Update

[Point Blank]

I am here but have been super busy with family and friends over new year etc. Also, my laptop fan died and the machine fried itself, so I can't access any files. I need to go to technician and try to recover from the hard drive, or maybe just fix fan will be enough but I'm pretty sure something was damaged. All files are on that hard drive.

[WarlordZ]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I really hope nothing was damaged/lost...that would mean more work for you and more waiting for your adoring fans.

[Ichon]

Good luck with that situation. When I last had a drive die it was going to cost $700 to have someone read the damaged drive and take off the information. So I kept the drive but never did that... maybe in the future if my income increases more where $700 is worth it for some old files and pictures but- I definitely always back up everything to a 2nd drive now.

[Abyrvalg]

I'm pretty sure hard drive (and data) survived. Modern laptops designed to shutdown themselves in case of overheating, exactly to avoid damage and preserve data.
Though there is slight chance that some usually hot elements (like CPU or GPU) were damaged in which case hdd need to be removed and connected to other laptop/PC or these elements replaced but odds are that data remained intact.

PS I guess there is pretty hot now where PB is

[soulson]

Give some more info as to what the laptop is doing now. Is it even starting? Perhaps beeping during post? Save your self time and money and get an external HD bay. As long as you have another computer you can access the old HD (granted its not toast) and transfer the data. Good luck

[Point Blank]

It starts up, gets to the starting windows screen then shuts down. I'm sure that the HD is ok though, should be OK to retrieve data. I need a new PC anyway, in time for Combat Mission Beyond Normandy, IL2 Cliffs of Dover and Diablo 3 Argh, was very close to releasing RR/RC updates for 6.3 but now 6.4 is out!

[k/t]

You're a Diablo enthusiast? I like you more and more, PB.

I recommend an external harddrive for storage. Plug it in when you need it, back-up everything on it, then unplug it. And put it in a plastic bag so even if a typhoon rips the roof off your house and the rain comes in it will still be ok.

[Point Blank]

Yeah I think I can recover all the data. No typhoons here only wife and daughter

Been waiting for IL2 and Diablo 3 for years before updating, which is why my present PC's are rapidly dying, 2 out of 3 dead in the last 3 months, all over 3 years old...

Also, yes Cumans should be able to build ports, will have a look if/when I can get to the code!

[Darioos]

Knowing blizzard, if u wait for Diablo 3 to release it'll be 2013 by the time u get a new computer PB.

[smitty]

It starts up, gets to the starting windows screen then shuts down. I'm sure that the HD is ok though, should be OK to retrieve data. I need a new PC anyway, in time for Combat Mission Beyond Normandy, IL2 Cliffs of Dover and Diablo 3 Argh, was very close to releasing RR/RC updates for 6.3 but now 6.4 is out!

PB please look carefully at the 6.4 changes. Some of them I don't think run in line with what your own mod aims to fix. For example, one thing 6.4 does is basically kill the settlement growth rate for all settlements, making metropoli and citadels still extremely rare if at all found even after 200 turns. This means after 200 turns we're still stuck using the same basic units with a few era-relevant units replaced here and there

[Point Blank]

Agreed that doesn't sound too good. RR is set up so that if the scenario designer sets up a situation so that even Citadels could be reached in quite early (eg Krak des Chevaliers) then there will still be benefits for that, and there are already a limited number of sites that can sustain a Citadel anyway.

Citadels etc also gain capabilities as time goes on (eg more recruitment slots).

In fact IMHO the whole dynamic of only reaching Citadels etc in Late Era is rather problematic. This issue goes very much to the core of how the game is designed.

[k/t]

Yeah, I am against some of the changes found in 6.4.

Thank you so much for answering. I really wanted to start a new campaign with them but I didn't want to because the ports seemed bugged. The last time I played as them (back in March or April), I wasn't able to build ports. If I just add "cumans" in the faction list that can build each port level in export_descr_buildings, will it work? The Turks, Egyptians, Moors and Khwarezm are all listed individually, and their cultures are all listed as middle_eastern in descr_sm_factions.txt, whereas the others are lumped in as northern_european, greek, southern_european, eastern_european. This leaves the Cumans as the only ones out. So I should either add "cumans" to the list, or delete "turks, egypt, moors, kwarezm" and add "middle_eastern". What is your opinion?

Edit: What do you mean by "limited number of sites that can support a citadel"? That's only in TA.

[Point Blank]

Yes just try adding cumans to the list. That should work.

[napoleonic]

is adding georgia possible?

[Point Blank]

is adding georgia possible?

Once/If I can retrieve my WIP files from old laptop for next RR/RC update, my aim really was to have as much commonality as possible with 6.3 (now 6.4). The long-range plan was to have Georgia, honestly I'm not sure if this is still the case, Caesar Clivus or y2day would know

[napoleonic]

that long range plan has been there since last year... please add them, because this compilation hasn't moved forward for quite a long time (I mean for major stuffs) or... perhaps you can give up and give the project to somebody else if you're too busy *runaway*

[Point Blank]

Yeah I know, its been a plan for a loooong time. Honestly I don't really see a future for this mod apart from 6.4, as I said I would like to achieve as much commonality with 6.4 as possible...

[WarlordZ]

weren't you also planning to include the Magyar Mod units in this as well?

[k/t]

I made the Cumans be able to build ports. Yay!

[Ichon]

Agreed that doesn't sound too good. RR is set up so that if the scenario designer sets up a situation so that even Citadels could be reached in quite early (eg Krak des Chevaliers) then there will still be benefits for that, and there are already a limited number of sites that can sustain a Citadel anyway.

Citadels etc also gain capabilities as time goes on (eg more recruitment slots).

In fact IMHO the whole dynamic of only reaching Citadels etc in Late Era is rather problematic. This issue goes very much to the core of how the game is designed.

I think part of this problem is the separation between castle/city. Citadels are so important to recruitment and size of armies and diversity of units... also makes some of the factions have odd army compositions in my opinion.

I personally favor lower growth rates- just gets annoying to have most cities already on huge walls by turn 150. It feels more strategic when some cities are much more important than others but- the fact you can neuter a faction by capturing a couple fortresses is too extreme. I'd love to see future SS become Alltowns. Of course the trouble with constant improvement(or just change) is that the legacy submods that had really good ideas and intentions get left behind.

Have you talked with Gracul about plans for future of SS and where its moving? Not sure if 6.4 is just a step towards 7.0 or will be the last version for awhile? To save some time so not only you but other modders don't work to change for 6.4 and then find a week after release that 6.5 is out. Right now so many interesting mods going on but this is probably the golden age before MTW2 starts to feel antiquated when new Shogun comes out and modders and players start to move on.