A guide to the Senate

[Primo]

Modding Resource Header

Title: A guide to the Senate
Posted by: Nightmare Moon
Modding area: Text
Required programs: Notepad (or other text editor)
Summary: An explanation how to modify the Senate.






A Guide to the Senate:
The Senate is one of the most stubborn things in RTW, Ingame or not. However, you can modify him - to a certain extent.

You need these files:
Data/descr_senate
data/text/strat.txt
Data/Text/export_VnVs.txt
data/descr_sm_factions
data/world/maps/campaign/imperial_campaign/descr_strat.txt

1. Introduction to the offices
2. Changing the names and effects of offices
2.1 The Name of the office
2.2 Character Traits of the office
3. Senate Missions
4. Senate Missions/Offices for other factions


1. Introduction to the Offices

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Offices
 
Title
Quantity                                    ; How many hold this office at any one time
Duration                                    ; Duration of tenure (turns)
Settings                                    ; Number of times office can be held - 0 implies unlimited
Restrictions                                ; What restricts office being taken
    not_consecutively                        ; Can not be re-elected while in office
    quaestor_tenure                            ; Must have held office as quaestor
    aedile_tenure                            ;                           aedile
    praetor_tenure                            ;                           praetor
    consul_tenure                            ;                           tenure
End_restrictions
Senate_benefits                            ; The crony-perks of the office
    no_censor_suicide                        ; Censor investigation will not result in your suicide
    censor_immunity                            ; You will avoid investigation by the censor
End_senate_benefits
End

This is how CA explains the offices. Now here is a example of a real office, the Pontifex Maximus:

Pontifex Maximus --> Internal Name of the Office; can not be changed.
Rank                            60 --> This seems to set where in the   Senate Offices Tab this Office is. However, swaping it with another   office doesn´t do anything, while adding a random number, like 51,  leads  to a ctd.
Quantity                        1 --> At the moment there can be just one Pontifex Maximus.
Duration                        16--> He can only hold the office for 16 Turns
Sittings                        1 --> And Sadly, He can only hold it once.
Restrictions
    praetor_tenure  --> Furthermore, a character has to have been  praetor to be a Pontifex Maximus. The Senate is really picky. 
End_restrictions
Senate_benefits
    no_censor_suicide --> Fortunately Censor Investigations don´t result in anyones death anymore.
End_senate_benefits
End

How to edit Offices: Everything in Red you can change freely.

If we want now, for example, have 2 aedils at the same time: Search for the aedil:

Aedile
Rank                            20
Quantity                        1
Duration                        8
Sittings                        2
Restrictions
    quaestor_tenure
End_restrictions
Senate_benefits
End_senate_benefits
End

And then change this

Quantity                        2

Here is a pic of what happens ingame now:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As you can see, the Senate (automatically) adopted 3 family members to fill all offices - These aren´t assigned in descr_strat, and they have no traits, apart from their office. Funnily enough are they of greek origin.

2. Changing the name and effects of offices

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

2.1 The name of the office.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

If we want to change the name of an office, for example "pontifex maximus" to "Romulus Reborn", we go to
data/text/strat.txt and search for this:

 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_QUAESTOR_TITLE}                Quaestor
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_QUAESTOR_DESCRIPTION}           Junior officer
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_AEDILE_TITLE}                Aedile
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_AEDILE_DESCRIPTION}                In charge of staging Games
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PRAETOR_TITLE}                Praetor
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PRAETOR_DESCRIPTION}            Commander of the Praetorian Guard
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_CONSUL_TITLE}                Consul
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_CONSUL_DESCRIPTION}                Policy maker for the Senate
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_CENSOR_TITLE}                Censor
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_CENSOR_DESCRIPTION}                Guardian of public morality
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PONTIFEX_MAXIMUS_TITLE}            Pontifex Maximus  
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PONTIFEX_MAXIMUS_DESCRIPTION}        Supreme religious leader

