[TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

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maitrebongo
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:29 am

[TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by maitrebongo »

The scenario editor that comes with the game is relatively powerful and allows, without any problems, the adaptation (with some concessions) of the original scenarios of the different boardgames of Lock 'n Load series. It is also possible to create new scenarios based on the elements provided in the game (or in a mod).

However, its use is not very intuitive.
I propose to you a tutorial that will allow you to understand the minimun necessary to start in the creation of a simple scenario. Later it will be fleshed out by further explanations on the subtleties that it is possible to integrate in these scenarios.

To illustrate this tutorial, I will create a scenario for the Heroes of the Pacific mod (available here: tm.asp?m=4222442). The principle remains the same for all mods installed; Only the path of some files may be different.


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- Open the game
- Click Editor


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- Once in the editor, press TAB to access the scenario informations.


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- Write the name of the scenario in the first box at the top left.
For the sake of clarity and to avoid confusion and mixing scenarios, I ask you to respect the following nomenclature to name your scenarios: [mod acronym] [scenario number] [scenario name]
Which gives for example: HoP Z1 Hells Island

Use the following acronyms for the different mods:
HoB = Heroes of the Blitzkrieg
IdD = In defeat Defiance
BoH = Band of Heroes
SaB = Swift and Bolt
NbO = Noville Bastogne Outpost
HoP = Heroes of the Pacific
FhV = Forgotten Heroes of Vietnam
HoG = Heroes of the Gap
HeP = Honneur et patrie
RoH = Ring of Hills

Use the following numbers for scenario numbering:
01, 02, 03, 04 ... for the original scenarios in the order of the boardgame's scenarios booklet
A1, B1, C1 ... Z1 for the scenarios invented by the creators (use a letter and a number to differentiate them from the original scenarios)

Use a short scenario name so that the name does not exceed the box.


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- Write the description of the scenario by clicking on the Scenario text box (no need to indicate the turn's number or artillery or air missions, the program will add them by its own in the final description)


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- Enter here the number of scenario turns


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- Choose the nation that will be the opponent 1 in the Side 1 box.


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If you create a scenario for a mod, you will see that the nations do not necessarily have the corresponding name (because the names of the nations are hard-coded in the program), but the Adj box contains the correct name of the Which will be used by mod.


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- In the same way, choose the opposite nation.
Note that there are only 2 possible nations in the choice of this page. This will not prevent you from having more than 2 nations when deploying the counters on the map; Simply, the choice here corresponds to the groups of opponents who will compete in this scenario.


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- Now, let's set up the map on which the scenario will take place.
Click Map Info


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- Choose your background map by clicking Change.
(If your scenario contains only one map, then you will have to choose Map 1)


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- You must choose an .mpp file corresponding to the map you want for your scenario.
The program offers you to choose from the maps folder of the game, but if you are in a mod, the .mpp files for the mod are in the folder named as the mod.


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- Double-click the .mpp file


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- The map is placed in the location Map 1.


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- Do the same on other slots if you want to have a larger game board.

ATTENTION - In the Map Constructor, maps are organized in a confusing order:

Map 4 Map 6 Map 9

Map 2 Map 5 Map 8

Map 1 Map 3 Map 7

If your scenario contains only one map, then you will need to choose Map 1,
If it contains 2 maps vertically, you will need to choose Map 1 and Map 2,
If it contains 3 maps vertically, you will have to choose Map 1, Map 2 and Map 4,
If it contains 3 maps Horizontally, you will have to choose Map 1, Map 3, Map 7 ...

I know, it's confusing, but it works that way ...


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- When you are finished, click Finished.


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- Back in the previous screen, you must choose the role (attitude) of each opponent if it is played by the computer.
At the bottom of the left column is the opponent 1 and at the top of the right column is the opponent 2.

The possible choices are:
0 = Hold
1 = Defend
2 = Harass
3 = Attack
4 = Berserk


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- Once you have made your choices, click Return to return to the map.


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- Your game board now conforms to what you want. We will deposit the counters of the different pawns that will participate in the battle.
Pressing the F2 key will take you to the Units menu.


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- In this menu, use the A and S keys to scroll through the nations that make up the mod.


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- By scrolling, we arrived until the German SS (which corresponds in this mod to the US Marines).
On the bottom right is the counter of the first token of the list of units available for that nation.
Use the Z and X keys to scroll through the counters of that nation.


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- To place a counter on the map, left click on the hexagon you want (this one is surrounded by red) and then right click to display a dropdown menu and choose Add Counter (left click to validate).


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- The counter is now in place. It also appears in a window at the bottom right of the screen.
You will notice the small number 1 in yellow on the right of the counter: it indicates that this counter belongs to the faction 1. But it must belongs to faction 2


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- Right click on the counter that is in the bottom right window to bring up a drop down menu that allows you to choose the options of this counter.
Click Switch Sides to change the faction that this pawn belongs to.


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- Now it belongs to faction 2.
Always be vigilant that your pawns are well declared as belonging to the right faction.


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- Proceed in the same way to place a new counter on the adjacent hex.
(Choose the counter with the keys Z and X - Right click on the hex - Add Counter - ALWAYS pay attention to the faction number...).
"Impossible is not French" Napoleon Bonaparte
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maitrebongo
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RE: [TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by maitrebongo »

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- Let's move on to the weapons. The weapons available for US Marines are in the US Nation (Custom 2).
These 2 nations are clearly part of the same faction, so no problem ...
Use the A and S keys to go to Custom 2 and then the Z and X keys to choose a weapon (a flamethrower). Deposit in a hex and do not forget to declare it in the right faction.


