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Post by Major Pain on Aug 18, 2014 7:36:15 GMT 1
I am very impressed with the work on the Chevys thus far. I hope you guys get a lot of use from them.
I am also very touched by the level of support your guys have given me. Thank you.
I took Saturday and Sunday to relax some and regroup a little. I had overdone it by trying to catch up on my work and could not move when I woke Saturday morning.
By Saturday afternoon I was up and walking about, but my wife urged me to relax and not sit at my desk as usual. We watched some movies and played with the Grandkids who came by to see me. They even took me out in the yard to watch them jump on the trampoline. So, being the proud papa... I climb my way onto the trampoline... big mistake... I could not get on my feet and probably a good thing... or I'd be in trouble real quick.
After they jumped around me for several minutes, my wife caught us and yelled for them to quit jumping. So while I laid there unable to move, they sat around me and we just talked for about an hour. I would not have traded that hour for anything. They helped me get off the trampoline and back to the house... well as much as these very young kids could do. Holding my arms and hands they walked along like they were protecting me from some terrible monster. These 6 kids, my little heros.
Sunday was a family day where my 5 kids and 15 of the 19 grandkids came out for a visit and dinner. This is my true legacy and I cherish each and every one of them. So I have done my part to populate the planet. I told my wife we have done mankind a dis-service... by throwing all of these self-dependant and very opinionated scoundrels into the world. She agreed, but said but they are our scoundrels.
Ok... so now I have rested and bored. I'm working on the Fords and Africa Theater CMPs. I hope to put these up tomorrow sometime. I'll work for a couple of hours or as long as I can, then resume in the morning.
One of the things that I have tried to do is give players some options with these pre-war trucks. The UK Fords include 3 tons with the cabs and doors removed, some include some weapons; Bofors, Bredas, MGs, etc. The period in the African Theater did not include CMPs and mainstay production models like the Matador and Bedfords in the beginning. Those began to arrive early on but the old Chevys and Fords were used on the front line until they were destroyed or the theater was secured for the Allies. As well, these same models were found in France, Greece, Belgium, and Germany. The German's adopted the V3000s based on the 1940-41 Ford Cab and Chassis, built in Cologne by Ford Werke. So Fords were all over battlefields during the duration of the war.
Most people don't know that the Opel Blitz was originally a GMC/Chevy. Because Opel was owned by General Motors, USA, the decision by Germany to create OpelWerk in Brandenburg created a situation where GMC, USA was investigated by the US Congress to find out if GMC was complicit with Germany by building German war goods and vehicles which would be a traitorous action against the Allied Forces. Both Ford and GMC were able to distance themselves from the German Government at the time, but questions still remain as the debate continues today.
Nevertheless, part of what I hope to do bring a little history lesson with my work so you may appreciate the represented models for what they are and were at the time. By the time world had found itself in another World War, large corporations had made the world much smaller with manufacturing facilities across the continents. What we learned is as as much as we were different, we were much the same.
I seem to have Wittman studying hard these days... I suppose that is a good thing if someone is moved to learn from my words.
But I take no credit for the three treasures... I am only the messenger... lol...
Still hurts to laugh...
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2014 8:29:05 GMT 1
Major Pain. I will never tire of reading all their post, they are loaded with messages and wisdom. I liked it, really.
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Folgore
General
(Once) BK Translator
Posts: 1,431
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Post by Folgore on Aug 18, 2014 10:45:39 GMT 1
MP, I have made some Italian acks for the Missione Africa mod of Jagged Steel. This is the link for downloading the acks: 1drv.ms/1uM9FexUse them as you like P.S. My compliments for your grandsons
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Post by Major Pain on Aug 18, 2014 12:53:44 GMT 1
Thanks Folgore... I'll be sure to tell them you gave them a thumbs up. Also thanks for the ACK files... I'll put them to good use on my next Italian Release.
