Implementing a script which prevents player to lay siege without a general

[Ocyalos]

I created the following script in data/world/maps/campaign/imperial_campaign/playerSiegeWithGeneralsOnly.txt

script


monitor_event ScrollOpened ScrollOpened seige_scroll
and I_AgentSelected general
    disable_cursor
    select_ui_element siege_end_button
    simulate_mouse_click lclick_down
    simulate_mouse_click lclick_up
    enable_cursor
end_monitor


end_script

In descr.strat.txt, I appended the following at the bottom:

...script
playerSiegeWithGeneralsOnly.txt

It should work but it does not: When I take any faction and send an army without a general to a siege, I can besiege it as always. Instead, this script should automatically click abort siege when there is no general in my besieging army.

This is the scriptling_log.txt output when I test this feature - it shows no error message

(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt) (SCOPE) Entering new scope, end token is end_script
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt::3) (CREATE) Creating token monitor_event
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt) (SCOPE) Entering new scope, end token is end_monitor
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt::5) (CREATE) Creating token disable_cursor
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt::6) (CREATE) Creating token select_ui_element
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt::7) (CREATE) Creating token simulate_mouse_click
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt::8) (CREATE) Creating token simulate_mouse_click
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt::9) (CREATE) Creating token enable_cursor
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt) (SCOPE) Got end token end_monitor, exiting scope
(playersiegewithgeneralsonly.txt) (SCOPE) Got end token end_script, exiting scope

[Ocyalos]

Ok I managed to bring this sort-of to work but the player can still attack a city with a non-general-army when it has no walls or the army has onagers/ballistae:

imperial_campaign/playerSiegeWithGeneralsOnly.txt

script
declare_counter dummy_f 
declare_counter dummy_r
monitor_event ScrollOpened ScrollOpened seige_scroll
and I_AgentSelected general
    select_ui_element siege_end_button
    simulate_mouse_click lclick_down
    simulate_mouse_click lclick_up
    message_prompt
        {
        flag_counter dummy_f
        result_counter dummy_r
        title 489C337C215FE8600B1CC0568AEDD583B3991911_TITLE
        body 489C337C215FE8600B1CC0568AEDD583B3991911_BODY
        image adoption
        }
    
end_monitor
end_script

text/expanded_bi.txt

...
{489C337C215FE8600B1CC0568AEDD583B3991911_TITLE}Siege aborted
{489C337C215FE8600B1CC0568AEDD583B3991911_BODY}Your besieging army ended the siege due to a lack of competence and logistics involved in the operation. You need to come back with a general leading your troops.

imperial_campaign/descr_strat.txt

...
script
playerSiegeWithGeneralsOnly.txt

However it works only if the besieging army with no general has no siege units like onagers or ballistae. Because it actually can launch an attack in the first time the player opens the siege scroll for that siege. Without an onager or ballista, you cannot attack of course.
The moment you re-open that siege scroll (for example next turn when you built ladders or rams and want to attack), the siege is aborted and the player gets a message that siege is only possible with general in your army.

Any idea how to make it work so that armies without a general get siege aborted immediately after start and not when you show siege scroll a 2nd time?

[Ocyalos]

Now with a much better version, which works even if your army has a general with onagers and ballistae. Use that:

script

declare_counter dummy_r
declare_counter dummy_f
declare_counter  LastSelectedArmyHasGeneral 0
declare_counter  SiegeScrollOpen 0


monitor_event CharacterSelected
    if I_AgentSelected family
        set_counter LastSelectedArmyHasGeneral 1
    end_if
    if I_AgentSelected general
        set_counter LastSelectedArmyHasGeneral 0
    end_if
end_monitor
monitor_event ScrollClosed ScrollClosed seige_scroll
    set_counter SiegeScrollOpen 0
end_monitor
monitor_event ScrollOpened ScrollOpened seige_scroll
    set_counter SiegeScrollOpen 1
end_monitor


monitor_event ScrollOpened ScrollOpened seige_scroll
    if I_CompareCounter LastSelectedArmyHasGeneral = 0
        and I_CompareCounter SiegeScrollOpen = 1
        ui_flash_start siege_end_button circle
    select_ui_element siege_end_button
    simulate_mouse_click lclick_down
    simulate_mouse_click lclick_up
    message_prompt
        {
        flag_counter dummy_f
        result_counter dummy_r
        title 0CAED7883C615CDBC83E0B2C0B5272D9CABC39B8_TITLE
        body 0CAED7883C615CDBC83E0B2C0B5272D9CABC39B8_BODY
        image adoption
        }
    end_if
end_monitor


end_script

You have to use counters (custom variables) for every state you check the condition. Do not check if a scroll is opened directly, check that and write the result in a counter and then for your conditions, use the counter instead.