Question regarding General's Star rating

[MiniKiller]

Is their anyway to edit/hack it out where every unit created starts with no stars? I'm the kind of guy that likes to pick out my general and let him earn his way to-the top. I have having an awesome 0 gen guy become a 3 star only to be overtaken by a lucky just created 4 star unit.

I dont mind the map starting with some distinguished fighters but I dont want to create any.

[hoom]

Why?
Some people are born with greater or lesser talent at various things, leading armies is one.
The fact that a 5 or 6 star general may suddenly appear when you train a unit is one of the things that I love about this game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

[Servius]

you can go into the CRUSADERS_UNIT_PROD11.TXT file (open it with Excel), go to column J ("General Candidate?") and change all the values to DISCOURAGED in each one. That won't prevent you ever getting a general, but it will decrease the chances of it.

FYI, the values in that column corespond with every unit in the game, marking out the likelihood that the game will make a general out of one you might produce. For instance, I hate having spear and sword general units, I only like for cavalry to do it, best of all Royal Cav for authenticity's sake. So I could go through all the units, change the values to DISCOURAGED, save for Royal Cav units (Early, High, and Late) which I would change to PREFERRED.

[MiniKiller]

Quote[/b] (arrrse @ Jan. 24 2004,16:29)]Why?
Some people are born with greater or lesser talent at various things, leading armies is one.
The fact that a 5 or 6 star general may suddenly appear when you train a unit is one of the things that I love about this game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif
Yes but dont they have to prove it on the field of battle instead of just automatically being a 5?


Serv, thanks, have u done this and it works?

[hoom]

But star rating is an abstraction of a generals' ability.
From their first battle & most likely earlier during training, a naturally good general will show that ability.

[MiniKiller]

true but u missed my point.

they dont immedatly become a general with great command ability. they still have to show it on the field and still have to earn their stripes/

[Dillinger]

One of the joys of the game for me is being able to command Henry the Lion, El Cid, and other distinguished figures. I like that. Although for just totally random units having stars, I don't like.

[MiniKiller]

ya agreed i dont mind getting those but i hate having random star guys i want to build all mine up to my liking.

[jadast]

This becomes a bigger problem with each newly aquired territory. This is a case of the rich getting richer. Can you imagine a turn that produces 6-10 4 star leaders?

I would rather start all units at 0-1 stars.

[Ironside]

Citera[/b] (jadast @ Jan. 24 2004,22:50)]This becomes a bigger problem with each newly aquired territory. This is a case of the rich getting richer. Can you imagine a turn that produces 6-10 4 star leaders?

I would rather start all units at 0-1 stars.
How many factions get 4-star generals that aren't historical persons?
I get at maximum 3-stars.


Citera[/b] ]Serv, thanks, have u done this and it works?
Well it should work, I haven't gotten any pregenerated stars on archers, spearmen, peasants, artillery that I can remember.

[MiniKiller]

I'll have to try it then i guess lol hopefully it will work

i had a 4 and 5 star gen created that was historically correct. i was the vikings.

[Suppiluliumas]

Don't disband Snorri whatever you do. Even if you don't use him in any battles, at least keep him handy to write sagas for your king.

[*Ringo*]

I've also edited my unit_prod11.txt to make it more likely for only Royal Knights to become generals; but I also like the historical generals http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif So I found this thread quite useful Famous Generals List (http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=14002;hl=changing+generals?) i would note though that the dates for the generals arrivals can be hit and miss I've had the best success training ONLY Royal Knights on the year that is on the list. Therefore to obtain someone like Henry the Lion (HRE Lord) in 1145 I would train a couple of Royal Knight units
(A couple just to be sure http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif )

This way I can develop my own generals while being rewarded every now and again with Historic Heroes also. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif

P.S It is also possible to edit the Default_Heroes.txt to edit the stats of these generals as well Search for a thread on modding them if interested http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/idea.gif

Enjoy,

*Ringo*

{Thanks to Revenant69 for posting the list from Benjamin Hunke's Hero FAQ??? btw) http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Quokka]

Quote[/b] (Servius1234 @ Jan. 25 2004,05:30)]you can go into the CRUSADERS_UNIT_PROD11.TXT file (open it with Excel), go to column J ("General Candidate?") and change all the values to DISCOURAGED in each one. That won't prevent you ever getting a general, but it will decrease the chances of it.
Thats only part of it. Later in each entry their is an Honour Rating for a unit. The Higher the honour the greater the chance for stars, so go through and reduce the honour of all units that you don't want as general types.

