BGR-V 20150324. Byg's Grim Reality (Supply & Command Series): Guides, Updates & Optional Extras

[Byg]

NEW BGRV version now reuploaded with a couple of adjustments.

No mercy campaign ai now installs properly

Crusade bonus supplies added for AI as the poor ai is generally compelled to go on crusades regardless of its condition.

[raven63]

I'm playing a vh/vh as the Fatis. One thing I noticed, around turn 11, is that the Crusaders have an unusual army composition, relying so heavily on kurdish javelinmen, not sure if this is intended or not, just thought I'd let you know. (this is with the yesterday version, i.e. before the update you released a few hours ago)

[raven63]

Edit: I thought I had the no mercy AI option checked

[Byg]

Ok I'll re upload straight away. I know what that is. I'll edit this post to say when it is done.

I had set javelins with a higher priority to help the ai vs relentless attacks from Timurid elephants, but we will do without it.

EDIT: Re uploaded again, but if you have already installed or are even already playing and can't be bothered to re install and re run setup then you can just add the attached file to your data folder, after unzipping it. I do recommend that you do also re download though, before your next campaign or the new file wont be in it.

I'll probably edit this file again a few times in the future, based on user reports of army composition, but it is save compatible and will come in the form of a patch.

[raven63]

I have a (possibly silly) question: In the SS setup menu, after selecting the desired options and exiting, shouldn't I see those options selected if I run it again?

Currently no matter what I chose, the next time I visit the menu I see BGR-V, Savage AI, and limited activities selected but nothing else.

[Byg]

Not sure why that happens or if it matters. I get the same thing but with gracul and BGRV showing.

[Gpower]

Hi, Thanks. I added a note that any unit that does not display its manpower cost is 1 by default.

These are not elite or high status units and they have low unit size (and are not very good) and so are in this category:-

...

Thanks! 1mp cavalry? That's interesting, since previously most cavalry are 2mp. And with urban militia units now costing 2mp and other mp adjustments, my army composition would probably change significantly.

NEW BGRV version now reuploaded with a couple of adjustments.

No mercy campaign ai now installs properly

Crusade bonus supplies added for AI as the poor ai is generally compelled to go on crusades regardless of its condition.

Since I downloaded the 1st upload, is this save game compatible?

[Byg]

Yes, it is save compatible.

Low end cavalry were previously entirely unused by me in my sicily campaign, except where I had left one accidentally as 1MP. So I think this is better for all weak cav to have this setting. Other cav are in 2, 3 and 4 categories, depending on status.

here is the list

[Byg]

Here's a Campaign AI file for users of no mercy. It merges into it the great mongol ai developed by gracul in gracul ai. It also mostly prevents humans being offered vassal status. It cuts out priority for attacking rebel factions and so wont be vulnerable to other factions whilst being forced to attack rebels.

Unzip, then:-

You can add it to your data folder for your current campaign

and if happy with it also add it to
C:\Program Files (x86)\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\SS6.3\data\campaign\sub\No Mercy Campaign AI for BGRV

if that's where you installed your game, and that will mean it gets used when you next start a campaign.

[Had]

It seems to me the AI healing bonus remained very high, and that leaves AI vs AI fights quite imbalanced since the victor have no losses at all, so small factions can be eradicated quickly. 1-2 huge AI army can steamroll everything.

[Byg]

Its 50%, so less than before. Which factions have been eradicated in how many turns?

[Had]

Did not made notes about it, but the Crusaders and Lithuania went down so fast after they got war declaired from a poweful faction, I didnt even notice them skrinking much (I use the toggle_fow stuff in every ~30 turns to see how the AI is doing and see whats going on far far away). Of course they all had only a few regions and really capable foes.
Will keep an eye out how the crusaders will do in my new campaign.

[Byg]

The Crusader States seem to be doing rather well in AI hands with this version, the crusade is a big help to them I expect, as it should be.

I'm Teutons, I went for a blitz, sort of. Now badly in debt, but managed to take Hrodna from Lithuania, and have taken Nykoeping and Visby from the rebels and will soon take Uppsala.

My armies are in a terrible state though and I doubt I can survive if a stack attacks me.

At war with Poland, Novgorod and Lithuania. No money for diplomacy, so I can't improve relations. Can't join the crusade either.

Edit 1 Turn 56:
Denmark declared war and took three northern settlements off me, Novgorod took my mainland settlements and finally I was just left with Hrodna. Sold my buildings and moved out before my remaining army became trapped there. Hrodna fell to Poland and I'm now a homeless horde, heading south across Europe in the hope that I can find a new home in Constantinople, which is still in Latin hands. If this longshot fails I'm done.

EDIT 2 Turn 90:

I'm at turn 90 now and Crusader States are still ok. Dead factions are Kiev and HRE, attacked from all sides and the victim of a decisive crusade.

Well, I managed to managed over the course of a year to march south through enemy Polish territory. A severe winter made our progress slow and we would have been in no fit state to fight any army. Starvation was close so we marched leaving enough time to forage and thus conserved some supplies. They almost caught me and blocked me at the last bridge out, taking some supplies in the process, but I squeezed past, headed through Kievan territory until I entered Marmara.

I arrived a month too late and found Kiev had arrived just then. They proceeded to take Constantinople. The army's heart collectively sank at that point.

I noticed they had brought plague with them so besieged them anyway for 5 months and defeated them in their sally. I then made Constantinople my new home.

I spent several years idle there recovering from debt, exhaustion and low morale. My second in command had to take the long walk and disappeared from history.

Whilst slowly recovering, Hungary Decided to break me economically and blockaded my port.

