[question] How to change a faction's starting provinces?

[Dresden]

You need to change your execution policy. Open up Powershell in windows and type set-executionpolicy unrestricted

You can set it back to restricted using set-executionpolicy restricted

[hunharibo]

With the new EditEST version you dont need this script at all, it now allows for array editing.

[Caki]

I tried that Dresden but whit no luck. But I'll find a way :-)

[Spmon]

I was able to remove phantom construction (and the other obvious AI bugs that popped up when changing region ownership) with the help of the new EditSF version. The CAI section of startpos needs to be changed in [at least] four directories:

1 CAI_WORLD_FACTIONS - contains three int arrays per faction referring to each entry owned by the faction in these three directories:
2 CAI_WORLD_SETTLEMENTS (references the world\regions array entries) - also refers back to owning faction (1)
3 CAI_FACTION_PROVINCES (references world\province manager entries) - also refers back to owning faction (1)
4 CAI_FACTION_SEA_REGIONS (references world\sea region manager entries) - also refers back to owning faction (1)

Note that these directories have their own reference. BDI_COMPONENT usually identifies an entry. Also saving changes in the CAI directory to disk takes several minutes.

Changing the owning faction of an entry in CAI_WORLD_SETTLEMENTS, CAI_FACTION_PROVINCES and CAI_FACTION_SEA_REGIONS isn't enough to make the AI construct or recruit stuff in it's proper settlements... as noted earlier. But with the new EditSF version we can see that each entry in CAI_WORLD_FACTIONS also contains three int arrays that contain references to every entry owned by that faction in directories 1-3. Changing those arrays fixed the issue, and it's possible that changing 1-3 is unnecessary as I haven't tested that solution yet.

Anyway I made the usual "simple" switch of Brundisium and Cosentia from Rome to Epirus in this way (simple because one only has to change the ownership of a faction manager entry). With the edits above Epirus' AI constructs buildings and recruits armies and fleets in Magna Graecia just as it's supposed to. Rome's AI also acts properly and attempts no construction in MG. The only issue now seems to be the garrisons, but they are reset by turn 2 anyway.

Also, I assume that cleaning out all these CAI references will be necessary if we wish to remove faction manager objects (to properly change province ownership).

[Spmon]

Bah, it only worked until Epirus lost Appolonia so Sparta, then a repeated hard crash. Guess it could be related to sea region ownership hmm...

[Dresden]

What scares me the most - it is so complicated to change and they are patching regularly. It doesn't sound fun to have to update this weekly.

Also, I really wish they had given the same region numbers in CAI as they did in WORLD.

[Styrry]

Yes.. first of all it's great that you were able to dig deeper and got us a little bit more understanding on how it works. But I really wonder if it's possible to do stable changes when there are so many places which have to be altered (all this back referencing stuff and differing IDs). Especially, when we think of a global scale which means changing regions for almost any faction for a mod which introduced new/other factions.
What do you think are the chances that CA will offer some sort of tool to do what we are trying?

[Caki]

Maybe they will if we cry hard enough :-D
PS
I managed to convert esf to xml last night :-D

[Mr. Os]

This is somewhat related.

But I have a question regarding culture buildings.

I changed Odryssian Kingdoms culture in the db/faction_tables to greek/hellenistic. This worked, and they able to build the town buildings in other settlements. However in the starting province they no longer have the town buildings and port, nothing can be built in the slots. Cant even click on these slots.

What do I have to change?

[versengeteriks]

Maybe they will if we cry hard enough :-D
PS
I managed to convert esf to xml last night :-D

Meddling tool creator? Ehem....... modding tool creator. You could ask http://www.twcenter.net/forums/membe...4956-husserlTW to take a look.

I think he enjoys the tool making.

'trix

[Caki]

OK, I think this will work try this http://www.megafileupload.com/en/fil...rtpos-esf.html and tell me how it works.
This is for those who want to have a big fat Carthage

[Styrry]

Sounds great. I'll test it. Would you mind sharing with us where you did what changes to make it work?

[Greve Af Göteborg]

Interesting, I'll try it.
Edit: Everything seems to work just fine, haven't played for very long but it's very promising.

I wonder if this could be done for the seleucids & ptolemies as well. Then we'd have some big factions right at the start of the game.

[Antiokhos Euergetes]

I do not wish to hijack this thread, but I feel my question is somewhat related. Especially as you just mentioned Carthage.
In several campaigns Carthage is overrun and it takes some of the feel for campaign away.
So is it possible to edit save game and give Carthage back to Carthage? Thank you

[Dresden]

Wow, great job Caki. I tested it and it seems to work. I can issue edicts and there is no phantom building.

I would like to make a couple of these for my Qart-Hadast mod that gives you the option of just having NC or Libya. I think I may wait for patch 5 to delve in, since it may change the startpos yet again.

Did you edit the region values in WORLD and CAI files? Did you do anything extra?

@Basileos The startpos that Caki posted above gives Carthage's client states to Carthage.

[Antiokhos Euergetes]

Thank you I will give that a go

[Mary The Quene]

Caki can you do this for Egypt and The Seleucids?

[Antiokhos Euergetes]

Caki can you do this for Egypt and The Seleucids?

I second that, or explain how it's done please

[Caki]

I'm sorry for not replaying last night but my girlfriend hijacked my pc so... :-D. I will explain how I did it tonight when I get back from work.

[Fridericus Secundus]

I'm sorry for not replaying last night but my girlfriend hijacked my pc so... :-D. I will explain how I did it tonight when I get back from work.

This (or maybe a whole tutorial "How to change ragion's ownership") would be absolutely fantastic!