SOW Scenario Generator

For several months I've been using a scenario generator I wrote for SOWWL.  I decided to add a UI and give it the capability to create SOWGB scenarios too so that others can use it more easily.  I included the maps from the replay viewer and OOBs from the KS mods so you don't have to assemble them yourself.  Testing of the SG was done by Martin James, so any complaints should be directed at him.  

Once you have an idea for a battle, with a little experience, you should be able to create the scenario in under 5 minutes.  There is a "How To" manual included that walks you through the creation of a scenario.  I urge you to take the time to read it.  There is also a section which attempts to explain how to get the AI to do what you want it to do.  This will be the most frustrating part of designing a scenario for SP or co-op MP.  Complaints about that should be directed to NSD.

Here is the link: Scenario Generator 1.77 Download

That is very, very nice! I will sit down and take a look! Might help to cut my learning curve a bit.

Thanks,
Tom W.

Cheers Kevin, great stuff.

I was wondering - does it include your gadget that checks the two sides for play balance? I could never get your stand-alone one to work for some reason that's probably attributable to user error.

Yes Martin, it does. A box pops up after the scenario is created that gives all the balance information.

Astounding sir. Borozdhin will be hat stomping in pure joy!

Oooh that sounds pretty neat.

I may have to try this...the sandbox scenario generator has been a disappointment for me. I recently created a scenario featuring Davout's large 1812 corps (48,000)...the French were on the defense and I expected hordes of Russians descending on Davout's position...what I got was what appeared to be the entire Russian artillery park ambling down one of the roads and upon contact scurrying around in confusion while my infantry shot them down and the cavalry cut off their retreat...a brilliant victory for Davout but ultimately unsatisfying.

I have updated the Scenario Generator, version 1.46. It now has the ability, (campaign mode), to help you recreate historic battles or any battle where specific units must be included in the scenario. You can select specific army, corps and division commanders. By selecting a division commander, all the brigades under his command are automatically included in the scenario. No attempt at balancing the scenario is made in this mode although you will receive information about the balance.

The list of maps and OOBs have been updated to include the ones from the KS Napoleon Mod 1.19.

Text files listing the strengths and experience levels of the Nappy OOBs are included in the Maps and OOBs folder. That way you can easily see if a certain OOB will contain the units you wish to use.

The pdf manual has been updated to more fully explain the use of the new feature.

Awesome!

Nice. Thanks.

I've followed the directions in the manual to "adjust the position" of units, created the startlocs file which comes out looking like this startlocs_10-06-16_15-49-55 and dragged it to the SOW add startlocs to scenario application and it tells me that it was successful but when I then open the game everyone is still where they were before.

And, yes. I did edit the .ini file and that does prevent the troops from walking around on their own.

I feel like I've missed a step but can't imagine what it could be. Am I supposed to save the game after putting the troops where I want them or does the startlocs file do that?

What battle type did you select? If you chose anything other than 'None', all the units will deploy wherever the division commander is located. If you want brigades in certain locations, that is the only setting that will allow it. This is another failing of SOW and is not something we can mod.

If you want to fix your scenario, open scenario.ini and change the value of sandbox=, (near the bottom of the file), to 0.

Ah ha. Battle type was "attack." I will try it again set on "none." Fortunately, I did save my work. I figured I was missing something.
Thanks again.

Another question has arisen with the Generator.

In trying to do a battlescript the game refuses to read the Commander ID column.

In the KS scenario generator the OOB comes out with this for Napoleon in the ID column: PRU06_FR_1

Whereas in the vanilla OOBs the same column shows: OOB_Fr_Napoleon_Bonaparte


When the game is run the program does not seem to read the script for the most part.
And here is the exception.

When the game starts I try to put all the French units on Atcallon. I did this for Napoleon and each corps commander. Doesn't work at all.

However, the Prussians, using their corps commander ( PRU06_PRU_3) - all 11 Prussian divisions are in one corps - get an Atcommon order at 14:00 hours and an Atcommoff order at 15:00 and those work fine. The Prussians stand there while the French get in position and then as soon as 15:00 hours are reached they start heading for the Objective #1.

The problem is I have tried to set it up so that only 3 Prussian divisions are released at 15:00. They get a tactics5 order and are directed to each of the 3 objectives. They do release, but they ignore the target and all head for Objective #1 which tells me that they are following the standard AI plan for an Attack scenario. The other 8 divisions get Astop orders for their Divisional commanders and they ignore that completely and start moving towards Objective 1.

