Official CA Q&A thread - XML and XSD modding

[alhoon]

Suggestion:
Could you or even better since you have limited time, someone from the moderators, compile the questions and answers so far in a file somewhere that would be regularly updated so we could easily check? Something like
Q:...
A:...

etc?

Suggestion 2: If you're to ambush people, use the water cooler. Hard to avoid you there. Avoid bathrooms because people could tell you "not now! It's an emergency!"

[ForteS]

Suggestion 2: If you're to ambush people, use the water cooler. Hard to avoid you there. Avoid bathrooms because people could tell you "not now! It's an emergency!"

Other question I just remembered of, is it possible to add new types of government? I've tried once but I failed.

[Steph]

) I've seen a new Unit_Special_Ability table, not exposed in PFM yet. It contains things such as column_formation, loose_formation. Is it usable in NTW, or a left over from before?

-->Yes it is used in NTW

How can we use them? Add the relation in the unit_to_unit_abilities_junctions_tables?
I thought column formation had been abandonned. Can we just give this special ability to a unit and get the column back??

[Primergy]

I thought column formation had been abandonned. Can we just give this special ability to a unit and get the column back??

My game crashed, when added the ability but of course i could have forgot something else somewhere.

In ETW it was possible to make rectangle flags, with an alpha map in the large.tga. In NTW this isn't possible anymore since as soon as you enable the graphic option volumetric effects the alpha area is simply black.
Was there a shader file (the fx ones) changed from etw to ntw?


Yes the shaders did change between ETW and NTW

Hehe, well i was a aware that there where changes , i was more interested in which one is used by the "volumetric effects" graphic option, since as soon as you activate this one the Area of the alpha get's black.
But thanks for the answer of course! .

[T.C.]

Another question, I'm going to put your new direct approach policy on the spot here Craig

Are we to expect a data release of this kind (for ETW/NTW) again, on other modding topics. Say esf or Lua (like the scripting docudemon released for M2TW a few years back). If so, do you want to know what we want most? Do you have a timeframe? etc etc.

I know the answer may be something along the lines of "we haven't thought that far ahead yet" - if so, what's the general mood around the office? Do you get the impression your bosses/co-workers would like to release more info, or is it more of a burden to them.

Thanks in advance

[CraigTW]

I have asked about the ESF data - but the problem we have is that we'd be touching on a lot of early codebase stuff, and to document it would take our programmers a lot of time they can't spare to get it into a releasable, useful state.

We'd love to release a load of documentation like was done with Med 2, but Med 2 was inherently much easier to mod, so required much less work. That's not a laziness thing, it's a "we don't have time to physically do it" thing.

Hopefully we'll establish some permanent cross-communication platform in future where you guys can share knowledge and we can chip in with info, so we end up with a reference guide for anyone who wants to mod. I'm working on that right now and we'll share more when we can. There's always the possibility of getting you guys into the studio, or running special events, and helping you out with specific problems, too.

In releasing the XMLs, we've taken an important first step on the way to opening closed doors. Many of us realise that this has the potential to help things along, but more importantly, it's a precendent. Hopefully we'll be able to do more of the same going forwards.

In short: we've got your backs and will keep on fighting the good fight.

[T.C.]

I have asked about the ESF data - but the problem we have is that we'd be touching on a lot of early codebase stuff, and to document it would take our programmers a lot of time they can't spare to get it into a releasable, useful state.

Could you release some form of uncompiled xml-like stuff? That way we could cross reference it with in game data, we'll figure most of it out ourselves

We'd love to release a load of documentation like was done with Med 2, but Med 2 was inherently much easier to mod, so required much less work. That's not a laziness thing, it's a "we don't have time to physically do it" thing.

Would scripting documentation even be possible? I mean, you guys must have some form of in-house reference manual for your UI team. There's no way they all know each and every function of by heart, including it's arguments and output data (Let me know if I'm wrong )

Hopefully we'll establish some permanent cross-communication platform in future where you guys can share knowledge and we can chip in with info, so we end up with a reference guide for anyone who wants to mod. I'm working on that right now and we'll share more when we can. There's always the possibility of getting you guys into the studio, or running special events, and helping you out with specific problems, too.

In releasing the XMLs, we've taken an important first step on the way to opening closed doors. Many of us realise that this has the potential to help things along, but more importantly, it's a precendent. Hopefully we'll be able to do more of the same going forwards.

In short: we've got your backs and will keep on fighting the good fight.

We're very grateful of what's been done so far
Here's an idea that was thrown around in the campaign map research thread - is it possible to have your mappers make a map with one/two regions. It wouldn't need to have any special effects, just be as plain and simple as the Wako/Portuguese traders base in S2. It would allow us to study a very simple example of pathfiniding/mapping data. I have no idea how long that would take to do, but there's many modders who'd gladly use it to learn more about mapping.

I'd say it would eat into a bit of time, but that's the kind of thing that would allow us to learn on our own without the need for you guys to write extensive documentation

[CraigTW]

Thanks T.C.,

All interesting proposals - I'll put them to the team. I suspect it won't be quite that simple, but if you don't ask you don't find out... so here goes!

Craig.

[T.C.]

but if you don't ask you don't find out... so here goes!

Exactly my reasoning. Thanks

[ForteS]

We're very grateful of what's been done so far
Here's an idea that was thrown around in the campaign map research thread - is it possible to have your mappers make a map with one/two regions. It wouldn't need to have any special effects, just be as plain and simple as the Wako/Portuguese traders base in S2. It would allow us to study a very simple example of pathfiniding/mapping data. I have no idea how long that would take to do, but there's many modders who'd gladly use it to learn more about mapping.

