campaign modding

[+Baltika 84]

 

is there a map or something with ALL the "names" and detailed regions ? Otherwise...I don't stand a chance to...rebuild the nodes accordingly to....Israel2 targets ini file...

man, what a titanic work , and this is just part of it, is this simulator ! I am impressed. How many people were initially at Third Wire when they build this ?

 

I use kreelin's KMD mission editor for all campaign building work:-

 

http://combatace.com/files/file/2678-kmd/

 

If you load a map into this, it will show the locations of all target areas, with co-ordinates displayed on the map. If you click on the map it will give you the name of the target area for you to use in your node list. It is also extremely useful for finding out co-ordinates to create a working frontline.

 

It is an essential utility, cheers to kreelin

 

TK has some freelancers for skins etc, but he is pretty much a one-man band.

 

Re the frontline, if you make the frontline invisible, it is still there, it just won't show up in the in-game planning map.

 

And yes, the more you find out about this sim the more there is to mod.

 

Wait til you get started on terrain building

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

Edited August 12, 2010 by Baltika

[UllyB 1,206]

I use kreelin's KMD mission editor for all campaign building work:-

 

http://combatace.com.../file/2678-kmd/

 

If you load a map into this, it will show the locations of all target areas, with co-ordinates displayed on the map. If you click on the map it will give you the name of the target area for you to use in your node list. It is also extremely useful for finding out co-ordinates to create a working frontline.

 

It is an essential utility, cheers to kreelin

 

TK has some freelancers for skins etc, but he is pretty much a one-man band.

 

Re the frontline, if you make the frontline invisible, it is still there, it just won't show up in the in-game planning map.

 

And yes, the more you find out about this sim the more there is to mod.

 

Wait til you get started on terrain building

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

 

I modified as you told me (0.0, 1000000.0 first line and 1000000.0, 0.0, last line ) and voila, the syrians appeared on the map ! But still , although the frontline is wrong drawn, the egyptian troops ended up into the wrong side of the frontline ! Why is that. As I understood, if you draw wrong the frontline, they won't show up at all so...what is the explanation they still did?

 

oh god I can't load the pic to show you, I overtook the uploading quota, I'll upload the pic tomorrow but you have the idea , if you read now my post.if you read it tomorrow , you'll see the pic.

[+Baltika 84]

I modified as you told me (0.0, 1000000.0 first line and 1000000.0, 0.0, last line ) and voila, the syrians appeared on the map ! But still , although the frontline is wrong drawn, the egyptian troops ended up into the wrong side of the frontline ! Why is that. As I understood, if you draw wrong the frontline, they won't show up at all so...what is the explanation they still did?

 

You have to check the actual size of your map before fixing start and end co-ordinates. Load Israel2 into KMD and work from there. Strange stuff will happen if the frontline is set up wrong. Also, the campaign engine moves units towards or away from the enemy base node depending on supply and morale of the individual unit, and whether their FORCE is in attack or defend mode, etc, etc.

 

All I can suggest is that you define the frontline first, then make sure air and ground units are assigned to airbases and nodes respectively on the correct side of the frontline.

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

Edited August 12, 2010 by Baltika

[UllyB 1,206]

You have to check the actual size of your map before fixing start and end co-ordinates. Load Israel2 into KMD and work from there. Strange stuff will happen if the frontline is set up wrong. Also, the campaign engine moves units towards or away from the enemy base node depending on supply and morale of the individual unit, and whether their FORCE is in attack or defend mode, etc, etc.

 

All I can suggest is that you define the frontline first, then make sure air and ground units are assigned to airbases and nodes respectively on the correct side of the frontline.

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

 

Wow...neat tool this editor !!!! I think I'll be busy for a while...lol...Damn! I wish I had some popcorns! lol

Thank you! I'll try to draw a decent frontline now I have this editor. I'll be...back after I accomplish some things here.

[UllyB 1,206]

I noticed the editor gives you the coordinates in any point if you move the mouse but if I choose 1:1 I can't come back to the "window" mode to see the coordinates of a chosen point. I even tried to modify the monitor resolution , thinking I could "cheat" the editor stubborn settings...lol ...

