e_b.txt edits - wonders

This thread contains the edits I make to the export_buildings.txt wonders. In all cases I have tried to maintain the author's original intent while providing clarity to the text. I will post them as I finish them in groups.

Unique 1 - Base 1

{base1_barbarian} Cairnaichaeoriam
{base1_barbarian_desc}
Cairnaichaeoriam: The Place of Many Stones\n(later known as "Carnac")\n\nThis giant site of megalithic monuments spreads five miles, its initial purpose unknown. It includes menhir (standing stones), dolmens (a sepulture formed of several stones), cromlech (enclosures of menhir), and tumulus (dirt mounds over Dolmens with no entrance). Much of it may be a star chart related to the religion of the unknown builders, who may have built tombs and graves in alignment with certain stars. Several relics indicate some manner of Celtic worship at the stones, even though the Celts did not arrange them. The Gauls (and later the Bretons) venerated the site, developing their own stories for the stones' placement and existence.\n\nSTRATEGY: Carnac provides an additional law bonus when possessed by the Aedui.
{base1_barbarian_desc_short}
Cairnaichaeoriam (Carnac) is an ancient set of megalithic monuments that spreads for miles.

{base1_greek} Olympias
{base1_greek_desc}
The Olympic Games\n\nBeginning in 776 BC and held every four years for over a millennia, the Olympic Games were considered so important that the Greek calendar system was reckoned by the most recent winners of the stadion race. The games included festivals for Zeus and commemorated the mythical Pelops' chariot victory.\n\nDuring the Games the roads in and out of Olympia were clogged with visitors. The tourism and sanctuary fostered by the games eventually brought athletes and spectators from across the Hellenic world. The Games also brought its hosts and the victors increasing amounts of importance, influence, and wealth. The dedications included countless sacrifices, statues, treasuries, and small temples. The most famous, the Chryselphantine statue of Zeus sculpted by Pheidias, was popularly considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
{base1_greek_desc_short}
The Olympic Games honored Zeus and commemorated the mythical Pelops' chariot victory.

{base1_numidia} Philai, Edfu, & Abu Simbel\n(TRANSLATE ME PLEASE!)
{base1_numidia_desc}
Philai, Edfu, & Abu Simbel\n\nThe ancient Egyptians thought the sacred hill of Biga to be the first mound created out of Chaos, as well as the burial place of Osiris. The earth was so hallowed that only priests and temple servants lived there. The island of Philai located beside Biga was dedicated to Isis, who became immensely popular with the Romans and the Ptolemies during the Hellenistic period.\n\nThe nearby Temple of Horus at Edfu was the second largest of all Egyptian temples (and was the best preserved). The monumental temples of Ammon Re and Hathor at Abu Simbel were cut from rock along the Nile, and were some of the most famous temples in the ancient world.
{base1_numidia_desc_short}
The island of Philai and the temples at Edfu and Abu Simbel were sacred to the ancient Egyptians and eventually the Ptolemies.

{base1_roman} Artemision Ephesou
{base1_roman_desc}
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesos\n\nThe people of Ephesos built a magnificently beautiful temple to honor Artemis, goddess of hunting, nature, and fertility. They built it upon the foundations of a previous temple to Artemis sponsored by King Kroisos of Lydia, whose wealth was vast enough to be considered proverbial. The original temple burned to the ground in 356 BC, on the very night of Megas Alexandros’ birth. The arsonist Herostratos claimed he wanted his own name to be remembered for all time. Plutarchos would later declare the goddess was too busy watching over Alexandros to look after her own temple!\n\nIt was eventually restored in 323 BC, after the death of Alexandros. The sculptors Pheidias, Polykleitos, Kresilas, and Phradmon contributed great works to the temple. Filled with precious treasures and works of art, it continued to attract thousands of visitors and pilgrims from across the ancient world.
{base1_roman_desc_short}
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesos housed many precious treasures and works of art that attracted thousands of visitors and pilgrims from across the ancient world.

