in the ORG structure for the random battles
ORIGINAL: 76mm
2) I've gotten a couple of errors while generating random battles; one I reported previously, something about the "snowy trees" graphic not being available (this for a desert random battle!), and just now I got one saying that the forces could not be generated (after I'd hit "random" for all the settings).
Depends on the countries and timeframes chosen. While there was an effort made to have everything available, certain things will not be successful.
ORIGINAL: 76mm
3) It seems odd how often the random battles are assigned weather of fog, rain, etc. given that the battles are in the desert--in fact most of the time. Is the weather assigned in random battles "probability weighted" (ie, rain less likely to appear than more "deserty" weather?

Weather will determine the visibility, that's about it.
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76mm
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by 76mm »

OK, thanks for the quick response.

Ideally if units aren't available for random battles the random generator wouldn't select them, but I guess not super high on the priority list.
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by Crossroads »

Hello 76mm!
ORIGINAL: Jason Petho
ORIGINAL: 76mm
3) It seems odd how often the random battles are assigned weather of fog, rain, etc. given that the battles are in the desert--in fact most of the time. Is the weather assigned in random battles "probability weighted" (ie, rain less likely to appear than more "deserty" weather?

Weather will determine the visibility, that's about it.

To confirm, generated a few battles both on Des and Med maps, and as I had Weather set at "Clear" ground then was "Normal" each time.
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by Crossroads »

ORIGINAL: 76mm

OK, thanks for the quick response.

Ideally if units aren't available for random battles the random generator wouldn't select them, but I guess not super high on the priority list.

A complete Random Battle Generator rewrite is on our To-Do list, not for CS Middle East 1.01 though. Will be quite an effort, so a candidate for VN rather.
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by 76mm »

ORIGINAL: Crossroads
To confirm, generated a few battles both on Des and Med maps, and as I had Weather set at "Clear" ground then was "Normal" each time.

I understand that this is rightfully far from the top of the priority list, but I think there is something seriously wrong with the random weather-picker: I hit "random" six times, and got clear weather once, otherwise thick fog, showers, squalls. A few more times and I got hazy a couple of times (OK for desert) and then more squalls, showers, fog.

Again, my guess is that the weather is not probability-weighted, but rather equally weighted among the various types of weather, even if it is unlikely to appear in the desert.
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by Crossroads »

Ah I see, you are creating random battles with Random button too.

You are probably right all weather types being equally balanced. Something to look for, then, when this code is being revised.

Thank you for reporting this.
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Big Ivan
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by Big Ivan »

Something too that I have noticed.

When going manual and not using the random key for battle generation,

I have noticed that Mediterranean & Desert terrain is flipped. Under Desert terrain when scrolling through the types you get the choices for Mediterranean and vice versa.
Also when picking Mediterranean your 3D map shows Desert but the 2D map shows Mediterranean??

I can forward a file if you want to see it.
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by Crossroads »

Hello John, Please do!
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by Big Ivan »

On their way attached to a PM.
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RE: Questions about random battles

Post by Crossroads »

Thank you!
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