Conflict of Heroes Wiki - User contributions [en]

Creating a Scenario

2012-06-04T20:16:39Z

Michaelz:

Before you work on a scenario you should [[Creating a Map|create the map]] you want to use with the scenario.

Maps and scenarios are independent entities in "Conflict of Heroes." You can have one map that is shared by multiple scenarios, for instance.

To edit a scenario, launch the game in editor mode. If you have successfully launched in editor mode, then you should see a new "Edit Map / Scenario" link on your main menu as shown below:

 
[[File:COH Editor Guide.jpg|center|border|300px|The game editor option.]]
 
(If you just finished creating a map and building the LOS file, you'll already be in the editor, and will see the main editor screen.)
 
 
== Main Editor Screen ==

Here's the main editor screen:

[[File:scenguide2.jpg|center|1250px|The main editor screen.]]

Note that Open Map is the first thing you should click when creating a scenario. You'll then select a map from your map files, and you'll be able to begin designing your scenario. '''REMEMBER''': the LOS file for the map '''must be built''' before you complete the scenario. If it is not, see the [[Creating_a_Map#Building_the_LOS_File|Building the LOS File]] section.

== Useful Keyboard Shortcuts ==

Delete - deletes units under the mouse cursor, may also delete scenery but don't worry about this 
CTRL+SHIFT+N - sets bottom left limit of defined map region under the mouse cursor 
CTRL+SHIFT+M - sets upper right limit of defined map region under the mouse cursor 
E - opens AI editor for piece under mouse cursor 
F# - F1, F2, etc. the function keys can be programmed in the AI editor to attach assigned scripts to units under the cursor 
V - test line of sight by showing what the hex under the cursor can see. Use only on a map with a LOS table. 
Num Pad 7,8,9,4,5,6 - change facing for unit under cursor. Note that numlock must be on. 
 
Note that while you can use CTRL+SHIFT+N/M to set map boundaries, this is normally done on the input map, and if it's been done there you don't need to do it again in the editor.

== The Base Scenario Editor ==

Once you've opened a map, you'll open the Scenario Editor.

[[File:scenguide3.jpg|center|1000px|The scenario editor screen.]]

Keep the water plane turned off unless you've got a map with water on it.

The human preferred player is the default human player when the scenario loads. Generally the human preferred player should be the player that has to make the more complicated decisions in the firefight, often the attacking player, or the player who has to figure out how to get wagons across the map safely, or similar.

== The Victory Editor ==

The victory editor lets you specify scoring conditions for a firefight.

[[File:scenguide4.jpg|center|1000px|The main editor screen.]]

'''TIP''':One easy way to edit scenarios is to write down all the x,y coordinates you want to use in the scenario on a piece of paper so that you can reference them in the tools without having to go back and forth between the editors and the maps.

== The Region Editor ==

Regions are named collections of hexes on the map. They are used to define artillery strikes, reinforcement entry points, etc.
[[File:scenguide5.jpg|center|1000px|The main editor screen.]]

When you refer to a region in another editor (such as the Artillery Editor), you supply a reference to the name of a region. You can then change the parameters of that region later without having to update the reference. However, if you rename the region, then you'll break all references to it. Beware of renaming regions after you've created references to them.

Scripts for describing regions in greater detail are usually located in Data\Scenarios\Scripts. (If you look at the scripts there, you'll notice that the first few firefights exclusively used scripts. When the game was first being developed, that was the *only way* of defining region data. That quickly proved to be impractical!)

==The Artillery Editor ==

The Artillery Editor lets you define artillery strikes.

[[File:scenguide6.jpg|center|1000px|The main editor screen.]]

==The Reinforcement Editor ==

The reinforcement editor lets you set up any units that do not begin the scenario on the map.

[[File:scenguide7.jpg|center|1000px|The main editor screen.]]

Notice you can assign different AI scripts to your reinforcements. See the "AI Scripts" section below.

==The Placement Editor ==

This is for doing things like letting a player setup mines or barbed wire at the start of a game.

[[File:scenguide8.jpg|center|1000px|The main editor screen.]]

You can also place units at the start of a game.

== AI Scripts ==

AI scripts are small sets of instructions that the AI gives to units. These instructions can be global (telling a unit to take the fastest route to a victory hex, for example) or they can be conditional (telling a unit to fire if fired upon, for example).

CoH: ATB comes with a set of pre-written elements or instructions that can be combined into a larger script. Click on the "AI Script Editor" button from the main editor menu to view the script-builder page.

'''Writing Your Own AI Scripts'''

In addition, you can design your own AI scripts if you know the programming language C#. If you have basic knowledge of C#, feel free to examine the script structures; you may figure them out well enough to modify existing scripts, or even to write your own.

For example, here's text from a region script that invalidates all hexes that cannot be seen by friendly units. I post it merely to give you an idea of what these scripts look like. Time permitting, I can write more scripts if there are particular requests. The goal is to build up a little library of scripts that can be reused in ongoing firefight development, both for this game and for any sequels or expansions.

