Bodyguard Switcher (change bodyguards in-game) v2.2 [3.2 compatible]

[Ngugi]

Yes, just one would do it It´s only about about a few generals who can switch their bg-unit in this mod. So i didn´t think of giving Mumakil to several generals. But who could get one? That´s a question for a lore master.

If given that would be up to given coder and the community as no known individual in lore is connected to mûmakils (just described).
The one defined haradrim lord at Pelennor field is on horseback and oliphants aint common in the scripts at all.

...the main force of the Haradrim and there their horsemen were gathered about the standard of their chieftain. -RotK

The ruins of what seemed a very war-tower lay upon his heaving back, smashed in his furious passage through the woods; and high upon his neck still desperately clung a tiny figure-the body of a mighty warrior, a giant among the Swertings. - TTT

[Captain Zoran]

Just made my Eriador into Arnor on the campaign, gonna see if the switch to Arnor units are working

[Withwnar]

Progress Update - Traits and Attributes

Good news: the switching can now be conditional on traits and character attributes.

This means that a particular unit could only be available under one or more of these conditions:

• Settlement (e.g. Khazad-Dûm Guards only in Khazad-Dûm)
• Character (e.g. Dol Amroth Knights only for Imrahil)
• Script condition (e.g. Arnor units only after the Arnor Reunion event)
• Trait (e.g. Black Numenoreans only for Nazgul)
• Attribute (e.g. Black Numenoreans only for high Dread)

So we could have it so that Black Numenoreans are only available to high dread Nazgul (Dread + "Nazgul" trait). This idea was suggested by Xenoneb and introduces a great concept: 'developing' your generals to unlock new bodyguard options.

Ancillaries would be possible too but it would have limited uses. It could only work on the ancillary type, not the name. e.g. "Security" instead of "army_of_the_dead" and many ancillaries have the "Security" type. Also, a transferable ancillary would kind of defeat the point of using an ancillary as a limiting factor.

The limitation of this condition system is that ORs are not possible. For a unit to be available ALL of the conditions must be met. e.g. Nazgul AND high Dread. It means that something like (Aragorn OR Gandalf) is a no go. And also the Witch King can't have Black Numenoreans like the other Nazgul as he has his own unique trait instead of the "Nazgul" one.

Anyway, this is all food for thought. If anyone has any suggestions on how to use this then suggest away. I'm still hoping for some feedback on where switching should be allowed to take place - it's the only thing holding up any kind of 'real' release. I might make a poll...

[Emperor of Hell]

That sounds good, but can't you give the Witch-King Black Numenorians with his own trait?

Settlements, hmm, all settlements, would thaat mean all or all your starting settlements?

[Withwnar]

can't you give the Witch-King Black Numenorians with his own trait?

Not if other Nazgul can have them too. It would mean ((Nazgul AND high Dread) OR (WitchKing AND high Dread)) and ORs aren't possible. Same problem even without the Dread condition: Nazgul OR WitchKing.

It's the way that the logic works. "This unit is available if the general has the Nazgul trait OR he has the WitchKing trait". That's what can't be done. By adding both traits as conditions it becomes "This unit is available if the general has the Nazgul trait AND he has the WitchKing trait".

Settlements, hmm, all settlements, would thaat mean all or all your starting settlements?

I mean all settlements on the map. The settlement options can't be faction-specific so it's not possible to make it Eriador's starting settlements for Eriador, Mordor's starting settlements for Mordor, etc. Whatever the list of settlements ends up being it will be the same list for all factions.

However, Ngugi's idea of castles and >=large cities is possible.

[Emperor of Hell]

Maybe every faction's two or three most important settlements then?

Gondor: Minas Tirith, Dol Amroth (Pelargir)

Rohan: Edoras, Hornburg Aldburg)

Mordor: Minas Morgul, Black gate, Barad dur

Silvan Elves: Thranduil's Halls, Caras Galadhorn (Amon Lanc [Dol Guldur])

High Elevs: Rivedell, Minthlond (Forlond or Harlond)

Rhun: no idea

Dwarves: Erebor, Moria, Blue Mountains, Grey mountains. Lots of AOR, Guards of Kazad dum in Moria, Dragonslayers of Ered Mithrin in grey mountains, axemen of Erebor in Erebor

Dale: Dale and Eagaroth

Harad: Umbar (no idea)

Eriador/Arnor: Bree, Annuminas, Fornost (Amon Sul)

OOTMM:Goblin town, moria

OOG: Mt.Gundabad, Gram, some other castle up there.

