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Thread: More Challenging, Less Predictable Campaigns: an alternative history mini-mod (using a modding technique by magusx) [v1.0, August 20, 2016]

  1. #1
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default More Challenging, Less Predictable Campaigns: an alternative history mini-mod (using a modding technique by magusx) [v1.0, August 20, 2016]

    More Challenging, Less Predictable Campaigns v1.0
    (Using a modding technique by magusx)


    Why use this mod?

    Do you find that the same events happen in all of your campaigns - in particular, the Maratha Confederacy takes over India (unless you stop them) and then attacks you? Would you like there to be a more challenging AI faction in your campaigns - a strong enemy faction in the late game which is not the Maratha Confederacy?

    Would you like to explore alternative history 'what-if' scenarios, such as what would happen if the British had colonised India earlier, if Napoleon had been born a century earlier or if Spanish had successfully invaded Britain?

    If you would like more challenging campaigns with less predictable outcomes, or if you would like to explore alternative history, then this mod is for you.

    What this mod does

    All versions of this mod remove the missions for Britain, France and Spain to take over their protectorates in the Americas. If you play as Britain, France or Spain, you can either remain at peace with your protectorate or invade them.

    At the end of the first turn, this mod strengthens one faction, by giving them the regions which belong to another faction:-

    - The British Empire version hands over regions held by the Mughal Empire to Britain. Now Britain has a colonial empire in India at the start of the 18th century and Britain can be a powerful late-game adversary for you.

    - The French Empire version hands over regions held by Spain to France. France is more powerful at the start of the 18th century; perhaps the Napoleonic wars will be fought decades earlier?

    - The Spanish Empire version hands over regions held by Britain to Spain. We are imagining that Spain has successfully invaded Britain. Now, Spain is likely to be your strongest opponent.

    If you play as the faction mentioned - for example, if you play as Britain while using the British Empire version of the mod, then the mod will have a different effect. Instead of giving you the regions listed above, the mod will give you the regions belonging to your protectorate in the Americas. For example, if you use the Spanish Empire version, and play as Spain, then Spain will control New Spain at the start of the game. If you use the Spanish Empire version and play as France, then Spain will control Britain at the end of turn 1.

    The effects of this handover of regions will take some time to make a significant difference. If you use the French Empire version, for example, then France will not immediately conquer the rest of Europe. But the extra wealth and faster research provided by the Spanish regions will probably enable France to expand more quickly than they would otherwise. Using the French Empire version (when playing as Britain), I saw France upgrade their port at Brest to a dockyard and build a Fourth Rate ship of the line there by 1707. Similarly, if you use the British Empire version, then Britain will not immediately take over the rest of India. The Maratha Confederacy might still take over central and northern India, or Britain might eventually take over the Maratha home regions, or Britain and the Maratha Confederacy might remain at peace. The point is that, as a player, the outcome is less predictable than in the vanilla game.

    Essential Information - please read this before using this mod!

    If you play a faction whose regions are handed over, then the game will crash. For example, if you play as Britain and use the Spanish Empire version of this mod, then the game will crash at the end of turn 1, because the Spanish Empire version gives Britain's regions to Spain.

    If the regions which are handed over are 'lit up' on your screen (if you can see armies and navies in those regions, not just cities) when they are handed over, then when you end the first turn, the game will never reach the second turn. If, for example, you play as the Maratha Confederation and use the British Empire version of this mod, then at the end of turn 1 you will need to move the camera somewhere outside India before ending your turn - for example, click on one of the trade areas, or the Americas. This should not be a problem after the handover has taken place - you only need to do this at the end of the first turn.

    Compatibility

    This mod is compatible with the All Factions Unlocked No FoW Bug mod for the Early Campaign (it should also be compatible with the version which allows you to play as protectorates). It should be compatible with most mods which do not use their own scripting.lua file.