The Title is shown in the Senate Offices Tab. We can change it freely.
So, to have the office "Romulus Reborn" we change this:

{SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PONTIFEX_MAXIMUS_TITLE}            Romulus Reborn
 {SMT_SENATE_OFFICE_PONTIFEX_MAXIMUS_DESCRIPTION}        Saviour of the Republic

2.2 Character Traits of the office

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

If we start the game now, we have succesfully changed the name of the office. However, Characters who hold this office still get the trait "Office of Pontifex Maximus".
We can change this. If you are not familiar how to change traits and trait descriptions, see this Tutorial by Squid.

In Data/Text/export_VnVs.txt Search for these Entrys:

{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus}    Office of Pontifex Maximus
 
{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_desc}
This man holds the Senatorial office of pontifex maximus. \nHe is the chief religious officer of the state.
 
{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc}
+5 Influence

The above trait is assigned if a character holds the office at the moment.

{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus}    Ex Pontifex Maximus
 
{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_desc}
This man used to hold the office of pontifex maximus.
 
{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc}
+3 Influence

This trait is assigned if he held once, but not at the moment.
Now we change it to something more fitting for our new office:

{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus}    Romulus Reborn
 
{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_desc}
The Senate has declared this man to be Romulus Reborn. the Saviour of the Republic. \nHe is the Saviour of the Republic.
 
{Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc}
5 Influence, +5 Morale for all troops on the battlefield, 15% bonus to your popularity with the People

{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus}    Former Romulus Reborn
 
{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_desc}
The Senate declared this man once to be Romulus Reborn.
 
{Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc}
+3 Influence

Till now we just changed the description of the effects of this trait.
In export_descr_character_traits we can now change the real effects of the trait:

Trait PontifexMaximus
    Characters family
    AntiTraits notPontifexMaximus
 
    Level Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus
        Description Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_desc
        EffectsDescription Office_of_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc
        Threshold  1 
 
        Effect Influence  5 
    Effect TroopMorale  5 
    Effect PopularStanding  15 
 
;------------------------------------------
Trait notPontifexMaximus
    Characters family
    AntiTraits PontifexMaximus
 
    Level Ex_Pontifex_Maximus
        Description Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_desc
        EffectsDescription Ex_Pontifex_Maximus_effects_desc
        Threshold  1 
 
        Effect Influence  3

This should be the result:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But keep in Mind: At the Start of the Game and whenever no roman faction has a general with the neccessary requiremts a General of the Senate will get the Office.

Now Part 3: Senate Missions.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Random Missions.

; Percentage chance of a random mission being issued
probability_of_random_mission    95

Here you can edit the probability of a random mission. This does not include the Missions "Leave Region", "Attack Outlaw Faction" and the first "Take City", as they are hardcoded. A propability of 95 almost garantues that you always have a mission to do. 0 would shut random missions down, of course.

; These durations are part of the penalty/reward scheme, where the player
; incurs the senate's appreciation or displeasure for a number of turns.
appreciation_duration            15
displeasure_duration            10

Simple enough: If you accomplish/fail the mission, the Senate will like you more/less for the written number of turns. This doesn´t immediatly affect your Senate Tab standing.

And for the Rewards:

; Fines are expressed as percentages of current annual income
major_fine                        20
moderate_fine                    10
minor_fine                        5
 
; Rewards are expressed as direct denari payments
major_reward                    15000
moderate_reward                    7500
minor_reward                    2500

Should be pretty self-explaining.

