The documentation for the editors for DC4:Ardennes is being presented over here (instead of a printed manual) so it can be easily changed by Vic. (As opposed to printed manuals or even PDFs). So yes this will be documentation-in-progress. That will be updated when necessary.
1. Visit the Decisive Camapigns : Ardennes Offensive forums over at Matrix to pose questions. Especially the “Scenario design” subforum! Discuss with other scenario designers to learn from each other and to share maps and libraries. Everything has been set up in such a way that it should be easier to share your work and collaborate.
2. Save your files under different names like “MyScenario_14december.dc4” , “MyScenario_15december.dc4” or “MyScenario_v3.dc4”,”MyScenario_v4.dc4”… this way you can fall back to an old save after either you yourself or a bug screwed something up. Yes, there might still be some bugs hidden in the editors. It takes a long time to debug editors. Be aware of this and protect your work and time invested.
If you are new. The Simple Editor is the only thing you should work with initially.
If you know the systems a bit by now. You can also use the intermediate editors. And create your own trooptypes, historical and officer libraries and maps. This provides a wealth of options for scenario creation.
The 'VR Basic Officer Card Library' contains all the officer cards. Since the graphics are hardcoded for Germans and Allies you'll be able to replace the event.pics using the “Change Picture” table this library contains as well.
Be sure to check the in-game documentation. In the Simple Editor Library tab you can read the added docs for each library and libvar and in the Table tab there are also docs on a table per table basis.
This event library contains the brunt of the events you can configure for your scenarios. It includes events for:
* Supply deliveries
* Fuel deliveries
* Reinforcement unit cards
* Replacement troops
* Scrambling the troops of units and reinforcement units (randomizing)
* PP income per turn
* Card category names
* Landscape type move cost overrules
* Road move cost overrules
* Reduced AP for some units some rounds
* Change VP on hex during game
* Change unit RDN, ENTR, MOR, XP, VIGOR
* Custom battlegroup names
* Scenario setup variant buttons
* Units from map to reinforcement unit card
* Scrapping returns which trooptype?
* Adjust artillery maximum supplyIn
* Music (DSS) tracks
* Initial bridge state modifications
If you use the 'IF Logic' columns in the tables you must make sure you have the 'vr_logic_lib' loaded as well.
This event library contains the instructions to configure the AI.
Be sure you load it if you plan the player to play the AI.
Strongly recommended to always set 'UseStrictHQ = Yes'.
Also recommended to set 'frontLength=10' and 'frontDepth=4' or close to those values. But you can experiment here.
If you set 'DebugMode=Yes' then the /logs/ directory will receive a lot of screenshots and AI log files.
If you use 'DebugAiToHuman=Round number' then you can start the game with 2 AI players and it will put those players back to human after X rounds.
Also note that if you run an AI vs AI game and your Prefs have screenshots on the AI will make screenshots as well so you can follow the AI vs AI testing.
This event library contains all the configurations for using weather. It is a 'must use' library as it also contains the instructions to properly render the landscape images in DC4.
You can use the '' table to set initial snow (white hexes) or water (mud hexes) on the map. To preview the effects go to libraries>executable events> and 'apply initial settings' or 'reset to default landscape'.
If you do not specify any data in the 'historical overrule' table for a certain round it means the weather will change randomly (or randomly not of course).
All other libraries have tables with columns named either 'IF Logic' or 'SET Logic'. If you want to use those columns you must have this logic library loaded.
For info on how to script IF and SET logic go here: Logic scripting
A library that allows you to create some semi-customized cards for the players (based on a number of archetype cards). In the vanilla scenarios this library is used for the air, bridging, paradrop and greiff cards for example.
Allows for overruling the color instructions for drawing the height levels. It is not documented yet, a bit buggy, and not easy to use at all. So better NOT load this library please.
Well you could make officer, troop and historical unit libraries yourself. And if you do please share them with the community!
Or re-use those of others. Uploading and downloading can be done on the scenariobank: http://www.vrdesigns.net/community.php
Your scenarios or libraries might use graphics, music or SFX not present in the game 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 ardennessound directory in a seperate directory. like for example 'ardennessound/mysounddirectory/. Do NOT use further subdirectories for your sound files if you want to use the DCZIP button.
I also recommend to even put your libraries,maps and scenarios in the ardennesscenarios directory in a seperate directory. like for example 'ardennesscenarios/korea/' or 'ardennesscenarios/mycoolLibrary/'. Subdirectories for graphics should work well with the DCZIP button.
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.
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.