Client Kingdoms - RTW expansion modification

[Epistolary Richard]

Client Kingdoms ~
A Rome Total War expansion modification

Update 22/5/05 - Downloads before today will have included a CTD bug in the export_descr_advice file which affects some users. Please see this post for how to fix it or download the mod again and use the later export_descr_advice. Apologies and many thanks to those who brought it to my attention.

Update 29/4/05 - The file has been updated with a new descr_model_battle file, the only changes are to ensure that Roman centurions & standard bearers always appear with the correct Julii skin. If you've already downloaded Client Kingdoms then to save you downloading it again you can find the new dmb here.

Also, please ensure that when you're installing the unit cards you always click 'No' when you're asked if you want to replace an existing file - otherwise some of your 'vanilla' units may appear with the wrong unit card.


Filesize
695k

Download

Client Kingdoms expands the original game by bringing a fresh new dynamic to the player’s relationship with their conquered territories. Defend them and govern them well and – from time to time – you will be offered the chance to recruit a small army of their local troops, including their unique specialists.

Use them wisely however, as you have no means of replenishing their numbers unless your clients offer you more.

Due to the mechanism by which Client Kingdoms operates, it is compatible with both the vanilla game and with most modifications. If you want to check if your modded game is compatible them have a look at the specific criteria posted in the living readme.

[Duke Malcolm]

Looks like a good mod, can't wait to get it.

[Epistolary Richard]

You're in luck, it's now being hosted. It's really just a fragment of what scripting allows us to accomplish. Hopefully we'll be seeing many more mods incorporate scripting commands in the future.

[Wishazu]

so how do i get this to work? do i need to create a seperate installation of rome etc.


woohoo, 500 posts lol

[Epistolary Richard]

No, have a look at the install instructions in the readme. There are only four text files which overwrite your existing ones:
- export_descr_advice
- export_descr_advice_enums
- export_advice
- descr_model_battle

Though, aside from dmb, I doubt your versions of these files have changed from vanilla - the rest of the files you can copy in as per the readme instructions and they'll sit there without affecting anything if you restore your original versions of the above files.

If your using a heavily modded game then you'll have to check the list of units and settlements in the readme to ensure you still have them all.

[shifty157]

What dictates how many units you get, what kind they are, and when you get them?

Does the AI get units as well?

[Myrddraal]

As ER said, the powers of scripting are very large...

[Epistolary Richard]

The units you receive (and the price you pay for them) are in the individual script files so they can be easily changed to fit an existing mod. Each client faction has several scripts so you'll be offered a variety of different client armies after you conquer them.

When you get them is determined by each script's trigger so you can have a look at those if you want to get the exact requirements.

The AI doesn't get units at present as the scripting requirements are more complicated - though that's obviously a prime avenue to be explored in any sequel.

If you'd like to learn more about scripting I've posted a beginner's guide on the other forum.

[Bwian]

This is a really neat idea!

It always seemed odd that you could conquer and occupy settlements, but never actually build units other than your own there. If ( when ) the Romans take over, say, Carthage... where do all the Elephants go ;)

This adds a neat little extra to the game by allowing you to utilise some of the special units available to other peoples, and I think this is a going to make for a much more interesting game. Should also provide an incentive to occupy and rule well, rather than slash and burn ;)

[SwordsMaster]

Does this mean that if you repeatedly exterminate the population they wont give you any units?

Vengative Buggers

[Epistolary Richard]

@ Bwian
Thanks, just to say that you can actually build them (or retrain them for that matter) 'foreign' units only come by 'grant' of the client state. Oh, and if you hang around Carthage for long enough you might be in for a pleasant surprise. :evilsmile:

@ SwordsMaster
I played around a bit with the impact on the population but it proved slightly more complicated because it would vary as to small, normal, large, huge unit size settings and I know of no way to reference those into the scripts - a bit too difficult for this initial but we'll have something for the next version.

[Myrddraal]

I wonder if theres a way to check happiness with scripts... Make it dependent on you keeping the people happy.

[Myrddraal]

Why don't you use the spawn army command? This would make the game much more interesting. You could even get local commanders volunteering. You could also add more character to the armies that appear, such as experience or depleted units. Instead of this:

script
console_command create_unit Rome "roman velite" 1
console_command create_unit Rome "roman hastati" 2
console_command create_unit Rome "roman princeps" 2
console_command create_unit Rome "roman triarii" 2
console_command create_unit Rome "roman light cavalry" 1
console_command add_money -3550  

end_script

Use this:

script
spawn_army 
faction romans_julii
character Gaius Julius, general, command 0, influence 0, management 0, subterfuge 0, age 20, , x 54, y 124
unit roman generals guard cavalry soldiers 20 exp 9 armour 1 weapon_lvl 0
unit roman velite soldiers 40 exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 1
unit roman hastati soldiers 60 exp 0 armour 1 weapon_lvl 0
unit roman princeps soldiers 60 exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
end

console_command add_money -3550  

end_script

[Epistolary Richard]

I wonder if theres a way to check happiness with scripts... Make it dependent on you keeping the people happy.

One of the conditionals in the triggers is:
and SettlementLoyaltyLevel = loyalty_happy
so the trigger will only ever fire if the citizens are happy with your governance. Of course, there are ways and there are ways of enforcing this 'happiness' Sometimes grants are given out of thanks, and sometimes they are given out of fear...

Why don't you use the spawn army command?

I did try that but I couldn't get it to work, along with a few others that I tried using such as provoke_rebellion. If it can be used, though, that would be great as it's the key to a Reappearing Factions mod.

