Creating a World - Advanced recruiting with event counters

**Gigantus** · January 26, 2016, 12:02 AM

CreditsThis tutorial is a summary of ideas and code discussed in the two threads underneath, all credit goes to the participants:

Can mercs be limited such that only the AI can hire them?

How to add mercenaries

IntroductionStarting and stopping of recruiting via event counter isn't really something new - it has been done since the game got published (the_world_is_round, gunpowder_discovered), so what's new?
The problem of using event_counter conditions is lying in the fact that disabling was resetting the pool, making the condition unsuitable for frequent switching on\off - leaving only the 'freeze' script command which was 'clumsy' at best. As it happens it was a matter of WHEN (at the end of the slave faction's turn) to switch the condition back on to retain the previous accumulated pool - not unlike the principle of 'switching on temporary again after switching off' in another tutorial of mine:

Creating a World - Building and maintaining unique Buildings

Coding

Mercenary recruitment restricted to factions

imperial_campaign_scriptThe two [faction] monitors require replicating for every faction eligible. Alternatively faction specific counters can be used, which would require a cloning of the mercenary line with those counters.

Code:

monitor_event PreFactionTurnStart FactionType [faction]
  set_event_counter merc_turn 1
end_monitor

monitor_event PreFactionTurnStart not FactionType [faction]
  set_event_counter merc_turn 0
end_monitor

monitor_event FactionTurnEnd FactionType slave
  set_event_counter merc_turn 1
end_monitor

descr_mercenaries

Code:

pool [pool name]
    regions [region names]
    unit [unit name]            exp 0 cost 220 replenish 0.15 - 0.35 max 3 initial 5  events { merc_turn }

Seasonal recruitment

imperial_campaign_scriptThe script part assumes a 12 turn per year set up with the campaign starting in winter. Recruiting time will be from October to March.

Code:

monitor_event PreFactionTurnStart FactionIsLocal
  inc_event_counter season_time 1
  if I_EventCounter season_time > 9            ; from October
    and I_EventCounter season_time < 4        ; to March
    set_event_counter recruit_season 1
  end_if
  if I_EventCounter season_time > 3            ; from April
    and I_EventCounter season_time < 10        ; to September
    set_event_counter recruit_season 0
  end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event FactionTurnEnd FactionType slave
  set_event_counter recruit_season 1
  if I_EventCounter season_time > 12
    set_event_counter season_time 0            ; resetting season counter
  end_if
end_monitor

export_descr_buildings

Code:

            capability
            {
                recruit_pool "[unit name]"  1   0.2   2  0  requires factions { [faction name], } and event_counter recruit_season 1
            }

ConclusionBased on this principle and the examples I am sure this can be expanded to simulate other on\off principles of recruiting - I am working on a script to restrict recruiting based on the relative number of units fielded versus settlements owned where this scripting will certainly feature.

**QuintusSertorius** · November 07, 2016, 03:23 AM

Using event_counters can make for extremely sophisticated and dynamic recruitment - representing reforms or other sorts of changes in military tactics over time.

**Used2BRoz** · January 22, 2017, 09:33 AM

Another example is in the Americas campaign_script

Faction standing events for native mercenary recruitment

; - Spain must be allied with native factions to recruit mercenaries from those factions
; - Events tracked through the script will keep track of standing and prohibit or allow access to mercenary pools
; - Spain will have separate mercenary pools setup for each region where special mercenaries are available

;;; Spain is allied with Aztecs
monitor_event FactionTurnStart FactionType spain
and I_EventCounter spain_allied_aztecs == 0
and DiplomaticStanceFromFaction aztecs = Allied

add_events
event counter spain_allied_aztecs
date 0
end_add_events

end_monitor

the americas campaign_script also contains a way to accumulate prestige_points - so you could make certain mercenaries only available to a faction if the leader has a certain level of prestige.

**Gigantus** · January 22, 2017, 11:30 PM

Correct, the americas uses the descr_mercenaries event switch triggered by the monitor you listed. It's based on the state of alliances, underneath the monitor that switches the merc recruitment off again:

Code:

;;; Spain no longer allied with Aztecs
    monitor_event FactionTurnStart FactionType spain
        and I_EventCounter spain_allied_aztecs == 1
        and DiplomaticStanceFromFaction aztecs > Allied
        
        set_event_counter spain_allied_aztecs 0

    end_monitor

The prestige points principle used in americas is basically a counter that increases upon successfully completing missions (set of conditions). At defined levels an award (set of command) is issued - it is not related to recruiting as far as I could see.
In the end it can be used (like any other set of conditions) to set the necessary event counters to facilitate the event switch in descr_mercenaries.