Solution: Events on various timescales

[FactionHeir]

I've been playing on timescale 1.0 for a while now and got frustrated that I never got around to fighting the mongols, get gunpoweder, see the timurids or visit america, so I did a bit of digging around in the files and came up with a solution.

This is useful for anyone really who uses any timescale (including default) to make the game more fun (yet probably slightly less historically accurate) to play with.

To do that, you need to go to the desc_events.txt and firstly remove the read-only marker on it.
Nextly, you'll find a lot of words and numbers in that file. THe numbers after the word "date" mean when those events appear.
Note that date here refers to years, not turns. That means if you play under timescale 2.0, those dates means [turns played]/2 and for timescale 1.0 means [turns played].
Sometimes there is a second date given, this is the last date that this event will possibly occur (boundary)
That is really the interesting part as you can modify those numbers to fit your needs and thus determine when you want which events to occur!

Of course thats not where it ends. You can now also go to the descr_mercenaries.txt file and change when various mercenaries appear. If you made the mongols appear early or gunpowder develop earlier, you might want to change a few dates there as well to suit the changes. The changes there are more strightforward as they just mention the date (the year) things become available and until when.

Happy editing and enjoying a more fun M2TW! :beam:

Let me know if you experience any problems with this or any feedback

[Shahed]

Excellent. Thanks.

I'm playing on 0.5, it's about 1125. I've been playing since Sunday I think, so errm at this rate this game will go on forever lol. But I like it, I like to be able to build up my empire and make it extremely strong financially. I also like to meet high tech enemies not some foolish rabble which routs in 20 seconds.

I'm gonna have a look into this, might want to pull up events a bit.

[Quin]

Did anyone try a 1.5 scale? 1.0 is somehow to slow for me and 2.0 is to fast...

[ShellShock]

You might be interested in MedManager (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=68328). The new version allows you to adjust the time scale for an existing game. So you do not have to start a completely new campaign to try out different time scales.

It will also allow you to change other things, like showing the date rather than the turn number.

You can also change the end date for the campaign. So if you are finding things are too easy for you, and you have ages to go until 1530, why don't you set the end date for say 10 years time, and then race to the end! :whip:

[Barry Fitzgerald]

The default time scale is too fast...though I got 47 regions..I never got near america..or jerusalem.

But then I did play the english. I know you can modify the file..but I would have liked to have seen an option to select how long years are..and a more realistic campaign goal...and a non war one like MTW

[Bucky_Rogers]

How do we adjust the timescale, then?

[Shahed]

How do we adjust the timescale, then?

As is stated above use the medmanager or else BEFORE starting a new campaign:

Medieval II Total War\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign
descr_strat file

1. Backupthis file.
2. Change turn scale from 2 to 0.5
3. Change file properties to write enabled
4. Save



I've been playing on timescale 1.0 for a while now and got frustrated that I never got around to fighting the mongols, get gunpoweder, see the timurids or visit america, so I did a bit of digging around in the files and came up with a solution.

This is useful for anyone really who uses any timescale (including default) to make the game more fun (yet probably slightly less historically accurate) to play with.

To do that, you need to go to the desc_events.txt and firstly remove the read-only marker on it.
Nextly, you'll find a lot of words and numbers in that file. THe numbers after the word "date" mean when those events appear.
Note that date here refers to years, not turns. That means if you play under timescale 2.0, those dates means [turns played]/2 and for timescale 1.0 means [turns played].
Sometimes there is a second date given, this is the last date that this event will possibly occur (boundary)
That is really the interesting part as you can modify those numbers to fit your needs and thus determine when you want which events to occur!

Of course thats not where it ends. You can now also go to the descr_mercenaries.txt file and change when various mercenaries appear. If you made the mongols appear early or gunpowder develop earlier, you might want to change a few dates there as well to suit the changes. The changes there are more strightforward as they just mention the date (the year) things become available and until when.

Happy editing and enjoying a more fun M2TW!

Let me know if you experience any problems with this or any feedback

Can I change this in the middle of a game ?

