CREATING YOUR OWN CAMPAIGNS
Creating your own campaign is as easy as creating a text file.
Using either existing missions or ones you have created yourself, it is a fairly simple matter to assemble these missions into a full campaign.
Campaign Files
In the directory on your hard drive to which you installed Jane's WWII Fighters, you will find a subdirectory called "data". Within that subdirectory is a "campaigns" directory. In this directory, open up and take a look at either of the CMP files (Allied.cmp and Axis.cmp). These are the campaign files for the Allied and Axis campaigns that came with the game.
You should not change these files. However, they serve as example of the structure of a campaign file, and will be used to explain how to create your own campaign files.
Campaign File Tags
As with the mission files, each line in the campaign file begins with a tag, which is easily identifiable as it begins with a period. (e.g. ".Campaign").
Each of these tags are discussed below, as well as some additional optional campaign file tags not included in the Allied and Axis campaign files.
Also, look at the example at the end of this document for further insight.
Note: It is important that you specify the tags in the order in which they are listed below.
.Campaign
Each campaign file must begin with this tag. The number 0.1 that follows this tag should also be included (it’s used internally).
.BranchPoint1
(optional)The number of missions after which the first branch point occurs.
If your campaign does not have any branching, you should omit this line.
.BranchPoint2
(optional)The number of missions after which the second branch point occurs.
If your campaign has fewer than 2 branch points, you should omit this line.
.Stage1Pass
(optional)The minimum number of missions that must be won in the first stage in order to start down the "good path" of the second stage. (See the example section for an explanation of "good" and "bad" paths).
If your campaign does not have any branching, you should omit this line.
.Stage2Pass
(optional)Slightly different from Stage1Pass, here you must win over this number of missions to start down the "good" path.
If your campaign has fewer than 2 branch points, you should omit this line.
.MaxLosses
(optional)The maximum number of missions that can be lost before the special mission must be flown (or the campaign is lost, if a special mission is not specified - see the .SpecialMission tag for further details on the special mission).
If MaxLosses is not specified, the default value is 6.
.MissionList
Marks the beginning of the mission list
.Special
(optional)Indicates a special mission (there can be only one). Optional, but if included, should appear as first entry in mission list.
A special mission must be flown if a certain number of missions in the campaign are lost. This number is specified on the .MaxLosses line.
If the special mission is lost, then the campaign is lost.
If the special mission is won, the campaign continues, but if any two subsequent missions are lost, then the campaign is lost.
If this line is not included, such that a special mission is not specified, then the campaign is automatically lost at the point when a special mission would have been required.
.Mission
Each line beginning with this tag contains the mission file names for all the possible missions that might be flown at that point in the campaign. Which mission in this line will be flown depends on how the campaign branching has progressed up to that point.
The line should contain 1, 2 or 4 mission file names depending on whether the missions are in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd stage, respectively.
This procedure is discussed in further detail in the example below.
.EndMissionList
Indicates the end of the mission list
.EndCampaign
Indicates the end of the campaign file. If you are typing in this tag, follow it with a carriage return (hit the enter key).
Saving the Campaign File
The campaign must be saved to the "campaigns" directory and have the extension CSD (e.g. "MyCampaign.csd")
CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE
A campaign may have 0, 1 or 2 branch points; that is, it may branch up to 2 times. These branch points then divide the campaign into a series of stages, such that campaign with 0, 1 or 2 branch points will have 1, 2 or 3 stages, respectively.
Stages and Branches
Stage1 - All the missions before the 1st branch point
Stage2 - All the missions after the first branch point and before the second branch point
Stage3 - All the missions after the second branch point
Branch1 - The first branch point, at which the campaign path divides
Branch2 - The second branch point, at which the campaign path divides a second time
As mentioned, a campaign can have up to but not more than 2 branches (3 stages). So it's possible to have a campaign with one branch, or no branches at all.
Campaign Missions
All the missions specified in the campaign file must themselves be valid mission files. They must also reside in the Campaigns directory, as must the campaign file.
