[SUBMOD: Virtual Points System] VPS_Alpha_01 [upd: dec.01/19]

[Jake Armitage]

Virtual Points System
V P S

Alpha_01
Notes post #256

! VPS is for TESTUDO only !

WHAT IS "VPS"?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

VPS is based on Prime's "Your People Trust" mod. Permission to mod it has been obtained a year ago.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=642966894

Although the coding is similar to Prime's, the mod itself is really overhauled to better exploit its potentialities.
The basic idea (conceptually similar to the Poulation System) is to assign, via script, some virtual points coming from Rome 2 lua functions and then assign different effects depending on a range.
You can get the idea by looking at the images and by playing it, after a short while you'll get how it works and how you should "ride" these ranges

WHY "VPS"?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

VPS is meant for players who love strategical/intriguing gameplay.
Your campaign will no longer have a known and predictable curve.
Every turn you may take notice about what's happening inside your governorship and you'll have to act accordingly to various situations.

Notice: as all of my submods this is mostly meant for TESTUDO, my primary submod where all the others are assembled.
I advice to play VPS at normal difficulty.

TRUST AND EFFECTS RANGES

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Just a brief explanation regarding the way I've decided to use ranges.
I've made 11 of them, 1 average in the middle, 5 negative and 5 positive.
Not every trust component nor effect may use them all, it depends on type and situation.
They both have a color and a label. Tooltips and effects pngs will have the same colors, to be friendlier as possible.
More or less, it's the same method I'm using for some PIGS features.

NEGATIVE:

Violet: Level -5 (Absymal)
Purple: Level -4 (Very Bad)
Red: Level -3 (Bad)
Orange: Level -2 (Slightly Bad)
Yellow: Level -1 (Less than Average)

AVERAGE:

White: Level 0 (Average)

POSITIVE:

Light Green: Level 1 (More than Average)
Green: Level 2 (Slightly Good)
Dark Green: Level 3 (Good)
Emerald: Level 4 (Very Good)
Blue: Level 5 (Excellent)

And here are the ranges I'm using for the Trust (1-999).
They are shown into effect's tooltip too.

"VPS" TO DO IDEAS

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

VPS_Beta_02 contains the first module regarding economical features.
In time, there will be more features working conceptually as the economical one but they will focus on different aspects so to give you a whole impression of a living governorship.
In time, there will be features which will affect characters too.

So, these are, for now, the ideas I have:

There will be 4 different Trusts:
- Economical
- War
- Civic
- Diplomatic

These 4 Trusts will be interpolated to form an additional Trust, the Political one.
These 4+1 Trusts are part of what I've called "Aequilibrium Fidei" (Trust Balance).

After the "Aequilibrium Fidei" will be finished (balancement will always be needed, though) I should start working on other 2 features:
- a Transfer Region System
- a Building Resource System

----------

> ECONOMICAL TRUST

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The first VPS module is about economy.

Put the mouse over the dedicated button (if you push the button, turn events will be normally displayed) and you'll notice this:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Until you don't reach the first spring this will work as a placeholder.

Then, at the beginning of every turn you'll notice the components may change their values depending on many factors.

> CURRENT Economical Trust is the actual value which is giving the effect for the current turn.
< PREVIOUS Economical Trust is the value of the previous turn, so you can track down what is happening.
If the values' colors are different it means there has been a change regarding the effect.

- Trust Constants
Difficulty: based on the difficulty level you've chosen (light packs have +1 bonus)
Faction: it depends on the chosen faction (check last spoiler to know how they are set)
Government: it depends on current government (reformed republic is the best, empire the worst)
Imperium: it depends on the Imperium Level (the higher, the highest the penalty)

- Trust Components (there will be more in the future)
Expansionism: it depends on an interpolation between how many regions you have and imperium level (also a good event when you conquer a settlement)
Treasury: it depends on an interpolation between Imperium Level and treasury amount
Tax Level: it depends on an interpolation between Imperium Level and the % of your taxes (any bonus/malus included)
Trade: it depends on how many trade routes you have (also a good/bad event when you get a new one)

- Trust Events (everyone has a dice roll)
Climate: it depends on season and dice roll (it's not linked to normal seasonal events 'cause it's not possible)
Character: will work as a random event when: character created / character comes of age / character becomes faction leader / character level up / general dies in battle / general loots a settlement
Ruling Party: it's the value given by enacting the Economical Stimulation Intrigue, value depends on a dice roll
Other Parties: it's a random value given every 2 years (4tpy) / 1 year (12 tpy)
Military: it's a random value given every 2 years (4tpy) / 1 year (12 tpy)
Population: it's a fixed value that will randomly change every year (4tpy) / season (12 tpy)
Outlanders: it's a fixed value that will randomly change every year (4tpy) / season (12tpy)
Slaves: it's a fixed values that will randomly change every year (4tpy) / season (12tpy)

- Trust Thresholds (they work depending on your current economical trust level, it will be positive for negative situations and the opposite)
Yearly Growth (Seasonal for 12 tpy): it's a semi-random value given every year (4tpy) /season (12 tpy)
Seasonal Growth (Monthly for 12 tpy): it's a fixed value depending on what trust threshold you're stationed on

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Here is an example where your range is "Average".