Now we take a closer look at this Mission - The standard Missions to take a random city:

Take_City
max_region_traversal    8
reissue_delay_in_turns        10
Duration    10
-3 E        p3
-3 M        p3
-3 D    p3
-3 EX    p3
-2 E        p2
-2 M        p2
-2 D        p2
-2 EX        p2
-1 E        p1
-1 M        p1
-1 D        r1
-1 EX        r1
0 E            r1
0 M            r1
0 D            r1
0 EX            r1
1 E            r1
1 M            r1
1 D            r2
1 EX            r2
2 E            r2
2 M            r2
2 D            r2
2 EX            r2
3 E            r3
3 M            r3
3 D            r3
3 EX            r3
End

Now, for a start:
What means E, M, D, EX?
The Game calls the difficulties ingame Easy, Medium, Difficult, EXtreme. So you can assign for 1 difficulty another reward. This was discovered by The Border Reiver. See Post #23 for more info.
-3 to 3 is the current Senate standing. -3 is the most negative one, 3 the most positiv.
P stands for Penalty, R stands for Reward. 1-3 means small-large. So r2 is a medium Reward.

Here you can declare how far away the city can be: The higher the Number, the farer away the city can be. However, it is still randomly selected.

reissue_delay_in_turns        10 -->How many Turns till the next Mission of this kind will be given.
Duration    10 --> How many turns till the player failed to achieve  sucess.

4. Senate Missions/Offices for other factions

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Open descr_sm_factions. Search the entry for the faction you want to have Senate Missions/offices. For example:

faction                        macedon
culture                        greek
symbol                        models_strat/symbol_macedon.CAS
rebel_symbol                models_strat/symbol_greek_rebel.CAS
primary_colour                red 40, green 0, blue 0
secondary_colour            red 40, green 0, blue 0
loading_logo                loading_screen/symbols/symbol128_macedon.tga
standard_index                4
logo_index                    239
small_logo_index            253
triumph_value                5
intro_movie                    fmv/intros/greek_intro_640x480_bars.wmv
victory_movie                fmv/victory/greek_outro_320x240.wmv
defeat_movie                ata/fmv/lose/macedon_eliminated.wmv
death_movie                    fmv/death/death_macedon_grass_320x240.wmv
custom_battle_availability    yes
can_sap                        yes
prefers_naval_invasions        yes

Copy the entry above the Senate Faction entry:

faction                        macedon
culture                        greek
symbol                        models_strat/symbol_macedon.CAS
rebel_symbol                models_strat/symbol_greek_rebel.CAS
primary_colour                red 40, green 0, blue 0
secondary_colour            red 40, green 0, blue 0
loading_logo                loading_screen/symbols/symbol128_macedon.tga
standard_index                4
logo_index                    239
small_logo_index            253
triumph_value                5
intro_movie                    fmv/intros/greek_intro_640x480_bars.wmv
victory_movie                fmv/victory/greek_outro_320x240.wmv
defeat_movie                ata/fmv/lose/macedon_eliminated.wmv
death_movie                    fmv/death/death_macedon_grass_320x240.wmv
custom_battle_availability    yes
can_sap                        yes
prefers_naval_invasions        yes
 
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 
faction                        romans_senate
culture                        roman
symbol                        models_strat/symbol_senate.CAS
rebel_symbol                models_strat/symbol_slaves.CAS
primary_colour                red 0, green 0, blue 0
secondary_colour            red 0, green 0, blue 0
loading_logo                loading_screen/symbols/symbol128_senate.tga
standard_index                3
logo_index                    232
small_logo_index            244
triumph_value                5
intro_movie                    fmv/intros/barbarian_intro_640x480_bars.wmv
victory_movie                fmv/victory/scipii_outro_320x240.wmv+
defeat_movie                fmv/lose/SPQR_eliminated.wmv
death_movie                    fmv/death/death_SPQR_grass_320x240.wmv
custom_battle_availability    yes
can_sap                        yes
prefers_naval_invasions        no

This faction has now Missions and Offices of the Senate, like the Scythians in this Picture:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

However, there are two problems:
1) They won´t have the Senate and Senate Offices Button - you can´t change that.
2) The other Roman factions are as agressive against them as normally, and if they attack you the "civil war" between you and the other Romans begins. Then you will never be able to make peace with the romans anymore. Luckily we change this in descr_strat.txt:

Search for the faction - in this example the macedons - and you´ll find an entry like this:

faction    macedon, fortified napoleon
denari    5000
... (other stuff, not neccessary now.)

