RichWalker wrote:
mihalik wrote:
I am playing 3rd Winchester and notice objectives seem to work differently than in the past. I think I figured it out, but is there documentation somewhere?
My apologies, I thought this would have been laid out in the "Changes" files. But I should have mentioned it in the notes, and or started pdf.
Many, but not all of the objectives have been converted to a new enhancement that allows both sides to earn points for an objective. The number of points earned per turn are different for each side. This differential is based upon the difficulty level of retention and or capture. So an objective that starts as Union, and is located well to the rear, and therefore a difficult objective for the CSA to capture, will be worth few points per turn for the Union, but many points per turn for the CSA.
You will see #/# representing how many VPs that hex is worth for each side per turn of ownership. The first # is the USA, the second # is the CSA.
So USA/CSA.
NOTE: You will not see the #'s when using Extreme FOW
Rich
The above is the short answer. And for Shenandoah, I only used the standard method and the above described method for earning VPs on objective hexes. But if any of you want to design or modify a scenario, here are all the methods and descriptions as developed by Berto.
In the new objective points system, objective hexes can have any of five value types:
-1
#
t-t[#] ...
#/#
t-t[#/#] ...
Let's consider each in more detail, one by one.
-1
Exactly like traditional exit hexes.
Note: Before, in cwedit.exe, you could mistakenly enter negative values less than -1. Now, any negative less than -1 is rejected ("Invalid objective value(s)").
#
Where # is some positive integer. For example: 50.
This functions exactly like traditional objective hexes: The occupying side, first side only, accrues these points immediately (i.e., the Victory Dialog notes this immediately and doesn't wait until the end of the turn). These accruals are one time only (i.e., don't continue to pile up from turn to turn).
t-t[#] t-t[#] t-t[#] ...
Where # is some positive integer, for example 5; and t-t is a range of turns, for example, 1-8.
You can have a single t-t[#], in which case the first t should be 1, the second t the scenario maximum turn.
Or you can have a sequence of t-t[#], where the turn ranges must be ascending, with no gaps or overlaps. The turn ranges need not be uniform, i.e., the number of turns in each range may vary.
For example, assuming there are 30 turns in the scenario, this is valid:
1-4[10] 5-8[15] 9-10[20] 11-20[15] 21-30[30]
Note that the varying objective values need not ascend, or descend. Unlike the t-t turn specs, the objective values can be anything you want (so long as they are non-negative). The objective values need not be according to any formula. They can rise, fall, go to zero, etc. They can be completely arbitrary.
Is the following valid?
1-4[10] 5-20[0] 21-30[30]
Yes. Note that for some turns, the objective value can be 0. Value 0 is valid at the beginning, the middle (even in several turn segments), or at the end. Just so for some turns, at least, you have positive integer objective value(s).
Note that an objective value of
1-20[50]
is equivalent to a simple objective value of
50
assuming the scenario has 20 turns. In the latter, simple case, 50 applies to all 20 turns, so the effect is the same.
If it's not clear, the t-t[#] ... objective hexes thus function much like traditional single-number objectives hexes -- with one-time awarding of points -- except the point values can vary by turn.
#/#
Where the # are positive integers, where the first # applies to the Union side, while the second # applies to the Confederate side. For example: 3/5.
This is a new type of objective value, where accruals add up each turn, and may accrue to either the Union or the Confederates.
In the example 3/5, for a ten-turn scenario, if the Union hold the objective for the first 4 turns, while the Confederate seizes and holds the objective for the remainder of the game, the net effect of this objective hex is
3 + 3 + 3 + 3 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 = -18
assuming the Union are the first side.
One or the other of the #/# may be zero, but not both. So for an objective hex value
4/0
the Union would accrue 4 additional points for every turn they hold the objective, while if the Confederates hold that objective, they gain nothing.
For
0/3
the Confederates would accrue 3 additional points for every turn they hold the objective, while if the Union hold that objective, they gain nothing.
0/0 is not valid, however, as such an objective value specification is pointless, has no effect, for either side.
Important: Unlike the earlier objective value types, which take effect immediately, the per-turn accruals only happen at turn's end. If you take an objective of this type, don't be surprised if there is no immediate change in the Objective Points box in the Victory Dialog. The change will only be reflected at the end of the second side, as the turn passes on to the next.
t-t[#/#] ...
Like the preceding type -- per turn accrual -- but varies by turn segment.
For the turn specs, the same rules apply (ascending, no gaps, no overlaps, last t in the sequence is the scenario file turn).
Likewise, the same rules apply for the #/#: One or the other, or both, must be positive integer(s). However, this is permissible:
1-3[0/0] 4-6[0/5] 7-10[5/5]
This says, for turns 1-3, neither side accrues points for holding the objective. For turns 4-6, the Confederate player (only) accrues 5 points each turn for holding the objective. For turns 7-10, both sides accrue 5 points for each turn they hold the objective.
So in the above example, if the Confederate were to hold the objective for the first five turns (and if they are the first side), while the Union hold the objective for turns six through ten, the total effect would be:
0 + 0 + 0 + 5 + 5 - 0 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 = -10
For the t-t[] types, in one value specification, it's either all #, or all #/#, not both.
For example, this is invalid
1-4[3/4] 5-6[3] 7-10[3/3]
because the [3] doesn't mix with the [3/4] and [3/3].
Like the #/# type, points accrue with the variable t-t[#/#] etc. type only at turn's end.