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Post by Major Pain on Aug 19, 2014 8:27:07 GMT 1
The question has been asked in the Chat Section about the Unit Commands. Remember, the Commands contains the BINARY/OCTAL codes for each OBJECT. Ok Students: Let's look at how this works for a moment to refresh everyone's memory: We use Binary/Octal Codes to create values. An OCTAL contains eight sets of binary numbers, each is a Octal string. Remember Binary Code? Binary strings or numbers use ZEROS and ONES (0 - 1) to create a value within the OCTAL. Your Computor is quite at home with Binary codes by the way. Think of a row of 8 lightbulbs. Some will be turned on, represented by the 1, others will be off, represented by 0 (ZERO). This row of 8 lightbulbs is our OCTAL. OCTAL translates to mean 8. The top Octal Example shows all of the bulbs off. Notice the numbers below the bulbs. Each of the Bulbs has a location, which corresponds to a on/off status and a value. Note the Values for a moment. These Values are added to create the OCTAL NUMBER. You can see how this works in the bottom Octal Example. You also see the Binary Number just above it. In a nut shell, The BINARY NUMBER 10110001 is equal to the OCTAL NUMBER 177. I'm not going to go into the mathematics on how you convert the numbers back and forth. You math whizzes already know how this works and most of you learned it in High School; Sophomore, perhaps Freshman Year. If you took Computer Science, this was in the very first section of the text. Ok, did I lose some of you? QUESTION: So why is this important to Blitzkrieg? ANSWER: Because in the infinite wisdom of the game engine programmers, they used a lot of Binary Numbers in Octal Form. This is especially the case in every object in the game. What would you think if I told you that each one of the Binary Locations represents a different command? Can you see quickly how this can be applied in the game? You can program 8 different commands, then convert it to the Octal Number and the Game Engine can understand exactly what you want your tank to do. But, we don't have only 8 commands.... so what to do? We need more Octals so we can program every command. In all, there are 64.... If you're up on your math, you have figured out we need 8 Octals. Several years ago I was pretty frustrated with having to use the Resource Editor to calculate commands for tanks and trucks. i started to look at the code and fairly quickly discovered that the numbers were Octals. Since my computer background in the 1970s was very much based on Binary Code, the Machine Code, I knew I had a solution at hand to calculate the commands. But I still had to figure out what codes were used in each placement of each Octal. But after looking at the various codes provided to us by NIVAL... I found the answers I needed. So after Accumulating all of the data I needed, I decided to create a Command Calculator so I could quickly work out the Command Octals without having to use the Resource Editor. So here it is: In the image you can instantly understand which command exist in an Octal and the exact location. The Calculator uses the data you enter to calculate your entire Command Octals. Let's look at the Command Octals: <Type>arm_medium</Type>
<AIClass>track</AIClass>
<Commands Size="51"> <BitArray> <item data="15"/> <item data="67"/> <item data="0"/> <item data="0"/> <item data="128"/> <item data="32"/> <item data="4"/> </BitArray> </Commands>
<Exposures Size="0"> <BitArray/> </Exposures>
Notice how I have separated each line down to the <item data = ""/> This is important so you can quickly glance at the code to determine if it is working correctly. No doubt, after learning my system and calculator, you will be able to read it quickly. So let's talk about this for a moment. The <Type>xxxxxx</Type> works hand in hand with the values you use. Some types will not perform some commands. Don't worry about trying some combinations, I have tried to break this code for years, but it is HARD-CODED in the game engine. I hope to one day exploit this code and make some serious changes but the time is not here yet. So whether your type is a trn (Truck) or arm_medium (Tank), this 'type' will open certain commands in the Master Database, which is basically a Look-UP Table. Each command is Listed as to what 'Type' can use that command. You can entrench a TRN (Truck) unit for example, but it will not move for the rest of the game... it is stuck... so I would not suggest this command for those types. Armor cannot resupply or repair... just doesn't work... You cannot program aircraft to do anything other than fly under AI control. But the Type determines the type of Aircraft; ground attack, fighter, scout, etc... So these Octals serve absolutely no purpose for aircraft. Again... a HARD-CODED thing we must live with until that magic day changes everything. Ok look at the AIClass: Here again, some AIClasses will not perform some Commands... so by now you're thinking the deck is stacked. But don't be frustrated, yet. Now look at the Command Size. The value you enter here defines exactly what kind of unit this will be. 51 is usually a tank, spg or infantry... or any unit that is armed and defined as arm_light or arm_medium. This includes