Club Amiga de Montreal - CAM/CAM_CD_1.iso/files/416.lha/EnergionBattleSystem_v1.0/tutorial.doc

Text File | 1990-08-30 | 29KB | 769 lines

                             EBS User's Manual

                                 Section 5

                            Tutorials and Hints














































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5.1  Starting EBS for a Scenario  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    3
     5.1.1  Starting EBS from the Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    3
     5.1.2  Starting EBS from the CLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    3
     5.1.3  Loading a Scenario when EBS is Running  . . . . . . . . . .    3
     5.1.4  Initiating a Scenario Manually  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    3
     5.1.5  Setting up the Players  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    3
     5.1.6  Commanding Units  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    4

5.2  Defining New Maps  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    6
     5.2.1  Defining a Map from Scratch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    6
     5.2.2  Making a Composite Map  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    7

5.3  Designing Scenarios  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    8
     5.3.1  The Scenario Setting  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    8
     5.3.2  Designing the Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
     5.3.3  Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   10
     5.3.4  Strategies  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   10
     5.3.5  Testing your Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   11
     5.3.6  Saving your Scenario  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   11

5.4  Creating Startup Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   11

5.5  Configuring Menus  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   12





























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5.1  Starting EBS for a Scenario

     There are three ways to initiate a scenario in EBS:  double click on a
scenario icon, start from the command line with the scenario name as an
argument and load a scenario with EBS already started.

5.1.1  Starting EBS from the Workbench

     Starting EBS from the workbench is simple.  Choose the scenario icon
and double click on it.  EBS will be launched with the scenario selected.
If the scenario has been configured for automatic initiation, it will
initiate player setup as the first action.

5.1.2  Starting EBS from the CLI

     EBS takes the name of the scenario as an argument, thus the command:

          ebs scenarioname

launches EBS using the scenario named.  Again, if the scenario is configured
to initiate automatically, it will do so when it is loaded.  There are three
other types of filenames which can be provided as arguments to EBS, a map,
an EBS unit file or a configuration file.  Providing the appropriate
extension for each one is all that's required to get the correct file type
loaded.

     MAP:  ebs mapname.emap
     UNIT:  ebs unitname.ebs
     CONFIG:  ebs configname.cfg

5.1.3  Loading a Scenario when EBS is Running

     When EBS is already running, the following steps will load a new
scenario.

     1.  If there is anything loaded, select "Clear" from the main menu.
     2.  Select "Load" subitem "Scenario" from the main menu.
     3.  Select the name of the scenario you wish to run using the file
requester.

     If the scenario is configured to start automatically, it will do so
when it is finished loading.

5.1.4  Initiating a Scenario Manually

     If the scenario is not configured to start automatically, select
"Options" from the main menu, then select the option "SCENARIO" from the
options requester presented.  The scenario will initiate, using the options
selected under "Scenario" which is also on the main menu.


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5.1.5  Setting up the Players

     EBS maintains a list of players and the forces which they are
commanding.  When a scenario is initiated, it asks how many players there
will be.  Enter the number of players who will be entered.  It will then ask
for a player name and password for each of the players, using the EBS
standard string requester.  EBS will also request that each player confirm
the password.  Passwords are required for scenario play, but needn't be
anything complex!

     Once the names and passwords of each player have been entered, EBS will
present a list requester asking for the force to be commanded by each
player.  Since a player may command more than one force, it will continue to
present the requester over and over until the user selects "CANCEL"
indicating that all forces have been selected for that player.  It will then
proceed to the next player.  When all players have been entered, it will
again present the list requester, asking which force will be commanded
first.  It will open the player for that force automatically.  Further
changes in force commanded must be made using the "Open Player" option on
the "Display" menu for the command window.

     During play, each time a unit comes up for commands, EBS will pause and
print a list of the units which are ready to command for selection.  The
player can also list the units ready for command through the EBS script
command, or can tell by checking whether any of the command gadgets are
enabled in the command window.

5.1.6  Commanding Units

     During execution of a scenario, EBS conducts movement and combat by the
second, unless the TURNMINUTES option is selected from the Main Options
requester.  It refreshes the display of the current situation every time the
number of seconds specified in "refreshinc" which may be set from the EBS
Script language, or whenever the user is asked for decision making.