Also can you please tell me when the following will occur in my game. I'm playing on 0.5 scale.


event historic first_rudder
date 100

event historic first_magnetic_compass
date 102

event historic science_maths_zero_europe
date 122

event historic mongols_invasion_warn
date 128 144

event historic gunpowder_discovered
date 160 170
movie event/gunpowder_invented.bik

event earthquake earthquake_in_alexandria
date 222
position 230, 38

event earthquake earthquake_in_alexandria_2
date 232
position 230, 38

event plague black_death_hits
date 266

event plague black_death_2
date 270

event plague black_death_4
date 274

event historic first_blast_furnace
date 270

event historic timurids_invasion_warn
date 288 304

event historic world_is_round
date 320 328

event historic science_de_docta_ignorantia
date 364

I don't get it, so the first event above will appear in which year ? Thanks a bunch !


You might be interested in MedManager (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=68328). The new version allows you to adjust the time scale for an existing game. So you do not have to start a completely new campaign to try out different time scales.

It will also allow you to change other things, like showing the date rather than the turn number.

You can also change the end date for the campaign. So if you are finding things are too easy for you, and you have ages to go until 1530, why don't you set the end date for say 10 years time, and then race to the end! :whip:

That's a cool programme. THANKS !

[Shahed]

sorry dbl post.

[Aelwyn]

Sinan, I believe the first event will occur in turn 200 for you, if I have it worked out right.

The number corresponds to the amount of years that pass. So if the event has a number of 100, on timescale of 2 where each turn is 2 years, that's turn 50. If you changed it to .5, or half a year per turn, multiplied by 100 years, would be turn 200.

[Lord Magus]

Too bad it doesn't work if I already have a savegame.

[madchoochter]

Sinan, I believe the first event will occur in turn 200 for you, if I have it worked out right.

The number corresponds to the amount of years that pass. So if the event has a number of 100, on timescale of 2 where each turn is 2 years, that's turn 50. If you changed it to .5, or half a year per turn, multiplied by 100 years, would be turn 200.

Yeah that's right, I just tested it. I divided the first windmill date of 50 by 4 to get 12 and it happened in turn 25 with the 0.5 timescale (after 24 turns because of the integer value). 25 turns in the 2 year timescale is 50 years so it's 1 year too early, but only 1 year.

I edited my descr_events.txt dividing each year value by 4. I do not know what the dates with 2 values mean, but i assumed those where either the range of dates e.g. the mongols could appear or the initial year of appearance and the years later they appear. Either way I divided both by 4.

You can try this file, see how it works for you but no warranty, etc. I may have made a mistake. If you want to try this, create a backup of descr_events.txt before doing anything. It will give the mongols on or around turn 64 like the original would.


;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;; EVENT LIST ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

event historic first_windmill
date 12

event historic earthquake_in_aleppo
date 14
position 257, 73

event historic science_alchemy_book
date 16

event historic first_european_paper
date 18

event historic first_rudder
date 25

event historic first_magnetic_compass
date 26

event historic first_wheelbarrow
date 30

event historic science_maths_zero_europe
date 31

; ------------ CORE GAME EVENT --------------
event historic mongols_invasion_warn
date 32 36

; ------------ CORE GAME EVENT --------------
event historic gunpowder_discovered
date 40 42
movie event/gunpowder_invented.bik

event earthquake earthquake_in_silicia
date 47
position 232, 76

event historic first_mechanical_clock
date 50

event historic first_eyeglasses
date 51

event earthquake earthquake_in_alexandria
date 55
position 230, 38

event earthquake earthquake_in_alexandria_2
date 58
position 230, 38

event historic football_banned
date 59

event historic first_sawmill
date 62

event historic first_public_clock
date 63

event historic science_weather_forecast
date 64

; ------------ CORE GAME EVENT --------------
event plague black_death_hits
date 65
position 281, 163
position 258, 134
position 233, 117
position 278, 109
movie event/black_death.bik