for example the (M3) M16 GMC AA halftracks. basically this is a truck, but it is used for AA defense. When you assign it "51"... it loses the ability to tow a gun or resupply. These commands will not co-exist in a single unit. But it will carry infantry... if it is designed to do so. The BK model did not carry infantry, and it might look odd having a bunch of guys hanging out of the halftrack as the gun turret rotates... more on this later. Ok... lets look at the Octal Data below in the <item data = "" /> Count the Octals and you will only find 7, not 8. Why is this? Whenever you have a zero for the OCTAL NUMBER, there is no data given to the model in that OCTAL. If the last few OCTALS are zero, they are not required for the model. The game engine and the code understands only the data you supply is to be used. Some models might use 4 or 5 OCTALS, others might need 6 or 7. I cannot remember ever seeing one that used all eight.\ If you are reading ahead of me... you might have already begun to understand how these commands are compiled into the OCTAL NUMBER. We calculate the BINARY NUMBER and change it to the OCTAL NUMBER. The Game Engine converts it back to a BINARY NUMBER. Pretty slick way to throw code breakers off the trail. You have the advantage of my years of blood, sweat and hair pulling, so you do not have to repeat the dreary work of solving all of this. The Calculator does it all for you. Let's quickly look at our Model for a minute and see how the commands break down. Some of you may have already been making notes and have the answers. Here is the Calculator with Commands for our tank Populated: Notice the Yellow Circles. Your Bit Array has been calculated based on the Commands you have entered. The Exposure Size only applies to Vehicles that carry infantry and artillery so you only need to enter: <Exposures Size="0"> <BitArray/> </Exposures>
What should be obvious to you now is how the Commands are placed and added to the OCTAL NUMBER. These Commands are hard-coded and cannot be re-assigned... (just wanted to get that out there to answer the question for the guy that wants to ask it.) So there you have it... my Calculator will save you many long days and headaches... So go download it and try it out. www.mediafire.com/view/0lipwx22b418cx6/BK_COMMAND_CALCULATOR_(BETA_RELEASE)_v1.02x_(BETA).xlsxNote: The above link works with Microsoft Office Excel 2007. If you need a Excel 2003 version, email me and I'll provide it.Questions can always be presented to me here, or by PM/Email. I don't have all of the answers..... (yet). But I sure will try to assist you any way I can. Some of the most interesting questions over the years have lead to more research which gave way to more knowledge. So don't be afraid to ask... there is no such thing as a dumb question unless you did not read this entire post... Just kidding... we all started at day one... and had to learn from there. I am only trying to provide a fast track so you gain years of knowledge in a short time span. Thank you for your time and interest on this subject. The Major
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Post by Major Pain on Aug 19, 2014 9:24:16 GMT 1
To follow up the previous post, I thought I might share a little of my philosophy about units in the game. Let's consider trucks for a minute: I build my models to replicate as close as possible the real thing. I used to get bored looking at the same model trucks all over the map in my army. So one of my things is to offer trucks in varying states; Canvas Up, Stake bed, Open Bed (no stakes), flat bed, etc... At least there is some variety on your map when you use the different models. It gives it a little more flavor, or eye candy perhaps. But that really is not the purpose of this post... In my mind, Cargo/Troop Carriers are the same thing. My offerings might give you some options, but the StakeSide does exactly what the canvas-up (CARGO) does. Carries Infantry and Resupplies... Now we all know that you cannot get a squad into the back of a Cargo Truck and still have a bunch of supplies still in there. So this is a stretch that I have forgiven myself for. This is clearly two different roles, but to save a little on the logistics, it just makes sense to combine these functions. If you disagree with my argument, then please let me know. I could change my mind and demand each function on these trucks is purpose built. But that is perhaps opening the lid on pandora's box... and we all know where that led. You'd have Cargo/Supply Trucks serving as the logistics and Troop Carriers hauling infantry. My god... that's is going to require a lot of trucks. I have not even talked about towing guns, but this is on purpose... so stay with me for a bit. Ok... moving on to Medical Trucks and Ambulances. Ok here are the guys that treat the wounded and get them back into action. Wow, if it really worked that way it would have been weird. So this goes to Infantry R&R. In my mind, these trucks should perhaps also provide Reinforcement Infantry... not Cargo/Troop Carriers. My Ambulances usually will carry a squad, which reduces their heal time, but if that ambulance is also bringing you more people... then the trucks has a real value and purpose. Originally, BK was to include