Changes Summary
ü New
options to see available prototypes for a
scenario when played as a campaign. It is on Campaign View and there
are two choices:
o
Show prototypes for selected scenario button. This new
option pops up a form to show equipment items matching the time frame defined
for the scenario, but it lets you change also that time frame to see how it
affect though it does not updated those changes to the scenario file.
o
Campaign report includes prototypes for each scenario
in the campaign.
ü Campaign
report is available also from Browser View so you can check
prototypes without editing anything.
ü Windows
Clipboard can now be used to copy and paste equipment data and units. Equipment
name can be paste from a copied item or from any text copied to windows
Clipboard.
In addition to standard accelerators (Ctrl+X , Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V) there are
some buttons to do it. This work even if you open two Suite instances to copy
data between 2 e-files.
ü On
Browse View Report options there is a new one to check and update all map files
you need from your "All Map files" folder to your Scenario Game Set
folder.
In addition it shows how many Pic files (SHP) are missing.
ü View
Icons tool can filter empty descriptive text (blanks). To do set ON "On
descriptive text" checkbox, left empty edit box and press FILTER button.
There is also a new option to save filter list to a text file.
Also it shows how many times each icon is used for the equipment
file loaded. So to see all icons not used you can type on filter edit box:
:0 and hit FILTER button.
ü New
option on Icons Report. Now you can view each pair Icon+Equipment so you can see how each icon is used.
ü When
exiting the Suite you can save changes or discard changes. Now you can also
cancel exiting
ü Importing
map names now searches for standard map names files as MAP####.txt
ü If
wrong units are read their values are reset to avoid annoying out of limits
warnings.
ü Unit
names are checked to detect Null name status and fixed automatic.
ü Included
some missing Duke of Brabant icon's descriptions on file Panzer2_v2.txt
ü A
small .REG file is included on the package, just in case you have set "Auto load last file" and you get
into a corrupt file endless loop.
This .REG cleans registry setting so next time you run the Suite it doesn't
load any file. Just double-click and accept to import on registry.
ü I've
removed reload scenario names button as all names management can be done inside the Suite. You cannot either
edit that file as you could lose changes when saving the scenario. Scenario
title is available for edition from Summary View.
ü When
you edit any field is better to finish editing (press TAB key) before doing anything else as data field is not
updated until leaving the editing field. I've modified some internals to avoid
this issue, although it is safer to use above method.
ü New
option for Global Scenario and Map changes, including:
·
Changing all owner flag for a country to another
·
Setting a name to every hex with a terrain type. It is
useful to quick name lakes, sea zones or long rivers.
·
Changing a terrain type for another in a whole map.
·
Convert all data for a defined player into another,
moving units, supplies, deploy hexes to other player. It also remove Main Country
so that player is erased from game. It is intended to convert scenarios for 4
players into a 2 players very quick.
It is available on "Scenario & Saved"
menu, under "Global changes to Scenario and Map..."
ü New
option to change player for all units matching a filter.
It is on Global Units data, and it has been suggested to change 4 players scenarios into a 2 players quick and easy.
ü A
new folder for “All map files” can be configured to unzip there all .MAP files.
This folder can be used to update all .MAP files needed for all CAM in a
scenario folder using a new option on Browse Report tool.
ü It
is configurable if you want to search for files using last file opened (old
system) or if you want to search using default Game Set folders
ü When
testing sounds files, PG2_SFX.txt file folder will be used to search for files.
So copy this file on the folder you want to test sound files
ü From
this View you can select the Game Set you want to use as default.
ü You
can access the new form dialog to create or edit Game Sets
ü There
is a new form dialog for saved games to see/edit enemy kills made for a unit.
It shows also for core units its "medals", that is which scenario
each experience bar was gotten. You can edit also.
ü Dossier
Dialog for save games, includes a new option to get an After Action Report
(similar to Vladimir's tool), but it let you configure if you want to use
standard or Patch 200 formulas to calculate Cap.
ü There
is a new option to reload scenario data from a SCN file into a CSV file. Only
units will be preserved.