Restrictions
- A campaign must contain at least 7 missions (i.e. 7 mission tags)
- The maximum number of campaigns, including the existing Allied and Axis campaigns, is 300.
Example:
As an example, consider the existing Allied campaign. Let’s look at the campaign layout and how it correspond to the Allied.cmp file.
Figure 1 shows the campaign layout. On the right, each stage is indicated, as are the BranchPoint and StagePass numbers, as they appear in Allied.cmp
BranchPoint1 is 9 because 9 missions must be completed before the 1st campaign branch.
BranchPoint2 is 21 because 21 missions must be completed before the 2nd campaign branch.
NOTE: it is important to make sure the mission list correctly reflects the BranchPoint values.
Stage1Pass is 7 because at least 7 missions in the first must be won in order to branch to the "good" side of the second stage.
Stage2Pass is 10 because at over 10 missions in the second stage must be won in order to branch to the "good" side of the third stage, within that part of the second stage.
Specifying the mission files
The mission files on each ".Mission" line in the campaign must be specified as follows:
Stage 1 – only one mission file per line
Stage 2 – 2 mission files per line. The first file should be that for the "good" path, the second should be that for the "bad" path. . Please refer to Figure 1.
Stage 3 – 4 mission files per line. The first file should be that for the "good" path of the "good" part of stage 2. The second file should be that for the "bad" path of the "good" part of stage 2. The third file should be that for the "good" path of the "bad" part of stage 2. The fourth file should be that for the "bad" path of the "bad" part of stage 2. Please refer to Figure 1.
There is no required naming convention, although a systematic approach as used in the example, can help clarify which missions should be grouped together.
In order to have a campaign mission’s date show up in the campaign screen status window, it must be specified in the mission summary within the mission file. The line on which the date appears should begin with "Date:". e.g. Date: July 5, 1942.
A word about "good and bad paths" - In WWII Fighters, the Allied and Axis campaigns used moving "battle fronts" to portray a dynamic component to the campaign and to reflect your influence on it. For example, if you do well in Stage 1 of the campaign, you will follow the good path. The Allied Front will appear to be pushing the Axis back (you will see this in the positioning of the various division units on the map). If you do poorly, you will be placed on the bad side and see the opposite results. Although the placing of the battlefronts takes some more work when creating your campaign, you may find the effort worthwhile. Your campaign will have more of an animated and dynamic feel.
Figure 1 -
Allied Campaign Score/FlowStage 1:
|
ca_16_1.mis ca_16_2.mis ca_16_3.mis ca_17_1.mis ca_17_2.mis ca_17_3.mis ca_18_1.mis ca_18_2.mis ca_18_3.mis |
.BranchPoint1 9 |
|
Stage 2:
|
> 7 wins (good) ca_19_1a.mis ca_19_2a.mis ca_19_3a.mis
ca_23_1a.mis ca_23_2a.mis ca_23_3a.mis
ca_24_1a.mis ca_24_2a.mis ca_24_3a.mis
ca_25_1a.mis ca_25_2a.mis ca_25_3a.mis |
| <= 7 wins | (bad) | ca_19_1b.mis | ca_19_2b.mis | ca_19_3b.mis
| ca_23_1b.mis | ca_23_2b.mis | ca_23_3b.mis
| ca_24_1b.mis | ca_24_2b.mis | ca_24_3b.mis
| ca_25_1b.mis | ca_25_2b.mis | ca_25_3b.mis |
.Stage1Pass 7
.BranchPoint2 21 |
|
Stage 3:
|
> 10 wins (good) ca_26_1a.mis ca_26_2a.mis ca_26_3d.mis |
| <= 10 wins | (bad) | ca_26_1b.mis | ca_26_2b.mis | ca_26_3a.mis |
| > 10 wins | (good) | ca_26_1c.mis | ca_26_2c.mis | ca_26_3b.mis |
| <= 10 wins | (bad) | ca_26_1d.mis | ca_26_2d.mis | ca_26_3c.mis |
.Stage2Pass 10
|
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