Welcome. The Community Project BETA is available for free for:
* Decisive Campaigns : Barbarossa owners
* Decisive Campaigns : Case Blue owners
* Decisive Campaigns : Warsaw To Paris owners
You can find the download over here: http://www.vrdesigns.net/community1.php
Current main installer version: 0.93
Current patch version: 0.93
Thanks too: Elmo, Nikdav, ernieschwitz, Lion of Judah
The core idea behind the whole Community Project is that everybody creates libraries that use the default VR ruleset (for experts: the VR_Ruleset.dcxmaster file).
It is important to keep everything operating with the same rules in order to together build a pool of libraries and maps that can be used interchangeably.
Only by accepting and compromising to a certain degree of conformity we can create a rich pool of libraries for re-use.
You should limit your self to the simple and intermediate editors unless you are ready to receive 'The Keys of Potential Doom'. (see further below)
Visit the forums over at Matrix to pose questions: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=1574
Save your files under different names like “MyScenario14december.dcx” , “MyScenario15december.dcx” or “MyScenario_v3.dcx”,”MyScenario_v4.dcx”… this way you can fall back to an old save after either you yourself or a BETA bug screwed something up.
If you are new. The Simple Editor is the only thing you should work with initially.
If you know the system as bit by now. You can also use the intermediate editors. And create your own trooptype, historical and officer libraries and maps. This provides a wealth of options for scenario creation.
The following links provide information on the official libraries coming with the Community Project. Be sure to check the in-game documentation as well. In the Simple Editor Library tab you can read the added docs for each library and in the Table tab there are also docs on a table per table basis.
* VR Event library (v.10)
* VR Basic Officer Card Library (v.5)
* VR Immersion Library (v.2)
Well you could make them your self. And if you do please share them.
Or re-use those of others that can be posted on the scenariobank: http://www.vrdesigns.net/community.php
Read up on www.vrdesigns.net especially on any posts labelled with 'Community Project' : http://www.vrdesigns.net/?cat=23
Your scenarios or libraries might use graphics, music or SFX not present in the Community Project directories by default.
If you add graphics assets to your creations it would be ideal if you add them under the graphics directory in a seperate subdirectory. like for example 'graphics/Korea/' or 'graphics/DanielsGraphics/.
If you add sound or music files it would be ideal if you add them under the communitysound directory in a seperate directory. like for example 'communitysound/mysounddirectory/.
I also recommend to even put your libraries,maps and scenarios in the communityscenarios directory in a seperate directory. like for example 'communityscenarios/korea/' or 'communityscenarios/mycoolLibrary/'
This will make it easier for you (and others!) to keep things organised and to make the DCZIP export functionality in the Simple Editor work properly.
I have added a sample scenario 'Volkov to Tichwin'. So you can see how a finished scenario can look like. It is not super historical in detail, but reasonably so. It has been a good way for VR to test robustness of the system when changing libraries and making modifications and stuff.
The example scenario was constructed using the Simple editor using the default 'VR Ruleset' (.dcxmaster). The following libraries where used to make it:
Created with intermediate editors:
* Volkov map (.dcxmap = map file)
* German Volkov Officers (.dcxoff = officer library) (which uses the VR officer cards library)
* Soviet Volkov Officers (.dcxoff = officer library) (which uses the VR officer cards library)
* VR German Troops Early WW2 (.dcxtroops = trooptype library)
* VR Soviet Troops Early WW2 (.dcxtroops = trooptype library)
* German Volkov Models (.dcxhis = historical library)
* Soviet Volkov Models (.dcxhis = historical library)
Using existing event and officer card libraries:
* VR Basic events (.dcxevlib = events library)
* VR Officer cards (.dcxoffcard = officer cards library)
* VR AI events (.dcxevlib = events library)
How to get started creating your own scenarios and libraries?
1. Simple Editor Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UItnYR5h7Pk
2. Simple Editor : Basic Events Library Tutorial #1: https://youtu.be/utYpWKNMTDU
3. Simple Editor : Basic Events Library Tutorial #2: https://youtu.be/q7IgY-UtswI
4. Map Editor Tutorial: https://youtu.be/amrY0MWB1iw
5. Officer Editor Tutorial: https://youtu.be/1bsVW7jWXZQ
6. Trooptype and historical Editor Tutorial: https://youtu.be/39tYA6DzDhc
7. The Logic and Immersion Library Tutorial: https://youtu.be/GcObEdfK718
Some common questions.
1. Go to trooptype editor. Add the trooptype to the troopType library. Do not change the name of the library. Save trooptype lib.
2. Go to historical editor. Do not delete the existing trooptype library. Just select it and press 'add library' it will reload and update the currently linked trooptype library. Make the changes that put the new trooptype in the TOEs. Save historical library.
3. Go to the simple editor. First reload the revised trooptype library. Secondly reload the revised historical library.
Note: That if for example you added an extra unit to a model in the historical library the simple editor will not automaticly place this extra unit on the map.
The AI will need some continued work. I already created the embryo of an AI library that will allow you to fine-tune its behaviour.
As long as you create scenario's that do not require the AI to do naval operations of any importance I think it will prove ok as it currently is.
It will be an ongoing project however to allow the player to fine-tune it through the already mentioned AI library in order to get optimal results for your scenario.
Thats one of the reasons this Project is still in BETA.
I strongly prefer people to just work with the Simple and Intermediate editors and keep their hands of any mod files.
However if you feel you have the capability to deal with the arcane inner workings of the Decisive Campaigns systems a wealth of possibilities can open up to you.
This however comes at a danger of you unadvertedly breaking things or getting lost. So think twice before you use the Keys of Potential Doom.
* Events to control what game functionality should be disabled (officer pool, make new unit, etc..)
* Allow import and conversion of map (and translate landscape, river, location and road types to actually existing types) of ATG/DC1/DC2/DC3
* What about players who want to EXACTLY set unit contents at start of game? or placement of unit? a special library to allow fixing this?
* Advanced fine-tuning of AI through the AI Event Library