event plague black_death_1
date 67
position 278, 101
position 258, 104
position 213, 92
position 216, 88
position 209, 73
position 230, 38
position 232, 76
position 150, 70
position 132, 76
position 131, 92
position 120, 99
position 133, 104
position 146, 108
position 136, 111
position 157, 82
position 168, 95
position 190, 85
position 191, 71
position 175, 87
position 194, 99
position 93, 95
position 77, 73
position 92, 83
position 97, 114
position 105, 104
position 121, 122
position 129, 119
position 160, 108
position 249, 44
position 246, 76
position 241, 65
position 232, 76
position 245, 85
position 251, 57
position 254, 51
position 214, 65
position 202, 57

event plague black_death_2
date 68
position 281, 79
position 259, 64
position 257, 73
position 136, 63
position 103, 66
position 71, 80
position 107, 155
position 201, 109
position 74, 104
position 55, 88
position 109, 147
position 78, 90
position 115, 143
position 120, 144
position 113, 131
position 163, 124
position 94, 157
position 132, 126
position 119, 133
position 148, 147
position 143, 120
position 138, 139
position 125, 131
position 104, 134
position 94, 130
position 102, 126
position 235, 32
position 291, 70
position 251, 73
position 265, 80
position 150, 40
position 90, 101

event plague black_death_3
date 69
position 205, 125
position 196, 114
position 99, 181
position 102, 74
position 90, 162
position 142, 187
position 106, 164
position 157, 136
position 172, 122
position 148, 147
position 141, 154
position 141, 166
position 174, 136
position 192, 140
position 163, 143
position 228, 2
position 268, 13

event plague black_death_4
date 70
position 235, 169
position 202, 179
position 181, 174
position 188, 186
position 167, 183
position 169, 151
position 217, 139
position 212, 162
position 189, 158
position 155, 155
position 244, 158

event historic first_blast_furnace
date 67

event historic grote_mandenke
date 71

; ------------ CORE GAME EVENT --------------
event historic timurids_invasion_warn
date 72 76

event historic first_piano
date 80

; ------------ CORE GAME EVENT --------------
event historic world_is_round
date 80 82

event historic first_oil_painting
date 85

event historic science_de_docta_ignorantia
date 91

; ------------ CORE GAME EVENT --------------
;TRUE TIME event historic world_is_round
;TRUE TIME date 366 374

event historic first_printing_press
date 93

event earthquake earthquake_in_naples
date 94
position 157, 82

event historic malleus_maleficarum
date 102

event historic science_da_vinci_ornithopter
date 103

event historic first_watch
date 107


; ------------ OLD EVENT EXAMPLES --------------
;event volcano eruption_at_vesuvius
;date 99
;position 103, 65

;event plague plague_in_asia_minor
;date 173
;position 192, 68
;position 200, 55
;position 190, 80

[Shahed]

Got it. Thanks !


Too bad it doesn't work if I already have a savegame.

If you mean the MedManager. It does, you can modify the savegame with it and it works.

[Lord Magus]

How?
Because I made a mod with a 1 year per turn timescale and I want to use it with the patch.

[Shahed]

Magus Did you read this post a few posts above ?


You might be interested in MedManager (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=68328). The new version allows you to adjust the time scale for an existing game. So you do not have to start a completely new campaign to try out different time scales.

It will also allow you to change other things, like showing the date rather than the turn number.

You can also change the end date for the campaign. So if you are finding things are too easy for you, and you have ages to go until 1530, why don't you set the end date for say 10 years time, and then race to the end! :whip:


Install that programme, with it you can modify your savegames at any time. It's neat.

[Lord Magus]

So how do I use the patch with my save?

[Shahed]

1. Download the patch folder.
2. Extract the patch folder.
3. Click the setup exe in that folder.
4. (Now the patch is installed) Launch the game.
5. Load your savgame.

Savegames ARE compatible with the patch.

If you want to modify the speed in the middle of the campaign, the Medmanager is great.

[Lord Magus]

I mean I created a mod using MedManager, and my save game is there, I can just transfer it to the main saves folder and use it with the patch?

[Shahed]

Yeah, sure. Why not ?

[Lord Magus]

Because once I edited the original files without the MedManager and then loaded a save, it didn't work.

And is there a way I can test if the save was patched?

[Shahed]

The only way to test is to load the game.

Hey I need some help.

