Technical Q&A

[Steph]

This thread is for technical exchanges: if you want to ask me how I did something, or propose way to add new things to the game, this is the place to discuss it.

Inititial question :

Steph, how complex is it to set up separate pools of generic generals (Austrian, British etc) for each faction's recruitment?

CA managed to do something very special... They have a system of "random fixed list"...
In the recruitment pool, the next general is random. But the portrait is not.
They have in the startpos a kind of "list of index", which is hardcoded for each faction. Britain could have for example 5 9 23 45 89... and France 36 72 2 45 63... It means that the first general added to the British pool will always have the portrait n 5, whatever the actual name of the generals (why CA did not include a "portrait path" in the db for each named general is beyond me). So there's to my knowledge no way to attach a portrait to a future general in the pool. Only pre placed general, or the 3 in the starting pool, can have a specific portrait.

The problem with CA approach is that this list of index is not editable in the normal startpos editor (it's part of data which is shown as "binary"). So Husser made me a simple startpos with one his tool just for this part.
To make it simple, I have a kind of templates, with 20 generals in the pool for each faction (named 01 to 20). And then it's just a matter of having 20 generic portrait, different enough from one faction to another.

To sum up: not very difficult provided you have the generic list ready to copy/paste to each faction in the startpos.

[Sacrebleu!]

Thanks for the clear & precise explanation

The problem with CA approach is that this list of index is not editable in the normal startpos editor (it's part of data which is shown as "binary"). So Husser made me a simple startpos with one his tool just for this part.
To make it simple, I have a kind of templates, with 20 generals in the pool for each faction (named 01 to 20). And then it's just a matter of having 20 generic portrait, different enough from one faction to another.

I am using my own customised startpos. So if I want to add separate recruitment pools for each factions to my own startpos do I:

1. Adapt your template (with permission of course) and re-edit all portrait directories of generals & faction leaders.....again?
2. or use Husserl's new startpos editor tool (with permission again) to edit this illusive 'list of index'?

I'm considering expanding the existing generic generals portraits, but I need to balance my options.

[Steph]

I'm not sure Husserl's new startpos editor can do that. He sent me a startpos already made (not sure how) that I used as a base to do some copy/past to produce a new hybrid startpos with these generic generals.

[Sacrebleu!]

Ok I see. Thanks again, I'll approach him.

[Sacrebleu!]

I'm trying to pin-point where the binary "list of index" is on ESF. Am I looking at the right place(s)?

Possible directory 1


Possible directory 2

[Steph]

If I remember correctly it's the first one. In your exemple, Binary48 contains the list of indexes for the Pirates

[Sacrebleu!]

So I'm guessing the circled entry is what Husserl edited? Silly as it sounds; suppose if I copy & paste that entry (Binary48) to my own startpos will it transfer the list of index?

[Steph]

I don't think it works. What I did was copy the whole "root" (but I'm not sure at what level). Like copy the whole "PORTRAITS" part, and so including the "PORTRAIT_ALLOCATION"

[Sacrebleu!]

I don't think it works. What I did was copy the whole "root" (but I'm not sure at what level). Like copy the whole "PORTRAITS" part, and so including the "PORTRAIT_ALLOCATION"

Ok thanks. I'll try copying the root of MoE startpos until I identify the correct level. But to test things can I use your portrait template please? (20 generals for each faction)

Hopefully I'll score a breakthrough.

[Steph]

Sure, no problem.

[Sacrebleu!]

Thanks very much for the template Steph.

So...how do I set up my portraits into faction-specific pools?
Do I number each portraits in accordance to your template's binary code, and then export them in PFM?

[Steph]

IIRC, you just need to name them 001.tga to 020.tga since the portraits allocator is designed for 20 portraits, then I'm not sure since I worked in that month ago.
In the culture_path, you have two lines (see your screenshot above, you have pirate and empty). I think that for general, you need to change the second line (empty) to a subfolder (like britain, austria,etc)
Then for MoE, I have a MoE_portraits.pack, and it contains
UI
-- Portraits
---- Austria
------ Cards
--------General
----------Old --> file 001.tga to 020.tga go there
----------Young --> file 001.tga to 020.tga go there
------ info
--------General
----------Old --> file 001.jpg to 020.jpg go there
----------Young --> file 001.jpg to 020.jpg go there

I took the file you made for the "young", and then I made copies with gimp to get a version with grey or white hair for the old

If you want you can make 40 portraits (20 young, 20 old).

[Sacrebleu!]

interesting trivia...I'm guessing some of General d'Hautpoul's relatives are still there.

I've completed all 40 portraits & icons for the big five (britain, france, austria, prussia, russia) but am struggling to copy & paste your portrait allocator template to my startpos.

The option to copy & paste is available in ESF editor but it does not paste the entire root. Can you help me out please?

[Sacrebleu!]

Correction: I've managed to copy & paste from MoE's portrait allocator to my own startpos.
I've deleted all other minor faction entries. I've also deleted the original portrait allocator from my own startpos.

It looks like this:


Generic_generals.pack is saved as a movie format and is in my data folder.
But still when I test the campaign gameplay none of my general portrait is available.

[Sacrebleu!]

I think what happened was I've created five unique cultures on ESF for the five playable factions. But those unique cultures have not been linked to its respective factions, so the portraits don't show up.

I'm wondering if I'm suppose to link them on ESF or on PFM...

[Steph]

I think you need both. Define the culture and subculture in PFM, and then reference them in ESF.

[Sacrebleu!]

I've used MoE_main.pack to test things. But encountered some strange problems

• 3rd general should theoretically be in French uniform, not vanilla as shown below.

• But when I recruit him, even his vanilla portrait disappeared

[Sacrebleu!]

The campaign is far from being playable yet. I did some tests to check the principles should be working, but there's many things not fully set. If l'Aigle had finished the uniforms, I could have worked on that instead. But since I'm alone to do everything now, it takes a lot of time.
So, I haven't touch the campaign part of many months. It's very likely you'll find many bugs like that.

No worries, it is good that at least something is happening with the 3rd general in the screenshot above. I'll keep trying until it works.

Meanwhile where do you think I should look at in MoE_main.pack? / what's the likely cause of the bug in the screenshot?
In startpos I have only edited the portrait allocator section; could it be that I have to reference the cultural path of the five factions somewhere else in ESF startpos too?

[Steph]

Is it one of the starting general in the pool? Or did you recruit another general first?

[Sacrebleu!]

Is it one of the starting general in the pool? Or did you recruit another general first?

I've recruited one general and had him killed, so the first two generals (Lannes & Lasalle) in the screenshot are starting generals in the pool. The 3rd general should be randomly generated from the 'list of index' startpos, which, theoretically, should have the new French uniform portrait.