This would mean you could change the bodyguards in all more or less important places in Middle Earth.

I hope you can use this, good luck with this submod!

[Withwnar]

Thanks killer, +rep. That's another option: key settlements. Although I'm not sure if there's any real benefit in having them so close together. e.g. Just one of Mithlond, Harlond or Forlond would do I think, same for Eriador's.

An advantage of all-settlements or castles-only is that there's no need to mention anywhere what the settlements are. I toyed with the idea of some kind of 'marker' building but I'd really prefer not to. I suppose that the first scroll could list the settlements - not difficult, just a lengthy scroll.

[Ngugi]

- Get your concept killersmurf and it has merit, but, I will add a 'but'. I at first thought of the same idea (though did not produced such a handy list), then saw that this will cause the player to have travel very long to change BG under certain conditions, while it should (?) not be a too extensive trip just to saddel up/off/re-equip if you're a/the leader of a country.
- Key settlements create the same issue. This is meant to be a feat, not a mission to manage to change a BG after all, right?
- If one goes with a settlement-type and size-criteria enough places will be optional switchplaces while the odd occurances with elit units hanging around/elit gear is piled up in the closest 400 inhabitant village is avoided, as I've brought up earlier ^^

[Rora Lion]

Only from you such an original idea could come Wit ... always happy to see you spice up this game !

[Withwnar]

@Rora
Don't know about "only" but thanks all the same.

I gave the first scroll a quick settlement list. Doesn't look too bad. (See attached.)

@Ngugi
I guess your idea is a bit of best-of-both-worlds. Key settlements tend to be castles and large cities anyway. With the bonus that you'll get more settlement options as time goes on (more large cities).

It comes down to flexibility vs realism I suppose. All-settlements is the most flexible and if someone doesn't like the option of recruiting unit A in settlement B then they can choose not switch to unit A. On the other hand there is a thrill attached to conquering a settlement that would provide a new switching place.

[Minas Moth]

nice work w... just want to ask: is this in any way affected by settlement culture? or barracks level? or it just comes to: move unit A for example to Goblin Town and you are able to use it as bodyguard despite you don't have enough culture to train ANY unit in that settlement? also, i didn't see it in OP; but what happens with old unit that was BG? what i mean Grey Company is just BG unit, there is no way you can recruit them. so if you change them for some other units as Aragorn's BG where do they go?

[Withwnar]

Culture... ... I never considered that. And no, barracks do not play a part.

The switching is not based on what units are in the settlement. And after the switch the old bodyguard does not become a unit. You are essentially making a new bodyguard materialise out of thin air and making the old one vanish. Not very realistic, I know.

My original motivation was to let generals mount/dismount. So from that point of view it is still the same bodyguard, just with/without horses. Having a selection of units to choose from kind of breaks that logic but it's more flexible.

[Withwnar]

Progress Update

Okay, just about there now. I have updated the OP with the character and unit lists. Any further suggestions... now is the time to speak.

Some of them I just chose what seemed to be best, trying to get at least one infantry, spearman, archer and cavalry unit per faction. I'm going on stats mostly ... perhaps you have a favourite that you would like to see in there. Plus I have (I think) added all that were suggested by the good folks here.

I have gone with Ngugi's idea for settlements: Castles of any size and Cities of at least Minor City size.

[Withwnar]

I have gone with Ngugi's idea for settlements: Castles of any size and Cities of at least Minor City size.

This means that elves will not have the ability until they capture a castle or upgrade a Large Town to Minor City.

[Emperor of Hell]

I would personally still prefer my idea (spoiler)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Gondor: Minas Tirith, Dol Amroth (Pelargir)

Rohan: Edoras, Hornburg Aldburg)

Mordor: Minas Morgul, Black gate, Barad dur

Silvan Elves: Thranduil's Halls, Caras Galadhorn (Amon Lanc [Dol Guldur])

High Elevs: Rivedell, Minthlond (Forlond or Harlond)

Rhun: no idea

Dwarves: Erebor, Moria, Blue Mountains, Grey mountains. Lots of AOR, Guards of Kazad dum in Moria, Dragonslayers of Ered Mithrin in grey mountains, axemen of Erebor in Erebor

Dale: Dale and Eagaroth

Harad: Umbar (no idea)

Eriador/Arnor: Bree, Annuminas, Fornost (Amon Sul)

OOTMM:Goblin town, moria

[Minas Moth]

The switching is not based on what units are in the settlement. And after the switch the old bodyguard does not become a unit. You are essentially making a new bodyguard materialise out of thin air and making the old one vanish. Not very realistic, I know.

