Creating Scenarios for HPS’s Tigers On the Prowl and
Panthers In the Shadows

by Peter Mitchell

Maps

Creating a map (if you’re not using one of the many available) is the first step in scenario creation. The map is where the action will occur, and the choices made for the map will determine partly the choices for conducting the battle.
The maximum area for a TOP/PITS map is 8 km x 5 km, or 80 x 50 hexes, so chose the area to be modeled accordingly. Terrain "steps" are in 10 meters increments, to a maximum limit of 7 levels, or 70 meters. The basic terrain types for each elevation are clear, light woods, and woods. These values are for the entire hex, ie it’s not possible to "split" a hex and make it half wooded and half clear, or half level 6 and half level 7. Additional hex terrain types include shallow water (fordable), deep water (passable by naval vessels and amphibious craft only), sand, crops, swamp, rubble, craters, and three types of building density.
Shallow water, deep water and sand are level 1 hexes only. If you’re designing an Alpine lake, bear in mind that the lake will need to be the base elevation. Ditto those desert sand dunes.
Where clear, light woods, woods, shallow water, deep water, and sand are primary terrain values; crops, swamp, rubble, craters, and buildings are secondary terrain that modify the value of a hex, affecting movement and/or line of sight calculations. One secondary terrain type may be added to any primary terrain. Attempting to add additional secondary terrain will result in eliminating the previous secondary terrain. (Hint: If you want to eliminate the secondary terrain in a hex altogether, select level 1 clear and reset the hex .)
Next are hexsides and hexlines. Hexsides run along the edge of the hex, hexlines pass through the center of the hex. Hexsides are used for features that modify movement and/or line of sight, like rivers, streams, bocage, gullies, etc. Hexlines modify movement-- roads, trails and railroads are examples of hexlines. Think of hexsides as a barrier to movement and hexlines as enhancing movement.
The TOP/PITS map editor includes hexsides on the hexline menu and vice versa. It doesn’t make any sense, it’s confusing and potentially trouble. For example, a river should be a hexside; create a river using a hexline and you’ll have a very pretty but virtual river--units won’t treat it as a river, or anything else for that matter.
Those are the symbols, now let’s make a map.
First, you’ll need a source. In my experience, the best maps to use as sources are topographical or contour maps in 1:50,000 or 1:25,000 scales. Maps in these scales will be very detailed and are readily adapted to TOP/PITS. Obtaining good maps can be a challenge--check your local public or university library. If possible, try to find aerial photographs of the terrain. Panoramic landscape views are also helpful in determining where to place woods, or improved roads, etc. Bear in mind that contemporary maps may contain features not present in WWII. ( I was puzzled by the width of the Dnieper on my contemporary Russian maps until I learned that a postwar project made part of the river a basin!)
My next step is to grid the source map--a 1,000 meter grid is good to use. After gridding the map, I place a shallow water hex every 10 hexes on the blank TOP/PITS map--the light blue is easy to see. Next, I place the rivers and streams, then roads, railroads and trails (bridges are created automatically whenever a road or railroad crosses a stream, river or gully). For me, it’s easier to place the terrain after I’ve laid out the hexsides and hexlines as visual reference points. Note: It is possible to use shallow water and/or deep water hexes to create wide rivers, but the hexlines placed across these water hexes will not create bridges. In order to have bridges, use the appropriate hexside at the site you want to bridge.
Terrain requires a little interpretation. When the number of terrain levels exceeds the program limit of seven, it will be necessary to have each terrain level represent more than ten meters of elevation. This won’t affect play, but the map will look more accurate.
I place the ground cover and buildings last. Then I check the map against photos and make corrections as needed (always necessary!).
One final note about maps: There are a number of alternate terrain sets available that do a fantastic job of representing snow, etc. Feel free to use them!

Making the Scenario

The following assumes that you’ve had some experience creating new games from scratch and are familiar with the many program options involved in setting up games, and the file conventions used. If not, then reread the manual and Readme notes. If you are familiar with these items, then continue!
There’s nothing to it: a scenario is simply any .ops file given a .scn extension. Simply rename an existing .ops file as .scn--the next time the program is run, a new scenario will be available.
The .ops file is created during two different stages--during the unit placement phase, and while playing a turn. As far as scenario creation is concerned, the only difference between the stages is in deciding whether or not to place units, and whether or not to include initial movement orders.
If you want the scenario user to place the units, then exit the program at the beginning of the unit placement phase. The program doesn’t provide an exit here, you’ll need to warm reboot. At the reboot, the program creates a temporary file labeled qzrtl.ops. Rename this file my.scn, or any other two letter combination. The program will now recognize a new scenario which will begin at the unit placement phase.
If you want the scenario to include initial movement orders, artillery missions, airstrikes, etc., then complete the unit placement phase and the first turn of the new game. At the end of the first turn, save as a new game file. Then rename the new game’s .ops file with the .scn extension. The program will now have a new scenario available that includes movement orders, etc. Note: you can perform this step after any turn--this allows you to have battlefields with fires, smoke, wrecks, etc.

HPSedit

Nick Bell’s HPSedit is a freeware utility that allows users to modify some game set-up parameters. Map name, aggressiveness level, and turn number are a few of the choices. The program runs in DOS from the command line interface.