<code>

// CONFLICT OF HEROES 
// Selection Script 
// Copyright Western Civilization Software 2010 
using HexGame.ModelSpace.Map.Coordinates; 
using HexGame.ModelSpace.ContextSpace; 
using HexGame.ModelSpace.Pieces; 
using HexGame.Controllers.GameScene; 

namespace HexGame.WCS.Script
{
public class CallReinforcementScript : IScriptContext
{
public string RunScript(Context context)
{
// invalidate all hexes
context.GameScene.LineOfSight.InvalidateAll(context.GameScene.HexMap);
context.GameScene.LineOfSight.Clear();
// remove invalid hexes wherever player can has a unit that can see
foreach (Piece pc in context.PieceManager.GetPiecesOfPlayer(context.ActivePlayer))
context.GameScene.LineOfSight.Build(context, pc.MapPos, null, false, false, null);
foreach (MapCoord co in context.GameScene.LineOfSight.VisibleHexes.Keys)
context.GameScene.LineOfSight.RemoveInvalid(co);
return "";
}
}
}
</code>

Creating a Map

2012-06-04T20:15:51Z

Michaelz: /* Moving on to Scenario Design */

Before you work on a scenario you should create the map you want to use with the scenario. Maps and scenarios are independent entities in "Conflict of Heroes." You can have one map that is shared by multiple scenarios, for instance.

== Map Creation ==

There are two ways to create a COH map: in-editor maps, and input maps.

====In-Editor Maps====

In-editor maps are created entirely within the game editor; just start the COH Editor program, and begin designing your map. You can pick from the pre-selected map sizes to size your map (Small, Medium, Large, Wide, and Huge). To design maps in-editor, you can skip to [[#Manual Placement of Map Tiles|Manual Placement of Map Tiles]] below.

====Input Maps====

An Input Map is a 2048 x 2048 JPEG in which colors correspond to different types of terrain, terrain properties, and elevations.

Here's a reduced-size input map called "Black Sea Coast" which I developed based on some Google Earth terrain:

[[File:mapguide1.jpg|center|border|thumb|750px|A map hand-drawn in Photoshop, using a hex wireframe layer placed over a satellite photo]]

The shades of brown show elevation. Purples are houses / stone houses. Greens are forests. Reds are roads. Blue is water. White is clear. Note that you can have forests with roads running through them on heights by ensuring that a given hex contains all three colors.

Input Maps can be created in any reasonably sophisticated paint program. Creating an input map with reference to the underlying hex-grid allows the developer much more refined control over the map elements, and it's easiest to do this in a paint program that supports multiple layers, such as Photoshop or the free program GIMP. To do this, take the input map hex template we provide, and input it into a layer in your paint program.

== Input Map Hex Template ==

Included in the /manuals sub-folder of your installation directory is a full-size template for creating input maps.

The hex lines shouldn't actually be present on the final input map; this just shows where the hex lines are relative to the terrain information.

The blueish lines represent standard map sizes.

You should use a paint program that has layers, such as Photoshop or GIMP (freeware) to design input maps.

[[Image:hexmapframe.jpg|center|border|thumb|500px]]

You will find a full-size copy of the above template in the /manuals sub-folder of your
installation directory.

You'll need to make the hex template transparent, except for the hex grid, in whatever program you're using.

== Map Palette Guide ==

Here is the COH Palette Guide for creating input maps:

[[Image:mapcolorlegend.jpg|center|thumb|500px]]

== Terrain Interactions ==

Some types of terrain are obviously exclusive with other types of terrain, however some terrain features can co-exist in a hex with other features. Here's a zoomed-in shot showing how to add more than one type of terrain to a hex when designing an input map. This shows a road, some woods, and a height all in the same hex.

[[Image:mapguide6.jpg|center|border|thumb|300px]]

== Avoid Anti-Aliasing ==

With any tools you use to make input maps, it's important to avoid anti-aliasing or smoothing the pixels in your image. As much as possible, you want to make sure that every pixel in your image is exactly one of the colors in the COH Palette Guide. The importer will do its best to figure out what you meant by pixels that aren't exactly the right color (it'll match them to the closest colors or ignore them). However, it's possible to introduce all sorts of stray features if you use too many pixel-smoothing tools.

[[Image:mapguide10.jpg|center|border|thumb|500px|]]

== Parsing the Input Map ==

After the user creates an Input Map he can parse that map in the game editor by clicking on the "Parse Input Map" and choosing the appropriate map file. Only maps that are in JPEG format that end in "_input" are allowed as input maps.

[[Image:mapguide2.jpg|center|border|thumb|750px]]

It can take a minute or two to parse the Input Map. When it's done it turns the empty canvas into an *almost* fully-stocked map. A few of the fussier elements can't be added through the input map mechanism. You'll have to go through and add things like walls, bunkers, barbed wire, and so forth in the map editor after parsing an input map.

The map creation process goes fairly quickly once you get all the mechanics sorted out. I did the map above in about 1.5 hours.

