Help Setting up Tests / Practise Runs

[GerryCMBB]

Hello:

Many times I find myself doing something for the first time in CM (limbering guns, figuring out if a HT can get through certain terrain, etc.).

I would like to be able to set up tests to help with this. I don't want a battle situation, just a few pieces of equipment from one side. Is this easiest to do in the QB system or the scenario editor?

Also is there a way for it to use the map for the battle you are playing. (I could play forward a bit I realize and practice these things but I don't want to gain knowledge about the enemy.)

Thanks in advance,

Gerry

[JonS]

I would like to be able to set up tests to help with this. I don't want a battle situation, just a few pieces of equipment from one side. Is this easiest to do in the QB system or the scenario editor?

My guess would be the editor. That's certainly the way I'd tackle it.

Also is there a way for it to use the map for the battle you are playing. (I could play forward a bit I realize and practice these things but I don't want to gain knowledge about the enemy.)

Definately. Open the scen in the editor, and delete all the enemy forces. Save it as !MyAwesomeTestScenario, then exit out and start it as a battle (the exclamation mark forces that file to the head of the pick list). If you wanted you could also delete all the AI, briefings, objectives, etc, but that isn't really necessary. Just geting rid of the enemy forces should do the trick.

[Sergei]

Definately. Open the scen in the editor, and delete all the enemy forces. Save it as !MyAwesomeTestScenario, then exit out and start it as a battle (the exclamation mark forces that file to the head of the pick list). If you wanted you could also delete all the AI, briefings, objectives, etc, but that isn't really necessary. Just geting rid of the enemy forces should do the trick.

Or you could just save it as ZZZ Test Map and in the battles list turn descending alphabetical sorting on. This way if you have fifty different test maps they don't all clutter the top of the list in the normal mode!

Oh wait, for you antipodeans the descending sorting is the normal mode...

[JonS]

We're also not fans of a certain hirsuite US band.

[GerryCMBB]

Thanks.

I am playing a campaign at the moment and did a Save. When I went into the Scenario Editor, it didn't show up under Saved Games.

Are Saves from within a campaign not available for Loading into the Scenario Editor?

Gerry

[JonS]

No, saves are never openable in the editor. You'll need to unpack the campaign (there's a tool for that in the Repository, somewhere) and deal with each scen seperately.

[GerryCMBB]

A follow-up.

I think I am poor with armor so I would like to try a few vehicles from each side, say Panthers vs Shermans, etc. to practice in a small battle.

Would this be best to do in the QB system? I have only looked briefly at this system and it seems complicated. You start choosing organizations and then remove the elements you don't want. There is no way to quickly select 3 Panthers vs n Shermans, right?

One other thing. For this armor practice, what is the best type of QB? A meeting engagement? Or does it not matter?

Thanks,

Gerry

[Pete Wenman]

I'd use the editor for this.

1. Choose whatever map it is you want to use. As Jon says if it's from a campaign then you will need to unpack it first.

2. Delete all units and AI orders

3. Save with your chosen name

4. For each side pick the forces you wish to play with. Either by selecting the required formation and deleting unwanted units. If easier you can select a FOO as you main formation and then just add individual vehicles to it.

5. Deploy the forces on map in the editor.

6. Save map with test name.

7. Exit editor and play as Battle. I would suggest playing as 2 player hotseat as the AI side has no plans and so otherwise will not move.

8. Test the tactics you are interested in.

HTH

Pete

[womble]

If you want to test combat performance against "live" targets, you can make the targets "Fanatic" and give them short covered arcs. They will observe those covered arcs and not break orders, no matter how you pound them. Lets you move them about in hotseat mode, too, which dismounting them in the editor makes more difficult. Also, you can, while on the "target" side, inspect each target for minor damage, which you can't do if they're dismounted.

[GerryCMBB]

Thanks for the detailed answers.

It looks like if I want to practice against the AI, then it has to be a QB, right? As this has AI plans.

I just want to confirm it is possible in a QB to select units for both sides. That is possible, right?

Thanks again,

Gerry

[Hawkmek]

Sounds like you play like I do. I just grab some armored units and go at it in QB.

Set map selection to HUMAN if you already have a map you want to play on.

Set Unit purchase to HUMAN for both Attacker and Defender.

Set Combat Force to Armor Only for both.

Set RARITY to None so you can pick whatever you want to play with.

You still have to buy a formation then delete everything but the HQ, then change the Formations dropdown box to Single Vehicles and cherrypick for both sides from there.

Happy Hunting

[womble]

You still have to buy a formation then delete everything but the HQ, then change the Formations dropdown box to Single Vehicles and cherrypick for both sides from there.

It's worth noting that buying things in formations has a discount associated with it. The formation has a cost of 50 points though, so you have to be buying about 5 tanks to break even.

[Vanir Ausf B]

It looks like if I want to practice against the AI, then it has to be a QB, right? As this has AI plans.

You could make one or more AI plans for your test scenario, but using a QB would be much quicker.

I just want to confirm it is possible in a QB to select units for both sides. That is possible, right?

Absolutely.

[MikeyD]

Really really really DON'T FEAR THE EDITOR. Its pretty much impossible to 'break' anything so you can just go wild in testing an experimenting. Go crazy. Concrete bunkers versus heavy cruiser artillery. A dozen Havoc light bombers attacking a dense metro map. Anything you want. Playing in the editor is half the fun of the game. One advantage to being a 'beta tester' is our job is to find ways to break the darned thing. So we're given free reign to do the most outlandish things we can think of just to see what'll happen.