I want to Change mercenary availibility dates and frequency.

Can anyone please tell me step by step how to do this using MedManager or otherwise ?

Many thanks !.

[Lord Magus]

I mean to check if a bug was fixed or something.

[Niccolo Machiavelli]

I personally think that anything else than timescale 0.5 feels wrong, so I've modified events, the starting date, buiding construction times, city pop levels to grow etc... - my campaign starts in 1270 and ends in 1500, everyone ages a year in a year, it doesn't take 4 years to go from Edinborough to London by horse etc... and I'm fine with that.

[Bob the Insane]

I personally think that anything else than timescale 0.5 feels wrong, so I've modified events, the starting date, buiding construction times, city pop levels to grow etc... - my campaign starts in 1270 and ends in 1500, everyone ages a year in a year, it doesn't take 4 years to go from Edinborough to London by horse etc... and I'm fine with that.

Sweet, so you have basically done a High Era mod... Nice...

[Niccolo Machiavelli]

@Bob: Actually not - I didn't change anything about the starting conditions, so basically, the game is the same - I've just compressed the campaign to 230 years, which resembles 460 turns on timescale 0.5 whilst roughly doubling building construction times and cost to roughly strikes a balance between the 225 (iirc) turns in 450 years on timescale 2 and my timeline.

[Bob the Insane]

@Bob: Actually not - I didn't change anything about the starting conditions, so basically, the game is the same - I've just compressed the campaign to 230 years, which resembles 460 turns on timescale 0.5 whilst roughly doubling building construction times and cost to roughly strikes a balance between the 225 (iirc) turns in 450 years on timescale 2 and my timeline.

Well it is a first step in the right direction... I was starting to do this myself the other night but when I took a look at the campaign file I needed to to start updating and thought about the play testing that would be required to ensure balance; I gave up and continued on with my vanilla HRE game... :laugh4:

Additionally, you find the doubled build times make for a good game?

I have a simple mod (that I have yet to update for the patch) which sets the TimeScale to 0.5 and increases the build times by x4 and while it takes forever to get stuff built at least the tech progression does not get out of wack. I also used part of Wonderland's SloMod to alter the base farming output of the regions (reduced by a fact of four) which seemed to help this the settlement growth getting out of hand.

I am considering using a little variety in the build times (hopefully using logic and common sense), keeping the first level building on the orginal timescale, doubling for the mid level building and keeping the x4 for the higher level buildings. I mean, approx 30 turns for a Hugh Cathedral seems long, but those things really did take 15-20 years to build...

[Shahed]

I'd like to add some mercs, namely Tuaregs and Camel Gunners for the Turks using the medmanager or otherwise.

Can anyone help please ?

[Goofball]

Sorry, I'm having a hard time figuring this out. I'm playing 2 turns/year right now. What year (not turn) will gunpowder be invented? How about discovering the New World?

[Kobal2fr]

Well it is a first step in the right direction... I was starting to do this myself the other night but when I took a look at the campaign file I needed to to start updating and thought about the play testing that would be required to ensure balance; I gave up and continued on with my vanilla HRE game... :laugh4:

Additionally, you find the doubled build times make for a good game?

I have a simple mod (that I have yet to update for the patch) which sets the TimeScale to 0.5 and increases the build times by x4 and while it takes forever to get stuff built at least the tech progression does not get out of wack. I also used part of Wonderland's SloMod to alter the base farming output of the regions (reduced by a fact of four) which seemed to help this the settlement growth getting out of hand.

I am considering using a little variety in the build times (hopefully using logic and common sense), keeping the first level building on the orginal timescale, doubling for the mid level building and keeping the x4 for the higher level buildings. I mean, approx 30 turns for a Hugh Cathedral seems long, but those things really did take 15-20 years to build...

The problem with multiplying build times is that most traits and ancillaries (the good ones certainly :sweatdrop: ) are triggered on building completion... So essentially, your governor will sit for 30 years to have his +1 Piety from ReligiousActivity, and he will have had plenty of time to turn into a drunken gambling womanizer in the meantime :shame:.

That's the problem with these interconnected mechanics - change one thing and you have to change everything :)