XGM advanced features in ALXEB

[maksimus]

hi,

I wonder if there would be a problem to get any kind of support from XGM dev's and fans in helping me and Lgk implement more advanced XGM features that made this mod so popular in ALXEB extended mod for eb 11.

Now I have heard of some very advanced smart features which I have used years ago but I would need to ask you what are the most inmportant and not that hard to implement features that concern fistorical accuracy and playability.

...

If anyone is interested in implementing the features themselfs I would send our mod files

Ty in advance

[Athenogoras]

I dont know if you can call this features but this is what makes XGM attractive for me.
- Small mod. Doesnt take ages to download.
- Many updates.
-No heavy scripting, making it stable and CTD-free.
- Good AOR-system
- Excellent traitsystem.
- Nice system with AI-bonus tied to their capital.
-Many provincial campaigns

You should download it. It only takes 5 minutes and is modfoldered.

[maksimus]

one the ALXEB team members LGK is fan of XGM its just that he dont have good internet connection so I will *rar xgm when next version come out and send him.

I was hoping that some one of the devs if he has some time and if he has EB try our mod and just see what is that we need to implement

[Athenogoras]

If i understand it correctly. XGM is created by DimeBagHo. It is a one made mod. Only one dev. Other people have made add-ons like Suppanuts traits, Ceasars "extended cultures", Balikedes "command mod". If DBH finds these "hang-around-projects" fitting with his vision of XGM, he incorporates them into the mod.

XGM is vanilla deluxe extra plus. EB is not that at all. EB is a new game. My mind boggles at the prospect of implementing XGM-traits into EB:s.

[maksimus]

ohh.. if DimeBagHo would help me and LGK a bit.. we would be happy alot

[DimeBagHo]

maksimus: I'm certainly happy to help if you need to know how to add things from XGM to your mod.

I'm in the process of moving at the moment, and it will be a week or more before I have access to my own computer again. After that I expect my modding time will be taken up with a great back-log of stuff that is waiting to be done with XGM. So I don't think I can help much with identifying features to pick up.

Perhaps somebody who is familiar with EB and XGM would be in a better position to help with that part.

[TheSavage]

What kind of features are you thinking of adding? Many features of ALX are automatic (improved AI, AI retraining).

I heard that in ALX you can set certain factions not to attack other factions... this might be useful in making expansion more historical.

[decimator22]

Well he is not acutally asking the features of alex with eb, more scitps,ideas & features of XGM that would or could be imported to the mod alex:EB.

I've played normal EB with BI.exe a whole Aedui campaing and currently playing an XGM with Cyrene.
Both are great and hard but fun .

Edit: may be the scipt (forgot name) that makes cities generate armies and troops when their under seige. Aka (Rhodos, Alexandria, Carthage etc..) you could even implement it to barbarian cities where resistance was tough.

[maksimus]

Hi, ty for many resposes

@DimeBagHo, me and lgk would love to work on some things we would like to implement

Now I can comment and ask for more help

Most of the things I have problems now is to set AI fill up big cities with certan units when they are under siege.
But do I have fixed that prob to certan extend by adding Town keeper armies (if AI then immobile army next to capitols and strategic cities) which is a bit better than simple spawn because the sieged city will almost always fight back (with the help of the foot town keeper) compared to the simple spawn where you can wait few years and then battle much smaller force - this way you will have problems (if preferences set to always recive reinforcements)

And honestlly I tried to spawn certan armies after certan events but did not do it right in EBBS, what Lgk should do for us (I think he can do it) is to spawn rebel armies with the system message for Diadokhoi rebeled general's or Nobelman Rebelions or even New faction rebelions within the certan factions (take one settlement from Player and then you fight it back).

About the Alx AI, we are aware of its features (in some detailes - we wrote about in in the main post with many picture examples) and we are using most of them (especially the feature that allows you too add unique *start and *dmb model in *descr_start for characters - which with immortallity makes unique rebel generals that now seem as they represent a different facition - like India and Aetolian League or Greek Kingdom in Bosphorus or China force in Sulek or Syracusai etc).

Most of all, AI retrains troops in Alx.exe, which is a new and outmost advanced feature (do I must warn here - if script does not spawn enough money and population there will be no retraining's) with Night battles enabled.

Also, we would use DV formations but we are not sure if the mount mass is a bit strong?
Are Sinueths better?

Traits would be great to implement if that is posible.. do lgk is the man for this I will direct him here

[Lysander13]

Also, we would use DV formations but we are not sure if the mount mass is a bit strong?
Are Sinueths better?

Formations do not dictate the mass of the game. The mass of mounted units is set in descr_mount.txt. While infantry takes their mass setting from the EDU. In this respect they are independent of each other.

[maksimus]

Yes, we want to remove *sand wars* but how to do that?

[Zarax]

Sand wars are actually a minor map edit, you can check XGM maps for that...

[maksimus]

@Lysander13 - I have edited manually horse mass in all mods I worked on , but in the files you have edited and the files posted by DV and Snth; *descr_mount.txt. has been altered on a massive scale (+80% in average - so I wonder why are *dm tweaks included in your files without a note that it will disbalance the gameplay really), in alxeb mod we set the horse mass to +20% to +30% compared to eb 11 vanilla.

do i wonder what xgm thinks about that.