ü There
is a new Export / Import feature for scenario units.
·
Export creates a file with all units on the current
scenario or saved game (XUD file).
·
Import raises a form dialog to choose which units do
you want to import from a XUD file (Only for scenario files)
ü Units
can be copied to Windows Clipboard, and when paste a new cloned unit will be
appended to the HQ. This also works to copy units between two scenarios opening
two Suite instances.
ü On
Global Units Changes this prefixes can be used:
Ø '+'
to set data entered as a value to be incremented
Ø '-'
to set data entered as a value to be decremented
Ø '%'
to set data entered as a percent value.
Ø "#"
to set value as a random. In this case you have to write two numbers (as in
"#10-40") to get a random number in that range (1-40)
ü unit
cost is shown for each unit, and a switch is provided to toggle if they should
be calculated using 102G formulas or new Patch 2.00
ü I've
change Units View to remove some equipment's combos in order to save memory.
There are new buttons to select equipment, appearance and transport, which
raise a dialog where you can filter to easily select.
I think the new selection dialog is much more friendly and flexible.
I apologize of any inconvenience on some habits, but I'm sure you will very
soon get used of the new arrangement. Fuel and ammo is set according the new
equipment/transport selected.
ü There
is a new "Purchase" form to add units to a scenario.
You can select units with or without transport and set reinforce turn, facing
and appearance. Most values can be set also including name.
Unit’s list can be filtered using scenario settings according countries and
scenario date to easily select what you want. There is also a checkbox to
include fortifications as selectable transport for a unit.
There are switches to include on main equipment list “All Country” and “No
Country” equipment and for including all transport as main equipment.
There is also a "Remove" button.
ü There
are new sorting unit's options.
ü Purchase
Units is available also from Map View
ü Changing
equipment code for selected units (by switching to Equipment View) now works
also from Map View the same as from Unit View
ü When
deploy a grown unit on ocean, it is automatic embarked.
When un deploying any grown unit embarked at sea transport, its
appearance is reset to not embarked. Same way if you try to
deploy a grown unit appearing as sea transport on a no-ocean hex, it will be
reset as not embarked.
ü Right
clicking on a unit while in Map View now launches a new dialog showing equipment data also for transport if
any, and most of the fields can be
edited for that unit, including equipment codes for transport and appearance.
ü You
can copy and paste units using windows clipboard.
There are buttons to do it in addition to standard Ctrl+C,X,V hotkeys.
Pasting doesn't replace anything, it appends the unit from the Clipboard to the
scenario. This allow a fast deploy clones system:
· create
a single unit like a fort,
· copy
it to the clipboard (Ctrl+C) and paste on any hex you want a fort
You can populate really quick using this feature.
ü There
are 4 buttons to set (or remove) Owner, Victory, Supply and Deploy hexes to
work as in game editor. They work the same as with naming hexes or terrain
type.
Settings are loaded from the hex you are when hit if it was empty, and they are
cleared when you press again. On Left Bottom box is always shown what setting
will be used. To change any hex according those settings, click left mouse
while holding Ctrl key. To reset any hex according items set, RIGHT click mouse
while holding Ctrl key.
An example:
To set a series of owner hexes for player 1...
1. go
to a hex already set for the country you want, or go to the first item you want
to be set and change owner by hand.
2. hit
on Owner button (same icons as in game editor)
3. click
left mouse button while holding Ctrl key on every hex you want to set.
You can set also Victory, Supply and or Deploy, and
all active setting will be changed when clicking. So you can hit Victory Hex
button any time you wish set ownership and victory and then hit again victory
button to go on setting only ownership. To reset some deploy hexes for a
player:
1. go
to a hex set as deployment for that player
2. hit
on Deploy button (same icons as in game editor)c
3. click
RIGHT mouse button while holding Ctrl key on every hex you want to clear.
Ctrl+Right
works also to clear names and terrain (it sets terrain type to "0
CLEAR")
ü New
option to copy/paste road settings on Map View. Ctrl+R copies and
Ctrl+LeftClick pastes.