Moral and a better Ambulance Purpose. Your officers would have more value to increase Moral. But sadly, both of the functions were not completed and included. So my argument is Medical Trucks should be given this role exclusively.. Heal and bring replacement Infantry. So this is a purpose based truck. Engineers: here we go.... There were several kinds of Engineers. How many of you have long thought that our current Engineer System is overworked? I suggest a change of mindset. Engineers that repair are one thing, Engineers that lay or remove mines is something else. And then there is that dig trench and set up barb wire. So we have basically three different types of functions going on in one truck. Let's explore for a minute: Construction Engineers: Repair Buildings, Bridges, Depots, etc... trenches and wire obstacles Maintenance Engineers: Recovers and Repairs Vehicles (TRV based vehicles) Mining Engineers: Removes and Lays Mines Combat Engineers (and Sappers): Elite Combat Units - special functions; demolition/rigging explosives, securing advance base camps. Each of these are clearly different functions... I would like to hear your thoughts. Some minor tweaking makes all of the necessary functions fall into a specific mission. Ok... in my mind, a truck is a truck is a truck. Why is it that only a cargo truck can tow a gun within its weight requirement? All of the trucks have hitches or should have. They usually have the same specs as their other purpose built trucks. So would we not use an Engineer Truck to tow a gun. Surely the gun crew can find a place to sit. Or perhaps it is a captured gun... would we leave it sitting there if the Engineer or medical trucks was able to tow it back? So usually, my trucks designed for specific purposes will tow a gun. The exception is a truck used as a arm_light or armored car. But even armed trucks can resupply and tow guns, if you maintain the 'trn' type. They can attack, swarm, and do most of what their armed counterparts can do.... What they cannot do is entrench. But why would you entrench a truck... especially a soft-skin? It should shoot and scoot unless it is providing cover for infantry and it has a heavy MG. So, again, think about this a bit and let me know what you think. I don't intend suggest we should overhaul the entire command function system, but I do believe we can improve what we have. As a community, we will likely never reach a consensus, but it is worth the discussion. It would sure place a lot more emphasis on Logistics, Repair and Medical functions in a map. If we borrow some code from the TDA Series, we can include tankers and fuel... oh no... the Major has done lost his mind and jumped into the deep end boys... Just think about it... and lets talk...
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Post by keepitsimple on Aug 19, 2014 19:46:08 GMT 1
My thought on trucks:
The split as implemented in Mission Kursk, trucks can only resupply but not re-enforce a squad while medical trucks can re-enforce a squad. As mapper I like this, because it gives the possibility to control to some extend the number of infantry the player has. In the early days, with small maps it might have made sense to put all functions into a truck. With large maps this roles can easily be split.
This division of labor is course also a good idea for engineering trucks. With the Willy Jeep series we of course already experimented with this, having a repair jeep that can only repair. Others could only remove mines. Again as mapper I like that player is prevented from laying a large minefield (making a counter attack stop short in its tracks). Furthermore, it looks strange that a small jeep can build a bridge as easily as AEC Marshall.
So I can only endorse this idea.
Heavy trucks in the role of construction engineers. TRV for maintenance. Mining remove can be done by light vehicles (the engineer not the truck does the work). For the laying of mines you need a payload so again more for medium and heavy trucks.
Finally, engineer vehicles should be able to tow and carry (a limit) amount of infantry. As implemented in jeep series.
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generalhw
Zastavnik 1. klase
can do mod and mapping but no more
Posts: 85
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Post by generalhw on Aug 20, 2014 4:43:47 GMT 1
MP what's the model in this pic? when opel blitz was used in the german army? what trucks were used in the germans in Spain?
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dragonwolf
Pukovnik
Howling with delight!
Posts: 363
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Post by dragonwolf on Aug 20, 2014 6:04:44 GMT 1
I agree with keepitsimple on the engineering trucks.
So I'll speak on the healing vehicles.
The jeep ambulance should only be able to heal, . . . not resupply infantry. The truck ambulance should be able to heal and resupply infantry to a certain extent, perhaps a 1/2 squad or squad. Field hospitals should be able to heal and resupply perhaps 2 or 3 squads, a platoon maybe. Building hospitals are another matter altogether. Perhaps resupplying up to a company, . . . if you want to go that large, . . . or maybe leave it up to a script. I'm not sure how I would implement them.
