Differentiating formations of units

[RikuM]

CC2 and Cassino modules have campaigns, where formations like battallions or support units are deployed into different battle areas. During combat resolution the units and leaders of a particular formation are either active or inactive. The latter can mostly use opportunity fire or spot for artillery, but the entire formation turns active for example if an enemy counter moves next to its counter.

On tabletop, you are supposed to represent the activation status by orienting the inactive counters 180 degrees. Additionally, we have used 90 and 270 degree orientation, and name labels to differentiate between different formations. This is important, as you can have inactive GRENs or RIFs of different formations next to each other. And you could have active units next to them or even in the same hex. Also it helps keeping tabs on steps lost from each formation.

Does anyone have experience playing campaign battles in Vassal, or ideas or suggestions on how to represent activation status and tell formations apart? Using what is available, my initial idea is to have inactive units in "Digging" state, as they usually start the game dug in if the terrain allows it. For formations, you could use capture flags or user terrain modification, but I think both are rather unwieldy.

I have zero experience in creating Vassal content, but I am willing to experiment. I watched a couple of tutorials and looked at the module and OoB extensions in the editors. How difficult or feasible it would be to implement additional looping state markings? Something like none/red/green/blue tab, akin to none/Disrupted/Demoralized "Layer - Morale" trait in "PG Unit" prototype, which is inherited by e.g. aforementioned GREN.

[cjsiam]

Maybe stick them at the top of the counter?....I like your having colors....(though if they could be chosen by the player, that would be very cool....)

We have Digging on Left
Moral on right
Opfire/Activation below.....

Peter is the man....and he's always looking for those who want to help ....

[plloyd1010]

There is no direct formation support. There was talk of adding text tags for counters, but that was not practical. A tag on top would have the same problem as the tags on the right. Specifically that it gets mostly covered by a piece stacked above the first.

Formation support would need to an addon, like the Double-blind extension.

[RikuM]

Thank you for the insight. I did a quick and dirty test editing of the module for "tab above". It is anything but pretty, but might get the job done for our games.
   
I am considering that another place for the colored tab could be a 20*20 px square on the left of the counter, that would fit between top of the counter and the "N" of "DUG IN". Inactivity could then be for example an "i" or a partially transparent white raster on top of it.

[cjsiam]

Hm...you know there is also perhaps the option of placing it just under the symbol and "Gren" ... just a colored line, or even a formation ID...
Peter has created Mask Layers...ti would require working --- and maybe ONLY one side should be seeing it? like the Masked Armored leaders?

Riku--you know all you really need is maybe 4 pixel line (4pixels high...not as high as in your image) of color....and maybe a stripped one for Inactive (red is active red/white/red/white is inactive)....

[RikuM]

Yes, a 20*120 tab is rather excessive, and I am positive a good place on the counter can be found. One place for a smaller mark I have been considering is above the branch insignia, as it is "clear" for personnel, weapon and AFV units as well as leaders. I will experiment more with a drawing program, but at least now I have an idea how a homebrew module edit could be done.

[plloyd1010]

Riku, unless you are planning on rewriting the base module, you are talking about an extension. Try to work from that angle, lest the be a mess.

I think your extension will need 2 prototypes in it. One for Axis and one for Allied. If vehicles are going to have formation assignments, your markers will need to be very small, or outside the counter. If vehicles don't have formations, Craig's Idea might work. First, you need to decide how much information your formation markers need to carry.

[RikuM]

As you suggested, I made a separate extension. It just contains copies of "Allied Unit" and "Axis Unit" prototypes from the base module, to which I added traits for formation color and inactivity. When saving the extension, the editor warns that there are two definitions of prototypes, but some testing did not show any problems.

Originally I did not think it would work and I would have to edit the traits in the base module, as Vassal 3.1 Designer's Guide p. 106 states

What an Extension Canʼt Do
...
- Modify, replace, or override Prototype Definitions from the base module.

but I am not complaining. If we run into problems, we can disable the extension and improvise an another way.

[plloyd1010]

So long as it works, and there are no ethical, moral or legal issues, it is likely a good solution. I don't know exactly what you are trying to do, beyond the marking.

I think you can remove the original traits in the copied prototypes. Vassal looks for the prototype name, then lumps everything with that name together. So all the menu items from the original Axis and Allied prototypes should remain, regardless of what you do with your copied prototypes.

I'd like to see it. When you feel it is ready, of course. This makes you part of a rather small club.

[RikuM]

My primary goal is merely to provide a visual distinction for our play group's upcoming campaign game. We have settled on a colored bar on the bottom bevel for formations and a transparent mask for inactivity. And if either proves unsatisfactory, improving is rather simple.
edit: We will have the formation and inactivity as open information, which keeps things simple.
   
My secondary goal is to learn a bit about how Vassal works - what simple things can and can not be done with it.

Unfortunanely duplicate traits can not be removed from the extension's prototypes. I already tested it when I was experimenting with "PG Unit" and verified it now. If I remove "Cycle Hidden" trait from "Axis Unit", it is no longer available in the context menu and the shortcut key no longer works. This creates a sort of merge conflict, should those prototypes later be modified in a base module update.

So this probably works mostly due to luck. We will play with it once, when we actually get to first Combat Phase. If no problems appear, I will then email the extension to you.