Event Boxes and Timed stops

[Scully]

Hey guys,

I got my first event box up and running in my scenario and I'm pretty excited about that. Hopefully I'll be able to get this puppy out in the near future or at least in my lifetime.

I have a couple of questions for you though:

1. Can you have multiple event boxes in one scenario? I'm assuming yes, but thought I'd ask. If I can, do I just follow the same process as the first event box?

2. If I'm using an event box to trigger a unit to move, but want the unit to move after a certain time even if it's not triggered, can I set the timer on the stop in addition to the event box trigger?

Thanks,
Brian

[Pat Proctor]

1. Yes and Yes.
2. Yes. You will have a phase. In the phase are two phase orders. The first has the unit moving and the condition is the event trigger. The second has the unit moving at the time trigger. The Phase end condition is when 100% of the vehicles in the hierarchy are not stopped.

[Scully]

Thanks Cpt.,

I'll play around with it some more tonight. I'm slowly starting to get the hang of scenario design and as I'm sure you're aware, the more you get into it, the more you want to do in the scenario to make it better.

Take care,
Brian

[kbluck]

2. If I'm using an event box to trigger a unit to move, but want the unit to move after a certain time even if it's not triggered, can I set the timer on the stop in addition to the event box trigger?

In addition to what Pat said, you can also simply set the time hack on the actual path node for the "timed" move, and regard the event box as a "move sooner than expected" stimulus.

Ending phases is specific. The important thing to remember with phases is that once a phase ends, if unexecuted sustain orders remain in that phase, they will *never* be executed; they're just thrown away. Often, this is what you want. Sometimes, its not.

There are other ways to make orders mutually exclusive without involving a phase end. For example, suppose you have a unit in reserve and want it to take any of several possible paths based on several other conditions, the first to trigger wins. The most foolproof way is to end the phase as Pat describes, thus throwing out the other unexecuted orders. However, that might be impractical, as there might be other orders in the phase you want to keep in force.

Another way would be to draw a rather small event box that just barely contains the reserve force. Once it starts moving, it will of course exit the box. Make 100% of the force being inside the box one of the trigger conditions for all of the "alternative" orders. Once one of them executes, none of the other orders ever will, because one of their conditions (being inside the box) will not be true. If by chance multiple orders hit before the unit has a chance to leave the box, presumably it will execute one more or less at random (whichever was last before it executed), but if the conditions really hit that close then it was a tossup anyway.

You can do something similar with callback conditions. Check for some status like emplaced, and when one of the orders executes part of the order is a toggle order to "do not emplace" so they'll never be emplaced again. Or something like that.


With regard to multiple event boxes, I wish there was a way to name them and then find them again easily. There are some provisions for naming event regions, but I haven't found any practical use for it (except compare boxes, which still mystifies me a bit) or any way to use the name in different orders. Saving them as prerequisite data would be adequate, although it would be even better to have the "current" event box reset to the one you want and to be able to see its extents again.


--- Kevin

[Scully]

Thanks for the tips. I'm struggling a little with my second event box, but I'm sure I'll work it out...I'm a bit tired right now.

Kbluck, I do agree with your comments on tracking event boxes. I wish there was a better way.

One additional question if you don't mind. Is there a event trigger for number of destroyed enemy units/vehicles? I'm setting up an ambush scenario and would like the ambushers to move out after they destroy a certain number of vehicles. Is this possible?

If not, I'll probably just use a number of actual units in the target box that should get me to the number of dead ones I'd like.

Thanks again,
Brian

[kbluck]

Is there a event trigger for number of destroyed enemy units/vehicles? I'm setting up an ambush scenario and would like the ambushers to move out after they destroy a certain number of vehicles. Is this possible?

I don't know of such a trigger exactly. But, then, there's undoubtedly a lot I don't know about the Builder.

Here's an approach I'd try: Make an event box for your kill zone. When enemy vehicle count in the box is greater than a certain threshhold, toggle off hold fire and end the phase. In the next phase, set an order to move away when the enemy vehicle count drops below a certain number.

Of course, this relies on the attacker to cooperate and enter your box in the first place.

--- Kevin

[Scully]

I don't know of such a trigger exactly. But, then, there's undoubtedly a lot I don't know about the Builder.

Here's an approach I'd try: Make an event box for your kill zone. When enemy vehicle count in the box is greater than a certain threshhold, toggle off hold fire and end the phase. In the next phase, set an order to move away when the enemy vehicle count drops below a certain number.

Of course, this relies on the attacker to cooperate and enter your box in the first place.

--- Kevin

Thanks Kevin. That's along the lines of what I was thinking of doing.

Brian

[Scully]

Ok...it looks like I've figured this all out (maybe not all of it). Thanks for your help and hopefully I'll have my first scenario out this weekend.

Take care,
Brian