Ciao, John
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Post by Major Pain on Aug 20, 2014 11:33:33 GMT 1
MP what's the model in this pic? when opel blitz was used in the german army? what trucks were used in the germans in Spain? The trucks in the Image are most definitely 1940 Chevrolets, based on the very same Chevy WB of LRDG fame. But these are Long Wheel base and likely the WD models from 1940. The issue is how did they get to Spain? I did a little research on this to try to hunt down the answer. In 1939-1940, DAF, a Dutch Truck Builder was building both Chevrolet and Ford Bodied (Trado) Trucks on Ford 1.5 ton Chassis. The German Air Ministry had contracted with (or Forced) DAF to supply hundreds of Chevrolet 1.5 ton Trucks, and many of these were sent to Spain. Some of these were assembled in the Cologne Factory. These were Hybrid Chevrolets since they were on a Ford Chassis, and likely had the Chevy VD cab, not the WD cab. Note: V = 1939 / W = 1940 / D = 158.5 inch "Long Wheel base with Dual Rear Wheels". Most of the DAF trucks were 4x6. The best that I can find out about the photo is it is from a July/August 1940 Victory Parade, which was after the Spanish Civil War had ended (1939) and Franco had assumed power. Another theory on many of the Spanish Chevrolets is these were US built trucks from the 1939 Contract with the French Government, again 1940 WD model trucks, because the contract was dated July 1939. The production would have begun after the 1940 Models were ready. When France fell to the Germans in June 1940, the Vichy Government became the legal government in France, and the Contract was kept in place. Churchill in Britain took exception to the US Contract with the Vichy Government and ordered the shipment seized and diverted to Egypt in late June 1940. The ships carrying the trucks were under a French Flag. The ships were once more seized by the Vichy controlled Fleet and unloaded at a Spanish Port where the trucks were turned over to Spanish Forces. This is part of the ongoing mystery in the early part of WW2. The Germans never produced the Chevrolet WB or WD models. General Motors had refused to provide tooling to OpelWerk for post 1937 Chevrolet Trucks. While the 1937 Chevrolet models did influence the Opel 'S' Series known as the Blitz, it was the Chevy WB/WD that truly inspired the "S". If you look closely at the cab styles, while not exact, you do see the similarities. The radiator grilles are quite different and only slight differences to front fenders. The Opel Blitz also benefitted from design work by Kruppe and Mercedes and was 'purpose designed' for the German Army. It was however, American Tooling and Assembly Plant technology that truly made it possible for the German Truck Companies to leap forward in their production capabilities. You could make the argument that Germany stole Chevrolet Design, as they did Ford, although both companies were well positioned in Germany by 1937. Now back to your question for just a second. No doubt the trucks are all the same model and are with no reservation from me... the Chevy WD models. My money is these are US Built models which were the same trucks from the 1939 French Contract. There has been a lot of discussion over the years about these trucks, and most historians seem to lean that direction. I back this up with another fact from that period. Hitler was already planning Barbarossa in early 1940, and signed Directive Number 21 on December 18, 1940. It is my opinion that he would have not sent additional trucks built in Cologne to Spain, but kept these in the German stable. Transports were in short supply. He would have very likely instructed the Vichy French to unload the seized trucks in the closest friendly port (Spain) to prevent another seizure thus depriving England from their use in Africa. You must remember that the US was still Neutral and had not yet forced US Industry to not provide goods to the AXIS countries. For all intents and purposes, Spain was considered an Axis power in 1940 because of Franco's affiliation with Hitler and El Duce. There is no doubt that some of the Hybrid Chevy Trucks did find their way into Spain, but those in the image are not part of them. This is exactly why I began describing the prewar Trucks as a vital link between 1938 and 1941. Already in 1938, military conversation to civilian models were underway. But many civilian models were pressed into service in various countries. But is was well into 1940-41 before we began to see the Dodge WC models (1ton), Chevy 504 Series (1.5 ton), GMC CCKW (2.5 ton) and Studebaker US6 (2.5ton). German industry could not match the US and was always a generation behind with the 1939-40 Ford (V3000s) and Blitz "S" (1937-40 Chevrolet). Mercedes, Kruppe, Hanomag and the other Truck Builders only comprised a small part of the German production, where the Blitz and V3000S were the most produced. It must be noted that Hitler had immense respect for the US Auto Industry. He respected Henry Ford and wanted to not jeopardize American Tooling and production capabilities by directly seizing American Factories. This would have certainly sped up American involvement in Europe. He was very focused on keeping the US somewhat at bay while systematically taking all of Europe. Only the UK and Russia stood in the way of total control. He knew he had to accomplish swift victories over both before he could ever consider war with the US. His plan was to push the technological envelope before that War came and winning with a huge weapon advantage. Perhaps Hitler's biggest mistake came on December 11, 1941 when he declared war on the United States. It unleashed the total production and manpower of America. Before that day, Germany and the United States had been circling each other and conducting a proxy war. Hitler had rolled the dice and bit off more than he could chew.