{base1_eastern} Ka'bah
{base1_eastern_desc}
All the diverse tribes of Arabia took part in a great pilgrimage to the Ka'bah at Mecca. Such journeys were possible only when peace reigned throughout the land. To ensure this, all tribes prohibited internal warfare during the period from the month before the pilgrimage to the month after. Sacred territory meant that the tribes expected pilgrims to lay aside their weapons upon reaching Mecca. Once they entered the holy territory pilgrims were expected to practice self-denial and abstain from hunting, fighting, and sexual intercourse, amongst other things.\n\nAt the center of a month-long religious ceremony was the Ka’bah, where pilgrims worshipped a myriad of pre-Islamic gods. The Ka'bah itself consisted of a simple, cube-like stone structure with a black stone embedded in one of the walls that was supposedly of meteoric origin. Inside the Ka'bah sat a statue of the god Hubal, a small pit for offering, and statues of numerous other gods worshipped by various Arabic tribes.\n\nThe existence of the Kah’bah as a holy place to all Arabs seems to date to at least the early 1st century BC. Diodorus of Sicily remarks that “a temple has been set-up there, which is very holy and exceedingly revered by all Arabians.” While he doesn't mention the Ka'bah by name, it is the only known place in Arabia to fit such criteria. Further, such use of the Ka'bah in the early 1st century BC seems to justify its importance to pre-Islamic Arabians such as the Sabeans.
{base1_eastern_desc_short}
The Ka'bah was held as holy by the diverse tribes of Arabia. It was the most famous and visited pilgrimage site in the Arabian peninsula, drawing many people even from outside the region.

{base1_egypt} Ba'al Temple Complex\nNEEDS SPLITTING, (TRANSLATE ME PLEASE!)
{base1_egypt_desc}
Four huge and powerful structures in the magnificent city of Carthage stood as examples of Qarthadastim might: the temple districts of Ba’al and Astarte, the harbor, and the triple wall.\n\nThe temple of Ba’al was famed for its cyclopean architecture that blended Greek and Phoenician styles. A massive academy was connected to the temple itself. The learned citizens of Carthage attended what was essentially one of the first universities of antiquity. The priesthood of Ba’al-Hammon was based in this district, where it directly supported the élite fighting force known as the Sacred Band.\n\nThe district of Astarte, as well as the training grounds outside the city, was equally magnificent in both Carthage and its northern neighbor, Utica. Though her temple was less impressive than that of Ba’al, the massive estates controlled by the priesthood allowed a special division of cavalry: Astarte's own Sacred Band.\n\nThe circular harbor was a wonder in and of itself. This marvel of engineering allowed Carthaginian fleets to better prepare and equip themselves than the harbors of their rivals.\n\nThe final wonder was Carthage’s massive triple wall. According to many ancient historians, this defense system could comfortably house 19,000 troops, several thousand horse, and over seventy elephants within its massive structure.\n\nSTRATEGY: The Temple Complex provides additional happiness and troop experience bonuses when possessed by the Qarthadastim.
{base1_egypt_desc_short}
The cyclopean Ba’al Temple Complex prominently displayed Qarthadastim might and directly supported the Sacred Band.

blacksnail, I was thinking about putting the bonuses for the unique buildings inside the text of the description also. So that players could tell exactly what the bonuses are for their faction (as sometimes it varies according to faction controlling it). Maybe we could do a test run on these 'base1' ones? If we put a \n\n at the end, it might do away with some of the 'strategy' text also (where you explain what the extra bonuses are). What do you think about that?

So to clarify, are you proposing a typical wonder would look like the following? If not, let me know where I'm mixed up and I'll swap stuff around.

Wonder Title

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/images/rtw/rtwlogo2.jpg

Provides:

Foo bonus to troops: +1

Description

Bar bonus to public order: 5% (Hellenic only)

Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only.

Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only. Blah blah blah. Stuff about wonders. Not worth reading. For formatting purposes only.

Pharos Alexandreias needs clarification as to who exactly is intended to get the benefit. Once I know that I'll fix it.

Unique 1 - Base 2

{base2_greek} Mausoleion Halikarnassou
{base2_greek_desc}
Morale bonus to troops trained here: +1 (Hellenic only)\n\nThe Mausoleion of Halikarnassos\n\nWhen the Persians expanded their ancient kingdom to include Mesopotamia, Northern India, Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor, the king could not control his vast empire without the help of local governors or rulers known as satraps. One of these satraps was King Mausolos of Karia. Although he led an uneventful life, his death led to the construction of one of the most beautiful buildings in the ancient world and was carried out by his sister-wife.\n\nThe beauty of the Mausoleion was not only in the structure itself but in the life-sized decorations and statues adorning the tomb, as well as larger-than-life and free-standing statues of people, lions, horses, and other animals. The statues were carved by four famous and talented Greek sculptors: Bryaxis, Leochares, Skopas, and Timotheus. Each was responsible for a single side. The Mausoleion holds a special place in history as it was not dedicated to the gods of the ancient Greeks, yet it attracted visitors for centuries.
{base2_greek_desc_short}
The tomb of Mausolos was one of the most richly decorated buildings of antiquity. It attracted visitors for centuries despite it dedication to a man instead of the gods.