I can't tell from the instructions I have read if some of these commands are strictly for brigades or not? It doesn't say that but I don't understand why some commands work in the script and others do not.

I'd attach the file but I don't see an option for that.

Any thoughts?

We do not make scripted scenarios since scripting is disabled for MP, so I doubt you'll find any experts here. Nevertheless several things come to mind.

First, scripted scenarios use a different scenario.csv format than that which is created by the KS scenario generator. Just compare it to one of the stock scenario files and you'll see the difference. I don't know if that would have an effect.

Second, the KS SG adds the command sandbox= to scenario.ini. Scripted scenarios should not have that command. Remove it if it is in your ini file.

Third, have you set up the cmdlvl# in scenario.ini properly? That may also effect how the scripting is handled.

These are just ideas, I don't know if they will help.

I can't tell from the instructions I have read if some of these commands are strictly for brigades or not? It doesn't say that but I don't understand why some commands work in the script and others do not.

In general, an 'A' at the beginning of the command indicates the command is for and officer at brigade level or above. No 'A' commands are generally for battalions/guns. The list of valid commands are near the end of the SDK manual.

Okay, first off, the different .csv file seems to have less of an impact than I thought. Certain commands seem to work and certain commands are totally useless. I gave up on the idea of Taking Command of the French units. I'll do that myself. That's why I built an extra hour into the scenario. The Atcommon command works fine for the Prussians; they stand there while I'm moving the French around ( meant to simulate an Approach March to the field.) The Atcommoff command also works fine but you have to be careful how you use it. My initial idea to take all the Prussians "off" resulted in them all running around willy-nilly. Putting in a subsequent "HOLD" command for each division I wanted to stay put did nothing. One of those commands that does not work. But, taking the divisions off TC one at a time solves the problem. One then follows the Atcommoff command with the Tactics command and the division in question marches off towards the objective assigned. I just have to adjust the release times. The AI is a bit slower than I figured.

The sandbox line in the .ini file did nothing. In fact, it made things worse. The AI did not move at all so I quickly gave up on that.

Your point about the commands being listed at the end of the SDK manual helped because it showed me that I made a real boner with the tactics command. I had written Tactics5 when the proper syntax is Tactics:5. No wonder it didn't work! Works now.

Grazie.

Yes, the key is to manage the release times for the AI. The KS generator reads the ID column from the OOB just fine. It is just that some commands do not work while others do. C'est la guerre. The battlescript ends up looking something like this:

Event ToID Command FromID X Coord Z Coord timevar 14:00:00 PRU06_PRU_3 Atcommon 14:59:30 PRU06_PRU_4 Atcommoff 15:00:00 PRU06_PRU_4 Tactics:5 112022 116366 15:00:00 PRU06_PRU_61 Atcommoff 15:00:00 PRU06_PRU_61 Tactics:5 139841 77981

This prevents absurd traffic jams as all 11 Prussian divisions do not release at once and choke the single road leading to the primary objective.

Kevin is it possible to tweak the generator so that with divisions that have only cavalry brigades in, only horse artillery batteries will be assigned?

Question on the 10 Mile Map... the Ger version.

I checked the config file and made sure that all 4 of the listed files were in the v.127 mod (maps) folder as well as making sure they were all in the v118 Maps mod. Still, when I start the game I end up with something like this on the text file.

15:00:00 Planting Fields
15:00:00 Creating Forests
15:00:00 Buying Shrubbery
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Fla_19
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_5
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_1
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_8
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ale_2
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_7
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Elp_2
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Fla_9
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ant_7
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ant_1
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Fla_19
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_5
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_1
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_8
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ale_2
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_7
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Elp_2
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Fla_9
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ant_7
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ant_1
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Fla_19
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_5
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_1
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_8
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ale_2
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_ant_7
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Elp_2
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Fla_9
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ant_7
15:00:00 Graphic not found GFX_Ant_1

It goes on and on and then CTDs.

Does that map work?

Not for me. Looks like Davinci's trees and shrubs etch files need adding again?

The map's csv file was never converted to the new vegetation sprites implemented in one of the previous versions of the mod. I'll update it and put it in the next version. Thanks for finding it.

The map's csv file was never converted to the new vegetation sprites

Ooh. I love it when you guys talk dirty!

I'll just stand by then.

Kevin, did you check the insane cover modifiers in this version of the map and fix them? I recall we once found out that standing in a wheat field got you more protection than being in a town or something crazy like that.

Yes, all the defensive values have been revamped.