Add this:

faction    macedon, fortified napoleon
superfaction romans_senate
denari    5000

Then you can´t attack Rome, and neither will Rome attack you. You see all map information of the other Roman factions. Civil War can - of course - still break out, but not because you are randomly attacked.

Notes:
1. This Tutorial is a work in progress, and it will be edited if I have new Informations. Feel free to post anything new or ask a question.
2. There are several missions, like the assasinate-Mission, which seems to be fully implented and working, but you never get them ingame. If anyone here knows how to activate them, please say.
3. Thanks to Kylan271 for his tipp.
4. Thanks to The Border Reiver, for the discoverys he made about the Senate aswell as his submod "Ager Romanus" for Darth Mod. Most of the screenshots are taken from his submod.

[Walkers_Shade]

Very very nice. Is this for vanilla or another mod?

[Primo]

Very very nice. Is this for vanilla or another mod?

Well, if the Senate faction still exists, for vanilla and any mod. If it doesn´t exist you can still make the changes described above, but of course nothing will happen.

[Walkers_Shade]

I only asked because the little Senate icon looks different than it does in Vanilla.

[Primo]

Thats because I play with DarthMod 8.1. But this makes no difference.

[Kylan271]

Primo,to add to this,if you add your factions in descr_sm_factions,above the senate,then you will be assigned missions also,albeit attacking rome is then a problem,as no senate for greeks etc.

[Primo]

Primo,to add to this,if you add your factions in descr_sm_factions,above the senate,then you will be assigned missions also,albeit attacking rome is then a problem,as no senate for greeks etc.

Thanks for the info. I´ll add it.
Edit: Done.

[GeoHitmanGR]

Thanks for the tutorial. + rep.

One question though. The senate tab is hard-coded AFAIK, but is it hard-coded in the faction (romans_julii, romans_scipiii, romans_brutii) or in the roman culture?

[Primo]

Thanks for the tutorial. + rep.

One question though. The senate tab is hard-coded AFAIK, but is it hard-coded in the faction (romans_julii, romans_scipiii, romans_brutii) or in the roman culture?

Hardcoded in the Factions. You can remove it completely, including the Missions, from one faction, but you can´t add a new one.
For example, the Slaves are listed to have Roman Culture - but they will never appear in the Senate tab, as any other of the 3 starting roman factions.

[GeoHitmanGR]

OK, thanks for the reply, I was thinking of a greek senate, by merely swapping the Greek and Roman cultures but it will not work.

[Primo]

OK, thanks for the reply, I was thinking of a greek senate, by merely swapping the Greek and Roman cultures but it will not work.

Changing the culture of the Senate removes his hardcoded abilitys. The Senate has to be Roman.

[Skull]

Ohoho,look what we have here..???

Repped

[Kylan271]

I was thinking of using a Carthaginian Senate,albeit stuck with retaining the Senate and placing Carthage above senate line. However I was considering swapping Slaves to Carthaginian culture and Carthage to 'roman',albeit faction images etc would be roman,lol. Any thoughts on this..the slaves get no missions,but they are not above the senate line in vanilla...hmm. In vanilla there are 5 roman factions.

[Boustrophedon]

Is it possible to make Egypt the "senate" faction and so that egypt has the offices system BUT without it having the Roman culture??

[Metaluis90]

Can I take out a roman family in order to have just three roman factions (2 and the senate)?