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- Select the flamethrower (the counter in the left box must be surrounded by red), then click on the hex in which the infantry squad is located. The flamethrower and the squad are now stacked. In the left box, they are one above the other.


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- Click on the hex until the flamethrower and squad are both selected (surrounded by red) and click once on the squad to deselect it. Now, only the Flamethrower is selected. Right click on it and choose Set Owner from the drop-down menu.


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- The flamethrower is suspended and you release it above the squad.


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- Now the flamethrower is next to the squad, which means it is attached to it.


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- Let's go to the vehicles.
Same procedure as for other counters: selection of the nation (A-S), selection of the counter (Z-X) selection of the hex, add counter, Switch side ...


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- the particularity of the vehicles is that they have an orientation (indicated by a red triangle). To make a rotation to your counter (and to put the vehicle in the right direction) it is necessary to select the counter (must be surrounded by red) and then press the ? key To turn it on itself until it gets the right orientation.

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- Now, let's load a squad into the vehicle.
To do this, select the squad and click on the hex of the vehicle. The squad and the vehicle are stacked in the same hex and together in the same box (but one above the other, which means that the squad is outside the vehicle, for now).


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- Select all the counters of the hex by clicking on it and then deselect the vehicle by clicking on it.


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Right click on the squad, choose Set Owner, drop the squad on the vehicle (as before for the flamethrower).


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- Now the squad (and its flamethrower) are inside the vehicle. You will notice that the flamethrower is no longer very visible (and therefore difficult to select), so it is better to first associate the weapons with their infantry AND only then associate the infantry with the vehicle.


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- One can do the same with the leader and also embark in the vehicle. The situation in the right box is increasingly confusing and it is better to have everything prepared before embarking.


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- We also place counters of opponent 1 (the Japanese) by choosing the nation (A-S), the counter (Z-X), not to forget to Switch Side if necessary ...


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- As the Japanese must hold the ground against the US attack, we will hide the Japanese counter until the American advance discovers it. To do this, right click on the counter and choose Hide In Place from the drop-down menu.


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- We proceed in the same way to deploy the teams that have for some the same particularity (indicated by a red triangle) that vehicles: an orientation. We will act in the same way (key ?) To modify it.


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- To integrate an air mission, it is enough to deposit a counter air on the map (not to forget the faction) and to think well to orient it in the axis of its future attack (that can be programmed: right click On the counter, select Arrival Turn from the drop-down menu and enter the turn number).


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- Now we will position a victory hex to give a goal to this scenario.
To do this, return to the Terrain menu (F1 key) and then select Clear Hexside (with the Z and X keys) and right click on the target hex.


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- The hex has become a victory hex and will be a target for the AI.


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- Precisely, let us determine victory conditions. To do this, go back to the Scen Info menu (TAB key) and click on Victory Conditions.


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- Here you will choose the attitude of the opponent 1 in relation to the victory hexes. Your choice will have to be consistent with the choice of the positions of your opponents and the attitudes you have chosen them.


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- Click Return to return to the board.


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- Now you have to save the scenario. Press CTRL and S to open the save's window.
Save your scenarios in the mod folder and name them exactly as their name in the game to avoid confusion.
"Impossible is not French" Napoleon Bonaparte
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maitrebongo
Posts: 321
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:29 am

RE: [TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by maitrebongo »

Here, with this tutorial, you can easily create a simple scenario for the game or for the mods of the game.
We will soon see how to use the different options of the menus of the editor to complicate a bit the sequence of the scenario.

I hope that you will soon be able to create your own scenarios or convert those of the original boardgames and post them for the whole community to enjoy.
"Impossible is not French" Napoleon Bonaparte
Meter99
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Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:38 pm

RE: [TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by Meter99 »

This is great, well written and easy to follow.
Cant wait to play around with and make some custom scenerios for FH Vietnam.

Question, are the maps what makes the units available? For instance, if I select a Vietnam map, are the default counters from the Vietnam module?

Thanks again
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maitrebongo
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RE: [TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by maitrebongo »

That's not how it works.
Each mod is considered a full-fledged game and so, if you run the editor from a mod, you have access to the maps and counters of that specific mod.
If you create a custom scenario for FHoV, you have to save it in the directory of the mod and it runs only with this mod.
"Impossible is not French" Napoleon Bonaparte
innocenti3
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2017 3:35 pm

RE: [TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by innocenti3 »

I was going through your Mod Heroes of the Gap and working through your instructions to make my own scenarios. Your instructions are pretty clear. I ran into one problem, however. I cannot find a mpp file that has the Heroes of the Gap full game map that I can use. All the files that have those maps are listed as bmp or map files. What should I do?

Also, in the listed scenarios, there is one that just has the game map. Is there a way I can modify that scenario to include counters, etc?

Love the work you did on this game. I just bought the original so I could use your mods.
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maitrebongo
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RE: [TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by maitrebongo »

The file that replace the mpp file for the HoG board is : XHotG Map (scenario .map remplace .mpp pour les 9 boards).map in the Mod Heroes of the Gap Honneur et Patrie folder

As the map is bigger than a standard HoS map you couldn't name it .mpp.

To use it, just load the XHotG Map (scenario .map remplace .mpp pour les 9 boards).map in the editor (Ctrl+L) and you have a virgin map ready to create your own scenario.
"Impossible is not French" Napoleon Bonaparte
innocenti3
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Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2017 3:35 pm

RE: [TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by innocenti3 »

Thanks!!! I was able to load it. I'm going to try and build a scenario tonight and see if I run into any other questions.
t341
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Joined: Sun May 20, 2007 9:30 pm
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RE: [TUTORIAL] How to create a scenario

Post by t341 »

are you available to answer questions about scenario creation. Working on a cry havoc scenario but having problems with finding the units/counters.
hms
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