{base2_barbarian} Cairncalladryrdan
{base2_barbarian_desc}
Public order bonus: 5% (Casse only)\nMorale bonus to troops trained here: +1 (Casse only)\nPublic order bonus due to law: 5% (Barbarian only)\n\n(Carn-cay-lad-reer-den) The Old Standing Stones\n\nStonehenge is one of many hundreds of neolithic monuments that consists of multiple large stones arrayed in a circle. However, none of the rest were so well preserved nor quite so large. For this reason it impressed and confused those who happened to control the land around it.\n\nThe original purpose of Stonehenge is unknown. It was not a Celtic structure, but the Druidae held rituals there. Likewise, Romans observed religious festivals around the henge. It was an open air temple for the Britons, and likely one of their most important. Worship at Stonehenge was not limited to a specific deity. The Britons honored many gods, somewhat like a Celtic pantheon.\n\nThousands of statuettes, weapons, pieces of armor, and other small relics are buried in the soil around the henge in a very methodic manner. They include both British and Roman items.
{base2_barbarian_desc_short}
Worshippers at Stonehenge honored a variety of gods. The henge was of religious significance to Romans, Britons, and others.

{base2_numidia} Pharos Alexandreias
{base2_numidia_desc}
Public order bonus due to happiness: 5% (? only)\n\nThe Lighthouse of Alexandreia\n\nThe island of Pharos in the bay of Alexandreia was home to the most famous lighthouse in the history of the world. According to Strabo(1), Sostratos of Knidos built and completed it just prior to Europa Barbarorum’s start. Sentries kept beacon-fires lit throughout the night to assist seafarers, but the lighthouse also served as a sign of the capabilities, wealth, and power of the Ptolemies.\n\nPtolemaios Soter authorized construction of the lighthouse, but it was completed during the reign of Ptolemaios II. His successor dedicated it to Ptolemaios Soter and his wife Bernike, his parents and, now deceased, gods. Although it was once said to be four hundred feet tall, numerous earthquakes over the millennia have reduced it to almost nothingness. Today there is nothing left of it save rubble in the nearby harbor and stones reused in successive forts built upon the same spot. It became known as one of the canonical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.\n\n(1) Strabo 17.1.6
{base2_numidia_desc_short}
The Lighthouse of Alexandreia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and displayed the capabilities, wealth, and power of the Ptolemies.

{base2_roman} Temple of Baalbek\n(TRANSLATE ME PLEASE!)
{base2_roman_desc}
Temple of Baalbek\n\n Baal Hammon and Helios were worshipped by Phoenicians and Greeks at this magnificent temple complex in a place called Heliopolis, “the City of the Sun.” Its massive edifice and lofty colonnades soared beneath the scorching Syrian sun to honor the great god of the sky. Priests of Ra could be found there as well, for their god was also revered at the complex.\n\nThe Phoenicians, and later the Seleucid and Ptolemaic kings, expanded the complex with massive buildings carved with reliefs in honor of these magnificent deities. The many altars found throughout the complex bore the sacrifice of many bulls performed by Phoenician and Greek priests.
{base2_roman_desc_short}
The Temple of Baalbek was a massive temple complex dedicated to Baal Hammon and Helios. Phoenician, Seleucid, and Ptolemaic kings expanded the complex over the years.

That latter group appears to be controlled by this section of edb.txt:

base2 requires factions { greek, barbarian, numidia, roman, } and hidden_resource not_here
; base2 greek/westgreeks = Mausoleion Halikarnassou - KARIA (LIMIT locations)
; base2 barbarian/barbarian = Cairncalladryrdan - CASSEMORG (LIMIT location in barbarian and briton bonuses)
; base2 numidia/ptolemies = Pharos Alexandreias - DELTA NEILOU (LIMIT locations)
; base2 roman/eastgreeks = Baalbek - SYRIA
{
capability
{
trade_base_income_bonus bonus 1
population_loyalty_bonus bonus 1
; Cairncalladrydan extra bonuses
population_loyalty_bonus bonus 1 requires factions { britons, } and hidden_resource variantba
law_bonus bonus 1 requires factions { barbarian, } and hidden_resource variantba
recruits_morale_bonus bonus 1 requires factions { britons, } and hidden_resource variantba
; Mausoleion extra bonuses
recruits_morale_bonus bonus 1 requires factions { roman, numidia, greek_cities, thrace, macedon, carthage, } and hidden_resource variantgr
; Pharos Alexandreias extra bonuses
happiness_bonus bonus 1 requires factions { greek, carthage, numidia, roman, egypt, } and hidden_resource variantca
}
construction 2
cost 400
settlement_min town
upgrades

On that basis, it seems the factions are ?, Pontos, Ptolemaioi, ?, and Qarthadastim. The question marks are there because "greek" and "roman" aren't faction names. I'll follow up with the team.

