XAI 4.0 Ask Questions here!!

[xeryx]

Trying to keep things a bit more centralized to make a FAQ. So if you have good question, post it here.

Please don't make a new thread, as much as possible. That way we all can get the info we need quickly.

[BURNY26]

It is said that XAI 4.0 is already integrated in the heroes mod for KGCM, but when i look at the link of where to get it . I see that it was last edited in february . So how come this is the updated version ,since you hadnt finished work until just a couple of weeks ago ?

[xeryx]

Oh it is in there just not 4.0 more like 3.8, if you want to update the BAI files though feel free to, I am sure he hasn't had time recently.

[BURNY26]

Thx ,but in the install instructions you refer to the preferences files in each mod file under the mods folder . But i dont seem to have any . So i used one from bc and copy pasted this one into each mod (crusades ,teutonic ,britannia,americas). Is this a proper procedure of creating those config files ?

[xeryx]

for example:
Z:\Games\Strategy\Med2\mods\kgcm\data

[Kornstalx]

Hey Xeryx, I was wondering mate:

After getting tired of Stainless Steel, I wanted something more vanilla and went back to playing the various Retrofit versions. I've spent a few weeks looking for a decent AI I could (hopefully) plug in without having to manually edit too much to make it work correctly. I've been trying different forms of Lusted's AI, Savage's, SAI using your BAI, all sorts of combinations... I was about to give up and just go back to playing Stainless Steel when I found Queen Anne's attachment (last post on this page).

Queen Annes Revenge had put together your 3.4 XAI (BAI and CAI with formations and pathfinding) for Retrofit with GUAM, and after muddling around in the files I was able to strip out most of the GUAM stuff (mainly just in descr_strat) since it was conflicting with regular Retrofit, and tried to make sure all the AI_LABELs were consistent for faction type.

Man, what a difference! After getting all the GUAM stuff out, your XAI 3.4 w/ Retrofit was the best campaign of M2TW I've ever played! Specifically the CAI; even on Hard, it was very very good. Especially for dealing with rebels early on in the initial land grab. I was quite impressed!

Any chance you'd update Queen Anne's work to 4.0 since he's not around much anymore it seems?
I'd try it myself but there's just so much stuff to potentially break, in there.

[Pronoiar]

Yep, same here, I'm using retrofit and XAI 4.0 with my own adjustments, and I enjoy it very much. I tried to modify the XAI4 KGCM faction standing file for retrofit (removed all those references to the extra factions -is this enough?), upped movement points a bit to help the ai campaign pathfinding (helps ALOT) and changed some descr_campaign_db settings.

I'm just not 100% sure if things work as they are supposed to. Diplomacy seems a bit weird, with few alliances and many excommed AIs. And if I change thei AI diplomacy setting by just +1 point, they have too many alliances among themselves and rarely declare war to factions of the same religion.

An "officially" supported retrofit XAI 4 would be very welcome.

[xeryx]

It is on it's way, QAR is working on it.

[Kornstalx]

Xeryx, do you know offhand which variable controls how big of a stack the AI determines it needs for a successful siege/assault? One thing I've noticed, out of all the AI mods out there, is that the AI consistently wastes armies on assaulting sieges with too small of a force. Specifically against rebel settlements in the early game.

For example, on the first turn the Scotland AI just about always sends an army to Inverness (vanilla/Retrofit), then assaults it with a woefully underpowered force, leaving half of its starting stack elsewhere near Edinburgh. French AI does the same to its rebels, as well.

Is it siege_att_str_modifier float in descr_campaign_db?

[thursgun]

How can I play this mod without changing my original vanilla files? (I just want vanilla + XAI)

[dknight237]

personally, i think kgcm will give you the best "vanilla" feeling and imo is probably the easiest to integrate with

[thursgun]

Yes I know, but I don't want KGCM, mainly because I don't want new factions (longer turn waiting).

[xeryx]

Turns run very fast in XAI and KGCM, because there is very little scripting, and bugs have been eliminated. If you can be patient, Queens Annes Revenge is working on updating the Candelarius mod.

@Kornstalx- Yes you are on the correct path.

You guys will have to forgive me I am VERY VERY busy at work, and have very little time until tomorrow. Sorry

[Retlol]

If i want to use XCAI for Kingdoms-Crusades should i rename ai_label from antioch to catholic etc ?

[xeryx]

Yes retlol that is correct

[dacoobob]

Hello, I would like to get XBAI working with the vanilla Kingdoms "british_isles" campaign. (Also eventually the XCAI too, but one thing at a time.) I've pored over the integration instructions thread, but it seems that I am still missing a couple of important steps somewhere.

1. The instructions thread says:

1) Go into the directories of all (read: NO EXCEPTIONS) installed modifications for M2TW (by default: ~\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\mod of your choice)Then add these lines to the top part of the config (.cfg) files:

[io]
file_first = true
disable_file_cache = true

I do not have a .cfg file in my mods/british_isles folder. Is this because I have not "unpacked" my files? How do I do this?

2. In the installation instruction POLL thread, xeryx said:

you also need to make sure you use the io _files_first command in the bat file

I'm not sure what this is referring to... I don't have any batch files anywhere in any of my M2TW directories.

Thanks in advance for any help! I am quite fed up with the pathetic stock AI and really want to give XAI a spin-- anything that can help bring a little challenge to the game.

[xeryx]

daccobob, what you ask is in the forums. You need to research the threads. Unfortunately, I will not have any time to update them, for awhile.

Hopefully one of these other good citizens will have time to help you.

I have to finish packing and go on vacation, sorry..but I did leave a gift for everyone. A new faction standing file that is PnP (plug and Play) with normal med2 mods.

[dacoobob]

After a couple of hours of researching through various forums (which I was hoping to avoid if someone wanted to take 30 seconds to enlighten me... yes I am lazy ), I found and downloaded the Kingdoms unpackers, unpacked my mods\british_isles folder, and spent a couple more hours trying to figure out where the unpacked files were going (turns out Windows 7 hides them in an invisible directory elsewhere-- thanks to an article at TW Heaven I found them). After all that, I still don't have any .cfg file in my british_isles directory, so I still can't disable the cache. I really am stuck on this one.

As for my second question, it seems the .bat file being referred to is actually the windows shortcut that launches the mod... my Britannia shortcut target is now

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Games\Medieval II Total War\kingdoms.exe" --features.mod=mods/british_isles --io.file_first

Is this correct?

I know you are busy with work, xeryx, but can anybody else point me in the right direction?

[xeryx]

All mods contain a config, file. Look at them. That will give you some direction.There are many places to get the information you need, and unfortunately my memory is too rusty rto help you correctly. Someone will be along to help sometime.

[dacoobob]

All mods contain a config, file. Look at them. That will give you some direction.There are many places to get the information you need, and unfortunately my memory is too rusty rto help you correctly. Someone will be along to help sometime.

That is exactly my problem, I do not seem to have a config file to look at. The Kingdoms campaigns are after all official CA products and maybe somewhat different from regular user-created mods, even though they live in the mods folder. I will try downloading a mod (KGCM?) and looking at how it is set up. Thanks xeryx