Modding artillery

[dizzymonkey]

Hi guys,

Has anyone had any luck with modding artillery?

I am trying to create a new 24lb howitzer but I can't figure out how the entry in the units_land_stats (forgot now) matches up to the projectiles table.

[Jams79]

It doesn't, it matches up with the gun_type_to_projectiles table.

[Rapyer]

i would like to severely reduce mortar range

[dizzymonkey]

I did check in that file but didnt see how it matched up. For a single piece of artillery (say the 24lb howitzer) I saw multiple entries for the multiple types of ammunition but it is unclear to me what the actual field is that matches up with the units_land_stats table.

Does it take the ID listed in the units_land_stats and then append "_<ammunition type>" to it?

[Jams79]

I believe (this is all supposition) that artilleryIDRef 3 links directly to the entries in gun_type_to_projectiles. Although I have no idea what artilleryIDRef 1 is.

The multiple entries in gun_type_to_projectiles are for different ammo types cannister, shot etc.. these then link to the projectiles table.

[dizzymonkey]

Well, its strange. Do you know why are there so many duplicates?

"howitzer_12_pounder_shot howitzer_12_pounder_muzzle_flash
howitzer_24_pounder howitzer_24_pounder_carcass
howitzer_24_pounder_muzzle_flash howitzer_24_pounder
howitzer_24_pounder_quicklime howitzer_24_pounder_muzzle_flash
howitzer_24_pounder howitzer_24_pounder_shell
howitzer_24_pounder_muzzle_flash howitzer_24_pounder
howitzer_24_pounder_shell_percussive howitzer_24_pounder_muzzle_flash
howitzer_24_pounder howitzer_24_pounder_shot
howitzer_24_pounder_muzzle_flash howitzer_32_pounder"

I tried messing around with creating copies of the lines and renaming them but the game wouldnt start.

[Mikhail Tomasovic]

hmm... are you naming them all the same name? they relate to one another so one little glitch could cause the game not to start... easiest way would be to copy a line, rename it, use most of the same stats and just reskin the unit and give it a different name... like the others said though, you have to add a new line in every one of those tables.

[dizzymonkey]

Well, the existing entries (posted above) don't make any sense to me. If I am copying the howitzer_24_pounder, then why are there three entries? If the entries relate to the ammo type, why are there more ammo types listed int he projectiles files than listed in the gun_to_types file?

[Jams79]

You have 5 entries for howitzer 24lb, one each for each ammo type carcass, quicklime, shell, shell percussion, shot. That tells you at various points in the techtree the howitzer can fire 5 different ammo types the last column is just the muzzle flash reference (it's the same for all the How 24's).

Each of those five ammo types has an entry in projectiles db.

[Panzercracker]

I think the problem is gun_type_table in main.pack. Without that, gun_type_to_projectiles doesn't recognize projectiles for gun type. I try add in gun_type_table, but alway be crashed.

[Sorkenlol]

Got any idea how to increase the explosion/kill radius of the impacts?

[priam11]

A bit off topic but it has to do with artillery. I checked the reload rates for various guns and they seem to be the same. I admit I don't know everything about this topic but I would have assumed that a 6 pounder is easier and quicker to load than a 12, which in itself is quicker than 18 and 24.

[Bendit]

Got any idea how to increase the explosion/kill radius of the impacts?

I would also like to know how to change the damage and kill radius. Can anyone help?

[Panzercracker]

When I try my new artillery with gun ID 24lb + old projectile, new projectile for my new artillery, it work but with new gun ID (just clone and rename 24 to 36), it don't work. I don't know why, I only know there will be problem at gun_type_to_projectile.

[dizzymonkey]

I copied all the 24lb howitzer entries in the gun_to_types table and created british specific duplicates. I then created copies of all the entries for the 24lb howitzer in the projectiles table and did the same. Lastly, I modified the art ID 3 in the unit_stats_land table.

Once in game, I see the unit (as I did before) but using the custom projectiles, the range is set to 0. Not sure what else would be the problem.

Has anyone else actually managed to created their own custom artillery with custom entries in the projectiles table?

[Panzercracker]

I don't think the problem is projectiles_table. That is about Artillery ID 1, I just test ID of 24lb canon with new projectile and it's work well. But with new ID, the range is 0 .

[apieceoftofu]

yes Bendit and Sorkenlol, to increase the kill radius you would (using the pack file manager) go into your projectiles table located under the expandable DB folder, and then find the shrapnel entry or maybe the ember entry i dont know which one is the one actually doing the hitting of soldiers but then you would change its range entry to watever you wanted. Do the normal procedure for making it a patch pack file so you dont overwrite your vanilla version of the game. Hope that helps!

[A321A321]

not enough clear, there is no range entry, what we want is to set a kill radius for simple cannon balls, there isn't one, just the ball that kills soldiers on it's way, but kills nothing on explosions, which is rather pathetic

[wangrin]

A round shot doesn't explode and so, can only kill when hitting men.
If you want a "kill radius", you will have to use bomb projectile or create your own.
Exploding projectiles have both shockwave effect and fragments effects.
Only fragments can kill.

[Goutlard]

A round shot doesn't explode and so, can only kill when hitting men.
If you want a "kill radius", you will have to use bomb projectile or create your own.
Exploding projectiles have both shockwave effect and fragments effects.
Only fragments can kill.

Well, in fact trying with large collision radius for projectiles efficiently increases the area where the damage is dealt. Keep in mind that a soldier radius is around 0,3, so to have a chance to kill three rows of men you need around, with the spacing of 0,75, 3x0,3 + 3x0,75 ; 3,15 projectile radius, which is well beyond the 0,1 radius in vanilla Empire Total War that meant that the area for cannonballs is as large as the area for bullets.

--- Edit :

Just tested ; apparently this does not work as intended ; it means that the projectile radius feature does probably not work properly