Which map.rwm do i delete to run Alex.exe?

[Dunadd]

I know from reading other threads that i need to delete a map.rwm file, then run the campaign_map_reset. bat to run ExRM with Alex.exe?

Which map.rwm file is it- in exactly which folder? I've tried backing up, then deleting the map.rwm in ExRM/world/maps/campaign/imperial campaign an in ExRM/world/maps/campaign/barbarian invasion

The game loads to the intro screen and i can go to the 'start new campaign' screen, but when i choose a faction and click 'start campaign' i get a CTD

Edit - it also seems that when i delete a map.rwm and then go to the campaign_map_reset.bat file and click 'open' or 'run as administrator', no new map.rwm files are being generated.

[Caesar Augustus]

You should just need to double click the campaign_map_reset that's inside your ExRM folder.

Let me know how you get on

[Dunadd]

yes, thanks - i understand that - but which map.rwm do i delete first - the imperial campaign one or the barbarian invasion one? Or is it not necessary to delete either of them first?

Also when i delete one then run the campaign_map_reset.bat (whatever way i click on it) no new map.rwm files are being generated.

[Dunadd]

Also running the campaign_map_reset.bat seems to have deleted all map.rwm files in all my installations of ExRM - 3.5.3 , 3.4.1 and my backup version of 3.41 - which is weird - i thought it would only affect the ones in it's own sub-folders.

If i even try to load a 3.5.3 game with barbarian invasion it crashed during loading of the saved game, so looks like copying and pasting from my backup RTW BI 1.6 folder and then reinstalling from scratch is the only solution.

[Carados]

Strictly speaking you don't have to delete anything, and the game generates a new copy when you start a new campaign. This is why it takes longer to load up when you run the campaign_map_reset. Campaign_map_reset deletes your map.rwm automatically, meaning you can go straight to starting the game up.

[Dunadd]

It doesn't seem to be generating new maps when it's run - and after installing a new copy of 3.5.3 in a new folder there doesn't seem to be any map.rwm in it's ExRM/world/maps/base folder either.

Should there be no map.rwm there or is something badly wrong?

[Caesar Augustus]

My understanding is that map.rwm is essentially the file that keeps track of your campaign's progress, from my understanding. It's generated everytime you start a campaign, so I think it should be ok? Guess someone with more technical knowledge would be able to be a little more definitive. Over to Carados it is then

[Dunadd]

I'm assuming it shouldn't take 30 minutes or more to load the game up when it's making the new map.rwm file? If not my fresh install doesnt seem to work either.

There's no crash or error message, it just seems to stay at the first loading screen showing the map in light brown forever and if i open task manager after 20 or 30 minutes it says 'RTW Alexander' is 'not responding'.

I did this to try to install -

copied my RTW BI 1.6 backup files to a new folder (called C:/RTW2ndExRM353 - my main RTW installation is in program files in a separate folder and is RTW BI 1.6 plus Alex - i made the 1.6 backup before installing Alex to the main RTW folder though)
Installed 3.5.3b in C:/RTW2ndExRM353
pasted in the two files extracted from the 3.5.3c hotfix into the ExRM/data folder

Then to try to make it work with ALX.exe I did this -

Used dreamweaver to open the export_descr_units.txt file in ExRM/data and find and replace all instances of ,shield_wall and ,can_swim with nothing at all (i.e effectively removed them all) and saved it (there were no schiltrom or schiltron)

copied the ALX.exe and ALX.icon to the folder i'd installed ExRM 3.5.3 to
copied the ALX chat filter file to the ExRM/data folder
copied the contents of the barbarian_invasion_regions_and_settlement_names.txt file from ExRM/data/text into the imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt file in the same folder and saved it

Pasted the following at the end of the export_descr_character_traits.txt in the ExRM/data folder
;------------------------------------------
Trait Immortal
Characters family
Hidden

Level Immortal
Description Immortal_desc
EffectsDescription Immortal_effects_desc
Threshold 1

;------------------------------------------

Pasted the following at the end of the export_descr_VnVs_enums.txt

Immortal
Immortal_desc
Immortal_effects_desc

Pasted the following at the end of the export_VnVs.text file in the ExRM/data/text folder
¬--------------------
{Immortal} Immortal

{Immortal_desc}
Hidden immortal trait

{Immortal_effects_desc}
No Effects

¬--------------------

Created a shortcut to the ALX.exe in the RTW directory where i'd installed ExRM 353
Copied the shortcut to my desktop
Edited it so the target line reads
C:\RTW2ndExRM353\RomeTW-ALX.exe -nm -show_err -mod:ExRM -noalexander
and the StartIn line reads
C:\RTW2ndExRM353

Backed up copies of the map.rwm from both the ExRM/data/world/maps/campaign/imperial campaign and /barbarian_invasion folders just in case

Ran the campaign_map_reset.bat from the ExRM/data/ folder

When that didn't work i tried pasting back in the backed up .rwm files, same result though

[Dunadd]

i found the problem and strangely it's not mostly to do with map files (though i did run the reset_campaign_map.bat file in the ExRM folder after i made these changes)

From what someone helpfully posted in the past for ExRM 3.4 the stuff to paste into the export_descr_VnVs_enums.text in the ExRM data folder should be as follows, at the bottom of the file

;ALEX.EXE
Immortal
Immortal_desc
Immortal_effects_desc

Then save the file.

The lines to paste into the export_descr_character_traits.txt in the same folder should be those quoted below, near the top just after the
;===============================================================
;== TRAIT DATA STARTS HERE ==
;===============================================================

;------------------------------------------ALEX.EXE port
Trait Immortal
Characters family
Hidden

Level Immortal
Description Immortal_desc
EffectsDescription Immortal_effects_desc
Threshold 1

with a blank line left above and below it. Then save the file.

Then in the ExRM/data/text folder paste the following into the export_VnVs.text at the bottom of it and save it

;;;ALEX.EXE
¬--------------------
{Immortal} Immortal

{Immortal_desc}
Hidden immortal trait

{Immortal_effects_desc}
No Effects

¬--------------------

Also this at the end of the descr_formations_ai.txt in the ExRM/data folder

;;;;;;;;ALEX.EXE
;****************************************************************
; Alternate Ambush deployment
; Column marching formation for the army being ambushed, allows stretching
;****************************************************************

begin_formation alternate_ambush_defender_deployment

alternate_ambush_defender_deployment
ai_priority 0.1

;;; general at the front
begin_block 0
min_units 1
max_units 1
unit_type general_unit 1.0
unit_density close
block_formation line
block_relative_pos 0 0.0 0.0
inter_unit_spacing 2.0
priority 1.0
end_block

;;; all other units behind
begin_block 1
unit_type any 1.0
unit_density close
block_formation column
block_relative_pos 0 0.0 -2.0
inter_unit_spacing 2.0
priority 1.0
end_block


end_formation

[Quinn Inuit]

Nice find! I'm adding it to the main post.