ü Units
can be moved also by dragging to a new position (move mouse while pressing left
mouse button)
ü New
Allow Stack switch, to define if a unit can be placed into an occupied
hex (stacking) or no, when moving or pasting. Of course you can always do it
manually by setting same coordinates to several units, but to do by moving a
unit into an hex already occupied, you need to set the new switch ON
ü Updated
to latest 202 Patch release.
·
mountain movement for units
·
response attack for units with transport
·
weight for transports and transported units
ü You
can copy any item to a clipboard, to later paste replacing any other. When you
remove an item, you really Cut the item, so it is available on the clipboard.
When pasting, equipment code is not changed using this method.
ü New
options to add, remove or invalidate items:
·
You can add items (append at the end) or insert item
(before selected) and it will create
new item as a clone or just empty, depending how you set the new Add Mode
toggle. When Appending (either clones or empty) you will be asked for how many
items you want.
·
Invalidate item is also available (just empties the
item) so no order is changed
To
do easy I've provided small buttons on top of equipment list.
ü Importing
items from external e-file (source) into our current e-file (destination) has
now 3 choices
·
Add selected item on source to destination, as new
codes at the end of the current file
·
Replace a range of items with those selected on source
file. Only data will be replace, current codes will be kept.
Sample: if you select 20 item on source file and select item code 300 on
destination (current), then current items between 300 and 320 will be replaced
by data from source file.
·
Update a range of selected items on source file. It
means that those items matching equipment source code with current items will
be replaced and those items not existing yet, will be added.
Sample: if you select items from 3000 to 3100 on source file, but your current
equipment has only 3020 items then items 3000-3020 will be replaced with source
data, and 80 nw items will be added.
ü New
equipment sorting abilities by sound MEL file.
ü I've
removed "Global equipment cost changes" as this functionality can be
made actually using "Global Equipment Changes..."
To do just add '%' (a percent sign) at the end of the cost field.
What
is a GAME SET ? As you know SCENARIO,
USERSCEN, SAVE, Equip97, ... are folder names and file names defined inside the
PG2 executable. The game looks for those folders and files to load all the data
it needs. So if we change which is inside the executable we could have
different folders and files to play without inter-acting each other.
This
is what I call a GAME SET, a specific copy of the patch V-2.0 game file (of
course renamed different than PGUK2000.exe) holding all that info the game needs to seek for files and to load them.
What
is for ?
The
main idea is to have a different SET for each e-file you use, avoiding multiple game installation or moving files
when you want to play camps for a
different e-file. Now you can make and edit GAME SETS from the Suite. In
order to let the Suite know which SET you want to use, and so load the proper
files, you can tell it to read settings from an executable. This is a new and I
think very powerful feature, but you have to get used of how it works. If you
don't define any GAME SET, standard folder and files will be used.
All
SETS share MAP folder which is by far the bigger and more time consuming to update. You can define all folder and
files different or you can share some of them - usually NANEMS and MISC and
probably PANZER2.dat -
Let's
use an example, imagine I use very
often Adler e-file but I like also to play
Pacific,
CN2, Baltic, LG, Puma's, ....campaigns, so I would make a different SET for
each one.
So
for Adler (A2K) game set I would have:
Ø
an executable, let's say A2K-PG200.exe
Ø
a folder acting as standard SCENARIO, let's say
SCEN_A2K
Ø
a folder acting as standard SAVE, let's say xA2K
Ø
a folder acting as standard USERSCEN, let's say
USER_A2K
(only necessary if you plan to use in game scenario editor)
Ø
equipment file acting as standard EQUIP97 , let's say
A2K_EQP.eqp and WA2K_EQP.txt
Ø
all other aux files acting as standard GUI97, MISC,
NAMES, A2K_Gui.txt (as I surely need different countries) Misc.txt and Name.txt
the graphics data file, could be panzer2.dat
or a couple of copies with different flags.
As
the executable can be configured to use all those settings you can have as many
SETS as different e-files you want to play with. When configuring the SET you
can create the folders and files you want to define into the SET.
There
is a separate document explaining step by step how to configure a Game Set.