== Building Terrain in the Map Editor ==

Any and all terrain, and any map tile, can be assigned using the map editor.

For example, heights can be added using the terrain sculpting controls:

*Enter "sculpting mode" using the Terrain --> Sculpting Mode button.
*Use the left mouse button to raise terrain in an individual hex, and use the right mouse button to lower terrain in an individual hex.
*You can also use keyboard commands instead: the [>] key raises terrain for an individual hex, and the [<] key lowers terrain for an individual hex.
*When you're done raising and lowering terrain, the Editor --> Rebuild Height button smooths the terrain heights.

For example, the following map was created using the input process, but this map could also be created entirely within the editor:

[[Image:mapguide3.jpg|center|border|thumb|750px]]

== Adding Obstacles, Units, and Other Map Features ==

You can add other terrain features as desired--bunkers, for example:

[[Image:mapguide7.jpg|center|border|thumb|750px|]]

Place bunkers and other directional types by clicking on the map and dragging.

[[Image:mapguide8.jpg|center|border|thumb|750px|]]

Tiles that don't have directional information can be placed simply by clicking on the map.

[[Image:mapguide9.jpg|center|border|thumb|650px|]]

Again, if parsing an input map, some map tiles can be placed during the input process, but some cannot, and must be placed by hand.

== Building the LOS File ==

When you're done with your map, you'll have to build your LOS file before continuing on to scenario design: this can be found on the Editor menu drop-down. This must be done before a map can be used for a scenario. Building the LOS file may take some time for the editor to complete; you'll see a progress screen while the LOS file is building. If you interrupt this process, you'll need to re-build the entire LOS file.

'''Important''': the LOS file '''must''' be built before linking a map to a scenario.

== Moving on to Scenario Design ==

Once you've created the map and built the LOS file, you can move on to [[Creating a Scenario]].

Creating a Map

2012-06-04T20:15:22Z

Michaelz:

2012-05-31T16:29:50Z

Michaelz:

If you are the kind of player who likes to jump in without reading the manual, here are a few quick tips to help get you started:

* Right-click to place units and to move. Watch the mouse cursor arrow to control the unit’s facing when you place and move a unit.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_05b.jpg|none|border|frame|Moving a unit]]

* Left-click to select units, and to select an enemy unit to fire at.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_016.jpg|none|border|frame|Selecting a unit]] [[Image:COH_Screenshot_018b.jpg|none|border|thumb|250px|Targeting a unit]]

* Players exchange placing, moving, and firing units in quick succession until both pass and the round ends.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_006.jpg|none|border|frame|The pass button]]

* Units have Action Points (APs) that they spend to move, fire, and do other actions.

:[[Image:APs.jpg|none|border|frame|Unit APs]]

* You have a pool of Command Action Points (CAPs) that you can spend to give your units extra APs, distributing them as you see fit. Use the “CAPs to APs” button or the "C" key to do this. You can also spend CAPs to modify your die roll up to two points. Use the CAPs to Roll Bonus button or the "B" key to do this.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_007.jpg|none|border|frame|Moving CAPs to APs]]

:* Click on the image of your commanding officer to see a report containing your firefight orders. This will tell you what you need to do to win the firefight you are playing.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_004.jpg|none|border|frame|The commanding officer]]

* Try to rally wounded units with the “rally” button at the bottom of the screen.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_008.jpg|none|border|frame|A wounded unit--the rally button is just below (not shown)]]

Quick Start

2012-05-31T16:29:28Z

Michaelz:

If you are the kind of player who likes to jump in without reading the manual, here are a few quick tips to help get you started:

* Right-click to place units and to move. Watch the mouse cursor arrow to control the unit’s facing when you place and move a unit.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_05b.jpg|none|border|frame|Moving a unit]]

* Left-click to select units, and to select an enemy unit to fire at.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_016.jpg|none|border|frame|Selecting a unit]] [[Image:COH_Screenshot_018b.jpg|none|border|thumb|250px|Targeting a unit]]

* Players exchange placing, moving, and firing units in quick succession until both pass and the round ends.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_006.jpg|none|border|frame|The pass button]]

* Units have Action Points (APs) that they spend to move, fire, and do other actions.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_007.jpg|none|border|frame|Unit APs]]

* You have a pool of Command Action Points (CAPs) that you can spend to give your units extra APs, distributing them as you see fit. Use the “CAPs to APs” button or the "C" key to do this. You can also spend CAPs to modify your die roll up to two points. Use the CAPs to Roll Bonus button or the "B" key to do this.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_007.jpg|none|border|frame|Moving CAPs to APs]]

:* Click on the image of your commanding officer to see a report containing your firefight orders. This will tell you what you need to do to win the firefight you are playing.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_004.jpg|none|border|frame|The commanding officer]]

* Try to rally wounded units with the “rally” button at the bottom of the screen.

:[[Image:COH_Screenshot_008.jpg|none|border|frame|A wounded unit--the rally button is just below (not shown)]]

2012-05-31T16:24:25Z

Michaelz: