Mission Builder Introduction

This guide is for generating single player missions which will appear in the "Quick Missions" menu of the simulation. The process is similar for patrols and multiplayer missions. The step by step points comprise an introduction only - carefully inspect all options panels and menus, supplying additional information needed to properly define units, objectives etc. The emphasis here is on doing things in the proper order, to promote orderly construction of a mission and avoid having to back-track a whole lot.

For more detailed documentation, try Clicking Here. There you will find Dietrich's definitive guide to the SHIII Mission Editor. The SHIV editor is almost identical to the SHIII version so this manual should prove very helpful if you are looking for details. The file is in PDF format.  I have not, so far, been able to contact the author or find an Internet link for this excellent manual (the one I found doesn't work).  The copy you find here resides on my web site so the issue of copyright etc. is unresolved. At the very least, do not alter the credits or redistribute with modifications of any sort.

General Tips and Recommendations:

• Begin with a good idea for a mission. Seems obvious but the result will be better if you spend some quality time thinking through and maybe writing down what you want to accomplish. Review some WWII history and use your imagination in that context.  A relatively simple mission with a clear objective, focusing on a specific tactical challenge is the best way to start. Use the game's Artificial Intelligence to your advantage by specifying random areas for waypoints, allocating random groups, using waypoint loops and other variable components to which you can assign probabilities. This gives the mission replayability and realistic elements of surprise even you, as the designer, can never fully predict. Be kind and prepare detailed briefings so the player knows exactly what is to be accomplished. Ensure the mission is winnable under some circumstances, at least.

• Familiarize yourself with the Editor controls. A possibly frustrating control is the Map Control button on the top toolbar (icon = "hand"). When this button is depressed you are essentially in "map mode" and can easily drag the map around. By right clicking the mouse in this mode you can also specify map zones, random groups and other items that appear in the pop-up menu. When this button is in the "out" position you are in "Unit Mode" and can use the mouse buttons to inspect and modify unit properties. If your attempts to select certain controls using the mouse aren't working, check to make sure the Map Button is in the right position. Map zoom (mouse wheel) works in both modes.

• Take note of the time filter in the tool bar. This is an aid to authenticity by helping ensure your mission includes only those units available at the time the mission begins. If units mysteriously disappear, fail to move while running the Editor simulation or have the wrong color (i.e., neutral green when you think they should be allies) it is probably because something is wrong with either your starting date or the filter setting. Check there first if you have any problems with unit appearance/behavior.

• If you want/need to see ports and docks while building the mission go to the \Campaign folder in the simulation library and find the file Campaign_LOC.mis. At any time after beginning your new mission go to the Editor "File" menu and choose "Merge". Select Campaign_LOC and then merge. If you check the "Saveable" option the entire Ubi active campaign gets merged with your mission. This can prove good or bad depending on what you want. To avoid confusion when starting out, leave "Saveable" unchecked. As a convenience you might want to copy Campaign_LOC to your mission folder.

• The Mission button on the toolbar is the one you will use most often. From there you build up the over-all structure of your mission with objectives, triggers, events, environmental and temporal parameters.

• The Tools Panel on the right side of the screen is your source of all units and you simply drag them from there onto your map, then fill in their properties and supply waypoints.

• The Tools Panel contains an Explorer tab. This presents all the elements of your mission in tabular form which is often an easier way to see what units you have and how many of each. You can define properties etc. by right clicking any unit name.

• The Editor has a few bugs. Among them, it may not always delete a unit you want to get rid of or it may incorrectly assign a unit class (such as to your submarine), for reasons unknown. Fortunately, the .mis file in your mission folder is in pure text form. You can open this file with Notepad and delete units, change unit types etc. and perform any sort of repair provided you know what you are doing. Work carefully after taking a backup if you feel you need to do this. Using Notepad can be a great alternative to rebuilding a mission from scratch on those rare occasions you are stung by a bug.

• At the right side of the Editor toolbar are some play/pause/stop buttons and a time accelerator. These control the Editor simulator. Start this up and watch your units move around the map exactly as you programmed them to do. The accelerator can make this happen as quickly as you want. It's a great way to preview the movement of units and facilitate getting the timings right for arrival on waypoint, within zone and at engagement areas. Battles/attacks are not simulated. For some reason I can never get my sub to move. My workaround is to temporarily assign a surface vessel to my route at about the speed I will expect and use that to follow my course in the simulator. When things look OK I simply delete this proxy. If a unit refuses to move it is probably because of the time filter settings. Change them to bracket the existence of the unit or choose a different unit that existed within the scope of the filter settings. The filter is sometimes as much an annoyance as an aid.

• Choose meaningful names for mission units and other elements such as Map Zones and Objectives. Use a naming convention to tie together elements that are logically related. For example, if the purpose of a trigger is to initiate an event which comprises sending a radio message to the captain, you might name the Trigger "Msg01trigger" and the Event "Msg01event". In this way you make the mission to some extent self-documenting and much easier to re-work at a later time.

Step By Step Procedure:

The order of steps shown here is strongly recommended and takes into account pre-requisites for those mission elements requiring them. For example, the editor won't let you specify a photo-recon objective if you do not first have at least one map zone available to define where the recon is to take place so - best to define zones before attempting objectives.

1. Using Windows Explorer go to: C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\Silent Hunter IV Wolves of the Pacific\Data\SingleMissions (assuming you installed to the standard location). Once there, create a New folder with a unique mission name: let's say \My Mission. The Explorer directory should now include this folder along with the ones for all the other existing missions provided by UBI.

2. Open the SHIV Mission Editor and specify a "New" mission. The map will soon appear. Choose a starting date and time for the mission in the pop-up panel. Like almost anything else in the mission, you can change this later. On the right is the Tools Panel. Choose Sub/Roster/American and drag the submarine of your choice onto the map somewhere near where the mission is to begin (you can refine this later). In the sub properties panel that pops up uncheck "delete on last waypoint" and check "Human Control". Give the sub a waypoint (anywhere for now). You must have a Human Controlled sub on the map or you will not be able to save the mission so these are the bare minimum requirements. Now is also a good time to set Mission Parameters (also from the Mission menu). Here you set starting date and time, weather conditions etc.

3. (HINT: If you have opened an existing mission for editing, click the Map Button [hand on toolbar] so it is depressed. Next, set the filter starting date to near the starting date of the mission, then left click the mouse once after moving the cursor to some position within the map. Now you can easily drag and zoom the map to your existing mission events. Remember: the Map Button must be out for most unit/waypoint editing. You will be clicking this buitton a lot)

4. From the top tool bar in the Editor Choose Mission/Language Localization. You will see a panel with Briefing and Mission Title items. Click Mission Title and give the mission the name you want to have players see when the launch the sim and go to the "Quick Missions" menu. This name can be anything you want. Now click Mission Briefing and prepare the mission briefing in the space provided. You can change this later. Be sure to supply the player with all information necessary to complete the mission.

5. Save the mission using "Save As ..." from the builder File option (top toolbar). Save it to the folder specified in Step 1. The Save name must exactly match the folder name so in this case use ... My Mission. Two files named My Mission.mis and My Mission.tsr will appear inside the folder.  If the names don't exactly match the folder name the mission will not be available in the simulation menu. Period. You can now continue working on the mission and simply clicking the Save icon to save the updates or retrieve for later work from the folder. Frequent saves are a good idea.

6. Set Map zones. Zones are required by most (not all) mission Objectives. Generally speaking, you do not need to define map zones if your only objective is to sink so much tonnage. Objectives such as Photo Recon and Commando Drop require zones. It is good practice always to use zones as an aid to organizing your mission even if not absolutely needed. You will find the menu for Map Zones by right-clicking the mouse at some point on the map when the Map Control button ("hand" icon on toolbar) is depressed. Select a suitable radius and depth/altitude for the zone. For most missions the default is fine. You can change all of this, including moving the zone later. Be sure to give the zone a meaningful name. The simulation senses when your sub is inside a zone and this is necessary for triggers to work and most objectives to be defined.

7. Define Objective(s). A mission without objectives makes no sense. From Missions Menu, select a suitable Objective type and then "Add Objective". You can change the objective name in "Rename Objective". For most objectives you will have to select a Map Zone from a list of those you have created (usually just one). For most missions one objective is sufficient and more than two can get messy. Keep things simple to begin with by specifying a single Primary Objective.

8. Define Triggers(s). The purpose of a Trigger is to cause an Event (see Step 8) to happen. Choose Triggers from the Mission menu and then select an appropriate trigger type. Typically this will be the completion (or failure) of an objective or your sub entering a zone but there are others. Finally, "Add Trigger" and give it an appropriate name.

9. Define Events. An Event occurs in response to a Trigger being activated. An Event might be a message to the captain, update to an objective etc. Choose from the list presented when you open Events from the Mission Menu. You must have a trigger available to associate with an Event before you can define an Event. Now "Add Event" and give it a name that makes sense.

10. The basic structure of your mission is now in place. You will probably want to massage all of this as you go along but the major pieces controlling the form of the mission are established. From the Tools Panel drag in the enemy/allied units you want in the engagement, assigning waypoints and properties. Most of this is pretty self-explanatory from the Properties panels. Remember that all units, including stationary land units, require at least one waypoint and that there are restrictions on how close units and waypoints can be to one another. Once in awhile, from the Mission Menu, run the validator and fix any errors before too many accumulate.

11. Test and retest. If you are fortunate in having two computers side-by-side on a LAN you can pass revised missions to the second machine where you have SHIV up and running and test them right there. An alternative is to have SHIV running in windowed mode on the mission editor machine.

Capt J. Hazelwood / USS "Haddock"