[Modding] A complete guide to the Senate

[Lord William]

Author: Primo
Original Thread: Tutorial: A complete guide to the Senate

A complete guide to the Senate

Modding Resource Header

Title: A guide to the Senate
Posted by: Nightmare Moon
Modding area: Text
Required programs: Notepad (or other text editor)
Summary: An explanation how to modify the Senate.






A Guide to the Senate:
The Senate is one of the most stubborn things in RTW, Ingame or not. However, you can modify him - to a certain extent.

You need these files:
Data/descr_senate
data/text/strat.txt
Data/Text/export_VnVs.txt
data/descr_sm_factions
data/world/maps/campaign/imperial_campaign/descr_strat.txt

1. Introduction to the offices
2. Changing the names and effects of offices
2.1 The Name of the office
2.2 Character Traits of the office
3. Senate Missions
4. Senate Missions/Offices for other factions


1. Introduction to the Offices

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Offices

Title
Quantity                                    ; How many hold this office at any one time
Duration                                    ; Duration of tenure (turns)
Settings                                    ; Number of times office can be held - 0 implies unlimited
Restrictions                                ; What restricts office being taken
    not_consecutively                        ; Can not be re-elected while in office
    quaestor_tenure                            ; Must have held office as quaestor
    aedile_tenure                            ;                           aedile
    praetor_tenure                            ;                           praetor
    consul_tenure                            ;                           tenure
End_restrictions
Senate_benefits                            ; The crony-perks of the office
    no_censor_suicide                        ; Censor investigation will not result in your suicide
    censor_immunity                            ; You will avoid investigation by the censor
End_senate_benefits
End

This is how CA explains the offices. Now here is a example of a real office, the Pontifex Maximus:

Pontifex Maximus --> Internal Name of the Office; can not be changed.
Rank                            60 --> This seems to set where in the   Senate Offices Tab this Office is. However, swaping it with another   office doesn´t do anything, while adding a random number, like 51,  leads  to a ctd.
Quantity                        1 --> At the moment there can be just one Pontifex Maximus.
Duration                        16--> He can only hold the office for 16 Turns
Sittings                        1 --> And Sadly, He can only hold it once.
Restrictions
    praetor_tenure  --> Furthermore, a character has to have been  praetor to be a Pontifex Maximus. The Senate is really picky. 
End_restrictions
Senate_benefits
    no_censor_suicide --> Fortunately Censor Investigations don´t result in anyones death anymore.
End_senate_benefits
End

How to edit Offices: Everything in Red you can change freely.

If we want now, for example, have 2 aedils at the same time: Search for the aedil:

Aedile
Rank                            20
Quantity                        1
Duration                        8
Sittings                        2
Restrictions
    quaestor_tenure
End_restrictions
Senate_benefits
End_senate_benefits
End

And then change this

Quantity                        2

Here is a pic of what happens ingame now:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As you can see, the Senate (automatically) adopted 3 family members to fill all offices - These aren´t assigned in descr_strat, and they have no traits, apart from their office. Funnily enough are they of greek origin.

2. Changing the name and effects of offices

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

2.1 The name of the office.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

If we want to change the name of an office, for example "pontifex maximus" to "Romulus Reborn", we go to
data/text/strat.txt and search for this:

 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_QUAESTOR_TITLE}                Quaestor
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_QUAESTOR_DESCRIPTION}            Junior officer
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_AEDILE_TITLE}                Aedile
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_AEDILE_DESCRIPTION}                In charge of staging Games
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PRAETOR_TITLE}                Praetor
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PRAETOR_DESCRIPTION}            Commander of the Praetorian Guard
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_CONSUL_TITLE}                Consul
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_CONSUL_DESCRIPTION}                Policy maker for the Senate
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_CENSOR_TITLE}                Censor
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_CENSOR_DESCRIPTION}                Guardian of public morality
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PONTIFEX_MAXIMUS_TITLE}            Pontifex Maximus  
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PONTIFEX_MAXIMUS_DESCRIPTION}        Supreme religious leader

The Title is shown in the Senate Offices Tab. We can change it freely.
So, to have the office "Romulus Reborn" we change this:

{SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PONTIFEX_MAXIMUS_TITLE}            Romulus Reborn
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PONTIFEX_MAXIMUS_DESCRIPTION}        Saviour of the Republic

2.2 Character Traits of the office

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

If we start the game now, we have succesfully changed the name of the office. However, Characters who hold this office still get the trait "Office of Pontifex Maximus".
We can change this. If you are not familiar how to change traits and trait descriptions, see this Tutorial by Squid.