My original motivation was to let generals mount/dismount.

hma more realism could be achieved if it took more then one turn to change the bodyguard. that could simulate time needed for different unit to "arrive" at desired city, if you know what i mean...

Progress Update

Okay, just about there now. I have updated the OP with the character and unit lists. Any further suggestions... now is the time to speak.

Some of them I just chose what seemed to be best, trying to get at least one infantry, spearman, archer and cavalry unit per faction. I'm going on stats mostly ... perhaps you have a favourite that you would like to see in there. Plus I have (I think) added all that were suggested by the good folks here.

I have gone with Ngugi's idea for settlements: Castles of any size and Cities of at least Minor City size.

no favourites here to report the only recomendation would be to actually use the best troops of every faction (if possible) ofc... i would recomend rivendell spearmen for HE maybe but that's it...

This means that elves will not have the ability until they capture a castle or upgrade a Large Town to Minor City.

unless you make it available for them even in large town... i don't know if that is possible via script. but i'm thinking something like; if I_Faction High Elves then Large Town is possible to use... all others need Minor City...

[Ngugi]

Elves are OP as it is, they can handle it until then

[Withwnar]

I would personally still prefer my idea (spoiler)

All three options have their good points (all settlements, key settlements, wall size) but with no input on the matter - other than Ngugi and yourself - I made an executive decision. The thing I like most about Ngugi's idea (wall size) is that the settlement options change as the campaign progresses: as towns become cities.

Perhaps after people have played v1.0 they will have an opinion on it. It can be changed in a later version.

hma more realism could be achieved if it took more then one turn to change the bodyguard. that could simulate time needed for different unit to "arrive" at desired city

Actually it doesn't even take one turn. It is instantaneous. More than that would be troublesome: either the character would need to be off-map for 1+ turns (where did he go?) or he would need to be locked in the settlement.

One solution would be to remove all of his movement points (for one turn) after the switch. This is easy and a fair enough 'penalty' I think. Actually that would also solve the current side-effect of his movement points being fully replenished after a switch, something that could be exploited.

no favourites here to report the only recomendation would be to actually use the best troops of every faction (if possible) ofc... i would recomend rivendell spearmen for HE maybe but that's it...

What are Rivendell Spearmen? A MOS unit perhaps? I have gone for the best-stat units (I think) but only vanilla units are possible if this is to be vanilla-compatible.

unless you make it available for them even in large town... i don't know if that is possible via script. but i'm thinking something like; if I_Faction High Elves then Large Town is possible to use... all others need Minor City...

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. The script generator can't do that (yet) but I will develop it further over time.

Elves are OP as it is, they can handle it until then

True. It would be nice to able to give (e.g.) Legolas the Sentinels from the start though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have updated the OP with more up-to-date info on how it will work. Plus added category/class descriptions to the units.

[Minas Moth]

Actually that would also solve the current side-effect of his movement points being fully replenished after a switch, something that could be exploited.

glad to be of assistance... it seems i still have some good ideas left in my brain cells...

What are Rivendell Spearmen? A MOS unit perhaps? I have gone for the best-stat units (I think) but only vanilla units are possible if this is to be vanilla-compatible.

yep they are, or were the last time i checked... but there is no reason to use them if it is meant for vanilla...

The script generator

is that some secret tool of yours? it does sound very interesting...

on the fact that elven factions are op, well frankly they shoul be. this has been discussed from the beginnings of this mod over and over again. they are hard to balance. however i think you should do it as you see it fit. after all it's your "executive" choice to make

[Withwnar]

is that some secret tool of yours? it does sound very interesting...

Yep. It is what I have been doing for the past month: writing a program that generates everything.

So not only is making a change a trivial exercise (as opposed to modifying 60000+ lines of script) but it works on any Kingdoms mod.

One day I'll release it so that people can use it to customise their bodyguard switching options - for other mods, compilations, etc. - but a lot of work needs to be done for that, so it won't be soon.