BrandonM's descr_strat editor - Beta Release .001

[BrandonM]

First off - I'm not sure which forum to post this in.

I released a descr_strat editor last night. It's very beta, but it works as long as you are careful.

Here is a link to the twcenter post I made about it, including a detailed description.

Moderators - If you would rather me post the full description and screenshots here as well as the file, I will do that.


Link to my other post (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=43492)

Please check it out, play with it, and let me know what issues or concerns you have.

Thanks,
BrandonM

[Epistolary Richard]

First off - I'm not sure which forum to post this in.
Hmmmm... probably best in the Scriptorium - that's the place for all Tools.


Moderators - If you would rather me post the full description and screenshots here as well as the file, I will do that.
That would be good :beam:

[BrandonM]

Beta Release 2

Relatives are now set by drop down menus.
Validation for general / named character - age, required army, army unit faction.
Can save the campaign as xml, so the editor can load it instead of descr_strat. This is so if you are working on your campaign, and it does not currently generate a good descr_strat, you can save your progress and return to it later.
Progress bars added for loading files so you know it's not 'Not Responding'.
No longer do you need to edit a config file to save your data paths.
Faction Filters on each tab
descr_regions.txt can reside in base\ folder.
Nicer interface.
Massive changes to internal code. It's nice and organized now, not that you care.
Lots of little fixes and tweaks.




A Readme is included as to how to install and configure it.
You will need the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 installed on your machine.
You can get it from -Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856eacb-4362-4b0d-8edd-aab15c5e04f5&DisplayLang=en)


Please play around with it and let me know what kind of issues you run into. I'd be interested to know how well it can handles heavily customized campaign files. Make sure you backup your existing campaign - however, the default save file name is descr_strat_new.txt, so you'll have to rename it before you can play.


Current Functionality
Can Read the Original RTW campaign, the BI campaign, and IceTorque's Warmap. I have not tested any other campaign files.
Please note this is only a descr_strat.txt editor, while it reads other data files, it only modifies the descr_strat.

Parses the following files for dropdown menu selection -
descr_sm_resources.txt
export_descr_ancillaries.txt
export_descr_buildings.txt
export_descr_character_traits.txt
export_descr_unit.txt
descr_regions.txt
descr_sm_factions.txt
descr_names.txt


Hardcoded Dropdowns -
Gender (male, female)
CharacterType (named character, general, spy, diplomat, admiral, assassin)
Political1 (comfortable, balanced, bureaucrat, religious, trader, fortified, sailor)
Political2 (caesar, stalin, napoleon, smith, genghis, mao, henry)
TownSize (village, town, large_town, city, large_city, huge_city) (Eventually I plan to read this from descr_sm_settlements.txt and filter the city sizes by faction/culture)

Can Edit Main Campaign options : Name, Start/End Date, Options BI, RTW & BI campaign flags (Night Battles, Rebelling Generals, etc)

Can Add/Edit/Delete Landmarks
Can Add/Edit/Delete Resources

Can Add/Edit/Delete Factions (Factions must be still defined in descr_sm_factions.txt and other support files manually) - This includes money, superfaction, political/government settings, playability
Can Add/Edit/Delete Settlements - This includes all the settlement stats (year_founded, level, etc)
Can Add/Edit/Delete Buildings for Settlements
Can Add/Edit/Delete Characters
Can Add/Edit/Delete Traits for Characters
Can Add/Edit/Delete Ancillaries for Characters
Can Add/Edit/Delete Armies for Characters
Can Add/Edit/Delete Character_Records (Minors, Women) for Factions
Can Load Faction Relative selection (see below)
Add ability to Add/Edit/Delete core_attitudes
Add ability to Add/Edit/Delete faction_relationships

Grids are all sortable by each column, so the ones that aren't filtered, you should at least be able to rapidly get to the section you are looking for.

Can save all this in a properly formatted descr_strat.txt file.
I can play the descr_strat.txt file in a new campaign in the game. (tested under BI)



To Do / Other Ideas:

Add validation - right now it's quite possible to setup options that won't load in game (add buildings / army types to cultures that don't have them - you still have to know what you are doing)

Add a preview window so the user can see the output descr_strat and (maybe) make changes to it. The resulting changes would be reloaded into the editor areas and/or saved.
Add Help , readme's, or mouse-over help for items.