On a semi-related note, here's what the Pharos looked like during my visit in January 2002

And this gives you some idea of why it was needed

EDIT: OK, apparently you can use culture/faction names interchangeably here. So that means "greek" and "roman" (as cultures) refer to the following factions:
Greek = Epeiros, Koinon Hellenon, Makedonia, Rome
Roman = Seleukeia, Baktria, and Hayasdan

I noticed a slightly odd sentence starting off the section on the Philai, Edfu, & Abu Simbel wonders. It sounds like a fragment, depending on how you read it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blacksnail

Biga, the sacred hill thought by the ancient Egyptians to be the first mound created out of Chaos and the burial place of Osiris.

---

It may be fine, however, wouldn't the addition of the word "was" enhance the readability?
"Biga was the sacred hill thought by the ancient...."

LE

In the section referring to Ka'bah, I noticed that the descrip lacked a header. I don't know if this was intentional, but it seems as though every other wonder you have posted has had one.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blacksnail

...To ensure this all tribes prohibited internal warfare during the period from the month before the pilgrimage to the month after... While he doesn't mention the Ka'bah by name it is the only known place in Arabia to fit such criteria...

---

I may just have a comma fetish, but it seems a comma in each of these sentence wouldn't hurt. "To ensure this, all tribes..." and "While he doesn't mention the Ka'bah by name, it is the only..." These commas aren't necessary, its up to you. Great work yet again.

Edit: Sorry, one more thing. I found this in the Temple of Baalbek section of your second post of wonders.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blacksnail

Ra was also held as important here, and his priests could be found in the temples.

---

It should read, "Ra was also held in importance here, and his priests could be found in the temples." Thats all.

LE

Thanks for the various catches! Some of that stuff was kind of a mess to get working right due to changing it from second to third person, so I'm not surprised stuff fell through the cracks. The stuff you pointed out needed touching up or reworking entirely, so I took a hard look and used either the editing trowel or the shovel until it looked correct. :) The priests of Ra thing in particular was confusing no matter how much you looked at it.

Anyway, again, thanks for pointing out the warts! Glad to have you on the editing team.

Teleklos Archelaou, I just realized something that may make the proposed description-based faction bonuses problematic. I'll use The Great Marib Dam to illustrate.

The code reads as follows:

trade_level_bonus bonus 1
population_growth_bonus bonus 1
; Varkana Drubustih extra bonus
population_growth_bonus bonus -1 requires factions { armenia, pontus, } and hidden_resource variantro

Anybody but Sauromatae or Yuèzhi will see something like the following, automatically generated by the RTW engine:

Provides:

Bonus to trade: +1
Population growth bonus: 0.5

However, a Sauromatae or Yuèzhi player will see:

Provides:

Bonus to trade: +1

The pop growth bonus cancels out due to the conditions within the e_d_b.txt file, but this player never sees it because the engine hides all of that behind the scene. This wouldn't normally matter, but if I set it up to mirror the bonuses and penalties at the very beginning of the Description section, there's going to be a lot of instances of repetition in the text. Sauromatae/Yuèzhi players will see they are penalized for the wall instead of simply not seeing a bonus.

Instead of mirroring the bonuses (and possibly causing confusion to players), is it possible to provide the same information in plain English at the beginning of the description? For example, "Sauromatae and Yuèzhi do not receive a population bonus for possessing the Great Marib Dam." This implies it has already been factored in to the "Provides:" section above and explains why the player's spy saw something different when the Parthian AI faction held the province.

Unique 1 - Land 1

{land1_roman} Varkana Drubustih
{land1_roman_desc}
Population growth bonus: -0.5 (Sauromatae and Yuèzhi)\n\nThe Hyrkanian Defensive Wall\n\nKnown today as the Gorgân Defense Wall, the Parthian Dynasty built this monumental construction over earlier Acheamenid defense works to protect Iran from the invasions of the northern nomad tribes. It is one of the most outstanding and gigantic architectural monuments in history, second only to the Great Wall of China as the largest defensive wall in the world. The wall begins at the Caspian coast, circles to the north of Gonbade Kâvous, continues northwest, and vanishes behind the Piškamar Mountains. It is 100 miles long and roughly 20 to 30 feet wide. Forty fortresses were spaced at intervals of 6 to 30 miles so any one fort could provide assistance to another in times of need.
{land1_roman_desc_short}
The Parthians built the Hyrkanian Defensive Wall to prevent invasions of the northern nomadic tribes. It is second only to the Great Wall of China as the largest defensive wall in the world.

