Query: adding leaders to OOB

[neonlicht]

Hi There!

Been experimenting in the Seven Years War editor, trying to make custom scenarios to play against the AI. Got a question:

Is it possible to edit the OOB files to include extra leaders? That is, to add a second leader to a unit, beneath the first? For example:

1
Russia A Russian Army
Begin
L 4 4 90 32 FM Apraksin


Would become:

1
Russia A Russian Army
Begin
L 4 4 90 32 FM Apraksin
L 3 3 84 32 GM Von Weywarn

Thing is, when I try this, the scenario crashes in the editor with an error message. Must be doing something wrong. And so, is there a correct way to add extra leaders? Or is it not possible to add extra leaders?

Thanks in advance for help. :-)

[krmiller]

Not familiar with the M&P engine but from my experience creating scenarios in the ACW game I have found the scenario file is saved using the oob file unit's positions as pointers. If you look at the scn file with a text editor you will see something like this
 
1 1.5.4.1 2 2 550 0 0 0 262656 64 42
 
1 - indicates player 1
1.5.4.1 - these ID numbers indicate the unit position in the oob and vary in length
2 2 - not sure what these are
550  - 550 is unit strength in men or guns, will be 0 for officers
0 0 0 262656 - again not sure but these numbers vary and I believe they indicate unit status such things as FA, formation etc
64 42 - this is the unit's position on the map
 
You will see similar lines in the saved game file if it isn't password protected, this is how the engine saves data for each turn using the unit oob position as an ID.
Changing the position of units in the oob changes the ID numbers and when the engine tries to read the oob if the data doesn't match what it is expecting the engine crashes.
You can modify such things as picture id's, even change class, names and weapon types but any addition or subtraction of lines to the oob causes a problem.
 
To the best of my knowledge once you change the number of lines in an oob or a units position in any way you have to rebuild the scenario from scratch as if you created a brand new oob.

[neonlicht]

Hi and many thanks for this. Ah, OK, yes that makes sense. I just tested it, and what you say is correct: any changes to the OOB and you have to rebuild the scenario. And so now I know what to do in future. Many thanks indeed for your help! :-)

[Gary McClellan]

First off, don't directly edit the stock oob.

Save the oob under a new name, and edit that. Otherwise, you're going to make a mess of every scenario that uses that oob. That's bad.

Once you've done that, you can add extra leaders, though realize they don't have a great deal of role other than rallying troops or giving melee bonuses, unless their superior gets killed (in which case they then take over.)

[neonlicht]

Hi Gary & thanks for this---much appreciated. That's sound advice & useful to know. :-)