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Thread: [Released] Skidvar's Ranks, Traits, & Ancillaries overhaul

  1. #1

    Default [Released] Skidvar's Ranks, Traits, & Ancillaries overhaul




    STEAM DOWNLOAD


    (last update 27/04/2017)

    Images can be found on the Steam page as well

    CONTENT
    What is in this mod? A trait & an ancillary overhaul that took months of work. It is very complex to create, includes a lot of script, gives a completely different game experience. It is compatible with most mods that don't mess with traits or ancillaries and that don't use any script (in that case it should be included). I never would have started on it without Prometheus - thanks, mate!

    In short, it assures that generals which are already in your factions now already start with a certain rank (1-4). They also come at turn 1 with a variety of special traits, traits that are for everyone and continue to change depending on certain factors. In addition this mod provides a complete ancillary overhaul started from scratch and where every ancillary (called retainer) is unique in the game with a unique image.


    A TRAITS OVERHAUL
    4 dynamic permanent traits for everyone given at turn 1, logical anti-traits for every trait apart from innate traits, bad traits because of staying in the garrison for too long are only distributed in the worst case after 20 turns, more chance of inheriting traits, positive starting traits for characters who did not get any distributed in the vanilla game (for factions unlocked with the DLC or through other mods).

    Why did I make a trait overhaul of the vanilla traits system and why is it so important?

    NECESSITY - There is a maximum of 10 traits in the current system that we have which brought a lot of problems in the vanilla game. Losing a high level ability trait is not nice, losing innate traits like “intelligent, charismatic” does not make sense, etc.

    SENSE - There are a lot of negative traits distributed in the vanilla game that you cannot get rid of, mainly because that there aren't any anti-traits for them. Not only is this annoying, but it is made worse because some of these innate traits (e.g. stupid, inbred, etc.) are not given at turn one, but only later. Often when your general returns home after a victory, which makes even less sense. You think you go to battle with a great general and when he returns home he appears to be inbred and stupid. The chances that traits are inherited were very small, the chance of getting bad traits staying in a settlement are very high.

    GAMING EXPERIENCE – I created 4 dynamic traits to get a nice gaming experience without a lot of annoying aspects like losing ability traits etc. They are called dynamic as they are continually changing, in some cases with negative effects, in some cases with positive effects.

    DYNAMIC PERMANENT TRAITS (DISTRIBUTED AT TURN 1)

    1 Bond traits
    2 Rank traits
    3 House traits
    4 Qualification traits

    1 Bonds traits
    Generals also start with a bond trait which shows his bond with his ruler. The first turn this bond is not yet clear and is still investigated, but afterwards this trait is changing continually going from (“rival” to “close”). Every 12 turns there is a council or senate event in which there is a chance that this bond is changing (a negative council/senate event when the treasury is less than 1000 will ask for an extra tax, but there will be more chance that the bonds suffer from it). Through certain ancillaries this bond can be improved also. In one game a certain general can start with a negative bond, while in the other with a positive of neutral bond.

    Normal traits:
    UNKNOWN - RIVAL – HOSTILE – IRRITATED – NEUTRAL – SUPPORTIVE – FRIENDLY – CLOSE
    Special traits:
    LEADER - EMPEROR* – SWORN BROTHER – SWORN ENEMY – TRUSTED**

    * “emperor” is the equivalent of “leader” for the Roman factions
    ** “trusted” is the equivalent of “sworn brother” for family members

    Events:
    COUNCIL MEETING – SENATE MEETING* – HECTIC COUNCIL MEETING – HECTIC SENATE MEETING*

    * “senate” meetings are for Roman factions only and differ only in name from the “council” meetings

    2 Ranks traits
    Generals that are already there in the game at turn 1 start with different ranks (from 1-4).

    3 House traits
    Now there are three noble houses and a royal house (for the ruling family). Noble houses can be neutral, positive or negative towards the royal house. As every noble house gets its main income from a different source (agriculture / industry / commerce), the negative & positive triggers will be different. The head of the house will have a unique ancillary, his house representative. In one game a general can start out as a member of another house than in another game. The head of the house also gets an influence bonus (+2/+5/+10) in every council or senate session depending on his faction being positive, neutral or negative towards the current ruling house.

