SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - [REQ] Tutorial or tutor to help me create campaigns

Quote:

Originally Posted by fred8615 (Post 1348563)

I've decided that for my next version of my Pre Pearl Harbor Career Start mod, I need to add campaign missions instead of just using the ones from the normal campaign start. This will avoid having to do missions that are not appropriate for "peacetime," and also allow the inclusion of the PH attack and other opening war moves Japan made that are not currently in the game.

There's just one problem. I don't know how to write or activate campaign missions! I have been looking at all the articles and such for the mission editor, but they all seem to be just about creating single missions, not campaigns. I assume you can use the mission editor to create at least part of a campaign, and that you can even create campaigns in the first place because of mods like RSRD. I need help in being able to use them, or creating them if you can't use the editor.

If possible, I would prefer a tutorial rather than having to keep bugging someone whenever I needed help. I'm a fast learner, and am pretty sure that with help of the articles already written about the mission editor I can get up to speed on it quickly. It's whatever extra I need to do that's the problem.

There's also no big rush either as it will be some time before I want to try this. But I did want to go ahead and ask for the help now.

Can anyone help me? NO

If you know how to create a Single mission, you know how to create a Campaign (almost).

Well, you say you are a quick learner, so here are the basics. Before I list them, in the mission editor if you have ONLY Random groups you can save as a RND layer. If you have anything else just save as a Normal mission, but in order to do that you have to go to the Menu Mission/Parameters and check "Ignore player submarine". You don't want to save the campaign files with a player sub in it and the mission editor will not let you save the mission without one unless that box is checked. And then it ignores the fact that there is no sub in the mission.

1. Go to Data/Campaigns/Campaign folder. You will see several 41a_Jap_CoastalTraffic.mis files. These are the 'traffic' for the entire war. So you can add a .mis for whatever traffic you add. (delete the .tsr if it is created, you don't need it.)
2. Mixed in with that group of traffic files is a file called "Campaign.cfg". Open it and you will see that is where the 'traffic' files get loaded into the game using the actual filename, and start and end dates for when it is loaded. So as the war progresses it will stop loading files that are not appropriate for the time, and add files that are appropriate. If you add any make sure to number it. [Section 'next number']

So now you have the 'traffic' you may want to add.
************************************************** *******
Next is Patrol Objectives;
1. In the same location as above there is a folder called "Patrol Objectives", Open that. Those are all the missions you can get sent on. In most cases there are simply a "zone" with an 'Objective". You can open them to examine how they are set up. A Patrol mission is simply a 'zone' with an objective of "Patrol Area" and an amount of time. A "Sink" mission will have a 'reach zone' then a hidden objective of sinking ships. And so on for the different types. The Language Localization part of the mission gives the briefing. Notice no subs.

Now you can add traffic, and make a mission, next to use it.
************************************************** ***
Go to Data/UPCData/UPCCampaignData/PatrolObjectives.cfg. This is the file that loads the missions you created above.

The IMPORTANT parts are:
Filename= .......notice it links back to the PatrolObjectives folder in the above section.
Startdate
Enddate Dates you can be assigned that mission. You don't want a mission to intercept the Pearl Harbor attack in 1945.:D
All Match= ....... Very important, will see why Next.
ObjectiveType= There are listed at the top of the file. Make sure you have the right one. To create a new one just copy one of the same type and change filename,startdate,enddate, all match, and number it.

Now you know where to add the missions.

************************************************** ****

Now in the same folder open the Flotillas.upc file. This is where the missions are actually assigned. You must have objectives for each sub. Read and heed this note in the file.
; Objectives should be defined for all sub types for all flotillas, in case
; the player transfers with his boat and needs objectives for his patrols

Ok here is an example of the section of the file where a mission is assigned to the sub.

[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 1.Objective 1]
ID= PH1Obj1
NameDisplayable= East China Sea
AvailabilityInterval=1942-01-01, NULL
ObjectiveCode= East China Sea

When you add you own make sure you renumber the objective and make one for each of the sub types and renumber that (UserPlayerUnitType 1)
Available interval tells when the mission can be assigned, you can get this mission from Jan 42 until the end of the war.
NOTE: OBJECTIVECODE= Remember above when I said you will learn AllMatch next.....well there it is. That 'ObjectiveCode' is used to decide what missions can be assigned to you. It first checks this available date and then checks the missions where ObjectiveCode matches 'AllMatch' to decide what mission to assign. That way you do not need an entry for every single mission you write, you just use 'ObjectiveCode" and 'AllMatch' and it will choose from several possibilities. For example the Objectivecode of East China Sea could match a Patrol mission, a Sink mission, a Photo mission, an agent insertion mission without having to make an entry for every one of them. In your case you could use an ObjectiveCode of "Pre Pearl Attack" and you will only be assigned mission that Allmatch=Pre Pearl Attack.
The one thing you have to be careful of is making sure there is no gap in when missions are available. In other words don't end Pre Pearl Attack before a date that something else is available or you may run the risk of not having a mission to go on.

That is the basics of writing a Campaign. I hope I didn't miss anything. Good luck.

One other thing I would note only because it has confused some people. Your next mission is assigned when you enter the port NOT when you leave port. So if you enter Pearl, you get assigned a mission, you transfer to Asiatic Fleet, you will take that mission with you. So don't be surprised if you transfer and then get send to a location you didn't expect. I have transferred to Brisbane expecting to get the Solomons and Bismark sea and get sent to Japan.

Peabody