Still with no new money due for several years yet I decided to show them that there was still life in the old dog. I immediately took the whole rag-tag army from Constantinople and besieged and took Adrianople where their King resided with just his bodyguard. His armies came quickly to his aid but not quickly enough and they now surround Adrianople with 3 armies at some distance, building up in force.

I'm quite looking forward to the next campaign, I'm really going to have to seriously up my game. It's hard to believe I am still alive in this one.

EDIT 3 Turn 98: Hungary laid siege to tiny remaining garrison in Constantinople. My army Headed out from Adrianople to assist. After successfully defending against the surrounding armies my army reached Constantinople only to look back to view Adrianople fall to an internal uprising.

Whilst besieging Constantinople we were attacked from behind and took the city with a heroic victory.

Here ends the story. Debt recovery is unlikely to happen before the remaining army is destroyed by the might of Hungary.

There is now a newer version of BGRV (120719), so what better reason to quit?

[sasuke97]

Hey Byg I think I found a bug, I captured Jerusalem in a crusade and my general received the Deeds to Jerusalem. Then, I gave the city to the Papal States because there's a lot of unrest in the city and my general still keeps the Deeds to Jerusalem after few turns.

Maybe you could add like a replenishment system of units something like you fought a battle and you got losses and then the next few turns you got a message saying that a team of 10 feudal foot knights wants to join your army for a quantity of money. You could configure the message so it cannot happen always.

[granazis]

Hello,
I am playing with the ERE (as always do )
I am at turn 12 right now. I am trying to blitz so to use the mercenary forces we can buy.

An observation I liked is that mercenary forces will leave you when you went into debt.

And about the money balance.It is improved a lot. I don't know if you increase the starting treasury as you mentioned. I believe it is better solution to start the campaign with a supply train full and the generals at full supplies.

more details in time........

[granazis]

Hey Byg I think I found a bug, I captured Jerusalem in a crusade and my general received the Deeds to Jerusalem. Then, I gave the city to the Papal States because there's a lot of unrest in the city and my general still keeps the Deeds to Jerusalem after few turns.

It is not a bug my friend, these ancillaries can not be lost if you lose or give a settlement to another faction. Only if a general of yours dies with this deed will be lost.

[Kaidonni]

Just checking (because I obsess), my log seems to have a fair few warnings, like:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[script.err] [warning] Trigger parsing warning in mods/SS6.3/data/export_descr_character_traits.txt

I am using level=*script* trace in my cfg now, so...lots of extra warnings and missing files (e.g. cannot find certain portrait paths, things that don't pop up otherwise with the lesser error logging, and are probably always there - and don't appear to actually refer to files in use, having no impact on the game).

[Byg]

Today I have been making another Version with just a few changes and have done or considered doing the following:

Looked into giving more supplies, but then realised the reason I gave few: if a new noble had too many supplies you could exploit by killing older nobles who had run out of supplies and then adopting another.


Tweaked no mercy so Rebels attack more and act like a faction - some gracul ai code in the script had been preventing this.

Prevented field morale system's away time counting too high (though this hardly ever happens)

To provide more money at game start (but also for the rest of the campaign) I boosted start purses for all by another 1000. This is one way to help small factions equally with large, perhaps relatively more. If I boosted trade, farming or tax then this would help large factions much more.

Added a bit of code that might speed turns up a bit.

Considering moving semi-decent archers like sicilian muslims to MP category 2 (from 1 where they are the same as basic militia)

Having played with a horde faction I'm considering removing their debt when they lose their last settlement, if I can think of a way to prevent the obvious exploit potential of that.

Hello,
I am playing with the ERE (as always do )
I am at turn 12 right now. I am trying to blitz so to use the mercenary forces we can buy.

An observation I liked is that mercenary forces will leave you when you went into debt.

And about the money balance.It is improved a lot. I don't know if you increase the starting treasury as you mentioned. I believe it is better solution to start the campaign with a supply train full and the generals at full supplies.

more details in time........

You mean better to put start money down again and instead give more supplies, or keep current money level and give more supplies?

...

Maybe you could add like a replenishment system of units something like you fought a battle and you got losses and then the next few turns you got a message saying that a team of 10 feudal foot knights wants to join your army for a quantity of money. You could configure the message so it cannot happen always.

I'll bear it in mind if I find a use for it.

Just checking (because I obsess), my log seems to have a fair few warnings, like:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[script.err] [warning] Trigger parsing warning in mods/SS6.3/data/export_descr_character_traits.txt

I am using level=*script* trace in my cfg now, so...lots of extra warnings and missing files (e.g. cannot find certain portrait paths, things that don't pop up otherwise with the lesser error logging, and are probably always there - and don't appear to actually refer to files in use, having no impact on the game).

Those entries in the log are because someone has used "-" to remove a trait rather than use an anti-trait.
There is no problem with that as such, though I only use it myself for traits that have no attributes as I have a feeling that many years ago I found this could cause problems, probably when used in certain ways.

[Gpower]

I believe it is better solution to start the campaign with a supply train full and the generals at full supplies.

I second this. Finances are tight in the first few turns, and it really annoys me that every time I save up some money to, say build a mine, it'll say my faction leader just spent all of it on supplies which I didn't need.

[Byg]

I could do the supply train with a bit more at the start, but probably won't do generals supplies. I might increase supplies at game start though, but not for later.

I hope doing this does not result in successful blitzing.

EDIT:
Actually start of game generals already get 100% supplies, so I'll leave that.

I think it may be better to just give the player +2000 at the start to cover supply train costs for the above reason. This way you still have to wait a bit for the supply train to fill or risk runnning out of supplies if you decide to go off half-cocked and blitz.

There again, now that I'm adding an extra 1000 per turn anyway perhaps I need add nothing more.