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Thread: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

  1. #1
    DimeBagHo's Avatar Praeses
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    Default Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    How to add night battles to the Imperial Campaign

    It is a while since I did this so I might have missed some stuff. Also I am using RTW:BI 1.6. Your mileage may vary if you don't have BI installed and patched. Let me know how it goes if you use this howto. There are five steps to adding night battles to the Imperial Campaign.

    1. Activate night battles in the campaign.
    2. Add night battle character traits.
    3. Add torches to units etc. (optional)
    4. Add lighting for night time. (optional)
    5. Add prebattle UI images. (optional)
    6. Add window lighting to city buildings. (optional)

    1. Activate night battles in the campaign.

    To do this you need to add two lines to data\world\maps\campaign\[campaign_name]\descr_strat.txt. You need to add "options bi" just below the campaign name (required for 1.5/1.6, but skip this step if you are using 1.3/1.4), and "night_battles_enabled" just above the brigand spawn line (might be optional). The top of your descr_strat.txt should look something like this:
    Code:
    campaign		imperial_campaign
    options bi
    playable
    	romans_julii
    	romans_brutii
    	romans_scipii
            parthia
    	egypt
    	seleucid
    	carthage
            gauls
    	germans
    	britons
    	greek_cities
    	macedon
    	pontus
    	armenia
    	dacia
    	scythia
    	spain
    	thrace
    	numidia
    end
    unlockable
    end
    nonplayable
    	romans_senate
    	slave
    end
    
    
    start_date	-270 summer
    end_date	14 summer
    
    night_battles_enabled
    brigand_spawn_value 15
    pirate_spawn_value 32
    Note: The "options bi" line changes a few other things apart from night battles. (1) If you have BI installed you might get the sparckle effect when units gain rank (you can switch this off in preferences.txt). (2) Everything in the unit descriptions will be displayed including the now obsolete unit capabilities and "code fix" stuff. (3) Faction death videos will stop working, so you will just get a text message when factions are destroyed. Other videos will continue to work fine. If anyone manages to fix this, let me know.

    2. Add night battle character traits.

    To activate the chacter traits you need to add the NightBattleCapable trait and triggers to data\export_descr_character_traits.txt, along with suitable entries in data\text\export_VnVs.txt.

    Here is the trait entry:
    Code:
    ;------------------------------------------
    Trait NightBattleCapable
        Characters family
        NoGoingBackLevel  1 
        AntiTraits Noctophobia
    
        Level Night_Fighter
            Description Night_Fighter_desc
            EffectsDescription Night_Fighter_effects_desc
            Threshold  6 
    
            Effect NightBattle  1
    The tiggers look like this (I think the Noctophobia and Noctophila traits are already there, the triggers will make them active):
    Code:
    ;------------------------------------------
    Trigger diet_of_carrots_1
        WhenToTest CharacterTurnStart
    
        Condition Trait NightBattleCapable = 0
              and IsGeneral
              and Attribute Command >= 5
    
        Affects NightBattleCapable  6  Chance  100 
    
    ;------------------------------------------
    Trigger diet_of_carrots_2
        WhenToTest PostBattle
    
        Condition IsGeneral
              and Attribute Command >= 1
              and IsNightBattle
              and Trait NightBattleCapable = 0
              and WonBattle
    
        Affects NightBattleCapable  6  Chance  100 
    
    ;------------------------------------------
    Trigger night_battle_crushing_victory_attacker
        WhenToTest PostBattle
    
        Condition WasAttacker
              and IsGeneral
              and WonBattle
              and BattleSuccess >= clear
              and BattleOdds >= 0.5
              and BattleOdds < 2
              and IsNightBattle
    
        Affects Noctophilia  1  Chance  100 
    
    ;------------------------------------------
    Trigger night_battle_crushing_victory_defender
        WhenToTest PostBattle
    
        Condition not WasAttacker
              and IsGeneral
              and WonBattle
              and BattleSuccess >= clear
              and BattleOdds >= 0.5
              and BattleOdds < 2
              and IsNightBattle
    
        Affects Noctophilia  1  Chance  100 
    
    ;------------------------------------------
    Trigger night_battle_crushing_loss_attacker
        WhenToTest PostBattle
    
