Official CA Q&A thread - XML and XSD modding

[Steph]

I did some testing from your answer, and have a few more questions.

Some info about Upkeep cost.
I have added upkeep_cost_mod_category_infantry -25 to the farm level 1n un building_effect
When right clicking on farm, it says -25% to upkeep cost of infantries
If I put it in building effect, the cost is 99, same as if I don't add it --> No effect although it is displayed in the building inof windows.

If I had it to the factionwide table, then the upkeep cost is 24. Since I have 3 farms --> -75%, it works.

About name of create unit
For land units, you said the db is not used, but we can change it from the startpos. For each faction, we have a
- Land_Unit_Names_Allocator, inside
-- Land_Unit_Names_Map, inside
--- 22 x Land_units_Names_Map (one for each class), inside
---- Unit_Class_Name_Allocator, and for the class with names
----- Unit_Class_Name_List, with a list of possible names for the regiments (unit of this class).

How does it work for naval units? There we have
- Naval_Unit_Names_Allocator, inside
-- Unit_Class_Name_Allocator, and for the class with names
--- Unit_Class_Name_List, with a list of possible names for the regiments (unit of this class).

In other words, I have the impression we can have different names for each class of land units, but for naval units, it's one big list, not one list for each class.

Can you confirm?

Rebels and liberated allies
Asked before, TC answered, but it wasn't really my question. Can we control how many units of each type a faction will give you for free after you liberate it?

Unit class
You said earlier "Classes are also used in the AI to help it work out what units are good against others."
In what table is this AI help defined?

Unit quality
What is the effect of the cdir_unit_qualities table?

Unit voices
Sorry to bother you again with that, but it's very frustrating... Can you give us any help to make it works? Do we need a tool to compile the sounds after editing the XML and csv? It is something that you could release?

Unit ability
Question from me "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?"

Your answer "Yes it is used in NTW".

Well, I tried adding "column_formation" in my "unit_to_unit_abilities_junctions_tables" to one unit. And I try a battle with this unit select, it crashes. So, is it working? What should we do it to make it work?


Marksmanhip
What is the effect of Marksmanship bonus in the projectile table? Answer : The base accuracy of a projectile.

Just to be sure: this is set to 0 for most projectile.

If I have an infantry unit with accuracy 35, and a musket with marksmanship 0.
Is that the same changbe to hit has a infantry unit with accuracy 0, and a musket with marksmanship 35?

Also, what is the "physics" behind the accuracy? If I have 35, does it mean 35% change to hit ?

Generals
Your answer : Generals unit is decided by culture of the faction and defined in the agent_culture_details table

I want to have faction specific general units (different stats). So if I want the generated general to be correct for France, I'd need to
- Make France a new subculture "France"
- Link this subculture to a new culture "France", in the "cultures_subcultures" tables, and then in "agent_culture_details", use the French_General unit ID for the Bodyguard unit column.

Correct?

Question: can we safely add subculture and culture?
It means duplicating entries (splitting European to France/Britain/Prussia, etc) in building_culture_variants, but it doesn't seem to be used somewhere else?

Also, can we control what portrait from ui\portraits is associated to each historical character?

[shadowlegion]

No sure if this modding the XML and XSD files can do this, but can they be used to make cannons fire at the center of an enemy formation and not the flanks? Currently, I have to manually aim them.

[murder_mayhem]

Hey Top Cat and Alhoon, you seem excited about the scripting documentation.

Just out of curiosity, what new stuff will this enable, or what preexisting stuff will be made easier. Just general vague terms would be perfect. I'm not the most technical person around here

[Steph]

How do you think someone could answer your question? We cannot know what new stuff it will allow before we get the doc!

[adrian74]

hi Craig first of all thank you first of all for doing this and maybe you can stop me going crazy over an issue i have
I have a couple of questions i think they are db related .
I am trying to use your throwing axe animation using my own weapons i want to add spear as first weapon and sword as second . I have added to the weapons to the equipment file and assigned them both to weapon 2 , both load right in the hand when seperate , but when i combine them in the equipment themes table primary and secondary weapon for some reason they both load at the same time . Do the animations and equipment themes tables have an effect on the weapons ? I have tried assigning the sword as weapon 1 and the spear as weapon 2 and vica versa but this causes the weapon assigned to 1 slot to float away from hand .

my second question is in the test data pack you did have an equipment texture file and weapons file . So i wondered if it is possible to add a second weapons file to ETW and a texture for it ? Also where in the tables is the path for the equipment file that tells the game to load the eqipment diffuse.
thank you in advance
adrian

[CraigTW]

Hi guys,

I'm still logging and sending your questions on to the team. I'll get back to you with more answers soon, I hope.

I just wanted to stop by quickly to deliver the documentation I promised yesterday. Attached to this post are 4 text files: conditions.txt, effects.txt, events.txt and scripting.txt, each corresponding to their respective areas in Napoleon.

Now, remember, some of this stuff was put in there to work in one or two extremely rare situations, so don't expect everything to do exactly what you want it to do. That said, there is possibly scope for some fun to be had with a bit of experimentation. You'll probably have to experiment quite a lot.

A big thanks from me to the campaign guys who spent time extracting all of this information to help you guys out. Hopefully it'll be useful.

-Craig

[alhoon]

Napoleon?
Are the commands for ETW similar? Thanks anyway.

And my thanks to that team too!

EDIT: There's a command that upgrades towns! No more esf editing. It can be done via script! ! ! Can someone please please find out if that command is one of those that work or one of those that work under rare circumstances?

Command: spawn_town_level
Description: Spawning new towns up to this level
Usage: spawn_town_level("region_key", level, want_notification)

From a quick look, the modding possibilities seem very good. Since it's for NTW, I could say that (if the commands work) the team of that mod could set up the Russian revolution to happen under certain conditions.