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Post by Quintaxel on Aug 20, 2014 16:02:39 GMT 1
I agree with keepitsimple on the engineering trucks. So I'll speak on the healing vehicles. The jeep ambulance should only be able to heal, . . . not resupply infantry. The truck ambulance should be able to heal and resupply infantry to a certain extent, perhaps a 1/2 squad or squad. Field hospitals should be able to heal and resupply perhaps 2 or 3 squads, a platoon maybe. Building hospitals are another matter altogether. Perhaps resupplying up to a company, . . . if you want to go that large, . . . or maybe leave it up to a script. I'm not sure how I would implement them. Ciao, John Different roles for Engineering trucks is a game enhancement as it makes the game more interesting. Engineering trucks that are able to tow light artillery makes sense. Trucks should not be able to entrench. I always did find it strange that trucks can pick up reinforcements from just any kind of depot. I would be better if there were two kind of depots. One to pick up ammo and stuff needed for repairs and another type (tents, special buildings) where trucks can pick up reinforcements. I have no idea if it is feasible to create different kind of resupply depots. I agree with Dragonwolf that ambulance should only be able to reset (heal) the health points to infantry. So the ambulance treats the wounded, fixes them, so they can get back into action. Personally I do not like the idea of ambulances that carry troops to the front. I see this not as the role of the Red Cross. Maybe ambulances should be treated as neutral units, again should this be technically possible.
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Post by Major Pain on Aug 20, 2014 20:05:17 GMT 1
Quin... your thinking is much the same as mine.
Ambulances are only front line trucks in the regard they pickup wounded and relocate them to the rear. i agree they should not be used to transport troops to the front. As to them becoming a neutral vehicle, there is not a way to handle this within the basic game engine. It could be scripted however. But it would require a hefty chunk of code which both identifies and tracks these vehicles. So that does not seem to be a good option.
Let's talk about real life war for a minute. For all of the Rules of the Geneva Convention, Ambulances were suppose to be Neutral and not attacked. Under the rules, Armies were not permitted to transport armed troops anywhere in a theater. Medics were not permitted to carry even sidearms and no weapons were permitted to be stored on any Medical Transport. Medical Facilities were permitted to allow the presence of Security Staff on the grounds. Hospital Ships were allowed to have Security Staff on Board.
Ok, we know that not all of these rules were followed by all of the Warring parties.
Ambulances were in fact attacked by Enemy Forces. Sometimes they were directly attacked, most of the time without just cause. So what would be a just cause? If you know that they Enemy Ambulance is carrying Armed Troops, using the Ambulance as a decoy or Trojan Horse, then it was no longer considered an Ambulance. Would an attack warrant such attack? No, but it does not prevent an attack and the way the issue is handled is different.
So how could any army know if ambulances were being properly used by the enemy? There really was no sure-cut way to know. So every medical Truck was already suspect and likely captured or attacked.
For the purposes of the game, we really do not have unarmed soldiers so the idea of unarmed wounded does not exist. This means all medical vehicles are already suspect. The AI is not going to reach a Gentlemen's Agreement with you by not attacking Medical Units, so you'd be playing by that rule alone. Although, Multiplayers could have this agreement. But human nature being what it is... someone would violate the rule and use the Trojan Horse tactic.
This is why I didn't try to add a layer of conditions on medical trucks. They have the ability to heal wounded within a radius, defined in the const.xml. Past that, they are only a truck, same as most every other truck. Because healing is the only mission they are given by design, I thought this should be expanded to provide for all Life Roles, including Reinforcement troops. Consider these recovered wounded or reconstituted soldiers perhaps.
Look at the code from the const.xml:
<TransportAndResupply MainStorageHealingSpeed="50" ResupplyRadius="640" TransportRuCapacity="35000.0" <----------- This is the total capacity of a transport truck (in RU). TransportLoadTime="3000" TransportLoadRuDistance="400" ResupplyOffset="200" ResupplyBalanceCoeff="0.0000001" ResupplyMaxPathLenght="232.0" SoldierRUPrice="3500.0" <------------- This is the cost (in RU) of a Soldier from ResupplySoldier TakeStorageOwnershipRadius="300" MedicalTruckHealRadius="1000" MedicalTruckHealPerUpdateDuration="0.5" LandDistance="50">
By simply changing the SoldierRUPrice you can change the number of soldiers a truck can supply. In the code it allows 10 soldiers from any single transport truck.
