Big problem editing the start date

[Sparky]

Hi,

I'm trying to edit the start date of a full campaign in MTW to something like 0 AD or less (even to a negative date, I like long games http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif ). I can easily get the game to start at any date but all of the Kings, Princes and anyone else with an age gets some ridiculous value like -65535 years old and dies after the first turn. So, my question is this, how do you edit the starting ages of all the characters with an attached age?

I had a look in the startpos.txt file and strategic pieces were quite obvious (they had a birth date) but nothing obvious for kings and heirs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mp84]

Hey...

I don't believe it's possible to edit the Heirs and Kings, they seem to be hardcoded into the game..

However, if someone those know the trick, then by all means, let us know, hehe http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

Mike

[Sparky]

Arrggg... I hope not, or any hope of extra playtime is out the window. Thanks for your reply, I hope someone unlocks the secret.

[Sparky]

OK, I've solved it, with a couple of caveats. Firstly, the earliest date you can possibly have (with my method) is 16 AD and at the start everyone's king will die so they must have at least one heir aged 16. This is easily achievable just by editing the "Add heir" section of the "Place faction leaders" block so everyone has at least 1 aged 16 (with his first tab changed from 0 to 1, if applicable).

You can play as anyone, but after the first turn you'll get a message saying every faction leader you can see has died (including yours) and his son is taking over then the game will play as normal, but with 1071 extra years.

Simple stuff but I'm happy now, it'd be very nice if someone works out how to deal with negative dates but right now they really make everything spaz out, if anyone wants my early.txt file then leave an e-mail addy. If all this is a real revelation (unlikely) I'll upload it.

[This message has been edited by Sparky (edited 09-05-2002).]

[barocca]

Quote Originally posted by Sparky:
OK,
if anyone wants my early.txt file then leave an e-mail addy. If all this is a real revelation (unlikely) I'll upload it.

[This message has been edited by Sparky (edited 09-05-2002).][/QUOTE]

Actually this is all very handy stuff,
please upload your mod to http://www.totalwar.org/site/MTWupload.php3

or email me at Barocca_x@hotmail.com, and I'll upload it in your name,
:-)

ALSO
please explain the signifigance of changing the 0/1 value that appears before the "age" of the heirs
thanks
:-)

[This message has been edited by barocca (edited 09-05-2002).]

[barocca]

well i haven't heard from sparky yet,
so I'll compile this myself and upload it later tonight,

here's what i did

made a backup of
D:\Games\Medieval\campmap\startpos\early.txt

opened
D:\Games\Medieval\campmap\startpos\early.txt

changed this :-
//========================================
//campaign name: can either be text or a
//label. Set predefined accordingly
//========================================


to read :-
//========================================
//Sparky's Early.txt v1
//campaign name: can either be text or a
//label. Set predefined accordingly
//========================================


this allows me to keep track of what this version of early.txt actually does
any modifications i make i list up here
http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

next I edit the start dates
FROM
SetStartDate:: 1087
SetPeriod:: EARLY
SetEarlyPeriodStartDate:: 1087
SetHighPeriodStartDate:: 1205
SetLatePeriodStartDate:: 1321

TO
SetStartDate:: 16
SetPeriod:: EARLY
SetEarlyPeriodStartDate:: 16
SetHighPeriodStartDate:: 600
SetLatePeriodStartDate:: 1000

THEN I follow Sparkys instructions listed above for heirs
http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

I'll put it all together tonight

[barocca]

and now i don't need to do this anymore
!!!
I was answering the Q about the Novgorod factions and decided to go and actually have a decent look through the file

and now we can have this campaign and call it 16AD.txt
and mtw will make it available in the list of campaigns!!
see the multiple campaigns thread for info...

[barocca]

Sparky,
I figured out the 1/0
it male/female,
so as well as having MakeUnit : Princess
you can also AddHeir : 0 and get a Princess
!!

[Sparky]

I'm still playing through a 1500 AD onwards game, hoping it'll never end. Looking good so far but I'll play 400 years or so before making any announcements. If it works then I'll try and move events around so the game plays entirely normally (apart from the shifted date), but never ends.

[barocca]

and of course i got your email about an hour or so after i posted,
:-)

[Lord Krazy]

you can change the start date.
According to Ca "the end date can not be
changed" although they did not say what
that meant.I took to mean that if I was
to make a mod in 3B.C. it will contnue
untill 14 whenever.This did not impress me.
I shall endevour to change this if it
is the case.I do not understand how the
gloious bit ends if this is the case.
Well I do but you know what I mean.

Lord Krazy.

[giskard]

Princesses and emessaries have they date of birth listed in their stats inside the campaign config, which can be edited but only really effects princesses. It may be possible to set the kings age in a config outside of the campaign text.

Giskard

[Garagon]

So is there a way yet to play a reasonable game with out a time limit (Or a massively extended one)?

[spmetla]

Quote so as well as having MakeUnit : Princess
you can also AddHeir : 0 and get a Princess
[/QUOTE]

The addheir bit is so you can have heirs and princesses lined up that aren't of age yet.