Have Steam dumbed down the Alexander exe file?

[Anarchon]

Actually now not sure if Bin Editor working ok.
After importing I only see the value which are in curly brackets in the text file, not the actual real names.

[Anarchon]

It loads up to 79% then crashes, if that helps.

[Gigantus]

convert-all bat = converts all STRING.BIN files to TXT. Old python program I recommend to run after using the Geomod tool to 'fix' the issue with the historic_event file (see manual for an in depth explanation). It also converts anything text wise you did with the tool to TXT.

descr_regions debugged - that's normally the trading resources from RTW that have no use in the file. The rebel groups need to be entered in descr_rebel_factions as well as their data\text file. VP needs to be 5, gets ignored anyhow.

Check at what percentage the tool freezes and then check in the manual for a clue what might be the issue.

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


79%.
Which is evidently descr-strat.
And I have not touched this file yet.
Yes have edited Rebels everywhere.


Regrettably it looks like I shall have to manually edit all regions.
With no guarantee that this will cure it.
This is days of typing.


My conversion of d-regions.txt does not seem to get recognized.


Anarchon

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


I am trying to add new provinces manually.
I keep getting the message
'You must add provinces one by one'.


But I dont yet have anything like 199 provinces.
More like the 118-120 that Bare-Geomod has.


Are you restricted to 120 regions in M2TW?


Anarchon

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


Just had a thought but dont want to action it unless you okay it.
Because it is a lot of work.


Should my 'descr_regions.txt have the provinces in a particular sequence?
viz
Faction1-capital region
Faction1-other-region
Faction1-other-region
Faction2-capital-region
Faction2-other region
Faction2-other-region
and so on down to...
Slave-capital-region
Slave-other region
Slave-other-region


And do I need that sequence in other files?


As an aside,
please can I suggest you offer a Geomod-Bare-Max version.
Which has the maximum number of everything...
Map-size
199 regions
31 factions
7 cultures
5 religions
512 EDU
max building trees
etc, etc.


It wouldn't matter if many items were duplicates or dummies.


As you have observed, it is much easier to delete than add.


If my mod conversion comes to fruition, I am happy to donate it for this purpose.
I am trying to get max of most things.


What I am trying to do now is port my 199 regions.
I have ported the maps just fine.
But am hitting this problem with d-regions.


Anarchon

[Gigantus]

Bare Geomod is the game's default campaign set up in kingdoms mode (boiling oil and other stuff) as a mod folder with numerous fixes. Maxing out anything isn't really going to solve your issue.

79% is the beginning of the descr_strat file which points to resource entries, usually a missing comma. If you have a large section of it then completely remove it and then add it back in increments, that way it's easy to figure out where the issue might be.

'Adding one by one' is most likely an issue with not 'verifying' a new region before adding the next.

When you open with BinEditor then the left window is a complete list of curly bracket entries for you to choose from. The narrow window on the right is the curly bracket entry you can edit and the one below it is the display text you can edit. That info and more is available in the manual.

import\export = working with TXT
load\save = working with STRING.BIN

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus


In despair.


Have set hidden resources to 'none' for all in d-regions.
still get debugged message
(but doesn't this anyway mean it has been debugged and should now work?)


Have removed ALL resource entries from d-strat.


Still get crash at 79%


Anarchon

[Gigantus]

debugged - make a copy of the present descr_regions so you can compare (Notepad++ has a function for that) once you manage to save with the tool.

no more trading resources in descr_strat and still 79% freeze - that's going to be a bummer. Seeing that you are porting: does your top look like this:

campaign        imperial_campaign
playable
    england
    france
    hre
    spain
    venice
    sicily
    milan
    scotland
    byzantium
    russia
    moors
    turks
    egypt
    denmark
    portugal
    poland
    hungary
end
unlockable
end
nonplayable
    papal_states
    aztecs
    mongols
    timurids
    slave
end


start_date    1080 summer
end_date    1530 winter
timescale    2.00

The tool needs the two red lines, most mods remove it. The original had all the factions between those lines that were only available after unlocking them through finishing a campaign.

[Anarchon]

ok got it working.
the problem was the province names in d-strat also needed editing to my versions.

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


Delightedly working with all 199 regions!
Two more small things.


