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View Full Version : Adding factions in BI, a lead to how to do it?



Andreas
10-19-2005, 19:20
Well, this is not the "can you add new factions?" post you might expect... well, you might say it is in a way but it's more a lead for someone with more time the me, and want to do some research on this. Earlier today, I was searching through some random txt's to find some info I needed. One of the files I had open was the descr_strat, where you find this list of factions:

playable
huns
goths
sarmatians
vandals
franks
saxons
alemanni
sassanids
empire_east
empire_west
end
unlockable
end
nonplayable
romano_british
celts
burgundii
lombardi
roxolani
ostrogoths
slavs
berbers
empire_east_rebels
empire_west_rebels
slave
end

Which is the same factions as you find in the descr_sm_faction.txt, of course. But then I was looking in the campain_descriptions.txt, and found this:


{BARBARIAN_INVASION_WHITE_HUNS_TITLE}The White Huns
{BARBARIAN_INVASION_WHITE_HUNS_DESCR}Difficulty Factor: ESTIMATED NON-PLAYABLEnnThe White Huns - called the Hephthalites by Greek scholars - were a nomadic and apparently well-travelled people from the steppes who were known to the Chinese, Indians and Persians by an assortment of names. They were, however, the same distinct group, as their customs stayed the same for generations. The Greeks certainly thought that they were part of the Hunnic nation, although they were known to stay apart from other Huns.nnAs with any other steppe people, they did not have settlements until they invaded more civilized areas. In the case of the White Huns they attacked southwards into Transoxania and eventually invaded Persia and the Ganges valley in India.

...

{BARBARIAN_INVASION_MOORS_TITLE}The Moors
{BARBARIAN_INVASION_MOORS_DESCR}Difficulty Factor: ESTIMATED NON-PLAYABLEnnThe Moors and Berbers represent the many desert peoples who harried the Roman Empire in north Africa as the Western Empire slowly declined. A change in the climate may have helped drive these tribes to attack the Roman frontier, or it may simply have been the perceived weakness of Roman garrisons. In either case, the danger was such that the Romans were forced to construct a limes, or system of frontier forts, and provide for garrison troops to protect their holdings. The desert raiders were never quite strong enough to drive the Romans or the later Vandals into the sea and claim the North African littoral as their own.
And these two faction can't be found in the earlier mentioned posts... so, do we know if they are allowed in the coding? If we add them in all places where you have to add input for a faction, will the game accept it? As I said, currently I do not have the time to this work, but if it hasn't been tried then maybe someone could do it? Or has this been discussed before? Sorry if it has....in that way, :embarassed:

Bwian
10-19-2005, 22:39
The faction limit is still present, hardcoded, and stuck at the old number.

What you have there are remnants of things that might have been, but were never finished. 21 factions are all you can have, and there are already 21 in the list. Trying to add more will just result in frustration and CTD's.

This was confirmed by our friendly neighbourhood CA man, Jerome, so it has come from the most reliable source going. Don't waste your time with this....really.

Simetrical
10-21-2005, 20:53
There were traces of an illyria faction in the vanilla name files, too. Not to mention night attacks, etc.