{land1_numidia} A'ssakhr 'LMaghribi 'LAthim
{land1_numidia_desc}
The Great Marib Dam\n\nThe ruler Sumhu' Alay Yanuf and his son, Yatha'-Amar Bayyin, began construction of a monumental earthen and stone dam near Marib in the seventh century BC. This damn in the Balaq Hills retained seasonal rains that fell in the area and allowed for more comprehensive irrigation. It was maintained by successive generations of skilled Sabaeans and eventually the kings of Himyar, the civilization that succeeded the Sabaeans to become a potent force in Southern Arabia.\n\nThe dam itself was enormous, especially for the age and place in which it was constructed. Its meticulously block-cut stone facing spanned a gap of 1,800 feet across the path of the Wadi Adhanah. The irrigation system spread throughout an extensive area, using the dam's reserves to water approximately 25,000 acres. Spillways at the sides of the dam had 25-foot thick stone walls with gates and sluices to regulate water outflow. The dam provided the people of Marib with a bountiful crop that was far greater than that of their neighbors. This consistency of harvest ensured a boost to the local population.\n\nThe wall broke for the third and last time in 570 AD. It seems that by then the knowledge and skill to repair the dam had long since vanished.
{land1_numidia_desc_short}
This dam was built in the seventh century BC and spanned an 1,800 foot gap. It irrigated roughly 25,000 acres of farmland.

{land1_greek} Capitolinvm Templvm Iovis Optimi Maximi
{land1_greek_desc}
Public order bonus due to loyalty: 5% (Romani only)\nMorale bonus to troops trained here: +1 (Romani only)\n\nThe Capitoline Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus\n\nThis temple was the most magnificent in all of Rome. According to tradition it was dedicated in the first year of the Republic's formation and housed the Sibylline Books, the chief oracle for the Roman state. This collection of oracular responses given by the Cumaean Sibyl was the most important and holy set of documents possessed by the Republic. Legend has it that the early Etruscan king Tarquinius Priscus bought the three books from the Sibyl and placed them in the care of a priestly college, where they were to be consulted only at the command of the Senate. The books were lost in 83 BC to a fire on the Capitoline.
{land1_greek_desc_short}
The Capitoline Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus was the most magnificent in all of Rome and housed the Sibylline Books, the holiest documents possessed by the Republic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blacksnail

Teleklos Archelaou, I just realized something that may make the proposed description-based faction bonuses problematic. I'll use The Great Marib Dam to illustrate.

The code reads as follows:

trade_level_bonus bonus 1
population_growth_bonus bonus 1
; Varkana Drubustih extra bonus
population_growth_bonus bonus -1 requires factions { armenia, pontus, } and hidden_resource variantro

Anybody but Sauromatae or Yuèzhi will see something like the following, automatically generated by the RTW engine:

Provides:

Bonus to trade: +1
Population growth bonus: 0.5

However, a Sauromatae or Yuèzhi player will see:

Provides:

Bonus to trade: +1

The pop growth bonus cancels out due to the conditions within the e_d_b.txt file, but this player never sees it because the engine hides all of that behind the scene. This wouldn't normally matter, but if I set it up to mirror the bonuses and penalties at the very beginning of the Description section, there's going to be a lot of instances of repetition in the text. Sauromatae/Yuèzhi players will see they are penalized for the wall instead of simply not seeing a bonus.

Instead of mirroring the bonuses (and possibly causing confusion to players), is it possible to provide the same information in plain English at the beginning of the description? For example, "Sauromatae and Yuèzhi do not receive a population bonus for possessing the Great Marib Dam." This implies it has already been factored in to the "Provides:" section above and explains why the player's spy saw something different when the Parthian AI faction held the province.

---

I agree here that it would probably be best to put it in clear writing like you state. But they don't actually have the bonus taken away. In each province, when it starts the game out being controlled by a culture, we dropped a HR into that province. variantba for a barbarian controlled province, etc. This way, even though we have multiple variations of a building, bonuses will only go to one of the six variants, since we restrict it to the province that has that hidden resource. So only the province with variantro (the old roman factions, i.e., seleukid controlled) gets that bonus and the Marib dam doesn't have to worry about it. That's why I have divided up the bonuses into sections like that. Does that make some sense? Unfortunately the program doesn't read them all and process them all correctly into text for the player to see. So that's why it would be best to actually state the bonuses for a given unique building in the text itself.

I hope this wasn't too wacky. Let me know if you have any questions about it.

Thanks blacksnail! When you load up EB v.74, your "Wonders" - the ones completed to this point - are now a part of the game!