Force purchase in scenarios

[Jock Tamson]

It would be great if there was a way for scenarios to be created where the player is given points and (perhaps) a limited pool to purchase from. It could potentially add quite a bit of replayability to scenarios, and also an interesting operational element to scenarios you haven't played before.

[Oddball_E8]

I recall, back in the days of CMx1, that if you used a mission file as your quickbattle map, you got the forces that were already on the map as well.

Something like that might work if it still works the same way in CMx2.

Haven't tried that tho, so I can't comment on that.

[womble]

I recall, back in the days of CMx1, that if you used a mission file as your quickbattle map, you got the forces that were already on the map as well.

Something like that might work if it still works the same way in CMx2.

Haven't tried that tho, so I can't comment on that.

It doesn't work that way. But I second Jock's desire: if it were possible to make some or all of the player forces in a scenario selectable from a designer-specified menu, that'd be great. Do you want an extra 81mm mortar or a couple of MMGs? Or 2 81mms now vs a pair of 105s at t+45? Tricky to implement though.

[Combatintman]

And impossible to write an accurate 'Situation Friendly Forces' orders paragraph for the mission. QBs give you this force pick facility so I don't really get this request at all.

[JonS]

I've done this. Quite a bit. All you need is a trusted third party.

[Jock Tamson]

And impossible to write an accurate 'Situation Friendly Forces' orders paragraph for the mission. QBs give you this force pick facility so I don't really get this request at all.

The thing is though that unlike a QB, a scenario where the designer has picked and placed the enemy forces is likely to be more interesting and challenging. And, unlike a QB, less chance of the AI being landed with half a dozen anti aircraft guns. Sometimes in a scenario you look at the forces you have been given and start to make some assumptions about what you are going to face - "hmmm, 2 tank platoons, I guess I am going to need those".

In, say, something like the old Close Combats, you would have a preview of the map and a pool of forces you could chose from. You would also have a rough idea of what strength of enemy forces you would be facing. You would then have tough choices as to your force make up.

So I'm not looking for something that replaces the experience of a good scenario where the designer has picked both sides, just something akin to a better QB experience.

[Combatintman]

Ok, I'm sort of getting it, I confess to not having played more than a dozen QBs but I've been lucky so far with them and not had any weird force picks.

[kohlenklau]

I tried to see if you could save a QB after you picked your own forces but it seems you cannot. So, I cannot see how to e-mail a saved game file to a 3rd party to select the enemy forces for your QB.

Or am I forgetting something?

JonS must use scenario files?

But how does this work with the AI plan? The trusted 3rd party has to make sure each AI group in the AI plan has a suitable type put in for that group.

Edit: Hold on, I see now, JonS means he picks his own side forces and the 3rd party sets that up in the editor and sends him the scenario.

No changes to the enemy OOB.

[Skwabie]

add quite a bit of replayability to scenarios, and also an interesting operational element to scenarios you haven't played before.

from a cynical point of view, replayabiliy needs to be limited to stimulate future sales.

*flame suit on!*

[JonS]

Edit: Hold on, I see now, JonS means he picks his own side forces and the 3rd party sets that up in the editor and sends him the scenario.

No changes to the enemy OOB.

Yes, except I've only done it H2H. Each player selects and 'purchases' forces into a new, blank scenario. Then the third party imports those forces into the proper scenario map, and set objectives and a few other things (casualties, set up zones, etc), then saves it, enters the password for the first player (so they can't peek) then leaves the players to it.