A. In Geomod there are 2 'absent' factions, Saxons and Normans.
Are they available and set-up?
Just need activating?


B. You say...
'Two ways to convert TXT to STRING.BIN:
1. run the mod with the changed TXT file up to campaign map (not all files convert already at mod splash screen) and exit
2. Use the BinEditor - first 'import' the TXT file then 'Save' it as STRING.BIN


Note: changes in shared, battle, strat and tooltips TXT files cannot be converted with the BinEditor'


Q. What is the 'Mod Splash' screen?
Q. Presumably 'shared, battle, strat and tooltips' have to be converted using method-1 the splash screen?


Anarchon

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


just as everything seemed fine have hit another problem.


Was editing pop values and town sizes, validating after each.


after having done all 199 I tried to save.
the save failed and geomod crashed,
More seriously it now won't relaunch.
And crashes at 79% loading like it did before.


But now there is nothing apparently wrong with descr-strat.
I have tried with resources in and out, result the same.
I have tried with all regions laboriously manually edited to
3000 pop
large_town.
faction creator france
only 2 buildings
wooden pallisade
town watch


still get the 79% aborted load.


Anarchon


PS Do I need the ai_label for aztecs, mongols and timurids changed from default?
All have regions in my mod
But it launched ok previously.

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


I have identified the problem but not the solution.


I reinstalled everything and got to the same stage.
that is inputting pop and city size.
I only did 10 regions this time before attempting to save.
The same thing happened.
However, it is now clear that during the failed Geomod save it issues a completely blank
descr_regions.txt file
This is why you cannot reload.
Any ideas?


Anarchon

[Anarchon]

If it helps, the failed Geomod save also outputs a blank file for
imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt.strings.bin


Anarchon

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


Have been perusing the manual very closely.
I am wondering about the section...
'Setting the factions capital'
Does this mean that the sequence of regions in the box...
must be exactly the same as the sequence which regions appear in descr_strat?


A lot of work re-ordering 199 of them so don't want to do unless you tell me it is needed.


Anarchon

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


I bit the bullet and laboriously re-ordered all regions.
They are now the same in d-strat, d-regions and imperial_campaign...txt.
and are in same sequence as factions in desc_sm_factions.txt
and with capitals first.
Same problem.
change pop, validate, hit save, it fails.
And d-regions and imperial_campaign.strings.bin both saved as blank.


Now really desperate.


Anarchon


PS I can zip up and email to you or send to DropBox if desired.
But obviously will need email to send to.

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


Have tried many things with no success,


Now have mercs and rebs files in the prescribed sequence.
But still cannot save city pop or size
And also the Development tab will not remember my entries
for rebs and mercs despite hitting validate and save.
all entries revert to the last one entered.


Anarchon

[Gigantus]

absent factions - these are entered in descr_sm_factions but have not been added to descr_strat. They can simply be entered in descr_strat.
mod splash screen - that the initial screen (not movie) before you come to the game options screen
'shared, battle, strat and tooltip' - can only be updated by running the game up to the campaign map
manual editing - once Geomod saves and you can start the mod NEVER edit files manually that are getting changed by the tool. The chances of making a mistake are simply too great. The manual has a list of those files.
faction capital - you can move the desired region up\down in the box using the arrow keys next to it
Rebs and mercs not remembered - that's an entry in descr_regions, maybe something happened to the file format? If you open the file with Notepad++ then at the bottom right it should say 'Windows (CR LF)' and 'UTF-8'
ai_labels - if in doubt which label to use then simply use 'default'

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


I think I must be doing something horribly wrong.


I now have all my map files and the regions, rebels, mercs d-strat etc all modified.


When I try to launch my mod, it just launches bare-geomod.
ALL my files are ignored.
I have the univeral start bat file in the mod folder.
And this is what I am using to launch.
Am I missing something?


When modding RTW you need to delete map.rwm each time you make changes.
I have also tried doing that with no success.


I am not expecting it to run perfectly at this stage.
But was expecting it to launch with most of my files plus a load of error messages.
But its just exactly bare-geomod.


I presume you mean splash screen is the one with first two options as...
Single Player
Continue Campaign


I go to here and also click single player then exit.
No text or string bin files have been changed.
And what appeared was pure bare-geomod, nothing from my mod.


Do I need to unpack all M2TW files into the mod?


Sorry to be troubling you a lot with my tribulations.


Anarchon

[Anarchon]

Hi Gigantus,


Am still completely stuck.
Is there any simple test I can do to find out if the problem is my stupidity and screwing up
or
my new desktop is merely displaying Microsoft style intolerance of old software?


Thought I would while away the wait creating 31 factions.
Your tutorial is very good.
But have hit another wall with CoA files.


Anarchon