---

name: parse-new-game description: Parse a new GCACW game PDF to extract scenario data. Use when adding a new game to the roster generator, extracting units from PDF tables, or setting up scenario names.

Parse New Game

This skill guides the process of adding a new game from the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War series to the roster generator.

Prerequisites

• PDF rulebook accessible on your filesystem
• Python environment with pdfplumber (managed by uv)
• Environment variables configured in parser/.env

Environment Variable Setup (Required)

Configure file paths using environment variables in parser/.env:

Copy# Add to parser/.env
NEWGAME_RULES_PATH=~/Documents/vasl/gcacw/NewGame_Rules.pdf
NEWGAME_VASSAL_PATH=~/Documents/vasl/gcacw/NewGame.vmod  # Optional, for counter images

Step 1: Extract Raw Tables

Run the raw table extractor to capture table structure from the PDF:

Copy# Using environment variable (NEWGAME_RULES_PATH from parser/.env):
cd parser && uv run python pipeline/raw_table_extractor.py newgame

# Or via Makefile:
make extract-newgame

This creates raw/newgame_raw_tables.json containing all scenario tables with:

• Scenario names and page ranges (initially generic "Scenario 1", "Scenario 2", etc.)
• Confederate and Union tables
• Raw row tokens (not yet parsed)
• Footnote annotations

Review the output to verify scenarios were detected correctly.

Step 1.5: Add Scenario Names (Required)

The initial extraction will use generic names like "Scenario 1", "Scenario 2", etc. You need to manually add the actual scenario names:

1. Look up scenario names from the PDF table of contents or scenario headers
2. Edit parser/pipeline/raw_table_extractor.py and add to the SCENARIO_NAMES dictionary:

CopySCENARIO_NAMES = {
    # ... existing games ...
    "newgame": {
        1: "First Scenario Name",
        2: "Second Scenario Name",
        3: "Third Scenario Name",
        # ... etc
    },
}

1. Re-extract raw tables with the updated names:

Copycd parser && rm raw/newgame_raw_tables.json
cd parser && uv run python pipeline/raw_table_extractor.py newgame

Why this is manual: PDF text extraction quality varies significantly. Scenario names often run into other text on the same line, making reliable auto-extraction impractical. The semi-manual approach ensures correct names every time.

Step 2: Check Column Structure

Examine the raw tables to understand the column layout. Most games use:

CopyUnit/Leader | Size | Command | Type | Manpower | Hex

Some games have variations:

• HCR Scenarios 7-8: Have a leading "Turn" column
• RTG2: Has trailing "Set #" column for reinforcements
• HSN: Has "Set" column in some tables

If the game has non-standard columns, add a config entry to game_configs.json:

Copy{
  "newgame": {
    "table_patterns": {
      ".*Reinforcement.*": {
        "columns": [
          "turn",
          "name",
          "size",
          "command",
          "type",
          "manpower",
          "hex"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Add Game Config

Edit parser/pipeline/convert_to_web.py and add to the GAMES list:

CopyGAMES = [
    # ... existing games ...
    {"id": "newgame", "name": "Full Game Name"},
]

Step 4: Add URL Slug Mapping

Edit web/src/utils/slugs.ts and add the game to both slug mappings:

Copyconst gameIdToSlug: Record<string, string> = {
  // ... existing games ...
  newgame: "NEWGAME", // URL-friendly slug (typically uppercase abbreviation)
};

const slugToGameId: Record<string, string> = {
  // ... existing games ...
  newgame: "newgame", // lowercase version maps back to game ID
};

Note: The slugToGameId key must be lowercase since lookups are case-insensitive.

Step 5: Parse Raw Tables

Copycd parser && uv run python pipeline/parse_raw_tables.py newgame

This creates parsed/newgame_parsed.json with structured unit data.

Review the output for:

• Correct scenario count
• Reasonable unit counts per scenario
• Footnotes captured correctly

Step 6: Generate Web Data

Copycd parser && uv run python pipeline/convert_to_web.py

This creates web/public/data/newgame.json and updates games.json.

Step 7: Validate

1. Run make build to catch TypeScript errors
2. Run make dev and visually inspect the new game
3. Check that all scenarios appear in the dropdown
4. Spot-check unit data against the PDF

Step 8: Extract Counter Images (Optional)

If you have a VASSAL module (.vmod) for the game, you can extract counter images for display in the web app. See the extract-vassal-images skill for detailed instructions.

Quick start:

Copy# If NEWGAME_VASSAL_PATH is set in parser/.env:
cd parser && uv run python image_extraction/detect_counter_type.py

# Or with explicit path:
cd parser && uv run python image_extraction/detect_counter_type.py /path/to/GAME.vmod

# Then run the appropriate extractor based on the detected type

Common Issues

• "Game not found" error: Missing slug mapping in web/src/utils/slugs.ts

• Wrong column parsing: Check game_configs.json for table pattern overrides

• Zero units parsed: Check if the PDF table format differs from expected; may need to re-extract raw tables

• Missing scenarios: Check raw tables JSON to see if scenario headers were detected

• Hex codes show only map prefix (e.g., "HCR" instead of "HCR W0330"): The hex location parser in parser/utils/hex_location_config.json needs to recognize the game's map prefix and hex letter format. Update:

  • gameMapPrefixes array: Add new map prefixes (e.g., "HCR", "GTC")
  • patterns[0].regex: Add new hex letters to the character class (e.g., [NSMW] for games using W-prefixed hexes)

  Then rebuild with make build to pick up the config changes.

  Note: convert_to_web.py automatically validates hex locations against the config and will warn about unrecognized patterns during conversion. Watch for warnings like "⚠️ Found X unrecognized hex location patterns" in the output.