I don't know anything about Epic beyond what you provide below, so this is
my "best guess" based on what you've outlined....
First of all, lets look at your unit structure. You say you're going to use
squads, then you talk about lots of child units. So I'm definitely missing
something here. Please clarify what you've got in mind.
Based on your limited description, though, I'll take a stab at how I'd set
things up. Since the structure sounds highly regimented, with only a small
number of customizable options, using AB's squads seems NOT to make sense
for Epic. AB3 is extremely flexible for managing child units now, so I'd
just keep everything within the context of a single top-level unit for each
"formation".
Therefore, I'd start with a "Tactical Detachment" as the unit that can be
user-selected in the Available Units list. This gets added to the roster
(min/max of 1/1) and it has multiple child units hanging off of it. The
first child would be the Tactical Squad, and it would have an initial size
of 6. Dreadnoughts and Vindicators would be added as child units via
options on the "Tactical Detachment" top-level unit.
You can set the initial size of the Tactical Squad child to 6 via the
option script that set the min/max/start of a child entity. This would be
attached to the option which is adding the Tactical Squad child unit to the
parent. The script will be trivial to write, as it will consist of
something similar to what's shown below:
@minimum = 6
@maximum = 9
@start = 6
The actual numbers above may be different, since I don't know the game, but
you get the idea. You can also use the above script to restrict the min/max
values dynamically, based on other changes made to the parent unit (i.e the
Tactical Detachment). If other selections on the parent unit change the
limits, just have the script enforce appropriately. All you'll really need
to worry about with this is your priority assignments so that evaluation is
performed in the proper order and the options which influence the childsize
script are performed before the option that applies the childsize script.
Now, let's look at the Dreadnought options situation. Use of range-based
options DOES eliminate the ability to specify initial default selections
via the standard method. You must instead set the initial default count as
part of the range specification. However, remainders and exclusions all
work normally based on range options. The current range value can be
designated to be used as the amount applied to the exclusion. You have to
make sure that your exclusion references are all setup correctly for this
to work, though.
I think your idea of having an AC/PF option and a TL/ML option is correct.
Each of these options would then chain to the corresponding separate AC,
PF, TL, and ML options (two each). That way, the footnotes with game-time
reminders at the end of the roster will map to the proper options and there
is no need for redundancy.
There's not much more I can glean from your brief description and my utter
lack of familiarity with the game, so I can't offer further suggestions. If
you want more detailed answers, you'll need to provide me with more
concrete specifics to work from. :-)
Hope this helps,
Rob
At 06:59 PM 5/27/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>In an effort to produce a viable AB3 data file set for GW's Epic
>Armageddon, I've been slowly setting up my definition file schemes and
>data model, but have run into a few small problems. I was hoping people
>could offer suggestions for what they've done that works in similar situations.
>
>Since Epic uses "formations", which function more or less exactly like AB
>squads do (they contain multiple first-class units, whose composition
>usually depends on the core detachment and then some number of upgrade
>units that formation is allowed), I decided to use the squad feature as it
>will automatically count units in a formation and do other useful things.
>To use Space Marines as an example, a Tactical Detachment 'unit' will have
>6 Tactical squads (child units), base, plus some other upgrades which also
>become child units (like Dreadnoughts or Vindicators). The squads can't be
>purchased independently, so they really shouldn't have a cost and min/max
>size of their own (as a unit can potentially be added either as a core
>formation or a formation upgrade, with different costs and unit max/mins).
>But a child link only allows me to add one 'unit' worth to the detachment,
>when what I'd really like to do is add 6 with one option. Using a range
>link just makes the option appear in the option pane, without actually
>adding the child unit to the squad. Is there a "proper" way to set the
>count of a child entity this way?
>
>Proceeding from here, certain units have the multiple option combinations.
>Pretty easy, really, for most of them. Simple exclusion lists work for the
>most part Dreadnoughts, however, present a problem. A Dread can choose
>either a Twin Lascannon and Missile Launcher or An Autocannon and
>Dreadnought Power Fist. You always get two weapons, and the pairs are not
>intermixable. So my thought was to give the Dreadnought unit two options,
>each of which linked to the two child weapon items (units, actually, in
>this case, as I've gone the route Flames of War did, with weapons as
>units, so that the various weapon stat tags can show up in seperate
>columns on the roster view). However, this seems to have prevented me from
>being able to use default selection options, remainder lists and
>exclusions. I'd like to have two range option boxes, one for AC&PF, one
>for TL&ML, and have each select both weapons at once, but also be able to
>have one be selected by default and have selecting some number of the
>other option decrease the default option, exactly like a remainder. Any
>ideas, or do I have to go into script-land in order to override this behavior?
>
>Thanks for any advice,
>
>-DaR
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rob Bowes (rob@wolflair.com) (408) 927-9880
Lone Wolf Development
www.wolflair.com