Author Topic: Creating TO&E (Read 6712 times)

Fyrwulf · « **on:** 14 June 2017, 10:21:01 »

I want to create two TO&Es for a (not so) quick game. One is my version of a FedCom RCT and the other is a Kerensky Standard cluster. The problem is, in MekHQ I don't see the option to create these units and I'm not sure how to go about it. I'm probably being obtuse, but any help is appreciated.

JenniferinaMAD · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 June 2017, 14:27:13 »

Creating two separate TO&E's in one MekHQ client isn't possible, to my knowledge. You'd have to open two distinct instances of MekHQ (i.e. once MekHQ is running, launch it again). Then you'll have to Start MegaMek Game in one and Connect to MegaMek game in the second.

Apart from that, creating the actual tables should be straightforward, if fiddly?

Fyrwulf · « **Reply #2 on:** 14 June 2017, 14:59:16 »

Quote from: JenniferinaMAD on 14 June 2017, 14:27:13

Apart from that, creating the actual tables should be straightforward, if fiddly?

I don't know how to do that, though, and the documentation included doesn't make much sense to me. I do not, for example, see a TO&E tab that is talked about when I googled the subject.

Obvious · « **Reply #3 on:** 14 June 2017, 15:17:10 »

First tab. To the left of Briefing Room.

What tabs do you have?

neoancient · « **Reply #4 on:** 14 June 2017, 15:17:57 »

The TO&E tab is the one on the left. A new campaign starts with a single empty force node with the same name as your campaign. Right-click on it and choose "Add New Force..." to create each of your subnodes ('Mech regiment, armor brigade, infantry brigade, aerospace wing), then select each of them to create the subnodes. Repeat at each eschelon until you have lances, then add units to them.

Fyrwulf · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 June 2017, 16:06:10 »

Thanks, somehow I missed that.

Fyrwulf · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 June 2017, 19:00:19 »

Okay, so my next question is why won't it allow me to enter GM Mode to populate my mech regiment?

EDIT: Never mind, it decided it wanted to work after all.

JenniferinaMAD · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 June 2017, 23:07:07 »

Depending on what visual style you use (in particular the default one), it's not always easy to tell if the 'GM mode' button is shaded or not, and whether it means on or off if it's shaded.

If it doesn't work, click it once more and try again, it should let you do GM stuff then.

Cambo · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 June 2017, 12:57:10 »

Ages ago I did all of Clan Wolf in MekHQ and it's several clusters... unfortunately the file specification has changed, and the 50 meg xml file is no longer valid, but you could have copied and pasted any one of the canon clusters. The link should still be good if anyone's feeling ambitious and feels like updating it. ::)

Hammer · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 June 2017, 16:28:13 »

I fixed it but am travelling for work this week. I'll find a place to post it when I'm back

Revanche · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 June 2017, 11:23:14 »

Hey, kinda new user to this. I really do want to understand it, but I'm unclear as to several things:

I do want to build an existing unit, where I put in the elements and personnel directly, without having to 'purchase' them. In other words, since the campaign is starting on Day 1, with an intact unit, I don't want to roleplay their formation. Do I have to give the unit funds, purchase the elements and then hire the personnel?

Or can I just add a unit, and then add the crewmember?

Right now, on the TO&E tab, I've added the New Force to the top tier unit, but the Add Unit selection is ghosted. I'm presuming I have to have funds to buy the unit to add, but I'm hoping I can just build the existing unit. (I do have GM mode selected.)

Thanks.

Drifter · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 June 2017, 15:07:05 »

Use GM add button when creating a new unit

Revanche · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 June 2017, 16:36:55 »

Quote from: Drifter on 23 June 2017, 15:07:05

Use GM add button when creating a new unit

Thanks for responding, Drifter. For the life of me, I don't see this "GM add" button you cite. I've attached a screencap; can you provide a landmark that I'm obviously missing?

http://imgur.com/a/PhIoC

pheonixstorm · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 June 2017, 17:30:57 »

You have to gm add from the unit purchase dialog not the toe screen. Pilots etc will be under the personnel market or you can use the bulk hire dialog.

Another option after adding all the units you want is to highlight the bunch and right click then select hire full crew (incorrect wording I think but close enough)

Revanche · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 June 2017, 17:40:11 »

That was extremely helpful, phoenixstorm. Thank you.

So, I was able to add as many units as I wanted-as the GM-and discovered how to similarly add parts to my warehouse. However, I was not as successful at adding the personnel, per your 'mass method'. Apparently that is reserved for the players, and they have to be hired (i.e., the RPG's c-bills needed).

But...I was able to add them individually. If I wanted to add more than was currently in the marketplace, how would I do that? Is there a way to add personnel to the marketplace (as the GM)?

Barik · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 June 2017, 17:52:03 »

You can also use the Hire Personnel in Builk option - available from Marketplace menu.

Revanche · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 June 2017, 20:26:17 »

Quote from: Barik on 23 June 2017, 17:52:03

You can also use the Hire Personnel in Builk option - available from Marketplace menu.

Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be a GM function. You can only Hire Personnel in Bulk as the player, with funds.

As a test, I added the necessary funds and was able to purchase them that way, which is the method I guess must be used. I can delete the left over funds after, but since you can add parts and 'Mechs as a GM, I'd think you'd be able to populate the unit with personnel, too (as the GM).

2ndAcr · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 June 2017, 21:00:49 »

Turn off the pay for recruitment option. Then you dont have to pay. Use the drop down, same one you use for adding vehicles and below that is recruit personnel. GM add to your heart's content.

Revanche · « **Reply #18 on:** 23 June 2017, 21:25:13 »

You just made my list of Awesome People, joining the others in this thread. Thanks, all.

