Need help removing units from the game

Just for the hell of it, I would like to mod my RTW game to be infantry only. Maybe some cavalry, but zero missle weapons and probably not much siege equipment. Also, I would like to drastically reduce the computers expenditure on ships, or just altogether take them away from the factions that simply do not need them (like Julii).
I dont want the game to be easy mind you, just simple.

So, on to my difficulties. I have tried different way to take away units. I have gone into the Caligula editor and simply deleted units out that I did not want, and took missle weapons away from the infantry (made their melee weapon the primary rather than the pilum, and removed their secondary weapon entirely).
Tried to load up the game and it crashed, so no dice on that effort. Next try I tried removing ownership from the units I did not want in the game by simply deleting all factions in the ownership box. This also did not work for me.

Anyone have any idea what I am doing wrong?

It is not so easy to delete units. Take into account that units appear in several files, not only in export_descr_units. The units you delete in that file must be also deleted in export_descr_buildings, descr_mercenaries, descr_strat and descr_rebels (at least).
Try to delete only one cavalry unit in all those files and test the game.

With regard to missile, I think (not 100% sure), that if you assign the secondary weapon as primary one in export_descr_units, you should delete the first skeleton in descr_model_battle. One example: in roman_hastati you have two skeleton, fs_javelinman and fs_swordman. If the sword is now the primary weapon, the only skeleton you need is fs_swordman.

I hope this helps you.

Is there a way to simply keep certain units from being produced? That might be less headache than removing them. I'm concerned that if I remove them I will also have to edit the campaign map and take them out there too.

If you look at the export_descr_buildings text, you will see the bits of code which determine which units are buildable from which buildings.

I haven't tried anything quite like you have described, but if you removed all the unit related lines from the cavalry and missile troop buildings, no units could be built.

You will get some starting units with cavalry unless you modify the campaign, but you won't be able to build more and you won;t be able to repair the ones you start with. The AI will also be bound by the same rules.

It's better than removing the units altogether.

here is a sample of the file:

building equestrian
{
levels stables cavalry_barracks hippodrome circus_maximus
{
stables requires factions { barbarian, ct_carthage, eastern, parthia, egyptian, greek, roman, }
{
capability
{
recruit "carthaginian warhounds" 0 requires factions { spain, }
recruit "carthaginian cavalry" 0 requires factions { spain, }
recruit "pict cavalry" 0 requires factions { gauls, }
recruit "barb cavalry german" 0 requires factions { germans, }
recruit "barb cavalry dacian" 0 requires factions { dacia, }
recruit "barb cavalry scythian" 0 requires factions { scythia, }
recruit "barb wardogs briton" 0 requires factions { britons, }
recruit "barb wardogs dacian" 0 requires factions { dacia, }
recruit "pict wardogs" 0 requires factions { gauls, }
recruit "aesir warhounds" 0 requires factions { germans, }
recruit "barb wardogs scythian" 0 requires factions { scythia, }
recruit "carthaginian cavalry" 0 requires factions { carthage, }
recruit "numidian cavalry" 0 requires factions { numidia, }
recruit "east cavalry" 0 requires factions { pontus, }
recruit "east horse archer" 0 requires factions { armenia, parthia, }
recruit "egyptian cavalry" 0 requires factions { egyptian, }
recruit "greek light lancer" 0 requires factions { macedon, }
recruit "greek cavalry" 0 requires factions { seleucid, thrace, greek_cities, }
recruit "roman medium cavalry" 0 requires factions { roman, } and marian_reforms
recruit "roman light cavalry" 0 requires factions { roman, } and not marian_reforms
recruit "roman wardogs" 0 requires factions { roman, }
}
construction 3
cost 1200
settlement_min large_town
upgrades
{
cavalry_barracks
}
}
cavalry_barracks requires factions { spain, scythia, germans, gauls, dacia, ct_carthage, eastern, parthia, egyptian, greek, roman, }
{
capability

All the parts where it says 'recruit' tell you what unit, and the 'requires faction' bit tells you which faction it relates to. There is a set of units defined for each level of hte building as it is upgraded.

Give it a go!

Thats a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion, I will try it later today and let you know how it goes for me.