     Control of the program is handed to the user every time there are any
human-commanded units which are ready to receive instructions.  Make sure to
command all units which are ready, because you will not be presented the
opportunity until the next time that unit comes up for decision review.  It
is easy to determine if a unit is ready to command because the command
window and the command options will be disabled for any unit not ready to
command.  You can review facts about these units, however.  When the program
prompts the user for commands, it will list in the information window, if
that is open, all the units from all forces which are ready to command.
This list does not include units which are retreating.  Behavior of
retreating units is controlled totally by EBS.

     Command of EBS units involves three elements:  the unit's weapon and
target choice, the unit's destination, and the movement characteristics.
The most important part of this command phase is the movement definition.  A
unit will automatically attempt to return fire any time it receives any, but
it will not move without destination commands unless it is forced to

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retreat.  If you want it to sit in one place and fire only when fired upon,
leaving out the destination is alright.

     To set a target in EBS:

     1.  Click on the unit you wish to command.  If that unit is not in the
force currently logged for command, it will not become listed in the current
unit area of the command window.  If the unit does not become current, it
probably means you need to log yourself in as the current player and the
force you wish to command.  (Click on "FORC:" in the command window; select
the name of the force you wish to command; then enter your password when the
requester appears.

     2.  Once your unit is current, click on the unit you wish to target.
Nothing about the display in the command window will change, but the
available information about that unit should be displayed in the information
window.  You can click on other units until you are sure of your choice.

     3.  In the lower right hand area of the command window, click on the
gadget marked "CTGT" for "Current Target."  Each time you click on an enemy
unit marker during your command phase, that unit becomes the current target.
Clicking on "CTGT" sets the current target as the target of the current unit
(listed in the current unit area of the command window).  You can correct
any errors by selecting a new current target, then clicking on "CTGT" again,
or by using the "NEXT" and "PREV" gadgets in the command window.  To clear
the target for that unit, click on the "NONE" gadget.  No target selection
is final until you have begun execution of the next phase of combat.

     4.  Go on to the next unit.

     5.  Repeat until all your units have targets (if so desired).


     Setting destinations is quite straightforward:

     1.  Click on the unit you wish to command, making it the current unit.

     2.  Click on the location to which you wish it to go.

     3.  If there is a destination listed for that unit, click on the
destination gadget (last line of the current unit area of the command
window) twice, first to clear the destination, then to set the one you have
chosen.  If the line reads "No destination" click only once to set the
destination you have chosen.

     You can review your destination and target choices by selecting
"Targets" and "Destinations" from the "Display" menu or by selecting
SHOWDEST in the "CurrentMarker Options" requester and then clicking on each
unit you wish to review.

     The major movement characteristics must also be set.  Speed is
mandatory; all the others are optional.  If you set a destination, but a

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speed of zero, your unit will not move.

     Setting Speed:

          First Method:
          1.  Select the unit you wish to command.
          2.  Click on the "SPEED" gadget in the command window.
          3.  Enter the percentage of base speed you wish the unit to go as
     a percentage of base speed (100 = Normal; 200 = Rapid; 300 = Charge) in
     the command string gadget.

          Second Method:

          1.  Select a HQ unit as the current unit.
          2.  Choose "Set HQ Speed" from the "Commands" menu.
          3.  Enter the speed you wish that unit and all its subordinates to
     go in the string requester displayed.
          4.  The command window will display in its last two lines, "Unit
     unitname and subs, speed x."  This confirms that the speed has been
     set.


     The "Commands" menu will also allow you to instruct your unit to seek
the terrain with the most cover, or terrain which permits the greatest
speed.  It will also allow you to choose a unit to transport the current
unit.

     One further menu item you may wish to use is the "Target Chase" option
on the "Commands" menu.  If the current unit has a target selected, this
instructs EBS to automatically chase that target, correcting course as
necessary for its movement.  If the object of your movement is not to get to
a specific location, but to attack a particular unit, this is a good option.


5.2  Defining New Maps

5.2.1  Defining a Map from Scratch

     To define a new map, follow the following steps.

