[PASSED 04/07/09] [Artifex] Tsarsies (Patron: y2day)

[Augustus Lucifer]

Client: Tsarsies

I entered the modding scene in very small steps, at first editing units and armor upgrades. Nothing major and definitely nothing new or impressive. I soon came across GrnEyedDvls TW:Mod Squad site which i often participated in. I taught myself everything i know about modding M2TW basically by reading over his scripts which he has released to the public. I then began downloading random mods, realizing the wealth of information in other peoples modding 'techniques' (not stealing their ideas, just learning from their methods - i have always asked if i need to use someones work, even if i completely change it around or use it as a reference). I never once released anything that was not of my own design however. Simply used the games files as reference.

I was given a warning in my first few weeks of becoming a member to the TWC community for offending a fellow member. I honestly dont remember the circumstances surrounding it or the person involved, but after recieveing the warning i promptly changed my post and sent the person an apology. Nothing more came of it. That was 2 years or more ago.

Since then i have remained active (for the most part) with the forums i frequent, one being the Text Editing and Scripting thread where alot of people ask questions and seek advice. If i am able to help someone or have a suggestion, i try to help where i can or guide them in the right direction.

I feel i have excelled at picking up this scripting language and have since written a few scripts. as described in brief below;

A 70,000 line garrison script that spawns units for 199 separate settlements and spawns hundreds of varying spawns for each settlement. OK, thats no biggie, but the fact that it runs without causing any turn lag (OK, very little) i believe is rather impressive. I have since reduced that script to 50,000 lines of code.

Another script i wrote is Recruitment Limitations. Limiting a players units and military based on population levels. I have not updated it in some time however.

I have been working on balancing Stainless Steel for a 2TPY campaign and in doing so figured out on my own pretty much what every pip is affected by and by how much in the settlement_mechanics.xml file and which files directly affect the pip. It is still a work in progress.

I have recently also released a teaser mod called Horse Pastures, which goes along with my Population Control mod. One reduces population in a settlement when you recruit (such as use to happen in Rome Total War Ive been told - Ive never played it, so wouldn't know), the other does the same but with horses. Its the beginnings of a much larger Trade and Supplies mod which i am working on.

I am also working on Interactive Events, ones that the player has 'real' interaction with. I have currently not released it, but plan to in the next few days. The current Interactive Event i am working on is 'Tournaments'. Once again, it is part of a much larger Trade and Supplies Mod i am working on.

This Trade and Supplies mod i am working on is something that will consume a lot of my time modding for some time. I have been doing a lot of research into medieval trade and how trade affected individual towns, coupling that with playability and the engines limits, i have come to a pretty good stage where i will force the player to acquire materials and supplies which he/she will need in order to take on grand building projects such as a Citadel or Cathedral (or simply building roads). The mod will take into account the various resources on the map and make each have a fundamental use other then 'adding to the treasury via merchant trade'. Its rather in-depth and hard to explain. Best just wait for me to actually write it, as it is just an idea that my other ideas are smaller parts of.

Before i end this i would like to point out that every script i write i aim at ensuring the script runs with no turn lag. Also, every idea is possible, you just need to think creatively about how to implement it with the limited scripting language given to us. If you can think it, you can do it. (if you build it they will come... - sorry couldn't resist)

Lastly, I am a member of Vacuus Lux Lucis mod team and script for them. Although i have not released anything for that mod as yet, I have some things in the works. Which i cant really disclose as they are more or less Icedie's ideas which I'm trying to turn into script.

I would be honored to be accepted into this citizen group, though i have no idea how it works or what would be expected of me. All i can honestly say is regardless of the outcome here i will continue to mod for this great game and series. If it doesn't give you pleasure why do it?

Garrison Script v2.0
Recruitment Limitations
2 Turns Per Year
Population Control and Horse Pastures

Patron: y2day

I propose Tsarsies for the rank of Artifex. He is a very, very talented scriptor and a good helpful poster. His scripts are excellent and all his releases are really top notch work. His garrision script is a work of art. I'm currently working on a project with him that will add another dimension to Stainless Steel. I hope you give him the consideration he deserves.

[y2day]

When i was looking over Tsarsies as a potential canidate for citizenship, I came across this thread. I remembered it from way back when, and it was the finally straw on the stack so to speak that made me ask if I could patronize him. (Quark did get those yes or no events into SS 6.0)

y

[Augustus Lucifer]

It's a yes from me. I could provide an elaborate explanation for why Tsarsies deserves to be an Artifex, but one is not really necessary. Suffice it to say that he has written some very valuable scripts that serve as the basis for many mods iterations of them, and he consistently provides valuable advice in the workshop. I don't know what his last 50 or 100 posts look like in checking his Statistics page, but I know from consorting with him often that he is more than worthy of the rank.

[Dayman]

I know nothing about scripts, so I'll be abstaining.

[B. Ward]

Poll needed.

[Soulghast]

Poll added.

[Captain Blackadder]

I feel scripters are somewhat unappreciated by many in the community the skinners and model makers get a lot of the credit due to it being the most "interesting" from a laymans perspective so the more scripters we have the better I say.

[Garnier]

I highly value good scripters personally. Everyone makes models and skins and there's too many sets of them, each mod only can use one.. But with scripts, every mod can use any of them and this area of innovation is very important for (subjectively) good mods.

[Soulghast]

A definite yes.

[Soulghast]

Passed.