Creating Campaign
1. Campaign Overview
A campaign consists of the following files placed in one directory.
- Mission Files (*.mis)
- Mission Success Condition Format (MSCF) Files (*.scf)
# If success condition format is included in the briefing text
# of the mission file, no .scf file is required.
- Campaign File (*.cpn)
2 Basic Steps
The steps to create a campaign will be:
1. Plan the campaign structure.
2. Copy (or create) Mission Files in a new directory.
3. For each mission, create .scf file or write MSCF text in the briefing.
4. Make a Campaign File with CpnEdit.
2.1 Planning campaign structure
First of all, you have to make a plan of the campaign structure.
A typical campaign consists the three types of the mission files:
a) Intro/Status Report Text (Optional)
b) Victory/Defeat Text
c) Normal Mission File
The type of each mission is defined in the campaign file editor
(explained later).
In a) and b), only mission title and briefing text will be used, and other
information (mission time, unit placement, etc) are simply ignored.
Make a list of available mission files and draw a campaign structure
plan like Fig.1 on a sheet of paper.
Fig.1 An Example of Campaign Structure
Then, assign 'mission number' for each mission. In Fig.1, for example,
the mission number for Intro.mis is 1, the mission number for
Antiradar.mis is 2, etc.
The order of the mission is set as follows:
- For Normal Missions, the next mission will be the mission with the
number in the 'If Successful / If Failed' line in the campaign file
editor window (explained later).
- For Intro/Status Report, the next mission will be the mission with
(current mission number + 1) mission number.
- For Victory/Defeat Text, there will be no missions afterward.
A campaign should be terminated with Victory/Defeat Text.
2.2 Gathering Mission Files
When you are finished with campaign structure plan, Create a new
directory and place all the mission files you are going to use in the
campaign. Make Intro and Victory/Defeat mission files if necessary.
2.3 Setting Success Condition
Once you have gathered necessary mission files, set success conditions for
Normal Missions. This can be done either by writing success conditions
in separate MSCF Files (.scf) or writing the conditions directly in
mission briefing text.
To create a MSCF File, use 'MSCFEdit' in the 'Utils' directory. This
program first asks for the name of the mission file you want to set
its condition, then sets the appropriate MSCF file name.
In edit window, select the condition type, name of the target, number,
and the responsible unit, then press 'Add Condition' button. A new
condition line will be added to the condition text area. Repeat the
procedure if you want to add more conditions. The condition text can
be manually edited. If you want to delete a condition, delete the
condition line by hand. When the condition text is done, press 'Save
MSCF File' button.
2.4 Creating Campaign file
The basic function of the campaign file is to set mission file
type and order of the missions to be played.
To create a campaign file, run 'CPFEdit' in the 'Utils' directory.
To edit an existing campaign file, select 'Load Campaign File...' From
the 'File' drop-down menu.
Campaign file consists of a number of 'pages'. They corresponds to the
mission numbers you assigned to each missions in the campain planning
stage.
Set mission file name and mission file type for each page.
In the example shown in Fig.1, Intro.mis is set as
'Intro/Status Report', and Victory.mis & Defeat.mis are set
as 'Victory/Defeat Text'
For normal missions, set the mission number of the next mission in
'If Successful / If Failed' box.
When you are done, select 'Save Campaign File...' from the 'Files'
drop-down menu, set the file name and save it.