        Condition WasAttacker
              and IsGeneral
              and not WonBattle
              and BattleSuccess >= clear
              and BattleOdds >= 0.5
              and BattleOdds < 1.5
              and IsNightBattle
    
        Affects Noctophobia  1  Chance  66 
    
    ;------------------------------------------
    Trigger night_battle_crushing_loss_defender
        WhenToTest PostBattle
    
        Condition not WasAttacker
              and IsGeneral
              and not WonBattle
              and BattleSuccess >= clear
              and BattleOdds >= 0.5
              and BattleOdds < 1.5
              and IsNightBattle
    
        Affects Noctophobia  1  Chance  66
    Add this to data\text\export_VnVs.txt
    Code:
    ¬--------------------
    
    {Night_Fighter}	Night Fighter
    
    {Night_Fighter_desc}
    This trait allows a general to fight a battle at night.
    
    {Night_Fighter_effects_desc}
    +1 Command when fighting at night
    If you want starting family members to have these traits you can add them to the descriptions in descr_strat.txt like this:
    Code:
    character	Lucius Julius, named character, heir, age 31, , x 91, y 80 
    traits GoodCommander 1 , PoliticsSkill 2 , GoodAdministrator 3 , Energetic 2 , NightBattleCapable 1 , Noctophilia 1
    ancillaries freeman_clerk
    army
    unit		roman generals guard cavalry early				exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
    unit		roman hastati				exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
    unit		roman hastati				exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
    3. Add torches to units etc. (optional)

    For this you need to have BI installed. Copy the following stuff from bi/data/ to data/

    Everything in bi\data\models_unit\attachments\
    Everything in bi\data\models_engine\
    Everything in bi\data\models_effects\
    bi\data\descr_effects.txt
    bi\data\descr_effects_engine_torch.txt
    bi\data\descr_effects_torch_fire.txt

    Note: You can also get these files from XGM or from Archer's SkyMod.

    4. Add lighting for night time. (optional)

    The BI weather and lighting settings look better for night battles than the vanilla RTW stuff. Copy the following files from bi\data to data\.

    bi\data\descr_battle_map_lighting_and_fog_control.txt
    bi\data\descr_daytypes.txt
    bi\data\descr_skydome.txt

    The weather and lighting settings from Archer's SkyMod look better still. Copy the following files from SKYMOD_BI\data for Bi only\Data to data\

    the models folder
    descr_battle_map_lighting_and_fog_control.txt
    descr_daytypes.txt
    descr_skydome.txt

    5. Add prebattle UI images. (optional)

    If you skip this step the engine will use a default image that looks weird. All you need to do is put a suitable .TGA image called prebattle_night.tga in every data/UI/[culturetype]/eventpics/ folder. A good image to use is bi/data/UI/roman/eventpics/prebattle_night.tga.

    6. Add window lighting to city buildings. (optional)

    For this you need to have BI installed. Copy the folder bi\data\models_building\textures\glowing to data\models_building\textures.
    Last edited by DimeBagHo; January 24, 2009 at 02:24 PM.

  2. #2

    Default

    I am using BI 1.4 and RTW 1.3 and there was en error message when I did this and tried to play the Imperial Campaign. No problem, I will patch it and see if it works, because I am anxious to play these night battles! But it won't work for RTW 1.3 for sure.
    "Romans not only easily conquered those who fought by cutting, but mocked them too. For the cut, even delivered with force, frequently does not kill, when the vital parts are protected by equipment and bone. On the contrary, a point brought to bear is fatal at two inches; for it is necessary that whatever vital parts it penetrates, it is immersed. Next, when a cut is delivered, the right arm and flank are exposed. However, the point is delivered with the cover of the body and wounds the enemy before he sees it."

    - Flavius Vegetius Renatus (in Epitoma Rei Militari, ca. 390)

  3. #3
    DimeBagHo's Avatar Praeses
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    Default

    What was the error message? I think I had this going with RTW/BI 1.4. *Edit* I think the only difference for 13/1.4 was the "options bi line", in descr_strat.txt. Leave it out.
    Last edited by DimeBagHo; February 05, 2006 at 03:50 AM.

  4. #4

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    I don't remeber exactly and I've just patched BI. But it was something like "Please select an item from the list", and I couldn't start the campaign anymore. It was very weird. BTW, I didn't follow the last steps marked "optional". Now I will try to make these night battles work.