Here's an example where the Trust is going down.



And here is an example for a positive situation. You can see that Intrigue and major Event are grey, which means they are turned off (it's not the correct turn for the Major Event and you didn't trigger the Intrigue).

So, how do all those number affect the gamplay?
Notice that only the final value (CURRENT Economical Trust) will give an effect, all the others are just components of the final one.
Open the faction panel and you'll find a new effect, called Economical Trust (yellow colored).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Here's an example for the Average Level where nothing will be affected.
You can check all the different ranges directly into the effect tooltip.



Here's an example for ones of the Distrusts, when your range will start being negative.



And here's a trust, a positive one.

How the Political Intrigue works?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The new political Intrigue is called Economical Stimulation and it takes the place of the PIGS' Politcal Oration (which was quite useless and I actually never ever used it)



As usual, by paying some gravitas, money and loyalty, some random (dice rolled) incidents will be triggered and they will directly influence the Economical Trust Range (you can see the change in the same turn you've used the Intrigue).



As usual, these incidents will also trigger a faction effect. Political Power effects (if any) are linked to the incidents and will be shown into incidetn panel.



And you can check under Ruling Party that the event has taken place (in this case image has been taken from a random event giving 65 points)

So, quite complicated, huh? No it's not, believe me.
So, does this weirdness end here? Well, NO.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

One of the most important features of TESTUDO is a script which will limit your tax % depending on your current treasury (how many coins do you have).
Its name is TESTUDO_Treasury and now it has been refined and his new name is Economical Corruption (yellow colored)
What's that for? It's an economical limitator and by the interpolation of your treasury and your owned regions you'll get a tax reduction which won't let you have too much useless money and so, imo, ruin your campaign.
It is quite simple to me, the more useless money you have, the less the campaign is intriguing.

It has nothing to do with the previous ranged system, it's an indipenedent effect. They'll work together like hammer and anvil.
Here are a couple of examples.
You can get infos from the effect tooltip. Those numbers in the list are coins.

Here you may check how the factions are affected into the ranged system (under Faction)

Blue means it has a Good economical predisposition
Green means Slightly Good
Yellow means Slightly Bad
Red means Bad
No colors means no change (as per the non playable faction if your using official AFP)

Anyway, there is no big difference, it's just an ambient component.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a tergo nostra sunt.
Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC)

COMPATIBILITY

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

THIS PART IS OBSOLETE (FOR NOW, AT LEAST)

VPS MUST BE PLAYED WITH PIGS

- VPS is NOT savegame compatible due to cyclic events (it requires modifications into script)
- VPS is NOT compatible outside DeI (Rome 2 vanilla or any orher Rome 2 overhaul, it's for DeI only)
- VPS is NOT compatible with any other mod having custom external scripts (like Testudo, RPGu, Benjin's videos, camera mods...)
- VPS is NOT compatible with Alternative Economy and Scipio's Realism (due to completely different treasury system)

- VPS is compatible with any DeI's Official submod (official, softcore, combat related)
- VPS is compatible with any DeI's mod overwriting existing scripts (like Age of Hellenism, reforms turns, population modifiers, historical missions)
- VPS is compatible with any DeI's mod adding/modding units and graphical things
- VPS is compatible with Cultural Tensio and De Ai Arbitris (notice that DAIA is not actually fully compatible with DeI due to recent CAI)
- VPS is compatible wih Benjin's AAA

@ DOWNLOAD: currently not avilable for vanilla DeI


CREDITS:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

- Prime for the "Your People Trust" original steam mod (praise him) and for giving permission to mod it
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=642966894

- ivanpera for helping me a lot with the scripts, it wouldn't have been possible without him

- Sonny WiFiHr for testing, ideas and working on its previous version (Your People Trust adaptation)
- milohve01 for first conversion trial pack

- all the other guys reporting, chatting and giving feedbacks inside this thread

Fides (Trust) Roman coin
(2nd century a.d.)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[ThePoshBarbarian]

Thanks fam! great work to all those involved!

[Dresden]

Nice job buddy

[asher237]

Damn. Y'all do fantastic work.

[Tenerife_Boy]

Finally ! I purpose this idea to be integrated into DeI long time ago with no success but now that it has been reborn as a submod if it's well implemented (time will tell) maybe it can find a way into the main mod, right now too much submods(graphics,music/generals from Benjin, blood, etc) are needed hehe

[Jake Armitage]

@T_Boy: Better as a submod imo. But everything says the team for me is fine.

I was thinking about adding this type of effect depending on Fides Populi:
- give bonuses/maluses to units skills, like morale, defence and attack depending on Trust level. The more the people are trusting you, the more they are ready to fight. Just simple.
Obviously there are many other DeI situations that work on these effects (like most of traits), but it will suit well imo.

