Distancing soldiers from animals in handler units

**alreadyded** · August 04, 2010, 02:17 AM

I created some new units with animations but the unit spacing from front to back is blocking my progress. The soldier unit, which is now a creature, is standing directly behind the animal units. I tried changing the formation distances for both the animal and the soldier units in EDU, but it didn't work. Any clue?

**Taiji** · August 04, 2010, 04:49 AM

Here's a clue: descr_formations_ai.txt

**alreadyded** · August 04, 2010, 02:45 PM

I still can't figure it out. I am guessing it has to do with the radius of the soldier unit but I don't know, and I can't see these values anyway. I guess a clue isn't enough for me after all

What specific part descr_formations_ai.txt should I be looking at? I can't find any info about descr_formations_ai.txt in a search, except about the EDU.

And thank you for your time.

**irishron** · August 04, 2010, 02:54 PM

Do you have the game unpacked?

**alreadyded** · August 04, 2010, 03:00 PM

Yes. Wouldn't the txt. files not be there if it wasn't? I know where the files are, I don't know what to change in them to have the desired effect.

**irishron** · August 04, 2010, 04:56 PM

Since you are the first to try it, it would be the old trial and error method with pleny of backups in case something terrible happens.

**Taiji** · August 04, 2010, 06:19 PM

Actually... I wonder what on earth you meant in your original post:

"The soldier unit, which is now a creature, is standing directly behind the animal units."

This doesn't make sense. All three of these classes of unit do not exist. I don't know how I made sense of it in the first place, but I was wrong to.

Can you try again to explain your problem? I'm thinking it could be something completely different to my assumption.

**irishron** · August 04, 2010, 06:38 PM

I was thinking like the wardogs and their handlers in RTW. May be my thinking is allwrong.

**Taiji** · August 04, 2010, 06:47 PM

Yeah maybe mine too, when I reread it I suddenly had visions of riders suspended behind their mounts... Which I think would have made my clue into 'descr_mounts.txt' ...

Originally Posted by alreadyded

I still can't figure it out. I am guessing it has to do with the radius of the soldier unit but I don't know, and I can't see these values anyway.

I can at least tell you where those settings are:

soldier Voulgier, 60, 0, 1.2, 0.36

It's there on the soldier line of each entry in the EDU. But it is usually not specified, and leaving it unspecified sets it to default. 0.4 is default, I believe.

descr_mounts.txt is where you'll find similar but more complex settings for mounts.

**alreadyded** · August 04, 2010, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Taiji

Yeah maybe mine too, when I reread it I suddenly had visions of riders suspended behind their mounts... Which I think would have made my clue into 'descr_mounts.txt' ...

I can at least tell you where those settings are:

soldier Voulgier, 60, 0, 1.2, 0.36

It's there on the soldier line of each entry in the EDU. But it is usually not specified, and leaving it unspecified sets it to default. 0.4 is default, I believe.

descr_mounts.txt is where you'll find similar but more complex settings for mounts.

So I just add a number and it will use that instead of the default .4?

**alreadyded** · August 04, 2010, 06:51 PM

I changed the animal and the soldier units into spiders, dragons, wolves, etc. unsing the wardog animations.

The "soldiers" are standing directly behind and way too close to the "animals." I want to space them out.

Here is a pic.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

I want the medium sized spiders to be further back from the small ones. The captain unit has plenty of space already so I don't get what I am suppose to change. Its not a huge deal seeing as they spread out once they start moving, but I assumed it was a simple question that someone would know the answer to.

**Taiji** · August 04, 2010, 07:04 PM

So it's a formation of units? Then it's descr_formations_ai.txt you want

Top of the file explains usage. And I agree that trial and error will probably fill in any gaps in your understanding, it's not a particularly complicated area of modding.

**Taiji** · August 04, 2010, 08:02 PM

Yes, try .5 and they will spread out a bit

I'm surprised the formation line in EDU didn't give you what you want (if it's changing soldier spacing within a unit formation that you want) so maybe this won't work either... Plus your soldiers appear to vary in actual radius, I hope that works out.

Good luck