Wierd error with gateways

[Thor the Bassist]

Well I'm testing out some features on my WIP Helms Deep map for Middle Earth Total War and most of it is going swimmingly. The Deeping Wall is fully assaultable, all the custom walls can be walked on. I then have one thing left - the gate. So I increase the gate height to the one that fits my gateway, I move the gate slightly and it all fits. Then I test it by attacking it only to find that the battering ram cannot attack the gate - it simply says "this unit cannot attack towers" even though it describes the gate as "Wooden Gate".

This is really wierd as the gate isn't a new gate it is the bog standard gate used in all gateways and I have already used the same battering ram in other maps with different gateways. The only different thing is the gateway but this still means I should be able to attack the gate.

The worst I was expecting for was that I would be able to tell the unit to attack and then it would not move like it does if you try to tell it to move somewhere it cannot but I was never expecting it to tell me the unit couldn't attack the gate.

This really has me vexed so any help would be appreciated.

EDIT: sorry can someone move this to mapping

[Halie Satanus]

So I increase the gate height to the one that fits my gateway, I move the gate slightly and it all fits.

Just a guess, you need to alter your gate way so it fits the gate.

[Thor the Bassist]

Maybe but I would have thought that it would still allow me to at least give the order to attack the gate but it refuses. The gate is actually a totally separate part to the gateway and the gate is added in as a separate model. I haven't made the collision data for the gateway yet so it may not class it as an actual gate if there isn't collision data but I find this really wierd. I spent a good hour searching the text files for the words gateway but found nothing that I dont already know about.

As I may not have said so well before I can hover the mouse over the gate and the gate exists and the mouse moves over the surface of the gate but it wont allow the attack command to be given.

When I said I moved the gate I didn't alter the model but I used the offset command which is used in all the gates in descr_walls.txt.

[Halie Satanus]

What your doing sounds well beyond what I've done, I've added a gate to a new wall but I didn't alter the text files, Makanyane might have but I don't recall her mentioning it.

SigniferOne, is probably the best guy to talk to about this sort of thing..

[Thor the Bassist]

How did you add your gate to your walls?

EDIT: I made the collision file for the gateway but that doesn't help. The error seems to be what the game thinks the gateway is - it says that the unit cannot attack towers when I dont think a gateway should be termed as a tower it should be just gateway. However the gateway does have a localised name of gateway in descr_building_battle and when you hover the mouse over it it is called a gateway. So the game kind of directly contradicts itself by saying:

Gateway
This unit cannot attack towers

I've used windows search to find any mentions of gateway in the data folder but cant find anything that I dont already know.

Anyone?

[Halie Satanus]

Hmm, just looked at my files, it seems I didn't add an actual gate, just the wall with an opening and a frame for the gate to sit in..Guessing here the gate is added in game, so if you added one the game is seeing a solid wall.

[Thor the Bassist]

Just a thought and there aren't enough hours left today to try it but I haven't placed a road joiner by the gate.

Could that be it?

[becomes excited as he sees light at the end of the long long Helms Deep tunnel]

[Halie Satanus]

Sounds plausible to me..

[MasterOfNone]

it does sound a bit like a text problem to me - have you altered the descr_walls or relevant city settlement plan files? I know some sort of overlapping is in play, but I do not know how it works.

Here's the old thread touching Minas Tirith when Tittils (FATW) attempted to create it: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=40060

And Org: http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showth...tower_straight

[Thor the Bassist]

Thanks I agree.

The problem is I can't find any reference to gateways anywhere else in the game folders. I have made a whole new wall set in descr_walls.txt but this is really just a copy of another set and changing the names of the wall buildings.

I dont know what entries must be placed in settlement_plans.txt other than road joiners which I have now put in.

I found out some even more curious stuff this morning:
1. Onagers can knock through the gate but rams still cannot.
2. Then I find the troops cannot pass through the gateway as there is some collision data stopping them which isn't put there by me - it seems like when the gate is destroyed it still believes that there should be collision data where the gate was to stop troops passing through.
3. It isn't the same problem Mak had because when I get on the gateway I can capture the gate.

Then I got angry with testing, started swearing and decided to play on EODII .

[MasterOfNone]

I was referring to the town plans in the settlement folder - eastern_town.txt etc. Onagers can attack towers I believe, whereas rams cannot. I believe the co-ords extend from a central point; perhaps the model size means these need adjusting?

I'm not a modeller so I am not familiar with that side of things.

[Halie Satanus]

I could check your gateway against the ones I made to see if there's anything in the modelling that seems ''off''..

Then I got angry with testing, started swearing and decided to play on EODII

[Thor the Bassist]

I dont know how much the modelling effects the way it plays out in battle - you'll proberably find there's quite a lot thats "off" with it, its not centered on (0,0) to compensate for where it has to go with relation to the rest of the battlemap etc. My main worry is with the collision data thats appeared because that could be all that is causing the problem as it could be stopping the ram getting to the gate then again surely that would allow you to attack it and then nothing would happen.

Argh this is so annoying I've been doing Helms Deep for about 1.5 months and I'm so close just the gateway left.

[MasterOfNone]

No doubt, should you complete it, someone with no understanding of how long modding takes will then expect you to add a dozen more such works to the map of Middle-earth in the space of a few weeks

I've been stuck on a single problem before - and for some weeks: but when its clicks and you eventually solve it...well, it's a satisfaction quitters will never know.

Keep with it (excuse the pun). Most people give up. Be one of the 1% that can truly call themselves TW modders

[Thor the Bassist]

I shall do. I'm very aware that I'm straying away from it sometimes and there's things like adding a nice magician to this mod (I am crazy about magic in games - I can't understand people who play as the buff guy with the sword when you can blast everything into oblivion) or putting x into that mod but in the end I've spent so much time on Helms Deep I need to finish it now. I got really stuck on the deeping wall as it produces problems with troops attacking and scaling the walls but I managed to find a nice work around.

I may stop for a week or so and let my brain mull possible options over because usually that gives a good answer or at least a lead. Plus I really need to get on with that dreaded mod thing - real work!

[Thor the Bassist]

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

As many people have said in difficult corners. Oh B*ll*cks!!!

I just did a test which I thought I had ruled out long ago but thought I'd try it again as it solved my problem with straight walls. It appears I never did this test (must have dreamt it or something).

Basically I just got a ram to batter down the gate but I cant get it in the right place as it has to be in the middle not in the offset place I have made it in.

As with walls the problem was with the bpi file which must have something in it which hasn't been disclosed from the CA archives. I could only get walls to work when using the original CA collision data from the Roman Walls or I couldn't get the option to assault them. This is the same with gateways.

Anyone from CA know what I have to put in them?

Otherwise I have to make a kinda kink in the Helm's Deep Wall which would be slightly ugly but I might just start on that because there is nothing done yet which has managed to fix this kind of thing.

[Thor the Bassist]

=O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O

It works (kinda) It actually works. The gateway can be smashed down. Now the troops dont want to go through the gate but I'll work on that.

And it aint as ugly as I thought it would be.

So excited gotta get it working!!!

Anyone knows what's stopping them going through the gate? It kinda makes sense because when I get a seige tower up to the wall the troops dont automatically climb it but then I can order them to climb the tower whereas I can't order the troops to go through the gate.

[MasterOfNone]

Good, good ... perseverance often pays off

[webbird]

i am also a tolkien fan, that sounds all cool and makes me curious!!
can i please see screenshots?