Fanatic’s First Cohort/Phalanx/Elephant/Chariot minimod

[TWFanatic]

You mean I can sticky a thread without admin privileges?

EDIT: Ah I see, so it's just stickied for me?

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Ah I see, so it's just stickied for me?

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[Pezlu]

I just tried briefly the mod with the multiplayer EDU and I must say I'm impressed! Hoplites scare me now

However, since I'm using ALX.exe which supports more models/units, I added Equites Praetoriani back; but you mentioned they are "highly bugged". I wanted to ask how, exactly, so I could correct the bugs (if possible, since I'm not a modder myself... I just play around a bit with the files) and still keep them.

I just tried them in a custom battle and I didn't notice anything obvious, but it' the first time I use them (still quite new to EB), so maybe the bug is clear but I didn't get the chance to notice it or I didn't pay enough attention.

Thanks in advance

[Darth Stalin]

Hey, SunShadow: that's good to hear that on ALX.exe the Praetorians can be brought back...

BTW:
what lines of code and where should be placed to get them back to business? (I mean, possibly in DMB, EDU and EDB files?)

[Pezlu]

I simply used WinMerge (open source file compare tool, an excellent tool for "soft-modding" ) to compare EB files with TWFanatic's files, and copied back all the entries referring to praetorian cavalry

I also added the new rebellion fix to the EDB (it wasn't included in this minimod)

I don't remember exactly what I did, but basically you need to copy all the sections referring to praetorian cavalry in the following files:

--

In EB\Data:
descr_model_battle.txt
export_descr_buildings.txt
export_descr_sounds_units_voice.txt
export_descr_unit.txt

In EB\Data\text:
export_units.txt

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If TWFanatic agrees, I could just upload my own version of his minimod

It's basically the same, but includes equites praetoriani and the latest version of the fix to export_descr_buildings.txt

I think it works only with ALX however, due to the praetorian cavalry... EB has already the maximum number of units and/or models for the standard RTW, AFAIK. Not tested with RTW.exe or BI.exe though.

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Tested only a little with ALX.exe but no problems for now; campaign works, battles work too, and I've tried a custom battle with equites praetoriani, both first cohorts and a bunch of hoplites and makedonian phalanxes. It worked perfectly (and I'm amazed by the new "classical hoplite phalanx", waaaay more effective now)

[Darth Stalin]

Well, could You just put here the fragments of code referring to praetorian cavalry? I think I haven't saved my original EB files - I've installed First Cohost mod, then modded it a few times (with MiniMe's od etc.) and I'm afraid I have nothing to copy from... (though I may get wrong)

EDIT:
forget about that: I've just unzipped the EB installer and copied these files from it; I'll only have to find the time to dig into them...

[Pezlu]

If you use WinMerge or something similar it's very easy if you have the originals, just compare them and copy back the sections referring to preatorian cavalry; I really recommend it

I'd post the snippets of code, but the difficult thing to do in a forum is to write where they should be inserted; sometimes it's fine to add them at the end, but sometimes not... think of the EDB for example.

As I said, if TWFanatic agrees I can just upload it

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@TWFanatic: one more question: why did you set the exact same stats for both first cohortes?

[TWFanatic]

If TWFanatic agrees, I could just upload my own version of his minimod

By all means, go ahead.

one more question: why did you set the exact same stats for both first cohortes?

Don't ask me, ask the EB team. Their pre-marian and post-marian cohorts both have the exact same stats. I merely followed their example.

I added Equites Praetoriani back; but you mentioned they are "highly bugged". I wanted to ask how, exactly, so I could correct the bugs (if possible, since I'm not a modder myself... I just play around a bit with the files) and still keep them.

For some people, they give CTD's. Or, if you're lucky, crazy flashing black lines all over the place that utterly ruin the game. Perhaps you're very lucky and have no problem at all?

[Pezlu]

By all means, go ahead.