    Normal traits:
    NOBLE HOUSE MEMBER – RULING HOUSE MEMBER
    Special traits:
    NOBLE HOUSE HEAD – RULING HOUSE HEAD

    4 Qualification traits
    According to the amount of units they lead, their rank, and their status of commander or politician a general character will have a certain qualification trait.
    A commander of lower rank (1-3) will have certain disadvantages compared to a higher level commander.
    Generals who arrive at their army will have a penalty as they need time to adjust to the command again.
    If a general is alone or with one unit (low-ranked) or two units (high-ranked) he will be able to focus on training his troops, creating a small elite. With a small force they are vulnerable, though.
    Low-ranked generals with a small amount of units can still be overqualified*!

    I introduced these traits for a variety of reasons:


    • Generals who died are replaced with other generals which should have disadvantages as they bring a whole bodyguard with them, sometimes to a remote place.
    • Players who exploit the game and replace their general right before an attack will do so with a penalty... their generals will not have the same influence over the troops when they just arrive, certainly if they don't have a high rank
    • Killing an influential general (assassinating him or sending him to his death) will have more consequences.


    Normal traits:
    LOW-RANKED STATESMAN – HIGH-RANKED STATESMAN – UNQUALIFIED COMMANDER – QUALIFIED COMMANDER – OVERQUALIFIED COMMANDER
    Special traits:
    COMMANDER & ELITE

    *overqualified is a positive trait

    Although not dynamic, I also introduced positive (mostly innate) starting traits for generals who haven't been given any in the startpos.esf . These traits are given at turn 1 to generals, so no more surprises when your general gets home, e.g. that he appears to be born stupid or inbred.

    -> ALL OF THIS ENSURES THAT EACH GENERAL WILL HAVE 5 TRAITS AT GAME START, A COLOURFUL PERSONALITY DISTINGUISHING HIM FROM OTHERS.


    B ANCILLARY OVERHAUL (currently 100 different ones - currently in beta phase)
    Why an ancillary overhaul?

    Yes why, we already have so many in vanilla? For personal reasons, mainly. I always thought the system a bit weird... Why could I only have a few people or only one book... Why does one sword give the whole army a boost? Doesn't every army have a smith? If I have all these characters with extra boni, is it the intention that I replace them continually?

    HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES – SKILLED GUARDS - SECONDS

    So I decided to make my own version with ancillaries, called retainers, including some that are static (i.e. cannot be given to another character). All ancillaries are unique, having a unique portrait and every culture has its own, I even added an extra series for Axum & Garamantia.

    1 House Representatives (currently 20 - 4 for every culture + extra for Axum/Garamantians)
    The first slot is reserved for house representatives and only 4 characters will have them. For some of the others this can be used later IF they become head of their house. It is a static ancillary in the sense that it cannot be given to another ancillary.

    2 Guards (currently 50)
    The second slot is reserved for veteran guards, all of them unique... and there are many. They can be acquired through battle and they all protect you against assassins and give another bonus. They are also static, personal, so they cannot be given to other generals. A battle against a certain culture will result in the chance of getting a guard from this culture.

    (This feature, although already working, is still in beta phase. These veteran guards should should each get unique boni, also culture-specific – suggestions are welcome).

    3 Seconds (currently 30 - 6 for every culture + extra for Axum/ Garamantians)
    The third slot is reserved for seconds-in-command. This is the only slot that allows interchanging. When leaders rank up they possibly get an extra talented captain (retainer / ancillary) which can be send to assist another general. At the start of the game he is provided a talented first captain as well.

    (This feature, although already working, is still in a beta phase. Currently there are only captains with a basic +1 loyalty and +1 Authority trait, +1 Authority and +1 Cunning for the Talented first captain / tribunus. I want to make it so that a leader will possibly get an “advisor” when ranking up as a govafter a learning proceernor and a “captain” when ranking up as a commander. Advisors will teach generals certain administrative skills, captains military skills, while the first advisor & first captain should provide anti-traits for bad skills... In both cases this should be after a certain learning process of several turns. As hordes don't allow for governors, maybe I will have to rethink this, though).


    COMPATIBILITY
    Compatible with all mods that do not use script and do not add playable factions.
    Not save-game compatible as many of the traits are distributed at gamestart
    Last edited by Viking1978; April 28, 2017 at 05:32 AM.

  2. #2

    Default Re: [Released] Skidvar's Ranks, Traits, & Ancillaries overhaul

    Really interesting, good work!

  3. #3

    Default Re: [Released] Skidvar's Ranks, Traits, & Ancillaries overhaul

    Hi, cool mod, by any chance could you upload to mediafire, thanks, GJ!!!

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