Newbie data file maintainer with questions about constructio

[FrostRaptor]

Greetings all,

I've started working with AB 3 in the last few days to try to build a Heavy Gear Blitz data file. Blitz does a few things sorta oddly, so I'm having a hard time matching (what I want to do for Blitz to) any of the particular data files for the system out there.

In general, HGB's layout should look like the layout for Hordes; squads are tightly restrained in what models can be in them, but the model names don't factor into the squad names. However, unlike Hordes, HGB allows for various swaps of base models, both in wargear and in actual model type. The weapon swaps work much like FOW's - you can equip so many of a specific model with a different type of gun - but I haven't found anything that has the model swaps like I'm looking for.

For instance, here is my test 'case' that I'm trying to make work before I delve into the rest of the game. A 'generic' squad has 5 models by default:

'General Squad'
Model A - trooper, base equipment
Model B - trooper, base equipment
Model C - trooper, base equipment
Model D - trooper, base equipment
Model E - weak_leader, base equipment

First, there's a couple of allowed 'model' swaps for the squad:

1. Add up to one 'trooper' for X points.
2. Swap up to one 'trooper' for a 'recon' model (1 trooper = 1 recon)
3. Swap up to two 'troopers' for an 'assault' model (1 trooper = 1 assault)
4. Swap up to one 'assault' for a 'artillery' model (1 assault = 1 artillery)
5. Swap 'weak_leader' for 'strong_leader'
6. Swap 'strong_leader' for 'super_leader'

Secondly, there are 'weapon swaps':

A. Up to two 'troopers' can swap weapon X for Y
B. Up to one 'assault' can swap weapon M for N
B. Add equipment Z to any model
C. Add +1 to stat ABC for any model

Ideally I'd love to be able to present the models as options on the top-most level, and have eacy addition of a model spawn a new child. Such that:

Squad
\-> Generic Squad: Options
+/- 4 'Troopers' +20 pts
+/- 0 'Scouts' +10 pts
+/- 0 'Assault' +40 pts
-- Leaders --
[X] 'weak_leader'
[ ] 'strong_leader'
[ ] 'super_leader'

And then every time a selection was made, a new child would be added to the squad for the specific model type. This is because then the weapon/attribute/equipment swaps are more managable than if they are all in a different squad.

I've got this to where I can add a single child entity then the +/- for say 'Scouts' is added, but I don't see how to either a) keep adding more children as the user presses the + or b) get a default number of children added to the squad.

I have played around with having a set number of children in the squad - like having say 4 troopers and the weak_leader - and that works... sorta. The validation step (only having up to 2 scouts) isn't pretty b/c it's simply check boxes in the 'options' column.

Does anyone have some advice for me? I realize this may be extremely newbie questions but I'm curious how to best implement the above. Thanks for any help!

 

[Mathias]

Is it possible to use AB's squad mechanism for this? What this would mean is that every available model is listed in the available units window. Each is click-and-dragged to the bottom, and placed in a squad (squads are created by placing a leader in the army).

Then, you write squad level rules to enforce the number of models in the squad.

For example: it looks like each squad must have exactly 1 leader model, 0-4 troopers, 0-1 recon, 0-2 assault+artillery, and 0-1 artillery, and exactly 4 non-leader models. If you add a category to each available model, those become easy rules to enforce.

Each model has a weapon swap option. Then, you use a squad-level rule to check that 0-2 models in a squad have trooper weapon upgrades, for example.

 

[FrostRaptor]

Using squad rules for validation would work, but (IMHO) it defeats the purpose of AB - making the unit generation faster and easier. Ideally I could present the squads as they are specified in the rules to the AB user, instead of them having to reference the army book to determine what is and is not valid within a given squad.

Additionally there's enough variation between points cost for some things in the army that there's not a unified 'model' X; each 'squad' has enough special tweaks that it would be pretty rough to try to put together something that was entirely drag-and-drop.

Good idea though, thank you!

 

[SilverDrake83]

Hi I'm strongly iterested in an Army builder fiel ffor heavy Gear blitz so if you got one there wouldat least be one thankfull user

Regards SilverDrake