Thanks!

Here it is: http://www.mediafire.com/?2yjmtyjgdjg

If the download doesn't work, just reply and I'll add another

For installation, extract in RTW main folder (NOT eb subfolder), just like the original ;)

Note that I modified "chocolate" version only

Don't ask me, ask the EB team. Their pre-marian and post-marian cohorts both have the exact same stats. I merely followed their example.

Mmh... now that you mention it, I had noticed it a while ago.

For some people, they give CTD's. Or, if you're lucky, crazy flashing black lines all over the place that utterly ruin the game. Perhaps you're very lucky and have no problem at all?

As I told you, I didn't use them much for now... maybe I've been lucky these few times

However, if they are SO buggy, I'd recommend everyone to try at least a custom battle with equites praetoriani before doing anything serious with my version of the mod... if they are buggy, better to stick with TWFanatic version even with ALX.exe

Do you know what happens if someone with "original" EB or my version of the mod already has equites praetoriani in the campaign THEN installs your version of the mod? It may be needed if they give CTDs, but wouldn't it give problems?

[TWFanatic]

It would CTD. As I said before, this mod is fully compatible with any campaign unless the campaign currently has equites praetoriani trained.

[Darth Stalin]

Well, maybe the problem is with model or textures?
I'll give it a try, yet I first backup my files and finish making some modding actions towards making my modded mod :D ALX-compatible. (well, I'm running EB with FC, MiniMe and my own changes on ALX right now, but as I moved it from BI to ALX in the middle of campaigbn, I haven't added Night Battles and Night Warrior traits; I'm gonna prepare that in case I'd like to play it againg in full on ALX before EB 1.1 appears on the scene...)
I'll try to replace original EB praetorian cav models/textures with those made by KingLouiseAssurbanipal for Roman cav (or sth similar) and see, what happens.
That could be an interseting thing... yet may be dangerous too. So I have to be backupped :D

[Pezlu]

Uh, thanks, probably I had just ovelooked it, since it wasn't my case

Yes, it seems to be a problem with models or textures; I don't think it would be dangerous to change them, but making a backup is always good... I think I'll go on with the current model until I get a CTD or something (but in that case I think I'll dismiss all equites praetoriani and just use TWFanatic original version of the minimod; I'm Romani after all)

[TWFanatic]

EB is hard to mod because it's so complex, but if you know what you're doing (and you backup) it's completely safe to change models or skins.

[ajdeignan]

Hi TWFanatic,

Does this mod incorporate the permanent fixes?

I had some problems tonight downloading the permanent fixes AFTER applying your mod (as I have been receiving CTD when towns rebelled).

One of the permanent fixes (rebel CTD fix) modifies 'export_desc_buildings' but when I tried to reload, my computer couldn't find praetorian cavalary in 'export_desc_units' as you have deleted them.

I re-ran your mod, which fixed the 'praetorian cav' error, but now I'm back to the stage of 'rebel CTD' errors.

Thanks in advance

PS. Love your mod!!!!!!

[TWFanatic]

It does not incorporate the fixes, but they are easy enough to install afterward if you want them.

[Danzifuge]

472!!! holy shit!!!

thats how many kills my elephants had on macedonian forces at the battle of pella 272 b.c. not one single casualty. accounting for approximately a 1/3 of the enemies number.

it was so insane, i held most of my army back just to watch (and not to get trampled on)

this may be a bit overpowered. i know they were weak before, but this is insane.

UPDATE: 556!!! siege of demetrias. that was over half the enemy forces. 6 casualties

[Decimus Attius Arbiter]

Something weird happened with the number of my towered forest elephants in custom. The unit card said 16 men. But the end battle scroll said I had 24 men. On the battle map, I counted 8 elephants. Aren't there supposed to be 12?

[Watchman]

Naw. Instead, there's one crewman too many - the tower can only hold one archer, but the unit's statted for two. (I'm guessing Fanatic didn't touch those numbers, and they're screwy that way in 1.0.)

