War in the East 2 Adding Units in the Editor

The editor is quite a beast, and it will take some getting used to. Once you get the hang of it, it is quite easy to change any number of things in the game. In this article we go through the three ways of adding units into scenarios:

• Copying an existing unit
• Adding a unit from scratch
• Adding units via CSV files

Adding units isn’t a simple matter of copying and pasting, as depending on what sort of unit you are adding to the WitE2 scenario there are several different parameters you need to change. Such as leaders in case of HQ, arrival turns, disband or move turns, location, supply status, OOB status, HQ assignment and many more. Not to worry though, as these are easily learned after a bit of practice.

In these examples, we are using the 1941 GC scenario. Remember to rename the scenario before saving any changes, as otherwise you’ll just rewrite the original Wite 2 campaign.

Adding a new unit to WitE2 by copy and paste

The process is much the same no matter what you are adding. First you need to select the unit you want to copy, then find a new spot for it, then change all the necessary details.

Let’s start by finding a unit. This time around we want to add a construction unit to the Axis, in order to speed up rail repair. This unit will be added to the OKH as a support unit.

We start by finding a unit to copy, which usually takes a bit of browsing.

Once the correct unit is selected, simply press copy, and then find an empty place to copy it to. In this case we browse all the way down to ID 15000, as all IDs below this are free. And it’s easy to remember.

Simply paste the unit into the correct slot.

As per the above picture, these are usually the points you need to edit:

1. The unit name. There should be no duplicate unit names. Simply click and type new name. Do notice that the suffix, in this case “Labour Group” is automatically added based on the OOB.
2. Unit HHQ. In this case the original unit is attached to FBD. We want to change this to OKH. Simply click and choose new HQ or unit.
3. TOE(OB), determines what sort of unit is in question. No changes are necessary this time around.
4. No changes necessary here either. If you want the unit on map, click Loc. Delay is the number of turns until the unit arrives, and Theater Box is where the unit will be deployed.
5. If you want to resupply the unit make the necessary changes to the percentages, and then click “resupply unit”. You can also do this via Commander’s Report Screen.
6. Likewise, if you want to rebuild the unit enter the values and then click Rebuild unit.
7. Finally, if we want the unit to move to another theatre box or disband, we enter the necessary information here. For disbadind, use code 101.

In this case we only need to change unit name and HHQ. After that save the scenario, and the Axis now start the game with one extra Labour Group construction unit.

Creating New Unit in Wite2 in Editor

To create a completely new unit we continue from above. We decide to add one new infantry division for the Germans. Select unit slot 15001, and click TOE(OB). You are presented with a list of possible OOBs. We decide to go for OOB 272, which is 1st and 2nd Wave Infantry Division.

Now we need to rename the unit, rebuild it, decide when and where it appears and a bunch of other things. To keep things simple, let’s do the following:

• Rename unit to “1”
• Assign HHQ to OKH
• Set delay to 1. Do not set location or arrival. The unit will arrive on map after the first turn.
• Set Nation to “Germany” and Player to “Axis”
• With the rebuild unit option, set exp to 80, size and ready to 100, and leave variation to zero. Then click “rebuild unit”.
• Then use the resupply unit option, but first set the variables to 100%.
• We do not change any other data this time around.

Adding Multiple Units by Editing CSV files

In WitE2 editor you have the option to save data files as CSV files, which can be opened with programs like Excel, LibreOffice or whatever can handle comma-separated values. This time around we want to add one hundred more infantry divisions for the Axis.

Continuing with edits we have made, and saved, we now move to the CSV tab. Simply check the box in front of “Units” and then press export to CSV.

Now we need to navigate our way into the WitE2 CSV folder, which should by default be at:

C:\Matrix Games\Gary Grigsby’s War in the East 2\Dat\CSV

The file is named “scenario name_unit”. Right click it, and open it in a program of your choosing. In this example, we are using LibreOffice. You are presented with options for importing the file. I used the following options:

And now we need to find the one infantry division we already added. Scroll down to ID 15001, which is in cell 15003. Press the number one to select the cell. Then hold shift and ctrl whilst pressing the right keyboard arrow. This will select all the data in that row. Now copy the data by pressing ctrl + c.

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For the next step let’s go back to the id 15001. Select it, and scroll down to id 15101. Holding shift, select 15101, and this will select all the cells inbetween these two points. Now press ctrl + v to paste the same data all over these cells.

Now we want to do a simple name changes for all the units. The easiest way, though not the prettiest, is by simply going back to the first unit. Select the cell and you’ll find a black dot on the lower-right corner. Press and hold it, and then drag it all the way to the last unit. This will fill the cell in numerical order.

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And now save the file. Then go back to WitE 2 editor, enter the CSV tab, make sure the “Unit” checkbox is ticked, and press “Import from CSV”.

Finally, to make sure the changes happened, enter the unit tab and confirm. Then save your scenario, and find out if you broke the game by playtesting it. This should get you started on easy editing!