I looked into readme file but it doesn't say how to switch between the two modes. Do you know the key or key combinations please (I think you ran , also, into this issue) ?

Edited August 12, 2010 by UllyB

[+Baltika 84]

I get round that by using the zoom function in KMD rather than switching to 1:1 using the button. So, I always keep KMD windowed. Just one of these things

[UllyB 1,206]

I solved the map issue , I disactivated the task bar (autohide).Ok I made a better conture of the frontline but only a part of Syrians bases showed up and just one Egyptian airbase showed up. Man I'm so pissed...

So it's not all to draw the correct frontline. I think the nodes are messed up and I'll have to make a titanic work to sort things out.

Maybe it could've been an easy job if the authors of the map would keep the original names. I wonder why did they change them if the map was supposed to serve for other people from comunity to make campaigns, missions on it. For example Kibrit base (name) is EL Kabrit in the Israel2 and instead of "suffix" airbases they chose "AB". They complicated a lot the job because one have now to rewrite all the names, practically you build from scratch the nodes and airbases for aircraft into the campaign data ini file etc. And , if things were not already complicated, they erased some of the bases (there is no a list for that to know which) and they added new things, even new bases (which is a good thing, more targets, more variety)

I'm afraid my enthusiasm won't be enough to make this map work in campaign. I am so depressed because the map it's beautiful, it looks so right and I won't be able to fix things in the end !

[+Baltika 84]

If I remember right, Gepard created the original Israel 2 map and Wrench updated it long before WoI and its campaigns were released by TK. So, it is certainly not the fault of the authors of the Israel 2.5 map that the names they chose do not fit with TK's new campaigns for TK's official map. And we can hardly expect TK to create new games which fit in with every user-created map in existence.

 

I understand it is frustrating, but that's part of being a modder. Sometimes, new patches will break existing mods (maps and planes), but we are not going to ask TK to stop producing free updates for his titles. And, when they have the time, people will generally upate their stuff to the new level - look at the mammoth work done by the NATO Fighters team getting up to speed on SF2, and on the recent round of patches.

 

As a gentle word of advice, it's usually considered rather bad manners to bad mouth people who have put a lot of time and effort into creating free mods.

 

But feel free to ask questions, and don't lose faith. Like I said, it's all part of modding. It can be frustrating, but we've all been there at one time or another.

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

Edited August 13, 2010 by Baltika

[UllyB 1,206]

You are right, what was I thinking...? Yes, the map was made by Gepard and Wrench long before the WOI. It's not their fault , I was just not thinking straight, a sort of...lol

I apologize. Wrench and Gepard are masters of terrains modding and they helped me in the past when they could.

Well I rewrote the nodes for Sinai (I changed the names accordingly to the map loaded with the editor and make some new nodes connection I saw fit) to see if there is any progress but ...there is none. No (new) egyptian troops are shown on the map. Something I don't do right or...

I don't understand the connection between the frontline and the display of the troops. There is no sense (in my logic) why if it's all screwed up (no correct names in nodes, corresponding to names in Israel2 targets ini), the base in south west of Sinai it is shown ??? That means , at some point/level...the reason for airbases to show up on the map has no connection with nodes...But if so...why only that airbase showed up ?

And if you don't change anything (nodes names, frontline)... Egyptian AND Syrian airbases show up on the planning map, but not ALL of them, according to campaign data ini file. The key is in that frontline and how it DICTATES the rules. Who knows how that frontline affects exactly the whole thing ? TK must know exactly how it works I presume...he designed the whole thing.. If I knew how the frontline works...I might have a chance but , not knowing is like I am trying to make something precisely but I lack the eyesight. I ran out of ideas. I am one step close to...give up.

Edited August 13, 2010 by UllyB

[+Baltika 84]

No problem, understood.

 

TK has admitted that the campaign.dll changes the way the frontline is handled from version to version, so it is a bit mystic at times. You could try posting over at the Thirdwire forum, as TK does step in and explain things himself when he has the time.

 

Also, if airbases are too close to the frontline, that can affect how they are "occupied" - I had that problem myself on one map (I forget which) when I was working on a campaign a while back.

 

Also, only one ground unit per node will show up - just checking.