Scenario Building Guide?

[MasterChief]

Ok, been wanting to get into scenario building for awhile and finally ready to dive in. However, I have been surprised at the lack of "how to build a scenario from scratch" guides there are, especially considering how inadequate the manual is regarding this area.

Any suggestions?

[Hairog]

You don't want to build a map do you? If so I'm bowing out. If not then the best way to proceed is to pick a scenario that is closest to your time frame.

Example would be World War Three 1946 for War in Europe: I took the Gotterdamerung Scenario and added or deleted as history dictated from there. Since the Allies had demobilized by May, 1946 and were down to a few divisions, I started deleting, like crazy.

I'm working on a 1941 Alternative History, where Hitler decides to forego Barbarossa, the French Fleet gets pissed after a British attack on French North Africa and Sea Lion is still a possibility. So I start with 1939 and move forward.

Maps I don't do and depend upon the kindness of others like Sipres, who kindly lent me his 20 miles per hex map for the Battle of Britain Mod.

What do you want to do?

[MasterChief]

Thanks for the reply Hairog. I am trying to build a remake of the Avalon Hill game, Tactics II. This game kick started my wargaming appetite back in the late 70's and I think the mechanics and structure of SC will make for an interesting version.

I think I have the map down, except I can't figure out how to draw regime borders - which is necessary for me to assign capitals - which is necessary to save the scenario. Also, I will eventually want to figure out a way to add beach hexes and ensure amphibious landing can only occur at those beach hexes.

Some of the general questions I have are:

- How do I change the default unit size from army/corps to division/brigade
- How to I change the name and characteristics of units
- How do I change the range of aircraft
- Tips on adding and editing scripts
- Tips on programing AI

This should get me started [;)]

[BillRunacre]

Hi

Part 2 of the Manual covers designing your own campaigns, and it will answer most questions.

In terms of setting ownership of hexes, hopefully the following will help:

While using the Select Item(s) mode, right clicking while in the Edit Hex Layer mode will allow you to set Hex Owner/Controller status. This is the tool to use to define countries on the map, as by setting the Owner you are assigning hexes to belong to that country.

If the new country doesn’t yet have a Capital, you will need to add one before you can save the campaign. To do this you will need to select the Resource layer, be in Draw mode, and add a Capital or Major Capital to one of this country’s hexes.


As to your other questions, the default unit size is up to you, all the unit types you've mentioned are readily available, or you can just rename Army/Corps as Division/Brigade and use those slots for those types. Look up Localization in the Manual to see how to do this.

Combat Target Statistics are where you change the range of units, among many other things.

The best thing with scripts is to look at those already in the game, see what they're trying to achieve, and make a test campaign where you change things to try them out.

Good luck! [:)]

[MasterChief]

Thanks BillRunacre! I'm giving it a shot!

[Tulius Hostilius]

I like a lot the game “Strategic Command WWII: World at War”, I mean, I really like. I bought it recently and since I am at home due the current pandemic I have lots of time and lots of time to play the game.

And I am glad that the game has an editor, I would like to see a 1980’s WWIII.

Anyway, in the 1939 scenario there are little things in the map that annoy me and that I would like to change. And let me nitpick for a while about the first 2:

1. I am Portuguese, so I will begin to say that Goa was Portuguese at the time. Goa needs to go for Portugal (whit no port), and India needs another city to give them the 8 MPP; I gave it Bangalore slightly East (already done).

2. I would like to see some more details in the borders in Africa, particularly in West Africa: Portuguese Guinea and Sierra Leona (UK) (already done).

Nigeria and Ghana are there but the British player can’t do a thing there and it seems that there isn’t a script like for Malaysia or Burma (this issue I already managed to mod and resolve).

3. I would like to see also Macau, but since the space in the map near Hong Kong is pretty tight, I would leave this for now.

So, I want to write the Names of the new cities (whitish in the map) and colonies (yellowish). When I open “Map”/“Edit Text Layer” I am given the option to write in the map, but… but…

I have to select the letter type (font); size; opacity; anti-aliased; shade; heavy shade; vertical (+/-); horizontal (+/-); colour; background. It would be simple if I could just copy/past from another place and just edit the text name, but I can’t see that is possible, and I want to maintain the same sets that already are in the game.

So any help, how to write these names of cities and regions? The manual doesn’t seem to cover it.

[Hubert Cater]

Once you are in the Map / Edit Text Layer, simply right click on a text item you wish to emulate and it will automatically fill in all the details for you. You'll just have to change the text string itself at that point and then left click on the map where you want this new custom text to appear.

