How do I assign Coalitions???

[Snacko]

Ok, I just clicked the Mission Editor button and the mission editor opened with a blank map. I spent an hour adding A10s and other stuff for the base, then I wanted to add a Russian Ka-50 to fly with the A10s. But the A10s are Blue and the Ka-50 is Red!!

 

I cannot find the Coalitions screen to put them on the same side. I noticed that if I start a 'new' mission it does ask me to set the Coalitions. But it DID NOT ask me to assign Coalitions when I opened the Mission Editor! Where is the Coalitions Edit panel???

[h00t74]

Hit New Mission and it will give you the selection boxes to the right

[Renato71]

Cannot edit later on. I had the same problem, and received following answer:

 

In the ME-Editor, only before you create a new mission.

If you want to edit the coalition after the creation, it is only possible with an Texteditor like Notepad++.

And that is not easy stuff!

[Snacko]

Thanks for the replies.

 

So, I am screwed... Great design guys. Who's idea was this?

[Raimir]

It depends, how the mission is created. If you have some coutry which is not assigned in the coalition than it is possible assign it manually to the coalition by editing the mission file directly. But if you use it already, remove all units of this country from the mission. You avoid some inconsistency.

 

The idea is simple. I would recommend first create a new mission without units, but with the coalition you would like to have. Extract '*.miz' file and open the 'mission' file which was inside. There are sections, one example is like this:

    coalitions = 
   {
       blue = 
       {
           [1] = 11,
           [2] = 6,
       }, -- end of blue
       red = 
       {
           [1] = 0,
       }, -- end of red
   }, -- end of coalitions

So i have one country on Red and two on Blue side. You have to identify the country id number which you want to add. Find it in the section coalition below list of triggers section. If the file doesn't contain any units it has default empty template sections for the units of any type - this is very important, you will need to add this section too.

    coalition = 
   {
       blue = 
       {
           country = 
           {
               [1] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Belgium",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 11,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [1] 
               [2] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Germany",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 6,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [2]
.... 
   }, -- end of coalition

So id 11 is for Belgium. The place in the array is [1], its same like in the coalitions section!!! You know the name of the country so find its id. And copy whole section [X] to the clipboard.

 

For example i want add UK with id = 4 to the Blue.

 

Now back up your mission file, extract files inside and open the 'misison' file.

1) Add the country into the 'coalitions' section at the and of array as a next number in the brackets [] and assign the id of the country. So my Blue section will look like this

    coalitions = 
   {
       blue = 
       {
           [1] = 11,
           [2] = 6,
           [3] = 4,
         }, -- end of blue
       red = 
       {
           [1] = 0,
       }, -- end of red
   }, -- end of coalitions

2) Now paste the template of the country with no units to the 'coalition' section. Be careful to paste it to the right place!!!

3) Modify the array position identifier (in the []), in my example will be equal to 3.

4) The file is well styled, so you check only brackets ending.

5) Done. My example looks like this after all changes. In your mission you will have a plenty of units the sections, so file can be quite long, don't get lost :)

 

    coalition = 
    {
        blue = 
        {
               [1] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Belgium",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 11,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [1]
               [2] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Germany",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 6,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [2]
               [3] = 
                 {
                     helicopter = 
                     {
                         group = 
                         {
                         }, -- end of group
                     }, -- end of helicopter
                     name = "Uk",
                     ship = 
                     {
                         group = 
                         {
                         }, -- end of group
                     }, -- end of ship
                     id = 4,
                     vehicle = 
                     {
                         group = 
                         {
                         }, -- end of group
                     }, -- end of vehicle
                     plane = 
                     {
                         group = 
                         {
                         }, -- end of group
                     }, -- end of plane
                     static = 
                     {
                         group = 
                         {
                         }, -- end of group
                     }, -- end of static
                 }, -- end of [3] 
...
   }, -- end of coalition

 

 

Happy hacking, :joystick:

[Snacko]

Extract '*.miz' file and open the 'mission' file which was inside.

 

Is there some process that I should do to the .miz file first? What does Extract me? Wish that I could hack it. But my .miz file looks like this in Notepad++

 

[Renato71]

*.miz is zipped file with mission, options and a pic for briefing.

Simply change extension from MIZ into *.zip and extract.

[Snacko]

Ahh, yes. Thankyou very much!

[Snacko]

First of all, this should be an easy fix for the developers! Just use a flag or something and at least don't let the user Save if they have not clicked the New Mission button. Better would be to display the Coalitions screen when the Mission Editor is first opened, so users don't unknowing spend hours building a mission that is useless..

 

As far as editing my Coalitions info goes. I think when you just open the Mission Editor and do not click the New Mission button, but try building and saving a mission that it totally screws up it's own Coalitions info. Because here is the Coalitions list:

 

    coalitions = 
   {
       blue = 
       {
           [1] = 11,
           [2] = 8,
           [3] = 13,
           [4] = 5,
           [5] = 16,
           [6] = 6,
           [7] = 17,
           [8] = 15,
           [9] = 12,
           [10] = 9,
           [11] = 10,
           [12] = 3,
           [13] = 4,
           [14] = 2,
           [15] = 1,
       }, -- end of blue
       red = 
       {
           [1] = 0,
       }, -- end of red
   }, -- end of coalitions

And here you can see that it does not match the Array Index with the Country ID:

 

    coalition = 
   {
       blue = 
       {
           country = 
           {
               [1] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "UK",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 4,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [1]
               [2] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Insurgents",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 17,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [2]
               [3] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Belgium",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 11,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [3]
               [4] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Canada",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 8,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [4]
               [5] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "France",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 5,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [5]
               [6] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Israel",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 15,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [6]
               [7] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Ukraine",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 1,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [7]
               [8] = 
               {
                   helicopter = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of helicopter
                   name = "Norway",
                   ship = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of ship
                   id = 12,
                   vehicle = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of vehicle
                   plane = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of plane
                   static = 
                   {
                       group = 
                       {
                       }, -- end of group
                   }, -- end of static
               }, -- end of [8]

[Raimir]

Its weird. When i create a new mission without pressing New button just save a mission it looks all right for me. I can see all countries. But your 'coalitions' section is different from mine. I don't belive they create some random order. It should be same for all every time.

[Snacko]

NP, it would have been easier to fix in Notepad if all I had to do was swap one red for one blue. But now I would need to try and fix all the other ones and it would be easier to just start over. Only lost about 45 mins of work.

 

Note to Self: Always click the New Mission button even when they ME starts with a blank mission...