     1.  Using the "Edit" option from the main menu, open the edit window.
     2.  If the window is not configured to edit maps (if the window is
configured to edit maps, the word "Map" will appear in the title bar),
select "Map" from the "Edit" menu of the edit window.
     3.  If there is a list of map definitions loaded, and one of these is
similar to the one you wish to define, select that map for display in the
edit window either by working through the list of maps with the "<" and the
">" gadgets or by using the list requester.
     4.  Select the "NEW" gadget in the edit window.  If there is a map
already selected in the window, its values will be copied into the new map
definition as defaults and the name of the new map will be its name plus a
"-1".  If there was no map selected, such as when you are defining the first

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map in the list, the name will be "Newmap."
     5.  If you wish the size of your map to be less than the full size of
the screen (this is the first map defined), or different than the size of
the previous map (you copied from a previous defualt), select the "GADGET
SIZE" gadget in the lower portion of the edit window.  The edit window will
disappear, and you can select a portion of the visible screen for the
boundaries of your map.  Click in the upper left hand corner of the area you
wish to define, drag the mouse to the lower right hand corner and click
again.  This defines the area.
     6.  Select the item 'MULTIPLE' from the list of elements of the map.
Enter the number of centimeters in one of the units of measure you wish to
use for the map.  Then select the item 'UNIT' and type in the name of the
unit.  If you have defined any units of measure, you can simply select
'UNIT' and enter the name of one of those units.
     7.  Select the type of map you wish to have.  Further instructions are
separate by map type.

     Tactical (T):

     a.  Enter the length and width of the map in the unit you wish your map
     to use (using the unit specified for the map if you have selected
     'SCALED' from the edit menu or using centimeters otherwise.

     b.  Click on the gadget marked "MAP SCALE" to initialize all the values
     for your map correctly.

     Square (S):

     a.  Enter the length and width of the map in seconds of an arc.
     b.  Click on the gadget marked "MAP SCALE" to initialize all the values
     of your map correctly.

     Orange Peel (O):

     a.  Select the element 'SECTIONS' in the map edit window.

     b.  Enter the number of sections you want your map divided into.

     8.  Select "LOAD RAW" to load the appropriate graphics file for the
map, or use the internal drawing commands to create the graphics.  I do not
recommend drawing maps from scratch using the limited internal drawing
commands.  Any graphics program which can save its files in IFF format
(fortunately a practically universal feature for Amiga drawing programs)
will do for creating your graphics.

     9.  Make sure to save your map definition using the "Save Map" option
from the main menu.  The map definition is in a separate file with the
extension ".emap".

5.2.2  Making a Composite Map

     The "Reproject" option on EBS maps is a slow but powerful and flexible

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procedure, which allows creation of new, smaller maps from larger ones.  It
can also take a number of smaller maps and create a larger composite map
from them.  For scenario designers, this feature, and in fact all non-
tactical maps, merely provide some additional utilities for creating
battlefield maps.  For the role playing gamemaster, however, this feature
can help create maps of larger areas based on local area maps.

     To create a composite map:

     1.  Define it as to type and size (see 5.2.1 above).
     2.  If you have a portion of the map drawn, or wish to draw the new map
over a skeleton of the old one, make sure that the "IFF File" element of the
map definition is set to the proper path and name.  Maps of type 'O' should
have a blank "form" map (provided with your EBS package) into which to draw
the features of the smaller maps.
     3.  Load the source map.
     4.  Select "Reproject" from the "Edit" menu.
     5.  When the requester appears asking whether to clear first, click on
the "No" button.
     6.  EBS will modify only those pixels of the target map for which it
can get valid terrain data from the source map.
     7.  Repeat the above steps for all of the source maps.


5.3  Designing Scenarios

     The most powerful feature of EBS is that it allows the user to design a
wide array of scenarios by defining the building blocks and then combining
them into complex scenarios.  The following section will not work step by
step through a single scenario, but rather will work through the process of
creating a scenario, with suggestions along the way for how to speed some of
the processes.

5.3.1  The Scenario Setting

     The first thing to be decided about a scenario is the setting and
parameters.  How many forces are involved, what type of terrain is used for
the battle, and what are the general characteristics of the combat units.
Knowing the overall characteristics of weapons can help decide the relative
values for damage done by weapons and for the points of damage which each
member of the various units can take.

     A normal battle will have two sides.  EBS does not assume that its
battles will be normal, so it allows for 32 sides or forces.  (See section
4.1 concerning forces for a discussion of use of forces to develop more
complex strategies.)  Each force must then consist of one or more units
which employ strategies to bring their units into contact with the enemy
under advantageous circumstances or to enable their units to occupy an
objective.  These units then use tactics to engage the enemy, either to
destroy him or to prevent him from dislodging them from their objective.
Thus, of the modules that EBS makes available, at a minimum you will need
the following to create a scenario:

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     2 Forces
     Strategies (10 predefined, you may need more)
     Minimum 1 unit for each force

     You may be thinking that tactics modules are also necessary.  They are
not, though if you wish your units to do anything creative, you should have
them.  (See section 4.6 Tactics for a further discussion of tactics.)  You
can theoretically leave off the strategy module as well, but I do not
recommend this.  If there is no strategy module, all units head straight for
the other side of the map, to the sector exactly opposite, and attack all
units they approach head on.  The EBS default battle consists of the order:
"Advance in a straight line until you spot an enemy unit, then frontally
attack that unit until one of you is dead."  Since a unit without a tactics
module has infinite morale, there will be no retreat either.