Hope this helps,
Hubert

[Tulius Hostilius]

ORIGINAL: Hubert Cater

Once you are in the Map / Edit Text Layer, simply right click on a text item you wish to emulate and it will automatically fill in all the details for you. You'll just have to change the text string itself at that point and then left click on the map where you want this new custom text to appear.

Hope this helps,
Hubert

Thanks for the feedback, Hubert. That seems simple, I will try it.

[Tulius Hostilius]

I already done it. It works fine. Thank you.

Now, abusing from your patience, how can I add/remove units from the map? I am really struggling with the editor.

And, to effectively remove a country from the game, it is enough to take all the territory and units? (I am thinking to remove some colony “countries” and give them directly to the colony powers).

[El_Condoro]

1. To delete units, click the Units icon on the toolbar, then the delete icon (I think it's a cross), then click each unit to remove (they remain available to replace if they have been added in the country unit count)

2. To remove a country (and transfer it to another country, keeping its resources), use the Edit Hex Layer icon, then the hex icon, then left-click all the hexes you want to transfer, then right-click and choose the country to transfer to, and save. If there are any problems, read the message and try again.

Hope this helps.

[Tulius Hostilius]

ORIGINAL: El_Condoro

1. To delete units, click the Units icon on the toolbar, then the delete icon (I think it's a cross), then click each unit to remove (they remain available to replace if they have been added in the country unit count)

2. To remove a country (and transfer it to another country, keeping its resources), use the Edit Hex Layer icon, then the hex icon, then left-click all the hexes you want to transfer, then right-click and choose the country to transfer to, and save. If there are any problems, read the message and try again.

Hope this helps.

Outstanding! Thanks El_Condoro!

I already had been able to change ownership of an hex, but I found if I pressed more times I could add more and more hexes and then change the all block, doing one by one was insane!

So, to test, I deleted the unit in Luanda and changed the all ownership of Angola (and noticed in the diplomatic board on the game that the Portuguese West Africa had gone), but now I want to add a similar unit, but a Portuguese one, how do I do that? (Edit: already found it!)

***

For this changed scenario, I was planning to do this for Portuguese Africa (East and West, I will maintain Timor due the existing scripts), and to Spanish Guinea and to Nigeria (UK, and including Ghana here).

I already changed the ownership of Goa to Portugal (and gave it a port), created Bangalore in India (to maintain India’s income), created Sierra Leone with a town and port (Freetown), same for Portuguese Guinea (Bissau) and Gambia (Bathurst).

I notice that this in the long run benefits “slightly” the UK, with Freetown and Bathurst plus the respective ports and Nigeria, since it raises their income, so maybe the Axis should be compensated to maintain the balance. But I am worried to change the good balance of the game.

***

Edited:

Ok, two more questions:

2. How do I create a capital for a country? I want to create San Salvador (El Salvador) and San José (Costa Rica). The countries already exist, they just need a territory and a capital. When I go to the option “campaign”/“country data”, and try to add the newly created cities as capitals, the editor states: “Warning: You must create a capital for this country first”.

3. I gave names to the hexes where I created new towns, but in the “campaign”/“country data” those hexes still appear without a name while the previous resources have already a name after the hex coordinates. What did I do wrong, or what do I still need to do?

[Elessar2]

You have to right click on the PROPERTIES button for the city/resource hex in question to give it a name (note it took me more than a week to do that with the Pacific scenario I've been toying with). THEN you have to add the named resource to the main country data page [Urban Resources/Capitals/Industrial Centers/Primary & Secondary Supply sources].

[Tulius Hostilius]

ORIGINAL: Elessar2

You have to right click on the PROPERTIES button for the city/resource hex in question to give it a name (note it took me more than a week to do that with the Pacific scenario I've been toying with). THEN you have to add the named resource to the main country data page [Urban Resources/Capitals/Industrial Centers/Primary & Secondary Supply sources].

Thaaaaaank you!!! Thanks, Elessar2!!! I was really struggling with this one!

Edit:

By the way, I decided to go a bit more and begun to change the neutrals a bit to turn them a bit more interesting but also as historical as possible. Giving them small understrength navies (1-3) (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru,...), renaming some units, introducing the name of the ships…

[Tulius Hostilius]

I know that often these doubts are annoying. But I made the party too soon. I was able to name the resources, but when I try do give the town as capital I still got the same error:
“Warning: You must create a capital for this country first”.

I probably didn’t understood you well.

Edit: Found the problem. I was using a small city icon in the map for San Salvador. It must be a big city icon in the resource options!!!