Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll
There is a scenario that I want to modify....it is fine except the values on some of the units are too strong. I thought that might be a (fairly simple) test. OR should I wait 'till something official (elegant or ugly) comes out?

quote:

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll

Just jump into the (unit)editor?

quote:

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll
OK.......re-read my last post, and the question becomes: What do I do, just jump into the equipment editor? I would still like to know if it is wise to hook Bio-ed to a seperate copy of TAOW3 just so idiots like me font f*** up PBEM games.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ralphtrick

quote:

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll
OK.......re-read my last post, and the question becomes: What do I do, just jump into the equipment editor? I would still like to know if it is wise to hook Bio-ed to a seperate copy of TAOW3 just so idiots like me font f*** up PBEM games.

I'm causing too much confusion by trying to remain cryptic. Let me speak plainly. These are 'forward looking statements' and are still in development. We may run across something that makes this impossible, so take this with a grain of salt.

BioEd was written by a third party, nobody has heard from him in a while, and I haven't been able to reach him. It was designed to edit early versions of the TOAW executable. I'm not a VB6 person, and I haven't been able update BioEd. VB6 won't work correctly on my system, someone else can try if they want. BioEd also has the capability to store the edited data into a separate data file, instead of the executable.

SInce Jean-Luc's efforts at writing an editor have stalled, and I've made significant changes to the way that data is stored in TOAW, we've decided to store the equipment data in a separate file that can be loaded when that scenario starts in a manner similar to the way that scenario specific graphics are loaded..

WIth any luck you'll be able to use BioEd to edit the equipment data only, and store it in a separate file that will be automatically loaded when that scenario is loaded. If you have a currently modded TOAW-COW scenario, you've already done the hardest part.

There are some caveats. We're working on figuring out what those are. For example, the equipment slots are capped at what is currently in TOAW-COW. Scenario graphics are handled differently in TOAW III from TOAW-COW, so much of BioEd's editing aren't useful, etc.

Ralph

quote:

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll

OK.......re-read my last post, and the question becomes: What do I do, just jump into the equipment editor? I would still like to know if it is wise to hook Bio-ed to a seperate copy of TAOW3 just so idiots like me font f*** up PBEM games.

quote:

ORIGINAL: vahauser

I'm very confused by this thread.

Most unit editors I've used look sort of like spread sheets where you can simply change the unit data fields. And once you save your changes then the game remembers those changes for any future scenario.

Somebody please un-confuse me regarding the TOAWIII unit editor.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ralphtrick

There are some caveats. We're working on figuring out what those are. For example, the equipment slots are capped at what is currently in TOAW-COW.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ColinWright
Well, note that one is not editing units. One is editing the characteristics of the weapons that make up the unit. Beyond that, the simplist thing to do would be to download the Bioeditor and open it. Things should be clearer at that point.

quote:

ORIGINAL: freeboy

ok, you can add just not modify? so if I wanted to make a Tiger II stronger, could I not just add it under a different name.. spelling etc? or did missunderstand totally above.. thanks

quote:

ORIGINAL: golden delicious

quote:

ORIGINAL: freeboy

ok, you can add just not modify? so if I wanted to make a Tiger II stronger, could I not just add it under a different name.. spelling etc? or did missunderstand totally above.. thanks

In fact it's pretty much the reverse- you can modify but not add. However effectively one can add equipment by overwriting items you're not going to use.

quote:

as well as adding some new items

quote:

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll

Thanks for the expllaiation Ralph, Colin, Golden, et al. If it DOES come to pass, please include "Unit Editinf for Dummies"

quote:

ORIGINAL: freeboy

ok, now I really am lost.. first you said

quote:

as well as adding some new items

.. maybe you should use create.. but so I understand.. no new items.. just modified equipment strength etc?

quote:

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll

Now I am more confused than ever. With the present TAOW3 System, can we change the combat factors (or movement factors) of a unit, or create a unit in the database (say PZ 4 Batallion) with modified combat or movement factors? Put another way, do you need Bio Ed to do the above, or is it for creating or units that are not already in the database?

I own the game, love the game, but it can be confusing, espically the design/modify scenarios part.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TOCarroll

Now I am more confused than ever. With the present TAOW3 System, can we change the combat factors (or movement factors) of a unit, or create a unit in the database (say PZ 4 Batallion) with modified combat or movement factors? Put another way, do you need Bio Ed to do the above, or is it for creating or units that are not already in the database?

I own the game, love the game, but it can be confusing, espically the design/modify scenarios part.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ralphtrick

SInce Jean-Luc's efforts at writing an editor have stalled, and I've made significant changes to the way that data is stored in TOAW, we've decided to store the equipment data in a separate file that can be loaded when that scenario starts in a manner similar to the way that scenario specific graphics are loaded..

WIth any luck you'll be able to use BioEd to edit the equipment data only, and store it in a separate file that will be automatically loaded when that scenario is loaded. If you have a currently modded TOAW-COW scenario, you've already done the hardest part.

There are some caveats. We're working on figuring out what those are. For example, the equipment slots are capped at what is currently in TOAW-COW. Scenario graphics are handled differently in TOAW III from TOAW-COW, so much of BioEd's editing aren't useful, etc.

Ralph

quote:

ORIGINAL: shunwick
Ralph, you know if you save the equipment database in a datafile that can be read by excel then all you would need is a spreadsheet template and use excel for the database editor rather than fool around with BioEd.

As GD pointed out, no scenario uses all the equipment types so if one needs to "add" equipment to the list, you could easily tell users to overwrite unused equipment already in the database rather than try to add new equipment by tacking it on the end.

The only new function (in the game) you would need is a function to ensure that both parties of a PBEM game are using the same equipment database.

Are there any reasons why it's not that simple?

Best wishes,

quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

quote:

ORIGINAL: shunwick
Ralph, you know if you save the equipment database in a datafile that can be read by excel then all you would need is a spreadsheet template and use excel for the database editor rather than fool around with BioEd.

As GD pointed out, no scenario uses all the equipment types so if one needs to "add" equipment to the list, you could easily tell users to overwrite unused equipment already in the database rather than try to add new equipment by tacking it on the end.

The only new function (in the game) you would need is a function to ensure that both parties of a PBEM game are using the same equipment database.

Are there any reasons why it's not that simple?

Best wishes,

Yes, you would be able edit the equipment datafile in a text editor. But it would not be a simple task. Finding the item you wanted to edit would be tedious, and how to edit the flags would be mysterious and difficult. BioEd (or something like it) will be a valuable and necessary aid.

The other complication we're working on is that Norm filled the equipment database with many arcane factors that have often been hard to decipher. Bear with us.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

quote:

ORIGINAL: shunwick
Ralph, you know if you save the equipment database in a datafile that can be read by excel then all you would need is a spreadsheet template and use excel for the database editor rather than fool around with BioEd.

As GD pointed out, no scenario uses all the equipment types so if one needs to "add" equipment to the list, you could easily tell users to overwrite unused equipment already in the database rather than try to add new equipment by tacking it on the end.

The only new function (in the game) you would need is a function to ensure that both parties of a PBEM game are using the same equipment database.

Are there any reasons why it's not that simple?

Best wishes,

The other complication we're working on is that Norm filled the equipment database with many arcane factors that have often been hard to decipher. Bear with us.