In Data/Text/export_VnVs.txt Search for these Entrys:

{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus}    Office of Pontifex Maximus

{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_desc}
This man holds the Senatorial office of pontifex maximus. \nHe is the chief religious officer of the state.

{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc}
+5 Influence

The above trait is assigned if a character holds the office at the moment.

{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus}    Ex Pontifex Maximus

{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_desc}
This man used to hold the office of pontifex maximus.

{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc}
+3 Influence

This trait is assigned if he held once, but not at the moment.
Now we change it to something more fitting for our new office:

{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus}    Romulus Reborn

{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_desc}
The Senate has declared this man to be Romulus Reborn. the Saviour of the Republic. \nHe is the Saviour of the Republic.

{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc}
5 Influence, +5 Morale for all troops on the battlefield, 15% bonus to your popularity with the People

{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus}    Former Romulus Reborn

{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_desc}
The Senate declared this man once to be Romulus Reborn.

{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc}
+3 Influence

Till now we just changed the description of the effects of this trait.
In export_descr_character_traits we can now change the real effects of the trait:

Trait PontifexMaximus
    Characters family
    AntiTraits notPontifexMaximus

    Level Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus
        Description Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_desc
        EffectsDescription Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc
        Threshold  1 

        Effect Influence  5 
        Effect TroopMorale  5 
        Effect PopularStanding  15 

;------------------------------------------
Trait notPontifexMaximus
    Characters family
    AntiTraits PontifexMaximus

    Level Ex_Pontifex_Maximus
        Description Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_desc
        EffectsDescription Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc
        Threshold  1 

        Effect Influence  3

This should be the result:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But keep in Mind: At the Start of the Game and whenever no roman faction has a general with the neccessary requiremts a General of the Senate will get the Office.

Now Part 3: Senate Missions.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Random Missions.

; Percentage chance of a random mission being issued
probability_of_random_mission    95

Here you can edit the probability of a random mission. This does not include the Missions "Leave Region", "Attack Outlaw Faction" and the first "Take City", as they are hardcoded. A propability of 95 almost garantues that you always have a mission to do. 0 would shut random missions down, of course.

; These durations are part of the penalty/reward scheme, where the player
; incurs the senate's appreciation or displeasure for a number of turns.
appreciation_duration            15
displeasure_duration            10

Simple enough: If you accomplish/fail the mission, the Senate will like you more/less for the written number of turns. This doesn´t immediatly affect your Senate Tab standing.

And for the Rewards:

; Fines are expressed as percentages of current annual income
major_fine                        20
moderate_fine                    10
minor_fine                        5

; Rewards are expressed as direct denari payments
major_reward                    15000
moderate_reward                    7500
minor_reward                    2500

Should be pretty self-explaining.

Now we take a closer look at this Mission - The standard Missions to take a random city:

Take_City
max_region_traversal    8
reissue_delay_in_turns        10
Duration    10
-3 E        p3
-3 M        p3
-3 D        p3
-3 EX        p3
-2 E        p2
-2 M        p2
-2 D        p2
-2 EX        p2
-1 E        p1
-1 M        p1
-1 D        r1
-1 EX        r1
0 E            r1
0 M            r1
0 D            r1
0 EX            r1
1 E            r1
1 M            r1
1 D            r2
1 EX            r2
2 E            r2
2 M            r2
2 D            r2
2 EX            r2
3 E            r3
3 M            r3
3 D            r3
3 EX            r3
End

Now, for a start:
What means E, M, D, EX?
The Game calls the difficulties ingame Easy, Medium, Difficult, EXpert. So you can assign for 1 difficulty another reward.

