[release]4tp/Ageing Script That Works with Hotseat

**Incomitatus** · September 25, 2012, 10:58 AM

The 4tpy script that is in vanilla TATW and most (all?) submods uses a counter that advances at the start of each human player's turn, when it reaches 4, winter happens, the counter resets, and the following season characters age. It works fine in single player games, but in a hotseat game, adding a second human player doubles the ageing, three triples it, etc etc.*

(*except sometimes it doesn't, because if you're playing a hotseat on one computer rather than saving and passing the file, a battle in one factions turn prevents the game from recognizing the next faction as a new turn, so the actual time acceleration is reduced, but still faster than it should be)

I decided to solve this problem yesterday, since I was finally fed up with it. Over a year of periodically searching the forums never yielded a solution that anyone else had done so I decided it was time I do it myself.

Unlike all the other modding I've done over the years for my own enjoyment, I'm making this revised script available to everyone instead of just explaining how to do it.

This script also uses a counter to advance the seasons, but the counter only advances at the end of slave turn. It doesn't matter how many human players there are, or how many factions are destroyed. The counter only cares about the slave faction, and the slave faction can't be destroyed.

I'm currently using this in my own hotseat game and everything seems to work perfectly, but it hasn't been extensively tested. There's no logical reason I can think of for there to be any problems, but more people using it in more games just to be sure would be a good thing!

Installation

1. Make a backup of ...\Medieval II\mods\Third_Age_3\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign\campaign_script.txt
2. Open ...\Medieval II\mods\Third_Age_3\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign\campaign_script.txt
3. Replace (or comment out, like I've done)

Code:

;console_command toggle_perfect_spy
;console_command toggle_fow

;declare_counter quarter
;set_counter quarter 1
;
;monitor_event PreFactionTurnStart FactionIsLocal
;    if I_CompareCounter quarter == 1
;        console_command season summer
;    end_if
;    
;    if I_CompareCounter quarter == 2
;        console_command season summer
;    end_if
;    
;    if I_CompareCounter quarter == 3
;        console_command season summer
;    end_if
;    
;    if I_CompareCounter quarter == 4
;        console_command season winter
;    end_if
;    
;    inc_counter quarter 1
;    if I_CompareCounter quarter == 5
;        set_counter quarter 1
;    end_if
;end_monitor
;
;monitor_event FactionTurnEnd FactionType slave
;    and I_CompareCounter quarter > 1
;    console_command season summer
;end_monitor

with

Code:

declare_counter season_counter
set_counter season_counter 1

monitor_event FactionTurnEnd FactionType slave
    inc_counter season_counter 1

    if I_CompareCounter season_counter == 4
        set_counter season_counter 0
    end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event PreFactionTurnStart FactionIsLocal

    if I_CompareCounter season_counter == 0
        console_command season winter

    end_if

    if I_CompareCounter season_counter > 0
        console_command season summer

    end_if
end_monitor

4. Delete the map.rwm (just to be safe)
5. Start a new campaign (changes to campaign script are not save game compatible)
6. Enjoy!

Everyone is free to use this script. I do request credit if it's used in any public mods, but there's no need to ask permission.

Oh, but I would like to be notified if it will be used in a mod, simply for the warm, fuzzy, useful feelings inside!

AND, to give credit were credit is due, the idea occurred to me while reading this thread. Alpaca's example 4tpy script is much simpler than the one in TATW, but just as functional, and while studying the differences I realised there was no good reason I could think of why the counter had to be pegged to the LocalFaction. I only take credit for the idea of using the slave faction to advance the counter.

**alreadyded** · September 25, 2012, 05:16 PM

Sounds great, I will give a try when I get back in town. I had no idea hotseat campaigns had this problem since I have never played one.

The map.rwm file does not need to be deleted. You only have to start a new campaign.

**Incomitatus** · September 25, 2012, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by alreadyded

Sounds great, I will give a try when I get back in town. I had no idea hotseat campaigns had this problem since I have never played one.

The map.rwm file does not need to be deleted. You only have to start a new campaign.

Thanks! I know the map.rwm doesn't need to be deleted, but it never hurts. I tend to delete mine before every new game, just in case I tweaked something in descr_strat and forgot.

**Withwnar** · September 26, 2012, 12:41 AM

That is a more elegant script anyway, aside from fixing the hotseat thing. Not that it really matters I suppose - both are small scripts - but an elegant script is a thing of beauty. (Or is that just me?

) Nice one Incomitatus.

**Incomitatus** · September 26, 2012, 05:42 AM

Thanks, and nope not just you. I'd never scripted before (though I'd done a lot with triggers over the years and it's not that much different, once you adjust to the different syntax), so at first I didn't have an opinion on the old script. After I read up on how to do it, though, I looked at it again and groaned. Its more lines than needed! Shamefully wasteful!

Also, I'm sure you've already noticed, but with mine you can fit it to any number of turns per year by changing just one number instead of adding a whole condition for each turn. Technically, I could have made it one line less by starting the counter at 0, like Alpaca's example, but I decided to start it at 1 so that the number it counts up to is the same as the turns per year. Not as 'simple', I guess, but more elegant and easier to keep track of if you're adjusting it, in my humble opinion.

Glad you like it!