The Alex exe

[Riothamus]

Wanna make this an optional install. This may help those with bi related ctds. If better in our over all accessment of it, then we can use this primarily instead

If any one knows hows or what needs to be done for this to be implemented please post here on this forum Thanks

[Octavius-Augustus]

To play any mod with Alexander features you don't necessarily need to install the Alexander expansion. To get the .exe file, though, you do need it. Once you have such an install, follow this guide.

Playing with Alex.exe guide (original credit for this goes to Brusilov ):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

First:

1) Copy the 'RomeRTW_ALX.exe' into your Rio's BRG III main game folder. (NOT the Rio folder)
2) Copy the 'chat_filter.san' file to the BRG III data folder.
3) Add a shortcut with -mod:rio at the end of the target.

The following shortcut is an example:

"C:\Program Files\Activision\Rio's BRG III\RomeTW-ALX.exe" -nm -show_err -mod:rio
(-nm cancels the intro movies; -show_err displays error messages for most crashes, -mod:rio starts the rio mod)

Then you have to modify 3 files.

1.Rome - Total War folder/rio/data/export_descr_character_traits.txt'
Simply add the following to the end of the traits paragraph:

;------------------------------------------
Trait Immortal
Characters family
Hidden

Level Immortal
Description Immortal_desc
EffectsDescription Immortal_effects_desc
Threshold 1

2.Rome - Total War folder/rio/data/export_descr_VnVs_enums.txt
Add this to the end of the file:
Immortal
Immortal_desc
Immortal_effects_desc

3.Rome - Total War folder/rio/data/text/export_VnVs.txt
Add the following to the end of the file:

¬--------------------

{Immortal} Immortal

{Immortal_desc}
Hidden immortal trait

{Immortal_effects_desc}
No Effects

Now, this is just so you could run the Alex.exe with any mod. But since Rio's mod is meant to be played on BI, there are features that break the Alex.exe upon loading it. This worked for me:

In descr_sm_factions.txt the following lines need to be deleted (make a backup, of course):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

horde_min_units 15
horde_max_units 25
horde_max_units_reduction_every_horde 10
horde_unit_per_settlement_population 300
horde_min_named_characters 2
horde_max_percent_army_stack 80
horde_disband_percent_on_settlement_capture 33
horde_disband_percent_on_settlement_capture 50
horde_disband_percent_on_settlement_capture 100
horde_unit horde peasant saxon
horde_unit horde peasant saxon
horde_unit horde peasant saxon
horde_unit horde spearman saxon
horde_unit horde spearman saxon
horde_unit horde saxon keels
horde_unit horde saxon keels
horde_unit horde peasant saxon
horde_unit horde saxon hearth troops

This is just an example. You need to delete those lines for every faction that has the 'hording' ability. An easy way to do so is to search for the word 'horde', that way you'll find a whole section like the one above. Remove everything with 'horde_' in front of it.

That's all it took for me. Maybe there is something else. The shield wall should be broken, but I didn't edit the unit files.. The battles must be tested. Same goes for the other BI features: swimming, night battles.. (I think there is a way to keep the night battles in Alex.) I simply don't know if they work now or do they break the game. But my solution thus far manages to load the game as well as the campaign. Hope I helped, with some feedback I'm sure we'll manage to get every BI mod to run with Alex.. Great for whoever doesn't find hordes, shield wall and swimming an integral part of their RTW experience.

I'm not sure my method is complete, because I did what is expected to not be dumped with an error message trying to load the game. I managed to run it and load my campaign. Some extensive testing is needed to determine if that is enough. Unfortunately I experience nasty crashes and can't help with the testing for now.

If anyone has questions, feel free to ask, I'll be glad to answer if I can.

[Riothamus]

To play any mod with Alexander features you don't necessarily need to install the Alexander expansion. To get the .exe file, though, you do need it. Once you have such an install, follow this guide.

Playing with Alex.exe guide (original credit for this goes to Brusilov ):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

First:

1) Copy the 'RomeRTW_ALX.exe' into your Rio's BRG III main game folder. (NOT the Rio folder)
2) Copy the 'chat_filter.san' file to the BRG III data folder.
3) Add a shortcut with -mod:rio at the end of the target.

The following shortcut is an example:

"C:\Program Files\Activision\Rio's BRG III\RomeTW-ALX.exe" -nm -show_err -mod:rio
(-nm cancels the intro movies; -show_err displays error messages for most crashes, -mod:rio starts the rio mod)

Then you have to modify 3 files.