    Edit: It worked on 1.5, there are (as you noticed) these code fix stuff but the factions now have no descriptions. Is that normal? I still have to add the character trait so I can play them.

    Edit 2: Got it. Played a night battle as the Julii. Thanks for the tips! You should also add how to give some characters in the game the "Noctophilia" skill in the descr_strat file for anyone that doesn't have experience in modding it (and just in case someone wants to play these battles in the beginning of the game for testing purposes or simply to enjoy it). Excellent information!
    Last edited by Marie Louise von Preussen; February 05, 2006 at 09:57 AM.

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  6. #6
    DimeBagHo's Avatar Praeses
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    Default

    I've made a couple of minor changes. One is to note that "options bi" is only for 1.5/1.6, the other is the change suggested by Marcus Tullius Cicero (how to add the traits to starting family members).

  7. #7
    DimeBagHo's Avatar Praeses
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    I have made some more small changes explaining how to add the lighting from Archer's Skymod.

  8. #8

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    I got most of this to work in 1.5 (no BI at all). The traits show up, the campaign starts fine. Just no option to fight at night. Oh well.

  9. #9
    Lusted's Avatar Look to the stars
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    have you added the options_bi line to descr_strat.
    Creator of:
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  11. #11
    TW Bigfoot
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    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    Thanks dime!

    one question.

    In city/town night battles, there are no lights in the windows of the buildings.
    How would i add that in?

  12. #12
    DimeBagHo's Avatar Praeses
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    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    Quote Originally Posted by Bigfootedfred
    In city/town night battles, there are no lights in the windows of the buildings.
    How would i add that in?
    Turns out to be very easy. Just copy bi\data\models_building\textures\glowing into data\models_building\textures. I've added that to the top post.

  13. #13
    TW Bigfoot
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    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    Ah excellent!

    Thanks for the great Tutorial dime

  14. #14

    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    um, do u always get the choice of a night battle every battle, or is just some? i did all the code changes and im running 1.5 without bi

    thanks!
    Horse Archers = GOD

  15. #15
    Lusted's Avatar Look to the stars
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    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    You will only get the option if your general has the night fighter trait.
    Creator of:
    Lands to Conquer Gold for Medieval II: Kingdoms
    Terrae Expugnandae Gold Open Beta for RTW 1.5
    Proud ex-Moderator and ex-Administrator of TWC from Jan 06 to June 07
    Awarded the Rank of Opifex for outstanding contributions to the TW mod community.
    Awarded the Rank of Divus for oustanding work during my times as Administrator.

  16. #16

    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    i added the night fighter trait, as described above, and then played... i can't see where i get to choose the night battle...

    EDIT: don't worry i got it to work now, thanks
    Last edited by roman_crusader; April 13, 2006 at 05:20 AM.
    Horse Archers = GOD

  17. #17
    Lusted's Avatar Look to the stars
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    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    Have you added the options_bi and night_battles_enabled lines in descr_strat? And are you starting a new campaign?
    Creator of:
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    Terrae Expugnandae Gold Open Beta for RTW 1.5
    Proud ex-Moderator and ex-Administrator of TWC from Jan 06 to June 07
    Awarded the Rank of Opifex for outstanding contributions to the TW mod community.
    Awarded the Rank of Divus for oustanding work during my times as Administrator.

  18. #18
    AngryTitusPullo's Avatar Comes Limitis
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    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    Has anyone found out how to enable again the dead faction videos ?


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  19. #19
    DimeBagHo's Avatar Praeses
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    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    The videos are working in the betas for XGM 4. I haven't exactly "figured out" how to get them working though. They just started working again as a fortuitous consequence of other changes I made.

    *Edit* Just a guess, but try including the BI versions of descr_event_enums.txt and descr_event_images.txt.

  20. #20

    Default Re: Howto: Night Battles for RTW

    Very good tutorial
    but
    i'm see a error in this line

    "To activate the chacter traits you need to add the NightBattleCapable trait and triggers to data\export_descr_character_traits.txt, along with suitable entries in data\export_descr_unit_enums.txt and data\text\export_VnVs.txt."

    there must be
    data\export_descr_VnVs_enums.txt

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