[Sonny WiFiHr]

Replenish rate (Hardcore mod included) jumped from 21 to 43 per turn. Mild winter in Latium.
No new game. People Trust lvl1 is only producing 0.5% more.
It is

prime_trust_6

rom_force_campaign_mod_replenishment_rate

in_all_your_forces

0,5

But it have strange interaction with hardcore mod

[Jake Armitage]

They should work both, they are different effect so no overwriting.

Yeah, I've noticed that replenishment is too much. Already lowered again values but seems quite strange.
Prime changed replenishment values into campaign_variables. I erased his values for not messing up with DeI's.
I'm playing with testudo huge but I've noticed this too. Maybe there is something hidden.

I've also worked on some library constants to lower trust, it tends to go a little too high imo.

[Sonny WiFiHr]

prime_trust_6

rom_force_campaign_mod_replenishment_rate

in_all_your_armies

0,5

start_turn_completed

change to
all your generals
or
in all your regions / provinces

can't change 0.5 in PFM it get rounded to 5.
I think that region is base for replenishment in DEI.
Managed to change that but can't change numbers to have any effect. Will try with 1

[Jake Armitage]

Are you suggesting to change replenishment effect scopes from in_all_your_forces to in_all_your provinces? Don't think it will change anything

0,5 can stay as value for this case (there are other cases into trait tables that accept integer only). You have to write "," not "." in PFM.

[Sonny WiFiHr]

Got 35 instead 43 with (effect scope) your generals / regions.
33 with 0.05 all your forces.
It is higher for plebs and lower for peregrini.
33 with 0.01 all yours forces.
33 with 0.01 all your provinces.
Removing replenish solved problem. 21 standard and 0 in winter.
3% General usually gives only 3 more men this mod gives 100 %.

[Jake Armitage]

Really? What scope exactly?
Thx

[Sonny WiFiHr]

rom_force_campaign_mod_replenishment_rate

in_all_your_forces

1

(changed this to DEI values of rounded numbers)
1 with scope all your forces gives 35 while default (0.5) is giving 43. Should be 21 in hardcore.
5 is giving 43.
-1 is giving 31
-5 is giving 23 (normal). Prime trust lvl 6. And peregrini do not obey the rule. You can replenish 9 in winter (6 peregrini)

Prime trust level 6 will need to be -6 replenish rate

rom_food_bundle_faction_positive

rom_food_surplus_replenishment_benefit

in_all_your_regions

1

adds a lot of replenish

pel_tech_module_army_1	rom_tech_military_management_replenishment	in_all_your_forces	0,5
pel_tech_module_army_2	rom_tech_military_management_replenishment	in_all_your_forces	1
pel_tech_module_army_3	rom_tech_military_management_replenishment	in_all_your_forces	1,5

more replenish with no rounded numbers.

prime_celebrations

rom_force_campaign_mod_replenishment_rate

in_all_your_regions

2,5

You can hit 100% more quite easy .
Have no clue how to balance replenish and not brake the game.

[Jake Armitage]

Weird.
So, why that's happening? Do you have any idea?
What would you suggest to correct this? Just removing replenishment from FP effects?

[Sonny WiFiHr]

Base replenish is affected by
Trust
Lvl 10 2% (it will be 43 on hardcore)
lvl 9 1%
Lvl 8 - 0%
Lvl 7 -1 %
Lvl 6 -2%
Lvl 5 -3%
lvl 4 - 4%
Lvl 3 -5%
Lvl 2 - 6%
Lvl 1 - -7%

Celebration - no clue what it is - 1%
Tech - 1%,2%,3%
Food. 1%

Don't know how to test it but it will make early game much slower.

Im in 20 turns and hit Lvl 6 and for hardcore even lvl 6 needs -5% then lvl 10 should be -1%.
Removing it will be more balanced but I like those bonuses

Currently I m counting my soldiers but this bonuses are overpowered
4 %from stance and around 3% from traits are obsolete with this numbers.
Player will have tools to blitz

First I need to check

pel_tech_module_army_1

0.5 is probably problem

[ivanpera]

Celebration - no clue what it is - 1%

This happens when an untrusted or hated leader dies

[Sonny WiFiHr]

Food is giving replenish rate per surplus .
Currently having 9% from that - there is tooltip on food icon (minimap food) if you replenish your army
Cant find where is defined

[ivanpera]

Food is giving replenish rate per surplus .
Currently having 9% from that - there is tooltip on food icon (minimap food) if you replenish your army
Cant find where is defined

Row 80 of "ptrust_prime_effect_bundles_to_effects_junctions" (assuming you haven't deleted anything seems to be what you are looking for:

rom_food_bundle_faction_positive	rom_food_surplus_replenishment_benefit	in_all_your_regions	1	start_turn_completed

[Sonny WiFiHr]

Changed that and bonus is same. Currently I set it to 0 and still I get 9% checked lua script and it checks for food shortage to trigger event

[ivanpera]

If I remember correctly the script checks for food only to update Trust. Might need to look at it again though