[*Ringo*]

Quote[/b] (Quokka @ Jan. 25 2004,20:28)]Thats only part of it. Later in each entry their is an Honour Rating for a unit. The Higher the honour the greater the chance for stars, so go through and reduce the honour of all units that you don't want as general types.
Well you learn something new everyday http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

Cheers,

*Ringo*

[MiniKiller]

this seems so complicated i dont like messing around with files like that im afriad i'll mess sumthing up

[MiniKiller]

bump is that the only way to do it?

[MiniKiller]

one more bump, also could i make all of them discouraged? and will this affect all the other factions as well?

[*Ringo*]

Yes http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif (on both counts)*

Enjoy http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

*Ringo*

*edit

[Silencer]

when is a general has 9 stars.

he gets for example a vice :
Field Defence Specialist, Well Educated, Skilled Poor Odds Defender

this can give him 16 stars in theory:

does the system still counts further then 9 stars?
In my example, the general should have 16 stars when entering a defencive outnumbered battle. or is it capped at 9?

[fruitfly]

Quote[/b] (Silencer @ Feb. 12 2004,10:35)]when is a general has 9 stars.

he gets for example a vice :
Field Defence Specialist, Well Educated, Skilled Poor Odds Defender

this can give him 16 stars in theory:

does the system still counts further then 9 stars?
In my example, the general should have 16 stars when entering a defencive outnumbered battle. or is it capped at 9?
Unfortunately I think it's capped at 9.

In a way, that's a shame because with 16* your general would give +8 valour to all troops under his command. If you gave him some titles like governor of Constantinople and Admiral of the fleet, that'd be another 4* to add and a 20* (+10 valour) commander would be utterly invincible.

To everything apart from culverins anyway.

[Knight Keimo]

Quote[/b] (jadast @ Jan. 24 2004,22:50)]This becomes a bigger problem with each newly aquired territory. This is a case of the rich getting richer. Can you imagine a turn that produces 6-10 4 star leaders?

I would rather start all units at 0-1 stars.
I´ve seen this happen when I already got many good six-seven star commanders. Especially with English and Byz, and those four-star guys seems a little bit useless in that situation. And when even four-star commander is needed, they won´t appear... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/angry.gif

[Silencer]

"Unfortunately I think it's capped at 9"

I thought in my last battle it was'nt capped at 9 stars....
while visual 9 stars, in battle the bonuses also count..
can't recheck, damn.

[Sociopsychoactive]

Quote[/b] (MiniKiller @ Jan. 24 2004,16:46)]true but u missed my point.

they dont immedatly become a general with great command ability. they still have to show it on the field and still have to earn their stripes/
Actually, your forgetting the fuedal status of the medieval world, and how VASTLY important your social rank is from birth. Even if a peasent was hugely able to command an army they would rarely get to, as they are of the lowest social position and therefore command no respect and are of use only as grunts.

A person of royal birth, or even just a noble who showed some aptitude when training would be handed an army to command straight off the mark, not have to earn it past the training stage, and the game wonderfully reflect generals rising and falling in command as they win and lose battles.

So, a noble crack brained, elephant impregnated, pridefull idiot would in theory still outrank a famously brave, experyt attacker peasant. There are, or course exceptions, Joan of arc, for example, and the English during the hundred years war would often delegate the actual issuing of orders to people of lower social rank, knowing they were better able to win the battle, but the noble would still be there and 'officially' be in command, just well advised...

I think disableing the likelyhood of good command for lower ranking units (say everything fuedal and below) would be more historically acturate, but then again, I'm English...

[MiniKiller]

Quote[/b] (Sociopsychoactive @ Feb. 12 2004,14:42)]
Quote[/b] (MiniKiller @ Jan. 24 2004,16:46)]true but u missed my point.

they dont immedatly become a general with great command ability. they still have to show it on the field and still have to earn their stripes/
Actually, your forgetting the fuedal status of the medieval world, and how VASTLY important your social rank is from birth. Even if a peasent was hugely able to command an army they would rarely get to, as they are of the lowest social position and therefore command no respect and are of use only as grunts.

A person of royal birth, or even just a noble who showed some aptitude when training would be handed an army to command straight off the mark, not have to earn it past the training stage, and the game wonderfully reflect generals rising and falling in command as they win and lose battles.

So, a noble crack brained, elephant impregnated, pridefull idiot would in theory still outrank a famously brave, experyt attacker peasant. There are, or course exceptions, Joan of arc, for example, and the English during the hundred years war would often delegate the actual issuing of orders to people of lower social rank, knowing they were better able to win the battle, but the noble would still be there and 'officially' be in command, just well advised...

I think disableing the likelyhood of good command for lower ranking units (say everything fuedal and below) would be more historically acturate, but then again, I'm English...
that is true however the bad ones never lasted very long.

Plus this way I get to choose who leds, gives me more control as "king" which realates to ur theory on being born into it :)