     Of course, having just one unit per force could be somewhat boring,
depending on the terrain, though with a complex map and a good tactics
script it could have its high points.  In actuality you will probably want
multiple units with a defined chain of command.  I will discuss the way to
establish a chain of command below, but note that a chain of command is very
important in a scenario.  Units share information with other members of
their force during battle.  To conduct an attack, a unit requires LOS, but
to approach the area of an unspotted enemy, that unit only needs to know
about the enemy unit.  The way this information is shared is through the
chain of command.  If the link in the chain is broken, the information
cannot be shared.  Thus, in terms of strategy, one can include an
intentional plan to attack headquarters units and links in the chain to
break up the coherence of the enemy's attack.

     All aspects of force design are discussed under section 4.1, The Force.
The only additional factor to note here is that if you have two forces, they
should each be set as the other's enemy or fanatical enemy; otherwise, you
will have no action at all.

5.3.2  Designing the Units

     Let's take as an example two forces which consist of artillery, cavalry
and infantry.  For this example, we will assume that all infantry units are
created equal, though you could subdivide each of these forces into various
qualities, such as elite infantry, normal infantry, and local militia.  The
following steps will establish a force of units:

     1.  Design one example of each unit type (infantry, cavalry,
artillery).
     2.  Set the number of unit members in each of these units to the total
number of members of that type, thus a force containing 10,000 infantry,
4,000 cavalry and 25 artillery pieces should have starting units with those
numbers of members.  Note that the "Manning" element of the unit module for
an artillery unit should be the number of guns, not the number of persons,
as EBS will conduct one attack for each member of the unit.  Take this fact
into consideration also when giving damage values to the members of such a

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unit--the damage values should be what is required to put the gun crew out
of action, not what would be required to kill all members of the crew.
     3.  Decide on the size of the headquarters unit for each element, and
the size of the individual units, such as artillery batteries you wish to
have on the field.
     4.  With the edit window open and activated, select "Subdivide Unit."
     5.  In the first string requester presented, enter the size of the HQ
for this group of units.  If they will not all be subordinate to a single
headquarters, you can make this the size of one of the subdivided units.
     6.  In the second string requester, enter the number of pixels you want
to separate each unit newly created.  This value should make it be
convenient for you to select the units and move them to their final
placement.
     7.  In the third requester, enter the number of units, excluding the
headquarters unit, into which you wish this single large unit divided.  EBS
will subtract the HQ size from the total number and create a headquarters,
then it will divide the remainder by the number of units provided, and
create that many subordinate units.
     8.  If you wish, you can now subodivide each subordinate unit again,
creating a longer chain of command.
     9.  When all units have been divided, or at any intermediate phase when
the screen appears that it might become too cluttered to work conveniently
with the unit markers, move the units into their proper placement on the
map.
     10.  You can view the chain of command organization using the "Chain of
Command" option from the "Display" menu under the command window.
     11.  For any units which do not properly fit into the chain of command
in this fashion, you can set the "Superior" element directly using the edit
window.  The "Subdivide Unit" menu option only allows automatic setting up
of a pyramid type chain of command.  You might, for example, not want to
have a commander of infantry, commander of artillery and a commander of
cavalry with subordinate units.  Instead you might wish to establish a
number of mixed units consisting of a couple of companies of infantry, one
of cavalry and a supporting artillery battery.  EBS can do this, but only
through direct setting of the "Superior" element in each unit as
appropriate.  "Subdivide Unit" requires that all subelements of a single
entity be of the same type.  Also, if you want an overall headquarters,
required if you wish a light cavalry unit conducting reconnaissance to be
able to notify the infantry of enemy locations, you will need to define
that, and set the highest headquarters established for each group of units
to have that HQ as a superior.

     Further notes on unit design are in Section 4.2, The Unit.

5.3.3  Players

     The design of players is simple.  There should be one player module for
every force which may be played by a human.  Label these with something
unique and boring, such as "Player1" or "Player2", etc.  During the player
setup phase of scenario execution, these labels will be exchanged for the
names of the players using your scenario.