-3 to 3 is the current Senate standing. -3 is the most negative one, 3 the most positiv.
P stands for Penalty, R stands for Reward. 1-3 means small-large. So r2 is a medium Reward.

Here you can declare how far away the city can be: The higher the Number, the farer away the city can be. However, it is still randomly selected.

reissue_delay_in_turns        10 -->How many Turns till the next Mission of this kind will be given.
Duration    10 --> How many turns till the player failed to achieve  sucess.

4. Senate Missions/Offices for other factions

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Open descr_sm_factions. Search the entry for the faction you want to have Senate Missions/offices. For example:

faction                        macedon
culture                        greek
symbol                        models_strat/symbol_macedon.CAS
rebel_symbol                models_strat/symbol_greek_rebel.CAS
primary_colour                red 40, green 0, blue 0
secondary_colour            red 40, green 0, blue 0
loading_logo                loading_screen/symbols/symbol128_macedon.tga
standard_index                4
logo_index                    239
small_logo_index            253
triumph_value                5
intro_movie                    fmv/intros/greek_intro_640x480_bars.wmv
victory_movie                fmv/victory/greek_outro_320x240.wmv
defeat_movie                ata/fmv/lose/macedon_eliminated.wmv
death_movie                    fmv/death/death_macedon_grass_320x240.wmv
custom_battle_availability    yes
can_sap                        yes
prefers_naval_invasions        yes

Copy the entry above the Senate Faction entry:

faction                        macedon
culture                        greek
symbol                        models_strat/symbol_macedon.CAS
rebel_symbol                models_strat/symbol_greek_rebel.CAS
primary_colour                red 40, green 0, blue 0
secondary_colour            red 40, green 0, blue 0
loading_logo                loading_screen/symbols/symbol128_macedon.tga
standard_index                4
logo_index                    239
small_logo_index            253
triumph_value                5
intro_movie                    fmv/intros/greek_intro_640x480_bars.wmv
victory_movie                fmv/victory/greek_outro_320x240.wmv
defeat_movie                ata/fmv/lose/macedon_eliminated.wmv
death_movie                    fmv/death/death_macedon_grass_320x240.wmv
custom_battle_availability    yes
can_sap                        yes
prefers_naval_invasions        yes

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

faction                        romans_senate
culture                        roman
symbol                        models_strat/symbol_senate.CAS
rebel_symbol                models_strat/symbol_slaves.CAS
primary_colour                red 0, green 0, blue 0
secondary_colour            red 0, green 0, blue 0
loading_logo                loading_screen/symbols/symbol128_senate.tga
standard_index                3
logo_index                    232
small_logo_index            244
triumph_value                5
intro_movie                    fmv/intros/barbarian_intro_640x480_bars.wmv
victory_movie                fmv/victory/scipii_outro_320x240.wmv+
defeat_movie                fmv/lose/SPQR_eliminated.wmv
death_movie                    fmv/death/death_SPQR_grass_320x240.wmv
custom_battle_availability    yes
can_sap                        yes
prefers_naval_invasions        no

This faction has now Missions and Offices of the Senate, like the Scythians in this Picture:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

However, there are two problems:
1) They won´t have the Senate and Senate Offices Button - you can´t change that.
2) The other Roman factions are as agressive against them as normally, and if they attack you the "civil war" between you and the other Romans begins. Then you will never be able to make peace with the romans anymore. Luckily we change this in descr_strat.txt:

Search for the faction - in this example the macedons - and you´ll find an entry like this:

faction    macedon, fortified napoleon
denari    5000
... (other stuff, not neccessary now.)

Add this:

faction    macedon, fortified napoleon
superfaction romans_senate
denari    5000

Then you can´t attack Rome, and neither will Rome attack you. You see all map information of the other Roman factions. Civil War can - of course - still break out, but not because you are randomly attacked.

Notes:
1. This Tutorial is a work in progress, and it will be edited if I have new Informations. Feel free to post anything new or ask a question.
2. There are several missions, like the assasinate-Mission, which seems to be fully implented and working, but you never get them ingame. If anyone here knows how to activate them, please say.
3. Thanks to Kylan271 for his tipp.