In my mind, the cost should be much higher, but still within the trucks capability to resupply at least a artillery crew. The gun crew is usually set at 3, so 3 seems like a reasonable number to me.
So the Soldier RU Cost can be quickly determined by taking the Transport Capacity and dividing by 3. 35000/3 = 11666 <---- we cannot round up or the number allowed becomes 2. So ----> SoldierRUPrice="11666.0"
This limits how many troops a truck can supply. This also does not interfere with a gun crew climbing on-board when the weapon is towed.
One thing I should note:
Depending on the BK Version- When a gun has a crew, and is towed by any truck, the crew automatically boards the truck. It does not matter if the truck is coded to carry troops. But... if the transport capacity is set to 10, and a gun crew is already on board and a gun towed, the 10 man squad will not board. So careful consideration should be used when setting transport levels. I usually set the levels to 13, which is the highest number in a US Marine Squad. Of course these are my designed squads and not the game default. US Army had 12-man Squads. Most other countries used 9 or 10, as in the game default.
Squire James would be the expert that I would listen to on the UK and the Commonwealth Section Sizes.
As to a Ambulance having the ability to tow a artillery gun, this would be a violation of the Geneva Convention (GC) of course. But again, the AI does not consider an Ambulance anything more than an enemy unit and will attack it. So there is no foul here since the GC does not apply. This just puts the ambulance on equal footing with all other trucks.
We could reduce the number soldiers carried, short of a squad. This would require the player to Split the squad (disband). But this would require that all squads be checked to ensure they have been given Commands 35 (Disband) and 36 (Form) Formations. Not all have been given these functions, and those without cannot be changed.
Another aspect of Reconstituting Squads is how they are rebuilt after losses... the resupplyhumans code is command 44. Squads without the officer cannot be rebuilt. They can however be absorbed into another squad if they are disbanded first. Usually the Officer is the last unit to be killed in a squad, so this does not present an issue in most cases. The AI does not look for the Officer first, although the Morale Code which was not added, did in fact hunt to kill the Officer first. The loss of the Officer deeply affected the fighting condition of the squad because two things were at play... morale and cohesion. Both of these are found in the un-used code.
These functions could be added back in with a change to the game.exe, but since I'm not sure why the decision was made to not use the code, there may be other issues in the code that led to that decision. Perhaps it was just buggy and needed more time to sort out. Perhaps it just did not function as designed.
Rule of Thumb:
Command Size = 44, this is a truck that will supply soldiers.
Command Size = 40 means it is only a basic transport, that may or may not tow guns. Command Size = 52 is an ambulance (heal Infantry).
Command Size = 48 is an Repair Vehicle (Engineer).
Command Size = 51 is a tank, SPG or Infantry - basically an attack unit.
Command Size = 46 is Artillery and sometimes SPG if it uses the 1.mod, 2.mod and 3.mod.
Command Size = 50 is a command vehicle or stand alone officer - this can also be applied to a Headquarters or Command Section or Squad... basically a small officer squad.
Changes to Engineer Trucks can be handled in the Command Size codes by referring to the Command Calculator above. Specific Command Functions can be grouped by type of Engineering Vehicle.
The tow command is pretty straight forward. In order to tow a gun, the vehicle must have two commands - Command 32 to (Take Artillery -Hook) and Command 33 (Deploy Artillery - Unhook). Notice the commands are next to each other as to the Commands, but they are not within the same Octals. See below. If the Command 33 is not given, the truck cannot unhook the gun.
Carrying Infantry: This code requires a bit more work to function correctly. It requires Command 6 to Unload Infantry in the Command Size Octals. But we also need to add Command 5 (Load) to the Exposure Size 1st Octal.
The Command Size Octals only apply to anything that Unit can do. The Exposure Size Octals apply to anything that can be done to a unit. The Load Command is an example of this. The Infantry is given the Load Command, and the Truck is given the unload command. In a nutshell, the code allows the truck to be loaded, which is an Exposure and not a function of the truck. This has to be very clear.
