Two Player Campaign

[General Jack Ripper]

I asked about this once a long time ago, but I hadn't had any success. I figure since time has gone by my chances might be better.

I am interested in finding campaigns that can be played head to head, either by tcp/ip or hotseat. I know most of the early campaigns, and stock campaigns, had this feature disabled by default. I am also aware that making a campaign playable by two players simply needs the [Allow Human Opponent] tag in the campaign script to say 'yes' after it.

My question is, has anyone actually done this? I do not care about so-called "balanced" campaigns purpose built for Head-To-Head play (although that might be fun), my desire is to be able to act as the "Opposing Force" in a regular campaign, and help train some new CM players.

Any suggestions as to available campaigns that might fit the bill are appreciated.

[A Canadian Cat]

Yeah head to head campaigns would be really really nice. I would love that. Sadly it is not practical for me to play hot seat or TCPIP so until PBEM is supported for Campaigns I just have not bothered to look at it much.

So you might ask: why is this guy even answering my thread? Good question. Because I think you can take control for yourself and with an existing campaign take it apart, tweak it and put it back together again. I should stress I have not done this nor do I know anyone who has. But you can try this at home:). This has been mentioned on the forums here and there but I do not recall anyone reporting back on how things went. So, first of all if you do try this please let us know how things go.

Check out this tool: http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/5372 which among other things can dissemble a campaign into its separate scenarios. Given that you can then make what ever tweaks you like - including marking the campaign as supporting head to head play and use the game's campaign compiler to put it all back together again.

Good luck.

[General Jack Ripper]

Check out this tool: http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/5372 which among other things can dissemble a campaign into its separate scenarios. Given that you can then make what ever tweaks you like - including marking the campaign as supporting head to head play and use the game's campaign compiler to put it all back together again.

That campaign extractor tool, just like those that came before it, will extract scenarios from a campaign. It will not extract campaign script files, which would need to be edited to make a h2h campaign.

I have had a moment of success downloading a modified version of KG Engel from the repository, which contained all individual scenarios, and a campaign script file. So I edited the script file, and went into the scenario editor and hit 'make campaign'. Hey presto! It worked, and now I have a modified version of KG Engel that can be played hotseat multiplayer.

So all that's really needed is for campaign designers to either enable a human opponent when making campaigns (and seriously people, why not do this?), or to include a copy of the campaign script when releasing a campaign.

[Berto]

Are you sure! You've tried that works, start a game and play some turns.

I did not think this feature to work.

You could put "yes" in CMSF but it did not work then play.

[Skwabie]

I have had a moment of success downloading a modified version of KG Engel from the repository, which contained all individual scenarios, and a campaign script file. So I edited the script file, and went into the scenario editor and hit 'make campaign'. Hey presto! It worked, and now I have a modified version of KG Engel that can be played hotseat multiplayer.

hey someone actually used my upload... i'm surprised coz it's almost forgotten this one.........

Check out this tool: http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/5372 which among other things can dissemble a campaign into its separate scenarios. Given that you can then make what ever tweaks you like - including marking the campaign as supporting head to head play and use the game's campaign compiler to put it all back together again.

the problem with the ScanCaDe tool, or BFC's campaign file format rather, is that the core units file cannot be extracted. So editing an existing campaign and putting it back together requires a lotta work, including making a core file and re-importing/re-deploying the core units in each scenario. so it's not as simple as one'd thought at first glance.

However if ya just wanna enable H2H in the campaign script, hex editing is the better way to go....

Are you sure! You've tried that works, start a game and play some turns.

I did not think this feature to work.

You could put "yes" in CMSF but it did not work then play.

can someone maybe confirm this since i don't play H2H myself. CM manual says the campaign file is encrypted so cheating was not an option during H2H campaign play. If H2H campaign doesn't work in the first place there'd be no point to any of this.

[Mad Mike]

That campaign extractor tool, just like those that came before it, will extract scenarios from a campaign. It will not extract campaign script files, which would need to be edited to make a h2h campaign.

It's true that ScAnCaDe won't extract the campaign script file, since this file is only used for campaign compilation (construction of the .cam file). It is not saved in its original text form anywhere in the .cam file.

However, ScAnCaDe will extract all the relevant information which is contained in the original script file and present it in the "Campaign_Listing.xml" file. It should be easy to use this information to create your own campaign script file.

Or to say it with Walter White (Breaking Bad): "Apply yourself!"

[Mad Mike]

can someone maybe confirm this since i don't play H2H myself. CM manual says the campaign file is encrypted so cheating was not an option during H2H campaign play. If H2H campaign doesn't work in the first place there'd be no point to any of this.

H2H campaigns only work for Hotseat, NOT PBEM. Since this is the case, H2H campaigns are a non-starter.

This has been established in some other threads, which I can't find at the moment.

[Skwabie]

H2H campaigns only work for Hotseat, NOT PBEM. Since this is the case, H2H campaigns are a non-starter.

This has been established in some other threads, which I can't find at the moment.

OK mate, good to know. Another reason it's just 2 or 3 ppl shouting for more campaigns in these foras I suppose.

[General Jack Ripper]

It should be easy to use this information to create your own campaign script file.

Yes I could. In fact, I have already begun.

I tested the ability to play h2h with the KG Engel campaign. The first battle seemed to get buggy, as one side had all of it's LOS and LOF calculations done as if 30 meters in the air. I watched cannon fire pass through solid terrain and impact into defilade positions.

However, after surrendering in the first battle, the second battle loaded and played normally.

hey someone actually used my upload... i'm surprised coz it's almost forgotten this one.........

It was definitely a strange experience seeing so much empty space, after spending months fighting in bocage country on the Road to Montebourg. If anything, you went a little too crazy chopping down the trees and hedges!

[General Jack Ripper]

H2H campaigns only work for Hotseat, NOT PBEM. Since this is the case, H2H campaigns are a non-starter.

This has been established in some other threads, which I can't find at the moment.

Oh, sure you can't play over the internet, but if you have real people living nearby who play CM it's a whole different story.

Given that hotseat and pbem functionality are so similar, I'm wondering if it would be possible to patch in real multiplayer campaigns.

Granted, I'm sure this has already been discussed to death here, so I'll stop.

[Skwabie]

It was definitely a strange experience seeing so much empty space, after spending months fighting in bocage country on the Road to Montebourg. If anything, you went a little too crazy chopping down the trees and hedges!

Yea:o Early memory of land warfare consisted an M1 abrams roaring across the desert leaving huge dust trail in its wake, a tingling up your spine feeling deeply marked in brain. So... to hell went those trees and whatnot.

But I later found CMSF and all's well:D