How can I modify a scenario?

[CM1fan]

A friend in the UK and I are playing the Last Defense scenario by email. As I had played Last Defense in CM1 and was generally aware of his forces as well as my own, we'd like to play the scenario with forces we select ourselves. How can I modify the scenario to accomplish this?

The Last Defense map is available for Quick Battles, but I can't figure out how to set our budgets to buy forces roughly equivalent in strength to those the designer established for the scenario.

[JonS]

Open the scenario editor, load the scenario, go to Units, delete the existing forces, buy new forces.

Forces in the editor don't 'cost' anything, and there are no points values associated with them, so you might want to set yourselves a budget, go into QB and figure out what you want to buy within that budget, write it down (exactly, including experience, ammo, etc), then go into the scen editor to buy your 'real' forces.

[CM1fan]

Open the scenario editor, load the scenario, go to Units, delete the existing forces, buy new forces.

Forces in the editor don't 'cost' anything, and there are no points values associated with them, so you might want to set yourselves a budget, go into QB and figure out what you want to buy within that budget, write it down (exactly, including experience, ammo, etc), then go into the scen editor to buy your 'real' forces.

I've been trying to use the scenario editor, but I'm still having problems.

1. How do I position indirect firing units off the map?

2. How do I purchase additional ammo for my units or cut their ammo to spend the points elsewhere?

3. Before the scenario starts, I thought I could lay down "prep" fire anywhere on the map with any delay I want, and then adjust the delay as the scenario unfolds. How do I order this in the first command phase of the scenario?

[GhostRider3/3]

I've been trying to use the scenario editor, but I'm still having problems.

1. How do I position indirect firing units off the map?

2. How do I purchase additional ammo for my units or cut their ammo to spend the points elsewhere?

3. Before the scenario starts, I thought I could lay down "prep" fire anywhere on the map with any delay I want, and then adjust the delay as the scenario unfolds. How do I order this in the first command phase of the scenario?

Answer to #1... I beleive by just buying OFFBOARD artillery units.

Answer to #2... you cant purchase more ammo, you can get more trucks, they hold ammo, there is a tab, scroll down sorta that you can use to scale how much ammo the unit has.. this goes for all ammo carrying units from infantry to tanks.

Answer to #3.... you can laydown prep fire, i believe even without a spotter. just use your artillery units in the prep phase and target the area where you want them to fire, you still need a HQ unit to call it in though.

Also you can load any scenerio you want and edit it... just before you go editing and deleting things from someone's scenerio it is always best to resave it with a different name, so you do not ruin the original.

[CM1fan]

Answer to #1... I believe by just buying OFFBOARD artillery units.

Answer to #2... you can't purchase more ammo, you can get more trucks, they hold ammo, there is a tab, scroll down sorta that you can use to scale how much ammo the unit has.. this goes for all ammo carrying units from infantry to tanks.

Answer to #3.... you can laydown prep fire, i believe even without a spotter. just use your artillery units in the prep phase and target the area where you want them to fire, you still need a HQ unit to call it in though.

1. I saw no off board artillery units in any QB purchase list.

2. I did see trucks available with some artillery units, and they were carrying ammo.

3. I was able to use artillery units in the prep phase. I targeted from a Forward Observer, but I recall that every platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander showed the artillery as available, but squad leaders, MG team leaders, and such showed the artillery as unavailable.

[hoolaman]

The force purchase screen uses a system of optional changes to a standard TO&E.

Certain on-board mortars can be changed to offboard in this menu.

I'd say RTFM but we all know that doesn't help most of the time.

[CM1fan]

The force purchase screen uses a system of optional changes to a standard TO&E.

Certain on-board mortars can be changed to offboard in this menu.

The scenario designer for CMBN's Last Defense was able to place ALL the German artillery and mortars off the map with large quantities of ammo -- as I recall, 140 rounds HE for the four 105mm gun battery and 80 rounds HE for each of the two tube 81mm mortar sections. (The German artillery and mortar units also have lesser, but still significant, amounts of smoke ammo.)

<<< PURCHASING EQUIPMENT copied from manual >>

At the bottom edge of the screen is a display for selecting specific equipment

options, depending on which formation is selected in the Activated Troops

list. Some formations allow you to determine the type of equipment that

they are going to field for the battle, such as different tank or vehicle or gun

types. For example, if you select a US Armor formation, typically you will be

able to determine which models of Sherman tanks will be appearing in the

battle.

This menu is highly context sensitive and dynamic, depending on which formation or unit you highlight in the Activate Troops list. Sometimes you can

select an individual squad and several choices will appear here, sometimes

you can select a Battalion HQ and select the equipment for the entire formation with a few clicks.

In addition to different equipment, you can usually also determine here if you

want indirect weapons such as guns, howitzers, or mortars appear on the

map, or be available as off-map support assets only.

<<< End copy from manual >>>

I'm not sure what the "here" in paragraph 3 refers to. I'd guess it's "This menu" in paragraph 2. My uncertainty is caused by the first sentence in paragraph 1, because THERE IS NO DISPLAY at the bottom edge of the screen. I don't understand the manual, so I have to fumble around with the controls for purchasing and try to discover how to purchase "off-map support assets". After hours of fumbling, I still haven't found a single mention of "off-map."

I'd appreciate it if you would tell me exactly how to find what you term "this menu" in the last sentence of your response. (I deleted the RTFM sentence in your response, because I've just quoted from the FM you think I should read.)

[hoolaman]

I actually said I wasn't going to tell you to RTFM because the M is F useless.

Picture of "the menu" is attached.

However it seems that medium mortars can only be swapped on or off the board if they come as part of a formation, eg a Panzer Grenadier Battalion Weapons Company.

If you buy them from the "artillery" section as individual support assets they are always off map. They mortar teams in last defense are bought this way I think, and the ones in the various formations already in the editor are too small or too big to get this way. Pretty much only 81mm can go on and off the map, 60mm is too short in range to be off the map and 120mm is too big to be on the front lines.

Note that this "menu" doesn't always appear, because there is not always any options to choose from. Some stuff you just get what existed in the formation, only if there was some historic variant do you get to swap in some other bit of kit. (Like a mixed tank platoon or somefink).