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5.3.4  Strategies

     There are two things to check concerning strategies:  first, are the
internal strategies adequate for your scenario, and second, do you wish to
force choice of a specific strategy.

     If the first item is true, and Boring_Check(YourScenario) returns
FALSE, then you need define no strategies.  However, if you need some new
ones, define them.  If you want these to be in addition to the predefined
ones, have their choice scripts return values from 0 to 100; if you want
them to totally supercede the predefined modules, have them return values
100 and greater.  The strategy for which the choice script returns the
highest number becomes the strategy for the force.  The internal strategies
are intended as minimal examples, not as definitive.

     If you wish to allow choices of various strategies at a later stage of
the game, but wish to start with a specific strategy, enter that strategy
into the force using the edit window.  That strategy will be used until the
first strategy review phase.

5.3.5  Testing your Scenario

     EBS provides two modes for scenario execution, locked and unlocked.
The locked mode is for preventing gratuitous and simple cheating during
games, while unlocked is intended for testing.  The unlocked mode allows
changes to be made to modules during the course of play for purposes of
testing various options.  You can also test in completely non-scenario mode,
requiring you to execute combat by the second, or whatever turn increment
(in seconds) you have set.  Usually testing should be done with the non-
scenario mode first, as it gives you more regular ability to check on the
status of your units.  Following this you can polish your scenario using the
unlocked mode to get a player's eye view of the scenario without giving up
the ability to look directly at the unit values rather than those filtered
through the unit's intelligence numbers.


5.3.6  Saving your Scenario

     Once you have tested your scenario, you can decide whether to save it
for play in unlocked or locked mode.  If you wish to save it as a locked
scenario, select "LOCKED" using the scenario options requester, and also
select "INITIATEONLOAD" to prevent playing with the numbers in your scenario
prior to scenario initiation.

     You can also save the scenario as an open scenario.  I don't see giving
the players a choice as to how they wish to treat the scenario as a
disadvantage.  The major problem with this method is that a beginning player
has to study the documentation enough to know how to initiate the scenario.
However, one also needs to study it to know how to command units!

     It is not difficult to cheat EBS.  I assume that anyone interested
enough in this kind of gaming to take the effort to learn to use this

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program has their own motivation for working with it, and knows what they
want to get out of it.  Because of this, I tried only to prevent accidental
cheating, so that a player trying to test his or her skill is not presented
with unwanted information.


5.4  Creating Startup Scripts

     When EBS starts it will automatically execute any script in the "REXX:"
directory which has the name "startup.ebs".  This allows full configuration
options to the user, including menus, windows and creation of default
modules of various types.

     In addition, EBS will pass on to the startup script the full argument
list which was passed to it via the command line.  These arguments may thus
be used in the startup script.

     Two sample startup scripts are included in the official release package
of EBS, one for those with AREXX, and one for those without.  The second
version should be located in "EBSSCRIPT:" and will be loaded through the
command loading option as part of an EBS unit file.


5.5  Configuring Menus

     EBS menus may be configured using the 'menu' commands.  These commands
are quite straightforward and example code is available in the sample
startup scripts provided with the EBS package.

     There are some things to remember, however.

     1.  If the menu option you are adding needs to be available during
scenario execution, add it to the 'COMMAND' menu.  All other menus are
diabled during a 'locked' scenario's execution.  Conversely, if you want it
unavailable during locked scenario execution, put it on one of the other
menus.  All menus other than the 'COMMAND' menu are disabled for scenarios.

     2.  Logically positioning menu options within menus likely to be open
during related activities will make your configuration of EBS more usable.
The 'MAIN' menu is designed to include basic configuration, map reading and
drawing functions.  The 'MARKERS' menu is designed for editing aspects of
markers and associated modules.  (In several cases this menu duplicates
commands available elsewhere in order to make them more easily available
while the user is working with the marker window.)  The 'EDIT' menu is
intended for module editing commands.

     3.  Hot keys can be reused for each menu separately, but beware of
confusion.  It is not always easy to remember just which menu is active.
Using a command key to delete an object on one menu and to create one on
another could result in a few disasters.

     4.  In using EBS script commands in the menus, include the 'QUERY'

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option whenever applicable, such as when deleting modules.  This prevents
accidental deletion.  Of course, if you are one of those perfect people who
never starts to delete something by mistake, you can avoid the annoying
requesters asking whether you really wanted to do something by leaving this
option off.
















































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