Scenario Editing- Unit Positioning Question

[benpark]

What is the process for ensuring units stay exactly where positioned when placed in the scenario editor? I'm assuming it's also possible to lock units into specific floors? The manual is a little light in this area (my only finding of not finding in it).

I figured simply placing them in the editor would do it, but when I loaded it up to test it, the units had repositioned. I had deleted a vehicle between placement and test, so maybe that had thrown the whole thing off, but that seems odd in itself.

[LarsS]

If the units you placed were part of an AI group with setup orders according to an AI plan, the AI will reposition them to the designated setup areas for the plan. If you don't assign a unit to a group, or if you don't give the group any orders, it will stay where you place it in the editor.

[MikeyD]

I find not painting initial AI group 'SETUP' positions locks them in place. This only works with 'Setup'. The following Orders 2/3/4 for your AI Group need a painted orders spot. This makes going from 'hiding' initial Setups to an 'Ambush' 2nd order 15 minutes later a bit difficult because units may tend to crawl about and reposition themselves on the 2nd order. But usually when you're giving orders you want your forces to move elsewhere.

[benpark]

Thanks for the help. Two additional questions-

What is the default posture for the "group one" units if they don't receive a setup order (or do they receive an order with the drop down menu, but an area just isn't "painted" on the map?), as MikeyD describes above? These would be the static units that I want to be in a specific location (third floor in a building, etc).

I see that other scenarios have the setup area painted- I didn't do this as I was afraid it would allow the AI to reposition within the general area. Is this a necessity if the scenario is only meant to be played from one side?

[mjkerner]

If I just want to play attacker, and have a static defense, I don't use set-up zones or further orders for them. I just place everyone where I want them (don't forget to "save" when you get back to the editor from deploying units) and they will defend OK and run away, etc., as play progresses. (At least they seem to do so--I haven't extensivelty tested it.) But since I like to have local counterattacks to fend off, I have at least one group with an AI plan that comes in as a reinforcement for the defender.

But without a setup plan and saving the deployment, they seem to stay where you put them.

[De Savage]

They do stay there without setup zone. But you have to remember to set them for "ambush mode" or "active".

[MikeyD]

Don't forget Axit After/Exit Before times. You can have them stand their ground for the first half hour of the battle then beat a hasty retreat once you figure things will probably be getting too hot for them. I tend to think "14:30 minutes? They've probably been spotted by now and if I were playing I'd be calling in an artillery strike. Time to relocate!" Sometimes I run the troops away for ten minutes then run them back into position again.

[blow56]

BenPark - if you want to randomise your initial setup, use Group 1, which is the default (you don't need to and can't actually assign A1 to it). Then paint all the areas you would like troops to be in under Setup. Kill any Orders. You can do the same for Groups 2 and onward, but will have to assign the numbers to the units (A2, A3 etc).

Repeat, using different Setup locations for Plans 1 to however many you want. No matter how many areas you paint, the AI will allocate what troops it has logged under that Group to those Setup areas, at random.

That means that no game played against a defensive AI will ever be the same twice (or at least seem so if you get enough Plan permutations!). If you then add in Orders, timed to move troops about from place to place, the chances of getting familiar with an AI defence is slight. I do all my games like this.

[benpark]

I'm trying to use the "Exit" commands as suggested above. Does Exit mean "exit from the map" at the time set? Or simply vacate position for the best fallback position possible, then use the next order set in the scenario editor?

I'm not sure how the timing on this works in order to get the latter to kick in- is it possible to time orders using Exit?

[mjkerner]

benpark, this gets confusing and takes a little bit to get used to. Exit before/exit after refers to the next orders set/painted map zone. It tells the unit when to leave the current map zone for the next ordered zone. And the time counts down from the beginning of the scenario, not from the time they came into (or started) the current map zone they are in. So, at the start they are in the set up zone. If you have the time as "Exit after 5:00 and exit before 5:30" they will leave the set up area after 5:00 minutes from the start of the scenario, but before 5 minutes and 30 seconds from the start of the battle, and attempt to complete the order to move to the next map zone for Order #2. Of course, battle circumstances may affect their attempt.

Clear as mud, right?

[benpark]

Gotcha. Mud cleared by lucid response, thanks.