How to make Scotland playable? [Archive]

Wellington

02-12-2003, 21:56

BKS,

I did this some time ago, and wrote a checklist for a "Scotland mod" It may help. Here it is (don't ask me for my Scotland mod - I deleted it long ago) -

I'm playing with a Scot's faction at present which works ok but can look a bit a strange at times, on both the campaign map and in the real time battles, due to the colours associated with the faction I'm using to "represent" the Scot's.

I've represented the Scot's by using the Burgundian faction for them in a copy of the EARLY campaign script - although considering the Russians and Novgorads have such similar colours/shields/flags it would have been better (in retrospect) to have used either the FN_RUSSIAN or FN_NOVGORAD identifiers to represent the Scot's faction, and replaced either the Russians with the Novgarads, or visa-versa in the other scripts. Anyway, either of these 2 factions have colours associated with them that look far better for a Scot's faction than the Burgundians - they have a bit more blue in them. Note that all faction identifiers in the game (FN_xxxxx) are generally 'meaningless' identifiers - but you must still use the faction id's provided by CA if you wish to play about with "new" factions. You can't (to my knowledge) create really NEW factions because the identifiers don't exist, and if there are hidden identifiers - we don't know what they are

All factions in MTW are identified by 2 colours which (on the real time battlefield) replace the colours you see on the units plates.

At this point in time we can't change the colours associated with any faction (hopefully if will possible in the add-on) so if you use one of the 20 factions to represent your "new" faction, then your new faction will inherit the hard-coded colours of the faction your 'frigging'. Ok, the details

Adding the Scot's -

What did I do in the EARLY script (or rather a copy of it) -

1) changed a few of the references in the EARLY campaign script to create a viable (money wise) Scot's faction -

- added a GOLD and SILVER mine (SetResources: for ID_SCOTLAND
- added some tradable goods (SetTradableGoods:: FURS WOOD) for ID_SCOTLAND

2) change the owner of Scotland (SetRegionOwner:: ID_SCOTLAND). Previously there was no faction owner for ID_SCOLAND - which serves to default the region to a rebel faction.

3) added a correct title (AddTitle:: ID_SCOTLAND "Title King of Scotland"

...)

4) cant remember if I changed the start leader but I now have (SetStartLeader:: FN_BURGUNDIAN 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0) which seems to work although the Scottish leaders names are French-Like, as are/were the Burgundians. Note that although there is a Scottish names table in the names.txt file it appears to be inaccessable at present (as are the Welsh names) as the relationship between the faction identifiers (FN_BURGUNDIN etc with the nationality names in this file appears to be hard coded. Hence, if you choose the FN_RUSSIAN faction for your Scot's - your leaders will end up with russian names If you choose FN_BURGUNDIAN they have French names ... Oh well, we can't have everything - yet

5) Ensured the Scot's leader was 'in residence' (PlaceLeader:: ID_SCOTLAND FN_BURGUNDIAN)

6) Added a castle (MakeBuilding::ID_SCOTLAND Castle)

7) Ensured my "new" Scot's faction was playable (SetActiveFaction:: FN_BURGUNDIAN FT_MAJOR)

8) I did'nt change the Scot's behaviour characteristics (SetBehaviour:: FN_BURGUNDIAN CATHOLIC_DEFENSIVE) as I was generally playing the Scot's but it may be an idea to make them a bit more aggressive (CATHOLIC_EXPANSIONIST) or tradable/aggressive (CATHOLIC_NAVAL_EXPANSIONIST - and perhaps add a port for them in the campaign script) if your adding them as a faction but ar'nt always playing as the Scot's.

9) changed the shield image (SetShieldImage:: FN_BURGUNDIAN "Scots_lge" "Scots_sml"). Note you will have to create these 2 shield images (as well a grey scale one) but more of that later.

10) gave Burgundy to the Germans .... sigh (SetRegionOwner:: ID_BURGUNDY FN_GERMAN_HRE) but the French or perhaps Swiss are equally likely recipients.

11) gave Scotland to the Scot's - obviously (SetRegionOwner:: ID_SCOTLAND FN_BURGUNDIAN)

12) Gave the Scot's all 6 offices (AddOffice:: FN_BURGUNDIAN royal_palace "Chamberlain of Scotland" .... etc . Just changed the Burgundian ones to say "Scotland" instead of "Burgundy"

13) changed the 3 heirs lines and all parameters for the Scot's/Burgundians ('AddHeir:: FN_BURGUNDIAN 1 13' etc: ) to the same values as the English faction. This was to ensure that when the English heirs arrived in the campaign (with their powerful and elite retainers) the Scot's heirs did also - hence it was a balancing consideration. I also added 1 more unit to the English province bordering the Scot's - again for balancing considerations.