[Biges]

I installed the mod and to my surprise, Celtic chariots are even more crappy, than they were before. Instead of defense 6, they now have 4. Is it OK?

[Josephus Maximus Soter]

i loved the mod, but it made my game so laggy! i mean, i have top of the line graphics and memory, and it made so slow. has anyone else had this issue? i really want to reinstall it but im afraid it will make the whole game worse!!

[Biges]

i loved the mod, but it made my game so laggy! i mean, i have top of the line graphics and memory, and it made so slow. has anyone else had this issue? i really want to reinstall it but im afraid it will make the whole game worse!!

I noticed no increased lag with this mod. Does it add new scripts or so?

[Intranetusa]

Is this compatible with Alex.exe? This mod was compatible with Bi.exe, but I'm not sure if the Alex files will overwrite these mod files.

[Red_Russian13]

I'm a moron. That much is clear. However, I downloaded and installed the mod, and now, mysteriously, all the homeland buildings have been replaced by II level gov't buildings...and they all are damaged.

What in the world did I do wrong?

Edit: I lied. Not all the homeland buildings were replaced. But all my gov't buildings were 100% damaged. In every province. I repaired them all and things seem to be fine other than that. I'm playing the Romani and I installed chocolate. However, I installed it in the RTW directory, then the EB folder. Perhaps that was my problem. I did this on accident. See first sentence.

[TWFanatic]

Wow, I've got a lot of weird stories on my hands here. I'll deal with them all one by one.

@Danzifuge: Elephants are still extremely vulnerable to javelins. Sadly the AI is incompetent when it comes to dealing with elephants. Heck, it's incompetent when it comes to dealing with anything, but it struggles with elephants in particular. If I made them any weaker, they'd be easier to deal with than fruit flies in the hands of the AI.

Btw, they are far weaker than they are in vanilla.

@Decimus Attius Arbiter: Perhaps you changed unit sizes. I don't see how else that could happen.

@Intranetusa: The simple answer is: I don't know. I don't see why not though.

@Biges regarding chariots: Chariots are far stronger now. Yes I reduced defense by two, but that is more than surpassed by the effect of the extra two hitpoints. This also better reflects the nature of chariots by maintaining their vulnerability when stagnant and when charged into phalanxes, but making them less vulnerable to missiles, cavalry, and loose infantry formations. They are also more capable when it comes to breaking through enemy formations. Thus, they are better than before where it counts.

@Biges and Josephus Maximus Soter regarding lag: This mod doesn't tough the script and does not in any way make your game perceptibly more laggy or increase loading times. There must be some other variable that you did not account for, such as adjusted graphics settings.

@Red_Russian13: That is...odd. I have no idea why that would happen, sorry.

[Red_Russian13]

No worries man. It seems to be running fine. No problems at all now.

[figulus]

Hey fanatic,
have installed your mod but haven't got first cohorts yet.
However I did modify my reforms so that i got marian's after 10 settlements
and have only got a level 3 mic in rome could this be why?

figulus

[Darth Stalin]

@Red_Russian13:
That strange thing has nothing to do with FCMod. This is rather a feature of EB mod and possibly of any other mod. It happens when you play a game, then quits current campaign and start another campaign with another faction or (more often) when you load saved game of a game played with other faction than before - WITHOUT QUITTING THE GAME AT ALL.

[Kravixon]

This mod is so ownage, I'm wondering if there are parts that could be appropriately applied to 1.1 before I install.

[Alexandros Maximus]

Yo dude you gotta make it so the phalanx mod can work with 1.1!!!

I installed 1.1 and now i miss my good ol' triarii phalanx.

[TWFanatic]

I will indeed have to. It's been chaos at work lately, but I'll fine time for good ol' EB modding sooner or later (hopefully sooner).

First I have to download EB 1.1.