If you give the truck the Command 5, it will try to load onto other units, including buildings. This is a crash generating condition forcing an exception code 44. My Research tells me that this can be changed in the game.exe. The by-product of this would be vehicles that could be towed by Recovery vehicles, something we have long discussed. One other requirement is needed... adding a front hook locator on any unit that can be towed. A change in the code opens Command 57 which becomes Take Vehicle instead of Capture Artillery. So the code changes on the unit that can be towed by adding the Command 5 (Load) in the Exposure Octal and the Recovery vehicle by adding Command 57 (Take Unit). I have looked for the key on this for a long time and just recently discovered the direct link.
If you look at the unique ability of trains, they alone have the capability to be towed by a unit and to tow another unit. This is because they have both a tow point on the rear and a hook point on the front. Only the tow point is listed in the top level values in the 1.xml. You have to drill down to the end of the xml code to find the hook point. By simply adding the hook point, it makes the unit possible to be towed. But we need another code to make that possible. We only have to study Artillery Commands to see the link.
We also need to add Command 32 (Take Artillery) to the towed vehicle Exposure 4th Octal. This gives the unit the ability to be towed. In effect, a Truck could be towed and be towed. Tanks and SPG could be given the same Commands but there would require an override in the game.exe to remove a conflict between Command 28 (Entrench) and Command 32 (Take Artillery). The section of Binary Code within the game.exe controls the conditions as to what Unit TYPES Commands will be permitted. The TYPE conditions override the Command Codes. So that is where the conflict resides when Units do not operate as programmed.
I have long thought that we could add additional unit TYPES. It seems this possible and it is logical. This could open the door for new TYPES like TRV/ARV vehicles and Amphibious vehicles. The Code that controls the Water Layer prevents units from moving. So a new code must be inserted that allows travel across that layer. i use the term layer because each terrain object resides within a layer. This is why certain terrain objects appear on top of other objects. Water is on the 1st terrain layer which is generally not a passable terrain type. This is where some of the terrain tiles reside which prevent travel as defined within the Terrain Code. Water resides in the same layer and defaults to a not passable condition. So consider this Layer 0.
2D Objects reside on the 6th Layer; and the 7th layer is all 3D models. Levels 8 and 9 are the Sky, aircraft dominion. Level 8 and 9 are required because Shell Sprites can only obtain layer 8, as in the case of Long Range Artillery, but they also can be found in layers 5, 6 and 7. Buildings are generally found on layer 5. Roads and most terrain tiles reside on Layer 1 or 2. Layer 3 are the terrain objects like ridges, cliffs, rocks, boulders, etc... the indestructible objects. layer 4 is where you find the simple Objects like Flora and destructible objects.
Layer 0 = Base and Water 1 = Terrain/Roads 2 = Roads/Bridges 3 = Indestructible Terrain Objects 4 = Simple Objects 5 = Buildings 6 = 2D Sprites, Infantry, Static Units 7 = 3D Models; tanks, trucks, etc... 8 = Sky, low level - Artillery Shells/Aircraft (GA, Fighters, Scouts) 9 = Sky, top level - Aircraft only (Bombers, Para, Special)
So changing the 1st layer is possible to allow Water Travel, but the new Unit Type would reside in Layer 7, a 3D Model Class.
Another aspect that I have considered is all Engineering Vehicles would be changed to the new TYPE: TRV/ARV. This removes them from the TRN Type, which makes it possible to change the TRN_Support definition.
There is much to consider.
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Post by Quintaxel on Aug 20, 2014 21:21:33 GMT 1
... TransportRuCapacity="35000.0" <----------- This is the total capacity of a transport truck (in RU). ... SoldierRUPrice="3500.0" <------------- This is the cost (in RU) of a Soldier from ResupplySoldier ... Quite an interesting post Major and indeed a lot to consider. You refer total capacity of a transport truck (in RU). What does RU stand for ?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2014 22:04:16 GMT 1
Uuuffff ... Thank you very much, good work Major Pain. Much level here, I go to my tranquil thread. A greeting.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2014 1:09:48 GMT 1
Great! I'm working on the Chevv's but slow pace.. I have to admit to you gentlemen, I have no words. I'm checking both mods. Major Pain, like the skins of Vonosten, and I am enjoying as a little boy, I intusiasmado with these beauties. Congratulations my friends and a big hug.
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