15) reduced the number of units in Scotland (MakeUnit:: ID_SCOTLAND xxxx) to ensure they did'nt stuff the English too quickly. This is a question of balancing with your behaviour setting for the Scot's. As rebels they ar'nt too agressive - as Scot's ... well&#33http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

16) finally (I think) I changed all 3 campaign name parameters in my campaign script copy ('cn_predefined::false' 'cn_title::"Scots Title"' 'cn_short_title::"Scots Title"&#39http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif and named my new script "Scots.txt".

Note that 'SetTreasury::', 'SetCulture::' and 'SetReligion::' did'nt require changes as the FN_BURGUNDIAN settings were ok (unless you wish to make your Scot's pagans ... or Muslims - shudder the thought&#33http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif.

Be aware that changing the EARLY/HIGH/LATE scripts is not advisable - always make a copy and rename it. If your copy is accurate it will show up in the 'Campaign Selection' menu.

The next changes were to the "Loc\Eng ames.txt" file, changing all references to "Burgundians" to read "Scots". Straightforward but make sure every name 'table' retains 64 entries - 21 faction names followed by 43 'free' entries

FREE01 to FREE43). I strongly suspect these free entries are merely for future CA add-ons and are not usable at present (if anyone can show otherwise I'll be one happy bunny). There is also a text file "changes.txt" in the same directory that contains the latest/last changes CA made, again just names - can't remember amending this but something to check.

Ok, that was the easy part. The next changes were to a variety of shield/flag files to make the "new" Scot's faction look like Scot's (as opposed to Burgundians) in both strategic campaign and tactical battle modes. I had some assistance by virtue of the fact that a couple of usable Scottish graphics already exist in the game. A small Scot's shield and Scot's generals flag are defined in the Bannockburn battle (look in the directory 'Battle\batinit\Historical Battles\Battle of Bannockburn' for the two files 'Scottish.bif', a small shield, and 'Scottish.lbm', a generals flag).

Before you start modifying shields/flags I would strongly advise you copy/rename the file(s) your changing/replacing first. Obvious, but important - I've had several crashes to desktop because I've deleted or replaced something I felt was not necessary due to the mod's I was attempting .... hhhmmm .... we live and learn.

So, to continue -

17) change the Burgundian shield images that are used in the campaign map to represent that faction. We have 3 BIF images to add/amend in the 'campmap\shields' directory. Two of these images relate to the definitions in the campaign script ("Scots_sml.bif" and "Scots_lge.bif") and are used to represent the shield for the faction in all campaign mode panels displayed in the game. The 'sml' image can be copied from the Scottish image in the Bannockburn folder. The 'lge' image you have to create for yourself - by whatever means. The 'grey' image is used to represent your faction as rebels and can be created by modifying your 'lge' image to a greyscale in whatever graphics program you use.

18) rename and amend the 2 flag images for the FN_BURGUNDIAN faction in the folder 'Battle\flags\". For the Burgundians these are "FLAG1014,TGA" and "FLAG1014.LBM". Either copy or paint {using whatever graphic program you have) new images for these 2 images to represent a Scottish faction. You can copy one image from the Bannockburn folder we mentioned earlier. Note these are the images associated with the battle flag of the factions (in this case Scottish) general in the real time tactical batttle battle mode.

19) Castle flags You now have to change the flag that is displayable on your castles on the strategic campaign map. All of the faction flags for this are stored in a multi frame .BIF files There are 2 such "castleflag.bif" directories in MTW. The first, in "campmap\castleflags.bif" is a mistake and relates to the Shogun flags. The second, in "campmap\pieces\buildings\castleflags.bif" is a 47K bif file that contains 20 frames - one for each faction - you have to graphically amend the frame pertaining to the faction that you are using for your new Scot's faction (in this example the Burgundians, frame 14). This site has a BIF editor (in the STW download section) that enables you to do this, the FN_BURGUNDIAN frame has to be amended to represent a Scottish flag.

20) You now have to amend the shield images associated with the "elite" units for your faction - if you wish to The directories 'Battle\FacShield\hires' and 'Battle\FacShield\lores' contain images of various shapes of shields for your factions better units (Ie: the troops that would have carried a Medieval/Chivalric image on their shields). These image shapes are different for each unit represented in the folders and if you wish to be pedantic you can create images for all 10 (12?) units represented in each folder by reimaging the Burgundian shields (in this case) to represent a Scottish shield. I did'nt do that. Why ? Well these shield images for 'elite' units are merely superimposed on the unit models in the battles. These unit models already have shields and shield shapes - no problem - so you can make it easy by replacing all the Burgundian shield images, in both hires/lores folders (for all the units) by a "null superimposed image". You do this by creating shield images that merely have the standard pink colour throughout - hence there is nothing to replace and the "elite" unit models show up, in tactical battle mode, with the default shields attributed to them. It does'nt mattere and it's a lot easier - providing you have a decent image editor.

Have I forgottem anything ? I don't know That's about all I can remember regarding adding the Scot's faction.

Welly