    The standard installation of this mod (below) will not work with advanced mods such as Darthmod, Empire Total Factions and Sturm und Drang. It will not work because these mods have launchers - the options you select on the launcher causes the mod to load its own scripting.file automatically, which would replace the scripting.lua file belonging to this mod. If you want to try using this mod with one of those advanced mods, then you will need to find the folder in which the advanced mod keeps its own scripting.lua file(s) - there are likely to be different ones for different campaigns. You would need to make a copy of the advanced mod's scripting.lua file and put it in a sub-folder called something like 'original files'. Then you would need to install the scripting.lua file belonging to this mod in that folder (not the sub-folder). I cannot guarantee that this will work - it could cause the game to crash. In the worst case scenario, you might even have to re-install the game (this seems unlikely, but it might happen). If anyone wants to test the compatibility of this mod with an advanced mod, then please send me a private message or post on this thread, to tell me whether it worked and any advice which you have for anyone else doing this in future.

    How to install the mod

    1. Download the file(s) you want. Download links are below.

    2. Unzip the file(s). They were zipped with the free software 7zip which you can find with an online search.

    3. Find your C:/ProgramFiles(x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Empire Total War/data/campaigns/main folder. Create a sub-folder called something like 'vanilla_files'.

    4. Move the (unmodified, original) scripting.lua file from the campaigns/main folder into your new vanilla_files sub-folder

    5. Copy and paste your chosen file, for example scripting_french_empire.lua, to your campaigns/main folder: C:/ProgramFiles(x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Empire Total War/campaigns/main

    6. Rename your file so that it is called scripting.lua.

    7. That's it, you can start the game normally. You do not need to activate the mod with a mod manager or user script file.

    How to uninstall

    1. Find your C:/ProgramFiles(x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Empire Total War/data/campaigns/main folder. Create a sub-folder called something like 'More challenging campaigns mod'.

    2. In your campaigns/main folder, rename your (modified) scripting.lua back to its previous name, such as scripting_french_empire.lua.

    3. Cut and paste the modified scripting.lua file into your new 'More challenging campaigns mod' sub-folder

    4. Cut and paste the original scripting.lua file from your 'Vanilla files' sub-folder into your campaigns/main folder

    Credits and Thanks

    Thanks to magusx, for explaining the modding technique which was used to make this mod in the Mod Workshop. If you rep anyone, please rep magusx, not me. Thanks to all members of the modding community for your advice, encouragement and tutorials.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    I installed the mod and the game crashed/it started but nothing was different.
    Did you unzip the file? (You can find the free software 7zip, which will unzip it, with an online search). Did you put the mod file in the right folder? (You might be used to putting mods in your Empire Total War/data folder. This mod goes in your data/campaigns/main folder). Did you rename the mod file scripting.lua?

    Where is the startpos file?
    This mod does not include a startpos file, just a scripting.lua.

    Why does the handover happen at the end of the first turn, not at the start?
    I don't know how to cause a handover (when the faction which gets extra regions is not the player's faction) at the start. If you know how, please tell me!

    Can I include this mod in my mod?
    Yes. If you do that, please give credit to me and to magusx, for the modding technique which was used to make it.

    How did you make this mod?
    I followed the instructions provided by magusx, here. You do not need a modding tool such as Pack File Manager or DB Editor to mod the scripting.lua file, you can edit it using Notepad.

    My other mods are listed here.

    Download Links

    In case the download links below disappear, you can also download the mod from this mediafire folder.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by Alwyn; July 09, 2017 at 02:12 AM.

  2. #2
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: More Challenging, Less Predictable Campaigns: an alternative history mini-mod (using a modding technique by magusx) [v1.0, August 20, 2016]

    Alternative Versions

    The British Empire (Maratha Confederacy Version) gives the two regions in south India which belong to the Maratha Confederacy at the start to Britain, at the end of the first turn (unless you are playing Britain - if you are playing Britain, they you will get the regions belonging to the Thirteen Colonies, instead). The file is called scripting_british_empire_maratha.lua. The download link is below, the installation instructions are the same as in the previous post (don't forget to rename the file to scripting.lua and to put it in data/campaigns/main folder).
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by Alwyn; August 28, 2016 at 10:41 AM.

  3. #3

    Default Re: More Challenging, Less Predictable Campaigns: an alternative history mini-mod (using a modding technique by magusx) [v1.0, August 20, 2016]

    Thanks… but if you can make britain take mysore !!!????

  4. #4

    Default Re: More Challenging, Less Predictable Campaigns: an alternative history mini-mod (using a modding technique by magusx) [v1.0, August 20, 2016]

    WOw this is amazing stuff. Gives the game a lot more replay-ability.

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