@ Zarax - ty, i will see that (i am just not sure for what to look and where )

[Lysander13]

@Lysander13 - I have edited manually horse mass in all mods I worked on , but in the files you have edited and the files posted by DV and Snth; *descr_mount.txt. has been altered on a massive scale (+80% in average - so I wonder why are *dm tweaks included in your files without a note that it will disbalance the gameplay really), in alxeb mod we set the horse mass to +20% to +30% compared to eb 11 vanilla.

In one of your previous posts, you implied that your mod I gathered, was interested in using DV formations but that you felt the mount mass might be too high and was Sinuhet any better. Or something to that effect. I was merely pointing out that neither DV or Sinuhet Formations have anything to do with the mass of the game. The formations DV and Sinuhet have posted as stand alone modifications for the RTW community to use do not alter the mass of the game in any respect. It is of course up to the mod using these files to set the mass. So if your saying you know this... I'm not sure why it is your saying that the formation files ( as stand alone modifications ) posted by DV and Sinuhet alter the mass of the game on a "massive" scale. This is just not true.

If your referring to the unofficial Battle AI mod I have posted in the EB forums. Not that it's of any consequence...seeing as this is the XGM forum. But those files and the stand alone versions of DV and Sinuhet are not the same thing. I altered/changed this or that and added things at my discretion for my own personal tastes. Which I quite clearly point out in the OP of that thread as I recall.
It happens I prefer to have a bit of disparity in mass between cavalry and infantry in the mods I play. Particularly in EB I felt cavalry mass was too low. Not to be inferred as a criticism mind you. I just like it a bit higher. I don't find it unreasonable to think that a unit of cavalry men sitting on beasts that weighed 1 to 3 tons on average depending on breed. Should achieve a bit more push and disruption of battle lines against foot infantry when engaged in melee. Matter of taste I suppose. Any unofficial mod I might partake in, I never claim it's better, or I have better settings or anything of that sort. I clearly say, this is how I like to play. It is up to the individual to use it or use it not. Afterall, the great thing about this game is that most changes are a simple matter of opening up a text editor of your choice.

[Zarax]

Just look at the border in the african coast, you will see that the road is "cut" by a mountain.
You are still free to get around it but AI cannot do it easily.

[CaesarVincens]

Alternately, you could extend the desert province up to the sea. The first way doesn't allow sea trade, the second does. Either way will prevent wars.

(In fact, IIRC, I got the idea of extending the desert province from EB. Funny ain't it?)

[maksimus]

I might have double checked your files instead of origianl DV and Snth and saw mount mass *txt tweak (my bad but not intentional ) .. do more mass is what eb need's ...

I wonder what is the XGM view on mount mass even do i saw mount files. I just wonder does in count in auto calc's? Also, one more thing here for XGM dev's - There is Sanguo mod that deals with stat_ground penalties very extreme for different type of units, but not sorted by class but by units alone, it varies from -+6 or 8 for woods and snow and desert... did you guys tested this? In almost all mods you need strong army of any kind and you will win on the moon if you need to. But do these sewere penalties help and how much?

[maksimus]

ok, we are ready !

DimeBagHo and XGM team, we would like to use and see what is appropriate to add to eb of traits and features that is in XGM . - note here that I dont really know much about the traits system, but if XGM traits cover parts of game EB does not, i would try to implement pls.

Any suggestions or guildelines what makes XGM traits so special and what would make any mode better if he had certan xgm traits.

[Suppanut]

Current XGM's traits&ancillaries contain 3 main parts.
1) Normal traits/ancillaries this part are contained both vanilla and additional part which is easy to port to other mods it just need only internal rename and trigger change to made its get along with that mod well as new ancillaries and traits are have system about barbarian specific, eastern&indian culture/religion related, greek culture related.
2) Whole set of Priest ancillaries. This part depend on whole work on temple for all factions. This part will not support in most of mod that have different research and temple system(yes, include current EB too.)
3) Ethnic Traits. I heard that EB already have some kind of this system but not the same depth as XGM. This part is portable but need huge overhaul due to it depend on resource specific to xgm a lot.(culture system, map, etc.) so to port it is quite like move speedboat's engine to use in formula1.

It possible to port but need huge modification due to huge different in map(XGM and EB have different in provinces), different core module of traits and ancillaries(current EB have more complicated core system than XGM), and diffferent culture and faction system(very huge internal rename and trigger modification/add).

Although it is very hard but I would love to see our XGM traits& ancillaries work in EB though.

If DBH is OK about add our Traits and Ancillaries then I would like to talk to your team member who incharge about traits and ancillaries a bit about how system is working and how to port it.

Note for Maksimus: We are not that team, DimeBagHo is one man army who create all of XGM while others in this forum is our community who enjoy it and want to see it better.

[maksimus]

Hi,

TY very much for consideration

Lgk is the man for that job since I am very very bussy with testing, implementing and developing new ideas as well as mini mod's (one of the last big project's is to tweak the stat_ground penaties that give much more bonus or penalty to cetan type of units - Sanguo mod did good job there).

I will try redirecting him here ASAP