Scenario designing tips and discussion

[Bootie]

With this area becoming active again this thread is put out for designers and playetesters to share their opinions on what makes a great scenario... tips for new scenario designers and help for those struggling in scenario design.

I look forward to the feedback.

 

[PoorOldSpike]

Here are some bits and pieces written by me and other people over the years-

SETUP ZONES

There are seven Setup Zones in CM.
The Allies have three. White, Red and Blue.
The Axis have three. Black, Green and Yellow.
Both sides have Gray.

Units can be moved around inside the color of Setup Zone you put them in unless they are locked down or in the gray Setup Zone.

The Gray Setup Zone is the most versatile of the seven. Any unit set in a colored Setup Zone other than Gray must stay in that setup zone. A unit placed in the Gray Setup Zone may be placed in any of the three colored zones for that sides forces. Or left where it is in the Gray area.

Once you move a unit out of the Gray setup zone and put it in any of the others and "drop" it in that colored zone it cannot be moved out of that colored zone again.
For instance; I have a Panther in the Gray Setup Zone. I move it into the Yellow Setup
Zone and place it there. Then decide I want
to move it to the Green Setup Zone later. You won't be allowed to move it out of the Yellow Setup Zone now that you have placed it there from the Gray Setup Zone.
You can place it anywhere you want, but once you place it that locks into that colored zone.

Orange=locks units (select unit on map, right-cl to get padlock option)

To remove foxholes in setup phase at start of game - Select unit and hit 'D'

 

[PoorOldSpike]

FLAGS

There are two types of flags in the CMx1 system.

Static flags which come in large and small sizes. A large flag is worth 300 points. A small flag is worth 100 points.
While this seems to be a fairly simple system it can be used to very good effect by stacking flags at a location. You can stack any number of flags at a location to get the desired value that you are looking for.

Dynamic flags. These are large flags that you can choose to place on the map instead of the static flags. You can get either 2, 3 or 4 dynamic flags. Only one of these flags has a value and that value can be set from 100 to 2000 points.
Neither the attacker or the defender will know the value of a dynamic flag unless it is stated in the briefings.
The defender will not know which of the dynamic flags is real or even that there are dynamic flags unless once again it is put in the briefings.
My own preference is to not state in the defenders briefing that only one flag has value. How often would the defender know what the attackers objective is?
Sometimes it is worth the points to use a dynamic flag.
For instance, you put two large flags on a bridge. What is the value of the objective? It may well not be 600 points but 2000!! Dynamic Flags, IMO, raise the level of realism to another level for CM.

 

[PoorOldSpike]

MAP

You cannot reorient north. It matters only in that you are going to tell the computer which direction the sides control for retreat purposes
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To add craters, "ALT 1 - 4" sets the size. "Alt 5" turns craters off.
To clear craters use the Alt 1-4 method. Hold down the alt key and then select a number 1 - 4 depending on crater size, 1 being smallest - 4 being largest. If you select a crater when in this mode it will take it off the map. To exit use "Alt - 5".
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To clear a terrain type, like rubble, put a clear tile on it, preview it and then go back into the editor and put what you want. You have to preview the change to rubble to clear it.
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To trim off map edges use shift with the +/- button (Top and Right= minus. Bott and Left= sh minus)
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To place Landmark text hold CTR and click spot on (non-3D) map, then type the name you want.
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