Sparta Provincial Campaign for XGM 5.8.1

[Spartan198]

I'm officially announcing my WIP (work in progress) Sparta provincial campaign, which will be built using XGM 5.8.1 (run through BI) and its files.

Basically, what I'm going to do is use one of the currently-existing provincial campaigns (permission request pending) as a base, change settlement ownership to Sparta, make Periokoi units trainable everywhere, etc..
I'm also thinking of adding some new Spartan-specific units to the GCS to be used with it, but that would be primarily a personal customization unless I can beg and plead DBH into putting them into XGM.

Possible new units off the top of my head to be added or readded (with permission, of course, in the case that I release this for fellow XGMers to play, which will most likely happen):
Spartiate Hoplites (in the form of ATG's horizontal plume Spartan)
XGM's old Krypteia unit
Helot Phalangites (in the form of Alexander's Mercenary Greek Infantry, due to their kit consisting only of a helmet and sarissa)
Spartan medium cavalry unit (I may use the vanilla Greek Cavalry unit for this, I haven't decided for sure yet)

Victory condition: Probably 25 provinces + Sparta, Athens, & Thebes (but I'm also thinking about maybe a "unification of Greece" victory condition, as well)

I'm a novice modder, though, so any help and guidance will be greatly appreciated and fully-credited. My main strength is text stuff (mainly the EDU, EDB, and a few other text files), but things like changing family members and such I will need help with.

Anyway, I hope that's a decent rundown of this project. Input welcomed. And to anyone interested in helping, I will most definitely need it at some point.

[CaesarVincens]

Well, how about this, I give you permission to use the Pergamon campaign, as I created that (from XGM of course), and since Dime has an open sharing policy (as per the online read-me), you are good for permission.

As for going about the units, if you are going to make this a real provincial campaign you will need to add a new hidden resource to have those units available only for the campaign.

And I may be able to help you with descr_strat, otherwise you may try asking Zarax or Redfox.

[Spartan198]

Okay, thanks.

I must not have seen open sharing policy in the readme.

[DimeBagHo]

Sounds good to me.

Feel free to use ATGs stuff - he hasn't been around for a long time, but I think it's reasonable to assume he wouldn't object to anyone using his stuff for an XGM submod.

Obviously adding new units requires changes outside the campaign folder, and anything that requires a new model will have to be considered against the DMB limit and the long list of planned PMP units.

One thing you might want to consider is making new units using the existing models. There is a lot more room in EDU for adding new units with different names, stats, etc, but using existing DMB entries.

For example, if you don't mind using the same skin you could using the existing Greek Militia Phalangites for your helot phalangites, or if you want to make a new skin you could use the Carthaginian Militia Phalangite model.

[Spartan198]

Okay, with my limited modding skills, hopefully I interpretted correctly what you said here...

One thing you might want to consider is making new units using the existing models. There is a lot more room in EDU for adding new units with different names, stats, etc, but using existing DMB entries.

So basically, for the Spartiate Hoplites, just add HP Spartan texture, model, and sprite lines to the Greek_Hoplite_Spartan entry in the DMB, then make a duplicate of the SRG or Periokoi Hoplite entry in the EDU with the appropriate stats and dictionary path, correct?

For example, if you don't mind using the same skin you could using the existing Greek Militia Phalangites for your helot phalangites, or if you want to make a new skin you could use the Carthaginian Militia Phalangite model.

Using the same skin is an option, but I would like to have a distinctive skin for the helots, if possible, to set them apart from the Greek Militia Phalangites, though. Would it be possible to import the Merc Greek Infantry skin and use it on one of the existing phalangite models without having to make it its own unit?

[Stilgar CG]

Great idea, Spartan. The fate of Sparta is in your hands now (at least, in XGM world)

[Barend]

One critical question however; what would the difference be with the normal GCS campaign once you have unified the mainland of Greece. Is I see it know it will become a GCS campaign with additional Spartan units. But maybe I'm wrong and missed something, please enlighten me

[Spartan198]

It really won't be any different from the GCS campaign or other Greek provincial campaigns except for its starting position in Sparta, the ability to train Spartan units (except the Royal Guard) everywhere, and a somewhat less daunting victory condition (hold 25 or so provinces including the criticals of Sparta and Athens.
One thing that sets the Massalia and Syracuse campaigns apart for me is the widespread availability of the unique city hoplite units for use. So I figured why not apply that to a Sparta campaign.

[Spartan198]

Descr_Strat Question: When I copy-paste the GCS family member info, can I just delete the entries for non-Spartan FMs to get rid of them?

[CaesarVincens]

Yes, just make sure you get rid of all the entries and relations.

[Spartan198]

What about wives? Do I have to write down who's married to who and also delete the ones with non-Spartan spouses?

Also, can the bireme fleet admiral's cognomen (or whatever) be changed from Polydoros of Athens to Polydoros of Sparta?

[CaesarVincens]

With wives it depends, if they are the daughter of someone, then they can stay, otherwise get rid of them. And the last name can be changed.

[Spartan198]

Okay, thanks.

Sorry about all the questions. Like I said, I'm a novice with most of this and it's my first major modding project.

[CaesarVincens]

No, please, ask away, I am happy to answer. Just remember the two main rules of RTW modding:
1: Always back up.
2: Delete map.rwm when making changes to the campaign (basically anything in the base or campaign folders).

[Suppanut]

Okay, thanks.

Sorry about all the questions. Like I said, I'm a novice with most of this and it's my first major modding project.

Fear not, everyone here are once novice before. We will help you as we can as long as you ask.

[Spartan198]

Appreciate the help guys. +rep for you both.

1: Always back up.

Believe me, I do. I learned that lesson the hard way.
Now I keep meticulous track of how many and which files I mod.

[Spartan198]

Also, I got this answer on the new unit tutorial at the .Org about making new units with existing models:

Just copy the DMB entry, rename it and assign the new entry to your new unit's entry in EDU. Then work on the new DMB entry/texture.

But I notice that the DMB entry in question has both the Periokoi Hoplite and Spartan Royal Guard textures on it.

What part of the EDU unit entry specifies the texture used by the unit, (unless I'm looking at the wrong file here)? I thought that there was a "texture" line in it, but was wrong.

[Mathais]

Finally someone has read my mind! Oh please make this I will forever be greatful

[Suppanut]

Texture is in export_model_battle.txt as line of model while soldier line of EDU is link to entry name of model in it.

[Spartan198]

Finally someone has read my mind! Oh please make this I will forever be greatful

This is my first major project, but you can bet I'm working hard on it. It's just moving slow due to my inexperience.