1.Rome - Total War folder/rio/data/export_descr_character_traits.txt'
Simply add the following to the end of the traits paragraph:

;------------------------------------------
Trait Immortal
Characters family
Hidden

Level Immortal
Description Immortal_desc
EffectsDescription Immortal_effects_desc
Threshold 1

2.Rome - Total War folder/rio/data/export_descr_VnVs_enums.txt
Add this to the end of the file:
Immortal
Immortal_desc
Immortal_effects_desc

3.Rome - Total War folder/rio/data/text/export_VnVs.txt
Add the following to the end of the file:

¬--------------------

{Immortal} Immortal

{Immortal_desc}
Hidden immortal trait

{Immortal_effects_desc}
No Effects

Now, this is just so you could run the Alex.exe with any mod. But since Rio's mod is meant to be played on BI, there are features that break the Alex.exe upon loading it. This worked for me:

In descr_sm_factions.txt the following lines need to be deleted (make a backup, of course):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

horde_min_units 15
horde_max_units 25
horde_max_units_reduction_every_horde 10
horde_unit_per_settlement_population 300
horde_min_named_characters 2
horde_max_percent_army_stack 80
horde_disband_percent_on_settlement_capture 33
horde_disband_percent_on_settlement_capture 50
horde_disband_percent_on_settlement_capture 100
horde_unit horde peasant saxon
horde_unit horde peasant saxon
horde_unit horde peasant saxon
horde_unit horde spearman saxon
horde_unit horde spearman saxon
horde_unit horde saxon keels
horde_unit horde saxon keels
horde_unit horde peasant saxon
horde_unit horde saxon hearth troops

This is just an example. You need to delete those lines for every faction that has the 'hording' ability. An easy way to do so is to search for the word 'horde', that way you'll find a whole section like the one above. Remove everything with 'horde_' in front of it.

That's all it took for me. Maybe there is something else. The shield wall should be broken, but I didn't edit the unit files.. The battles must be tested. Same goes for the other BI features: swimming, night battles.. (I think there is a way to keep the night battles in Alex.) I simply don't know if they work now or do they break the game. But my solution thus far manages to load the game as well as the campaign. Hope I helped, with some feedback I'm sure we'll manage to get every BI mod to run with Alex.. Great for whoever doesn't find hordes, shield wall and swimming an integral part of their RTW experience.

I'm not sure my method is complete, because I did what is expected to not be dumped with an error message trying to load the game. I managed to run it and load my campaign. Some extensive testing is needed to determine if that is enough. Unfortunately I experience nasty crashes and can't help with the testing for now.

If anyone has questions, feel free to ask, I'll be glad to answer if I can.

-Wow this is great! Thank you Octavius-Augustus for taking the time to post this all out


Few Questions..
-So I need the Alex Mod to do the instructions above?
-For Question 1... copy the RomeRTW_ALX.exe and put it in my rtw folder where the BRG III mod is located?

[Octavius-Augustus]

No problem, Rio. It's always good to contribute. Regarding your questions:

-I wasn't very clear there, was I? You do need the expansion to get the Alex.exe but you don't need to have the expansion installed where the mod is. What I mean is you could have let's say a BI install with the mod 'C:\Rio's BRG III'. Then you make a new RTW installation, then BI, then Alexander (I think). From there you take the Alex.exe and copy it in 'C:\Rio's BRG III'. Is that a better explanation? I could edit my other post if this is easier to understand..

I personally don't even keep an Alexander install after I got the executable. I'm not sure what will happen if the mod is installed on the Alex expansion and not BI. All I know is this method is most popular, using only the exe, not the whole expansion. I guess the main Alexander features (better AI; AI retrains troops; better performance, at least for me) are present when only using the exe, so there's no need for the whole thing.

[Riothamus]

No problem, Rio. It's always good to contribute. Regarding your questions:

-I wasn't very clear there, was I? You do need the expansion to get the Alex.exe but you don't need to have the expansion installed where the mod is. What I mean is you could have let's say a BI install with the mod 'C:\Rio's BRG III'. Then you make a new RTW installation, then BI, then Alexander (I think). From there you take the Alex.exe and copy it in 'C:\Rio's BRG III'. Is that a better explanation? I could edit my other post if this is easier to understand..

I personally don't even keep an Alexander install after I got the executable. I'm not sure what will happen if the mod is installed on the Alex expansion and not BI. All I know is this method is most popular, using only the exe, not the whole expansion. I guess the main Alexander features (better AI; AI retrains troops; better performance, at least for me) are present when only using the exe, so there's no need for the whole thing.

Ok I think I got it...but to get extra descr_model_battle units(I think holds 2x more units than bi) I would need to incoporate the Alex Mod somehow?

[Octavius-Augustus]

Now about the number of units, I'm no specialist. I'm pretty sure that Alex does offer more units, but using the Alex expansion in order to get these, you'll have to make the mod Alexander-based. (Meaning whoever doesn't own Alexander will not be able to play it.) That's what I know.. I may be wrong. Somewhere in the forum there might be more info..

[julianus heraclius]

Hey Guys,

You may want to refresh with this thread in IB: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...highlight=alex
EB have also tried using the alex.exe and the Lord of the Rings mod actually uses the alex mod as its basis. Worth checking out.

The issue I seem to have is getting the custom battles to work. As Alexander expansion uses the RTW folder for its base, it may be the any IB mod has to be done via the RTW folder rather than the BI folder for it to work properly.

Hope this helps.