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Shannon V. OKeets -> RE: Adding New Ground / Air Unit Question (2/21/2015 8:37:42 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: drdax
Hi folks,
I just found, bought and download this game, WOW you folks are doing great things!
I need some guidance on what is possible or not. Apologies for the Newbie questions as I have read as much as I could and downloaded some fine mods to see what was involved.
Here is what I am attempting to do:
1. Add a US Ranger Div with the correct NATO symbol.. the "Speartips" at upper ends of both diagonal lines
2. Add a New marker or chit : non-combat / no cost marker that can be freely moved on the map
3. I see in the Player Manual Vol. 2 there are non-used Special Unit codes, can I use them or stay away as future updates will overwrite what I might do?
My understanding/questions for the steps for each above:
1a. Add Ranger Unit to STANDARD UNITS LND.csv
1b. How to add the Nato symbol? is that possible or am I restricted to use standard INF symbol?**
1c. If I wanted to add a Stripe or other symbol to this (or other Land Unit), can I create a new background in a bitmap file and point to it (like the NAV / AIR Units do?) Can someone explain this to me? How do SS units work?
1d. If I wanted to CHANGE only that unit's interior and fore colors NATO Symbol and or Factors / text, would I need to create a "Territory" or some other game mechanic >
2a. Would I need to use any Special Unit code?
2b. same as 1c above: can I create a new unit in a bitmap file and point to it (like the NAV / AIR Units do?)
2c. Would using the Special Unit Code allow this Chit to be available to all players and how do I not limit the # of these chits in their force pools?
** in the Manual 11.3 Bitmap files I can't find individual LAND files:
"this is also where the 22 packed pages of bitmaps
for individual units are located, with their
accompanying TXT files that provide the
unit number for bitmap image"
Question: What is the method that uses the STANDARD UNITS LND.csv and logic to tie to other internal coding
Thanks in advance!
Quick Into: New forum guy here.. old time caller.. er player... anyone remember the old SPI War in the East thru Europe games.. my first purchases back in the day...maps and charts filling the dining room :) and former Ranger, hence the bias in the questions :)
To answer your original question, ...
Adding a new unit type isn't possible without a lot of code changes. Each unit type has an enormous amount of code associated with it. There are conditional statements based on optional rules, and then all the code related to moving, loading onto transports (air and naval), combat, cost & time to build, reorganization, etc. The graphics are the least of the issues vis-a-vis coding, but there are several data files that would need to be modified (some of which you noted).
Only after handling all that would you get into special features associated with the new unit type.
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You can add units of an existing unit type without much (relative term) trouble. Each unit you add will have an associated country, from which all the colors and such are determined. Land units are drawn based on unit type, size, country, and other data. They use the symbols in the Bitmap folder associated with their unit type. Air and Naval units have unique bitmap images associated with each unit (except generic units like convoys and submarines).
The numbering of the units is important, with air units between 1 and 2000, land between 2001 and 4000, naval between 4001 and 6000, and special unit types 6001+. But that should be pretty obvious when you look are the CSV files for each combat arm.
Depending on how you 'see' the ranger unit performing, you might make it an infantry division, a paratroop, a marine, or a 'frogmen' unit.
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