I'll try to explain myself better:

I want to mod my vanilla game in order to get more factions, but I also want to keep the original idea of the civil war, So what I thought is that, instead of unifying Rome in one sole faction, convert the scipii into different faction (Pergamon) and keep the brutii and the julii, changing their names to the optimates and the populares, the senate would remain the same. I did this (modifying the descr_strat.txt taking away the line script "superfaction: romans_senate" from the Scipii) and what I found is that, the game is still thinking of the scipii as a roman faction (they are in the senate button, they don't appear in the senate's diplomacy, and what's worse, their family members ARE elected for the senate offices). But they're not allied to my romans (they're neutral) I really don't know what's happening}

EDIT: I changed the scipii's culture to greek, btw, I think this is important to tell, but I still having the same results

Thanks in advance, and I really hope (firstly) that you understood me, and if you can, help me in this matter

[Primo]

Can I take out a roman family in order to have just three roman factions (2 and the senate)?

I'll try to explain myself better:

I want to mod my vanilla game in order to get more factions, but I also want to keep the original idea of the civil war, So what I thought is that, instead of unifying Rome in one sole faction, convert the scipii into different faction (Pergamon) and keep the brutii and the julii, changing their names to the optimates and the populares, the senate would remain the same. I did this (modifying the descr_strat.txt taking away the line script "superfaction: romans_senate" from the Scipii) and what I found is that, the game is still thinking of the scipii as a roman faction (they are in the senate button, they don't appear in the senate's diplomacy, and what's worse, their family members ARE elected for the senate offices). But they're not allied to my romans (they're neutral) I really don't know what's happening}

EDIT: I changed the scipii's culture to greek, btw, I think this is important to tell, but I still having the same results

Thanks in advance, and I really hope (firstly) that you understood me, and if you can, help me in this matter

Try to move the scipii at the bottom of the descr_sm_factions.If I remember correctly, this should stop your generals being elected to the offices.

For everything else: There is no way to change it. That is why most mods simply take out the Senate.

[El Santo Padre]

Try to move the scipii at the bottom of the descr_sm_factions. If I remember everything correctly, this should stop the

If I remember correctly, this should stop your generals being elected to the offices.

For everything else: There is no way to change it. That is why most mods simply take out the Senate.

I tried that once and my game just crashed. However i've acomplished what you want:

I edited only the core attitude (diplomacy?) and diplomacy stand between factions. The only way i found to avoid senate missions and senate button is to make any of the 3 families stand at war (600 is the value, neutral doesn't work) against ALL roman factions; and off coourse to erase the senate button change the culture of the now-no roman faction. This teste was made only in the first 3-4 turns, and no messages from the senate arrived, so i think that should do the trick, however i don't know if in the long-term there will be any message.

Hope that works for you too

[Primo]

I tried that once and my game just crashed. However i've acomplished what you want:

I edited only the core attitude (diplomacy?) and diplomacy stand between factions. The only way i found to avoid senate missions and senate button is to make any of the 3 families stand at war (600 is the value, neutral doesn't work) against ALL roman factions; and off coourse to erase the senate button change the culture of the now-no roman faction. This teste was made only in the first 3-4 turns, and no messages from the senate arrived, so i think that should do the trick, however i don't know if in the long-term there will be any message.

Hope that works for you too

Then you will be at war with them for ever, or you can make peace with them and they give you missions again. Either way it is no solution.

[El Santo Padre]

Then you will be at war with them for ever, or you can make peace with them and they give you missions again. Either way it is no solution.

btw, I am Magneto.

I don't think they will give you peace, first because i've played the civil war and they don't
Second, that's why you need to edit the core attitude too, i believe that the responses while talking to factions are related to that too.

[Primo]

I don't think they will give you peace, first because i've played the civil war and they don't
Second, that's why you need to edit the core attitude too, i believe that the responses while talking to factions are related to that too.

No. Civil War is often times buggy. I remember making peace several times while being in a civil war with them. And it results not only in the permanent war: You get a wrong senate diplomacy entry, they will still have popularity with the people and the Senat, and the other factions will get a message stating Rome is at civil war.

If you like to play that way, then its ok, but ...