Official SEOW

Hi Guys
First of all, apologies if this is in the wrong place - just move it and I will post anything similar to the same place.

[1] Would someone explain how supply and control points are placed on the map and what their purpose is and how they work? (I've got as far as the red and white and blue and white poles lol).

[2] Say I have a campaign that I want to start at 12:00and I want to set up missions in the MP.
Do I have to put all of the aircraft, artillery, vehicles etc. in the correct places on the map via FMB and have them not moving and set the time to 11:00. Then initialise the campaign. That way MP will start at 12:00 and I can do things or have I got it completely wrong. I could do with a brief list of steps to do to set up a campaign (I am very conversant with FMB and can get the map sql into the database etc. no problem - used EasyPHP and MySQL for years.

[3] Once an object has stopped - cann it be given waypoints to move again at any time in the campaign or is it a one-off movement only?

Any help appreciated.


Many thanks.

docattak

Hi docattak,

No apologies needed for your questions. Your questions are all good and it is the only way to learn! You might also drop in at SEOW HQ TS server and chat to people like Brandle or Warg or me.

Answers:

(1) Supply Points are locations on the map where units can leave the sector and reinforcements can come into the sector. Reinforcements produced through industrial production are auotmatically placed as reinforcements at the enarest Supply Points. The Resupply_Points table contains default Supply Point locations and designations for your sector. Since these definitions tend to influence the running of the campaign significantly, and may not suit all possible scenarios you might dream up, the Resupply_Points table is regarded as editable. That is, before you start your campaign you can change/add/delete your Resupply_Points as you want. There are some simple rules to obey:
* Keep your Supply Point names reasonably short
* Every Ship and Air Supply Point must have a corresponding Ship or Air Withdraw point about 10 km away
* Follow the format, no blank records, no duplicates
* Keep them well away from airbases

Control Points are simply locations on the map that can be used to assess victory conditions. E.g. if you place a Control Point in Orel in the Kursk sector, then either side can capture it by moving a controlling force close enough to it. The Control Point icon on the MP sector view will change colour accordingly. You don't need any Control Points defined to run a campaign, but sometimes they can help commanders understand their orders. Again, the Control_Points table can be edited as you see fit.

(2) Basically you are correct. Build your template at the hour BEFORE your want to start flying in the campaign. Put everything where you want it to start the campaign. Follow the special rules about aircraft placement (no stationary planes, all in flights with LANDING waypoints at their respective bases, never use the 4th Squadron/Staffel of any air regiment). All other objects can be placed either as Stationaries or as Chiefs - it doesn't matter. In the version you have now Trains should be placed as Chiefs, once stopped they can't be started again. (The new version will have complete train functionality). I recommend that you try to place things as Stationaries, because that reduces the frame rate hit of having loads of moving vehicles/ships etc. Let the commanders move the units that they want when the campaign starts.

(3) SEOW campaigns are fully dynamic so, YES, you can stop and start your units many times over the duration of a campaign (except trains for now, as above). This is the essential point of SEOW: commanders are in charge of everything their forces do, where they are, where they go and what they do. For playability reasons, you may need to LIMIT the number of tanks/trucks/ships/planes moving in any one mission. The DCS allows you to manage this playability limitation very easily.

Cheers,
4Shades

I just love this - the squadron I am in can't wait for me to get something up and running (small at furst and then expand as I come to terms with how it all comes together.

Many many thanks for your detailed answers.

Cheers

docattak

Hey 4shades, how have you been?

I still don't understand the train part: so I have to set it up as chief, ok got that, but then I cannot set where I want it to come and go to?

Also, we are playing a Italy map where we are barely holding the allies off Genova. We are going to fly the first missions tonight but I am afraid the supply points in that map for the Axis side are all in terrain that is under Allied control. Is there a way to add supply points after the campaign is started? I am familiar with mysql and FMB, can I just add them to the table?

Thanks in advance mate!

Hi Rott, long time no see!

Yes, you can change/add/delete Supply Points at any time if you really want. Just edit the Supply_Points table. But make sure that you understand the relationship between the locations of your reinforcements (in Resupply_Replacements table) and the locations defined in the Resupply_Points table.

Trains: Train movement will be enabled in the NEXT release of SEOW. I am just waiting on some information to come in to solidify the new Object_Specifications table, then the release will be set free.

Cheers,
4Shades

Oooook will try to not break anything I am not sure I understand the difference but I am assuming that, since we have not had any reinforcements it should not be too hard to figure out.

I am having another problem now. I enabled the balloon on all fields but I think I will have to turn that off somehow. The airplanes (drones) are crashing on them on take off and/or landing because the balloons are spawning smack in the middle of the runway in some bases (L'Aquila comes to mind). In Limone, the siren is spawning in the middle of the runway and the aircraft are all spawning on the far left corner of it. Very odd. Do you think that could be a mapping bug?

Cheers!

Hi Rott,

You can disable balloons in the DCS.

There may be some Airbase Layout identification bugs for the Italy map. That is L'Aquila may have the wrong Airbase Type associated with it in the Airbases table of the DB. Let me know if you find a layout that works better.

I also noted that one airbase (forgot which, but up north) seems to cause *some* AI planes not to take off, just sit there idling forever. This seems to be a game bug (not SEOW).

Cheers,
4S

4Shades,

Are you sure they are idling and not sitting there with their engines inoperable? I re-run the mission files and observed what happens. The first aircraft tries to take off, hits the wire which renders the engines inoperable and seems to rip the baloon cable. I say "seems" because the cable is still there but no other aircraft hits it, even though they roll (on take off) right through it.

I still have to check the airfield layouts. One of the issues I can tell right away is that some of these grass fields are extra wide which makes some aircraft (stationary) to appear inside the "runway" the actual runway. I will get back to you on that

I have a couple of other questions but I will post in a different thread

Cheers!