I'd say it would eat into a bit of time, but that's the kind of thing that would allow us to learn on our own without the need for you guys to write extensive documentation

That's a good idea (+rep) but even with very few regions the pathfinding is something really hard to study (I've tried with episode one of ETW) still small campaigns are great to research the startpos and the regions.


Craig, supporting the other requests, it would be great if you could release something like these xml xsd files about the esf, just for help us understand what does what.

[CraigTW]

Ok, here's the scoop.

I just spoke to the team about the pathfinding stuff. We don't have any of that stuff. I'm told all of the ESF is generated from in-game data, so I don't think we can help out much there. Maybe that information alone will be useful?

As for scripting documentation, success! The guys are pulling together a load of reference stuff that will help you guys out on that front. Thank the campaign guys for that, because they're really busy at the moment and are still happy to do it. Great news. I should have those files for you in the next couple of days.

I should caveat that by saying some of the command documentation will be useless. Certain things were written to wok only in extremely select circumstances, so you might find a lot of the commands don't do anything - but we're going to give you all of the info and you can chew over that stuff yourselves.

I spoke to the team about making a one/two region map. I'm told that's weeks of work, so I doubt we'll be able to do that.

[T.C.]

Ok, here's the scoop.

I just spoke to the team about the pathfinding stuff. We don't have any of that stuff. I'm told all of the ESF is generated from in-game data, so I don't think we can help out much there. Maybe that information alone will be useful?

As for scripting documentation, success! The guys are pulling together a load of reference stuff that will help you guys out on that front. Thank the campaign guys for that, because they're really busy at the moment and are still happy to do it. Great news. I should have those files for you in the next couple of days.

My personal thanks to you and them

I spoke to the team about making a one/two region map. I'm told that's weeks of work, so I doubt we'll be able to do that.

Thanks for asking all the same

[.Mitch.]

As for scripting documentation, success! The guys are pulling together a load of reference stuff that will help you guys out on that front. Thank the campaign guys for that, because they're really busy at the moment and are still happy to do it. Great news. I should have those files for you in the next couple of days.

This has genuinly made my day!

Many thanks, and please give my regards to the guys doing this, we realise this is your guys jobs, and giving up your time to do these things is no small gesture.

Thanks again.

[PietroMicca]

I just spoke to the team about the pathfinding stuff. We don't have any of that stuff. I'm told all of the ESF is generated from in-game data, so I don't think we can help out much there. Maybe that information alone will be useful?

This was my terrible doubt. We can't translate every single Pathfinding Raw Data just because there isn't a human logic behind. Many outwardly meaningless data I have found in Pathfinding are automatically generated by a software. Likely an adding trouble.

[Bethencourt]

Hi! Than you for your answers.

I asked this before, no problem I imagine there are a lot of questions in this thread, but I am asking again just in case it has not been seen.

"...

4.- We have:

1st. In campaign_ai_personality_junctions :

NAVY_REPAIR_FULL_CREW_MINIMUM_PERCENTAGE

NAVY_REPAIR_FULL_HULL_MINIMUM_PERCENTAGE

NAVY_REPAIR_TOTAL_CREW_MINIMUM_PERCENTAGE

NAVY_REPAIR_TOTAL_HULL_MINIMUM_PERCENTAGE

2nd. In campaign_ai_manager_behaviour_junctions :

NAVY_REPAIR

Which all seem to be related to ship reparation, is this true? how do they work?

"

And new ones, so you have more material to jump behind the programmers:

I would like to remove the faction colours that apear over the ship hull in naval battles so new textures work does not mix with them ending in funny effects. How can I remove the faction colours from ship hull? is there any stat related to that?

About ships clashing, is there any stat related?

[AmiR TimuR]

And I am waiting an answer about agents' icon and voices. Until UI guys will be free, I will be waiting an answer eagerly

[panzerschreck]

Craig, I think that 's a long time that several big mods would have like to:

-unlock the limit of 20 units in custom battle (for campaign we know how to do)
-unlock the limit of 32 factions
-have more battle maps for ETW and NTW in custom battle (ETW is the worst for the maps)
-being abble to modify ships in custom battle in order to change the period (roman galleys for example or ships of the great war)

I think all the big mods have encountered these problems, no solution was found, there some things hardcoded, please Craig, if you have any solutions, thanks!

[King Sama]

Ok, here's the scoop.

I just spoke to the team about the pathfinding stuff. We don't have any of that stuff. I'm told all of the ESF is generated from in-game data, so I don't think we can help out much there. Maybe that information alone will be useful?

As for scripting documentation, success! The guys are pulling together a load of reference stuff that will help you guys out on that front. Thank the campaign guys for that, because they're really busy at the moment and are still happy to do it. Great news. I should have those files for you in the next couple of days.

I should caveat that by saying some of the command documentation will be useless. Certain things were written to wok only in extremely select circumstances, so you might find a lot of the commands don't do anything - but we're going to give you all of the info and you can chew over that stuff yourselves.

I spoke to the team about making a one/two region map. I'm told that's weeks of work, so I doubt we'll be able to do that.

Thank you greatly, I think everyone here is thoroughly impressed by your and CA's generosity and support

One more question, if its even possible to answer. You mention that the esf's are generated from ingame data. Is it still possible, at all, for us to manually edit the map, or does making a new map require using the same method that you originally used to create it?

[alhoon]

As for scripting documentation, success!
I should have those files for you in the next couple of days.

I should caveat that by saying some of the command documentation will be useless. Certain things were written to wok only in extremely select circumstances, so you might find a lot of the commands don't do anything - but we're going to give you all of the info and you can chew over that stuff yourselves.

You're ####ing kidding me!


Thanks a ton! ! ! ! !

PS, if it takes CA weeks to do a map...

[Okmin]

PS, if it takes CA weeks to do a map...

Then they can do it a load faster than us, considering there have been people trying for years without much success