Anyone see any talk about creating a MegaMek wiki? We could easily and collectively create the support documents for issues like this.

Hammer · « **Reply #19 on:** 23 June 2017, 21:53:37 »

Quote from: Revanche on 23 June 2017, 21:25:13

You just made my list of Awesome People, joining the others in this thread. Thanks, all.

Anyone see any talk about creating a MegaMek wiki? We could easily and collectively create the support documents for issues like this.

https://github.com/MegaMek/megamek/wiki

Revanche · « **Reply #20 on:** 23 June 2017, 22:27:03 »

Thanks for the point.

Seems like it's an invite-only wiki (for editing) and focused on project development. I was thinking something more along a user's wiki.

pheonixstorm · « **Reply #21 on:** 23 June 2017, 23:21:45 »

There are videos on youtube for setting up and playing megamek and mekhq. Not sure how in depth they go but there are some.

arlith · « **Reply #22 on:** 25 June 2017, 10:37:32 »

Quote from: Revanche on 23 June 2017, 22:27:03

Thanks for the point.

Seems like it's an invite-only wiki (for editing) and focused on project development. I was thinking something more along a user's wiki.

We have discussed in the past adding MM, MML, & MHQ manuals on sarna. The idea/goal was to create an initial barebones manual, as an example to the community, and then have it get filled in over time/updated by the community. This idea has yet to get off the ground...

Revanche · « **Reply #23 on:** 25 June 2017, 13:06:12 »

Quote from: arlith on 25 June 2017, 10:37:32

We have discussed in the past adding MM, MML, & MHQ manuals on sarna. The idea/goal was to create an initial barebones manual, as an example to the community, and then have it get filled in over time/updated by the community. This idea has yet to get off the ground...

Arlith, has anyone contacted Nic regarding this? If not, I'd be glad to approach him and ask. If he was cool, it'd be easy to add sub-pages to the existing article pages (MegaMek, MegaMekLab, MekHQ) that could form the basis of each program's manual.

If, for some reason, Sarna was not the best fit, I'd be able to host a dedicated MM wiki on my site within 20 minutes. However, we'd have to identify a current team member to be the administrator of the site.

pheonixstorm · « **Reply #24 on:** 25 June 2017, 19:50:00 »

A MM or related wiki would be best done on megamek.org or github. Though I think the main MM website would work best over github, just need the devs to set it up for all those rabid fans to edit in every last nugget of information.

Revanche · « **Reply #25 on:** 26 June 2017, 14:07:56 »

The important thing is it needs to accomplish the hardest part: getting started,. There are so many questions that need to be answered, and most people just won't ask. And some of those will walk away.

For example, in MekHQ: what is Dylan's Random XP (in more detail than the 5-seond hover can provide)? Sure, it can be answered here, or on the official forum, but that reduces tremendously someone being able to find it, or increases the chance they'll find the outdated answer. Sarna works well by allowing both registered and unregistered users, and the (future) MegaMek wiki will respond quickly, once people realize they can share a discovery just as quick as they can click on the 'edit' tab.

BLOODWOLF · « **Reply #26 on:** 26 June 2017, 21:22:04 »

Dylan's XP is when you hire/generated a person they will come with a random amount of XP already instead of just zero.

Schugger · « **Reply #27 on:** 27 June 2017, 03:47:06 »

Hi Revanche,
things seem to be very complicated when you dive head-on into a MHQ campaign. Don't dispair, once yyou get the hang on it, it really isn't.

If you are more a visual guy, the is a somewhat dated youtube video where a campaign ist started by a user named Thomas Marik (not the doppelganger but the real one I believe ;) )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiXhpmgRtJc&list=PLLbDnCvS8khy17pg2-iroT80Y4zIRe90W

A bit burried, but very useful are some documents you might want to take a look at. There are in your megamek/docs folder. Check out for AtB documents, there is a step-by-step guide.

Also, in this forum there is a thread (old but gold) named "Getting started against the Bot" right here http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=41494.msg957641#msg957641

Kovax · « **Reply #28 on:** 13 July 2017, 08:49:56 »

As it stands now, there are a dozen or so basic steps that you MUST complete (not necessarily in any specific order) before starting a battle, otherwise it turns into an instant cluster-****. If you miss a step and go to the deployment screen, it's too late, and you need to start over from scratch.

Basically:
- Add your own force, either from a file, or by creating a force in the lobby.
- Add as many AI 'bots as needed for whatever opposing and allied contingents you need in your battle.
- Assign forces to those contingents, either by manual selection or from "Random Acquisition Tables".
- Set starting positions for each force, otherwise they're all going to get scrambled and placed on top of each other. I've missed this step far too often for my liking, especially since the AtB campaign settings for MekHQ often require being able to place units in the same deployment zone.
- Set any allied factions to the proper "sides", otherwise it becomes a free-for-all among all of the groups.
- Change the map to something larger than a postage stamp, otherwise you'll find your full Company of 'Mechs and the opposing side at point-blank range, fighting on a single random mapsheet (like a deep canyon, where Side 1 and Side 2 can't even reach each other).
- Set or randomize the skills of any contingent that should be other than Regular 4/5 skills across the board. (Note that after you randomize one faction's skills, and change to the next faction, the randomization settings will revert to "standardizing" the next unit back to 4/5, rather than retaining your choices to randomize the unit.)
- Adjust any rules changes that need to be set, or else fight with the default rules settings.

THEN you can start the battle, and hope that the random mapsheet selection is at least playable. It would be REALLY nice if these steps were either made clear with a checklist, stepped through in order to MAKE you at least review the settings without accidentally missing one, or some could be pre-set as a profile and remembered, so you don't need to remember every last step every time you fire up the game. At least for me, setup is the toughest part of the game, and the least rewarding.