[Myrddraal]

Hm, did you use the exact script I typed there?

[Epistolary Richard]

No, I can't test things atm. I used the sample in commands.txt but I replaced Foedus Chaerea with Gaius Julius (as you did). If this script works for you then that's brilliant.

[Myrddraal]

No I haven't tested it, I just wondered if you had only copied part of it or something. When I first looked at it thats what I did.

[Pannonian]

Due to the mechanism by which Client Kingdoms operates, it is compatible with both the vanilla game and with most modifications. If you want to check if your modded game is compatible them have a look at the specific criteria posted in the living readme.

Do I need 1.2 for this to work, or does it work with earlier versions?

[Simetrical]

How many pictures are there of Victoria? If there are multiples, as suggested by EDA.txt's "Attitude" lines, you could replace some with other pictures (say, a barbarian portrait for offers from barbarians).

-Simetrical

[Epistolary Richard]

Do I need 1.2 for this to work, or does it work with earlier versions?

I don't know if 1.2 changed any of the files that I'm using, but I think the chances are that it probably is compatible as I don't believe they changed the edu unit type names. I'm afraid to be sure, however, it's going to be a matter of installing it and having a go.

How many pictures are there of Victoria? If there are multiples, as suggested by EDA.txt's "Attitude" lines, you could replace some with other pictures (say, a barbarian portrait for offers from barbarians).

That's an excellent idea. According to the eda there are four different attitudes:
Attitude Angry
Attitude Concerned
Attitude Excited
Attitude Normal
but we'll have to see whether or not these actually reference different pictures or if they're just another unimplemented idea.

[Lord_Eitho]

All i got to say is
VERY NICE!

[buujin]

Incredible

Richard great stuff sir, thank you so much

This may sound far fetched.. but with your current knowledge of rtw's scripting capabilities, would u say its possible to somehow implement religion and/or religious crusades into the game ?

This may take some deep thought on your behlalf but from what you say it seems as though it might be possible.

Please Excuse my ignorance


buu.

[Southern Hunter]

Great work. Looks like the basis of a fantastic improvement to the game.

[Pritzl]

Brilliant idea. Quick question, can you remove as well as spawn new stacks? Also can you check for the existence of a particular stack or access it via some sort of index? If both are feasible I'd think having some of your stacks rebel on you is not that far off an idea.

[Epistolary Richard]

This may sound far fetched.. but with your current knowledge of rtw's scripting capabilities, would u say its possible to somehow implement religion and/or religious crusades into the game ?

That very much depends on how abstract you want to make it. I wasn't around for MTW and so I don't know what sort of qualities people regard TW Crusades as having. However, if it was just a glorified senate mission, say capture a city within ten years and get a reward of some kind, then it would be very easy.

can you remove as well as spawn new stacks? Also can you check for the existence of a particular stack or access it via some sort of index? If both are feasible I'd think having some of your stacks rebel on you is not that far off an idea.

Note that we cannot currently spawn new stacks, we can only place units in a settlement. While potentially there is the spawn_army command, there isn't anything to remove them. Theoretically, the way to do it would be to spawn a diplomat nearby and have them force-bribe the stack - however, the more specific things have to be the more complicated the scripting gets.

[SigniferOne]

ER, this is brilliant work! I especially like how you camouflaged the fact that you have to press 'Show me' to run the script by making it an event, like 'start a festival'. That's wonderful ideas! Can you do things like start barbarian migrations? I think you said that you can only create armies in cities, but what if you have a general out in the field, can you add more units for him and make him travel down Cisalpine Gaul and try to invade Italy?

[Lord_Eitho]

I tried to install on 1.2 but it didn't work :(
I think i didn everything right and it ctd at the first loading screen.
I'm going to reinstall and give it another shot after school...

[SwordsMaster]

ER, this is brilliant work! I especially like how you camouflaged the fact that you have to press 'Show me' to run the script by making it an event, like 'start a festival'. That's wonderful ideas! Can you do things like start barbarian migrations? I think you said that you can only create armies in cities, but what if you have a general out in the field, can you add more units for him and make him travel down Cisalpine Gaul and try to invade Italy?

Yep, you just happened to pick a random event, havent you?

[Epistolary Richard]

I especially like how you camouflaged the fact that you have to press 'Show me' to run the script by making it an event, like 'start a festival'.

Yes, it's all a glorified "Would you like to run this script or not?" but it adds to the roleplay element that vanilla RTW is sadly lacking.

Can you do things like start barbarian migrations? I think you said that you can only create armies in cities, but what if you have a general out in the field, can you add more units for him and make him travel down Cisalpine Gaul and try to invade Italy?

You can currently give extra units to a general, the only limitation there is is that you have to know the general's name. So you can implement it for the first few years while all the characters in descr_strat are still alive, but beyond that the names become random and so nothing can be predicted.

Controlling his movement is also possible, it's done in the prologue, however the more ways the player can respond to it, the more complicated the script becomes.

I tried to install on 1.2 but it didn't work :(
I think i didn everything right and it ctd at the first loading screen.
I'm going to reinstall and give it another shot after school...

A few tips:
- Make sure you back up any files you change.
- Install the critical files one by one and test in between them to ensure the game still works. Install them in this order:
export_text
export_descr_advice_enums
export_descr_advice
the remaining files
- Use show_err in your command line.

[Kraxis]

Ahh... But couldn't you create a rebel army to pop up at some point? We know the rebels just pop up. The same could be done here? With a script that has it marching on Mediolanum or Arretium or something like that.