Baked scenario developers thread

[SlapHappy]

If anyone wants to add to this occasionally it would be perhaps useful to those interested in integrating this into their scenario designs.

I haven't posted a 'proper' scenario or campaign for public consumption yet. I mostly like to tinker around the edges of the game and see if there are some possibilities as yet uncovered.

Right now I just finished the most basic version of a map and a four vehicle convoy which utilizes baked commands. The map is a heavily forested and swamp area which has only one clear pathway for travel. In the map, I use the slow command and delay feature to pilot 4 Supply Humvees around a circuitous route and arrive at a parking area. Pretty simple stuff, but it works quite well. Using the variable delay I gave the 2nd vehicle a 5 sec delay, the 3rd a 10 sec delay, and the 4th a 15 sec delay. This helps even out the convoy and avoids bunching. Right off the bat I noticed that using a group move order was not the way to go. If you don't give the vehicles individual move orders, then if one humvee gets obstructed momentarily by another, it tends to 'forget' it's move path and will simply stop there permanently. You won't have this problem if you use individual move orders.

The advantage in baked commands is that you can not only have troops move like in the AI programming, but you can have them do things like area fire, or a combination of the two. You can order dismounted troops to mount vehicles and then move those vehicles after a brief delay command. Another advantage to moving troops with baked commands is that you cannot only move troops, but you can tell them exactly what path to take.

The strongest argument against using baked commands to move troops that I can see is that if anything interrupts the intended orders, then some or all of the intended maneuvers will be lost when TAC AI takes over. Since there are no move commands that avoid this issue, including HUNT, then the use of baked commands must be used judiciously within the intent of the scenario designer.

I have yet to explore the possibilities of overlapping baked commands strategic AI plans simultaneously, if it is workable at all.

[birdstrike]

I shy away from using Baked orders for the very reasons you mentioned. They do offer huge flexibiltiy, but all planned orders are lost, if anything happens. And, of course, you are limited to a single "plan".

I have had much better results using AI plans, and found them more suitable in almost all instances. What I would love to see is more flexibility with AI plans, rather than improved baked orders. Like more AI groups, or movement options (I'm missing something like an "advance slowly" for vehicles, or "walk at normal speed" for infantry).