[T.C.]

Napoleon?
Are the commands for ETW similar? Thanks anyway.

And my thanks to that team too!

EDIT: There's a command that upgrades towns! No more esf editing. It can be done via script! ! ! Can someone please please find out if that command is one of those that work or one of those that work under rare circumstances?

We already knew this
I'll take a look and point out anything interesting in the script-o-rama.
Big thanks to CA Campaign Team and Craig

[Steph]

Can you give a little more details about this?

Command: add_unit_model_overrides
Description: Swap a model for a certain character, needs to be set up at a new session
Usage: add_unit_model_overrides("faction:f,type:t,ability:a,surname:s,forename:f,garrison:g,x:1,y:2,r:3", "Name_of_model")

Can it be used ro replace let say French_Fusilier_1805 by French_Fusilier_1807, with a change of uniform?

[T.C.]

Can you give a little more details about this?

Command: add_unit_model_overrides
Description: Swap a model for a certain character, needs to be set up at a new session
Usage: add_unit_model_overrides("faction:f,type:t,ability:a,surname:s,forename:f,garrison:g,x:1,y:2,r:3", "Name_of_model")

Can it be used ro replace let say French_Fusilier_1805 by French_Fusilier_1807, with a change of uniform?

No, that command existed since Empire. It utilises the old model system, I've never seen it used for variant models.

[T.C.]

Hi guys,

I'm still logging and sending your questions on to the team. I'll get back to you with more answers soon, I hope.

I just wanted to stop by quickly to deliver the documentation I promised yesterday. Attached to this post are 4 text files: conditions.txt, effects.txt, events.txt and scripting.txt, each corresponding to their respective areas in Napoleon.

Now, remember, some of this stuff was put in there to work in one or two extremely rare situations, so don't expect everything to do exactly what you want it to do. That said, there is possibly scope for some fun to be had with a bit of experimentation. You'll probably have to experiment quite a lot.

A big thanks from me to the campaign guys who spent time extracting all of this information to help you guys out. Hopefully it'll be useful.

-Craig

One more request, would you b able to get us anything on CampaignUI, FrontendUI or BattleUI? CampaignUI would be the most important
Thanks again

[Primergy]

Can you give a little more details about this?

Command: add_unit_model_overrides
Description: Swap a model for a certain character, needs to be set up at a new session
Usage: add_unit_model_overrides("faction:f,type:t,ability:a,surname:s,forename:f,garrison:g,x:1,y:2,r:3", "Name_of_model")

Can it be used ro replace let say French_Fusilier_1805 by French_Fusilier_1807, with a change of uniform?

I don't think so... it's more aimed at characters (gentlemen, rakes) who also have unitmodels .

[T.C.]

Question for you Craig:

grant_unit() (in scripting) has the following description:

Description: Grant the local faction a unit specified by the unit key, unit created at (or as near possible to) the settlement/slot specified. This command may fail in some circumstances - ask Ed

However, I've only ever been able to get it to generate units at settlements, never outlying slots. The description indicates it should work at slots, at least sometimes. Could you ask Ed about this please

[PietroMicca]

Could I have some more information or some more description about spawning town.

Command: spawn_town_level
Description: Spawning new towns up to this level
Usage: spawn_town_level("region_key", level, want_notification)

What level we are talking about? Where is defined?

[T.C.]

Could I have some more information or some more description about spawning town.

Command: spawn_town_level
Description: Spawning new towns up to this level
Usage: spawn_town_level("region_key", level, want_notification)

What level we are talking about? Where is defined?

Look in the ETW episodicscripting file. You'll see useage examples.

Example:

game_interface:spawn_town_level("virginia", 1, true)

The level is obviously the town level; how it deals with completely undeveloped towns with two or more build options I don't know - any comment on that CA?

[PietroMicca]

ok something about spawning town in general during imperial campaign?

[MatrixStorm]

Hi Craig.

I'm doing a submod for DarthMod Empire that makes the Punjab faction playable.
The new units are on the way, and the new churches which spread the Sikhism are done.
However, every time it tries to spawn a priest that spreads this religion the game crashes...

So my question is: Which files do we need to edit to enable agents to spread a certain religion? (in this case Sikhism)

For the priest we are using the same model as the Hindu priests.

[T.C.]

Another question, not sure if this was answered:

If we mod it so that unused agents, such as priests (yes, we know some of them were used for Spanish campaign agents) spawn in the grand campaign, they spawn without a portrait, or unit card icon. Is there any reason for this? Can it be avoided?

Also, editing the Zone of Control stat in agents_tables has no noticeable effect. Is this stat used/useable?

Edit: Even more questions

There's movement modifiers for road types in campaign_variables. If I upgrade a region's road type, does the entire region get it's move points adjusted, or does the move points bonus only apply to the physical are the roads occupy? I.E. is it actually quicker to stick to the roads in game?
Nevermind, tested this and figured it out. It's the roads

Here's a new question - is it possible for us to add completely new factions that are useable in the campaign (all attempts so far have failed) or is this in any way hardcoded? We've got new factions for custom battles before, but never for the campaign.

[uanime5]

The level is obviously the town level; how it deals with completely undeveloped towns with two or more build options I don't know - any comment on that CA?

I worked with the RTI campaign recently and its function seems to be to turn an unemerged town/port into an emerged one. This is why in RTI 1 when you upgrade the farm in Virginia the port suddenly emerges. After when I added a new town to this region I was able to code it so the new town emerged instead. The town was in an undeveloped state, so I was able to choose any of the 4 upgrades. I don't know whether there is an upgrade code.

[alhoon]

Question: Is Zone of Control changes implemented for ETW? I know people can mod it for S2TW.