Add ability to Edit the regions section of the descr_strat (where you add watchtowers and stuff) (This isn't required to load a campaign, so I'll do it last)


Screenshots are from version .002

Initial Campaign Screen
http://images3.pictiger.com/thumbs/f5/a52a11b69c4c24c305892b214e4042f5.th.jpg (http://server3.pictiger.com/img/171708/computer-games-and-screenshots/1-campaignscreen.php)

Campaign Map Resources and Landmarks
http://images3.pictiger.com/thumbs/ac/fa58284070c042b618161773f76a57ac.th.jpg (http://server3.pictiger.com/img/171709/computer-games-and-screenshots/2-resourcescreen.php)

Faction Options
http://images3.pictiger.com/thumbs/22/2300170710ad448ecb6449623c27fc22.th.jpg (http://server3.pictiger.com/img/171710/computer-games-and-screenshots/3-factionscreen.php)

Character Options (Part 1)
http://images3.pictiger.com/thumbs/4e/b52b6203ed1ddf9481a54ce49a72904e.th.jpg (http://server3.pictiger.com/img/171711/computer-games-and-screenshots/4-characterscreen-1.php)

Character Options (Part 2) - Notice the ease of setting up Relatives
http://images3.pictiger.com/thumbs/15/f16ea14e03de5ab19790194f343c5615.th.jpg (http://server3.pictiger.com/img/171712/computer-games-and-screenshots/4-characterscreen-2.php)

Add a character - All character types are now added from one screen, it's smart enough to know if it's a minor or if you picked a general and made him too young, etc. Unit Types for armies dynamically update based on selected faction.
http://images3.pictiger.com/thumbs/ab/dff5b022c6a2f153a7b31856474332ab.th.jpg (http://server3.pictiger.com/img/171713/computer-games-and-screenshots/5-addcharacterscreen.php)

Settlement Editor
http://images3.pictiger.com/thumbs/07/a2878946fcb3b27d7477524121d95607.th.jpg (http://server3.pictiger.com/img/171714/computer-games-and-screenshots/6-settlementsscreen.php)

Diplomacy Editing - Picture coming soon

And for those who care - A picture of the datamap of all the files I load.
http://images5.pictiger.com/thumbs/da/3f148bda82ea5544caec11c25287a9da.th.jpg (http://server5.pictiger.com/img/9731/computer-games-and-screenshots/datamap.php)


Also now some early Screenshots of the Trait / Trigger Editor.
Early Screenshots of the Trait / Trigger Editor.

The idea behind this editor is that the user will define the Traits / Levels / Threshold / Descriptions.
The Trait Effects will be available from dropdowns.

The triggers will be built totally from dropdowns. All the 'WhenToTest' Trigger Types and Conditionals will be listed in dropdowns, and the user will select the Affects from dropdowns that list the Traits that are defined.

I'm trying to make this as straight forward as possible.
Currently it can parse the export_descr_character_traits.txt and ExportVnVs.txt files and loads all the data into my internal data structures (the same ones used in the campaign editor). It's really a matter now of cleaning up the interface and providing the drop down functionality and then writing the part that generates a new export_descr_character_traits.txt and export_VnVs.txt file.


Screenshots
http://server5.pictiger.com/img/668...ait-editing.jpg
http://server5.pictiger.com/img/668...escriptions.jpg
http://server5.pictiger.com/img/668...%28w.i.p%29.jpg

BrandonM

(I'm not sure how to post attachments or anything, so until I finish a web page for it, go to the twcenter post to download it)

[=E.T=]

version 0.3 is it ready yet?

[BrandonM]

Changes Version .005 (5/15/2006)
Fixed Ancillary Bug
Fixed Delete Building functionality
Added Child/Parent Last name validation
Added 4 Children per Parent Validation


Changes Version .004

New in version 4
The ability to pick character location by using a map. You can flip through the various map types to see the terrain. Just click in the location and the grid coordinates will be input for you. Requires the DeViL library (included in the zip file)
Fixed some minor bugs with characters (admirals mostly)
Warning message if general or admiral has no units.

Link to Download: http://www.totalwar.org/Downloads/Rtw_Uploads/RTWupload/RTWToolset_v005.zip

[=E.T=]

Downloadig....

Tnx BrandonM ! :)

[hizhj]

Good job!
Thanks for sharing.

[hizhj]

It is really wonderful.
But I still have one question.
When I clicked a trigger, in the right-bellow window, why there is no affects appearing? Most trigger will come with some affects, but I cannot find it in the program window.
Can you help me ?

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Now this tool is something new for me!!

Anyway.. Looks like this is one of the best ones I have seen for RTW! :bow:

[kwiatolec]

:( It's not working :(
Maybe, cause I have Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Services Pack 2 or I haven't English language version of game?