EDU changes in EB 0.81a for BI

Hi.

After starting to use BI as the engine for EB 0.81a, I decided to take a better look at the EDU file and make some adjustments that I hope will improve gameplay.

Pre-Requisites:

- EB 0.81a with BI

- cunctator's First Cohorts Mod 1.2a installed
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=79647

- svramj's Elephants Models Fix installed
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=81988


Attributes changed in EDU:

- formation
- stat_pri_attr
- stat_sec_attr
- stat_ground

I also changed a few of the stat_pri and stat_sec attributes to adjust the Swing Speed values in the case of cavalry using spears.


General conceptions for spear bonus:

- The battlefield in the EB timeframe is very dangerous for cavalry units, due to the high number of spear-armed units and the lack of proper protection for both horse and horseman. Still, they can be very powerful when correctly used (a well performed charge against the rear of an enemy formation can rout it or a missile/skirmish cavalry unit can quickly assume position behind enemy formations and quickly disrupt them with arrows/javelins).

- Units handling spears are deadly for cavalry units, because the horse is a weak link in the confrontation between cavalry and spears. This gives much more emphasis in using cavalry charges from the rear, rather than front or even flank, against spearmen.

- Cavalry with lances have the task of eliminating other cavalry, because the longer lance can hit the horse or the cavalryman before this one can reach the lancer (even if using a spear).

- All spears have the Spear/Light Spear[BI] and Spear_Bonus_4 or Spear_Bonus_8 variables set. I reserved the Spear_Bonus_8 for units using long pikes and cavalry using lances. All the others use the Spear_Bonus_4 (including phalanxes which don't have long pikes).

- Some missile and skirmish units have the Short Pike set, because they use short spears as secondary weapons. I tried to give them the Spear_Bonus_2, but the game crashed reporting that it was an unrecognized attribute.


General conceptions for formations:

- most spear&shield equiped units (except phalanxes) can make a shieldwall. It's a formation used by reflex when a unit faces a tougher enemy.

- most spearmen with small shields, missile/skirmish units with small spears as secondary weapons can make schiltrom instead, since they get less vulnerable that way.

- There are some exceptions, to add some flavour (Dorkim Ezra'him, Frankamannoz, etc).

- All infantry units equipped with armour of value 4 and all cavalry units equipped with armour value of 10 or less have the can_swim attribute.


General conceptions for ground stats:

- Depending on the general region to which a unit is native, the ground stats
vary accordingly. I did not change the stat_heat values, but used them to calculate the stat_ground values instead. I also took into account the fact that cavalry units and phalanxes have penalties in forest terrain. Chariots have penalties in most terrains (scrub, sand, forest and snow)

- In general, egyptian/carthaginian/eastern units have moderate bonus in scrub and sand terrain and high penalties in snow terrain.

- In general, arabian units have high bonus in sand terrain and high penalties in snow terrain.

- In general, celtic/getai/iberian units have moderate penalties in sand and snow terrain and moderate bonus in forest terrain.

- In general, hellenistic/roman units have moderate penalties in sand and snow terrain.

- In general, germanic units have high penalties in sand terrain and high bonus in forest terrain.

- In general, steppe units have moderate bonus in scrub terrain and moderate penalties in snow terrain.


I look forward for your comments on this EDU.

Get the EDU file from: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhbpkqmr_0w4xppn

Bonuses in shrubs and stuff do not work. They apply everywhere. I believe 1.5 broke them.

Otherwise, nice work.

Foot

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foot

Bonuses in shrubs and stuff do not work. They apply everywhere. I believe 1.5 broke them.

Otherwise, nice work.

Foot

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What, all of them ? Snow modifiers too ?

This can't be true O_o. Now that would TOTALLY suxx... Anyway, they seem to work properly in my game.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Watchman

What, all of them ? Snow modifiers too ?

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Don't know about all of them, but the scrub one certainly doesn't work. Thats why we had to remove it from all our barbarian units.

Foot

Is this compatible with watchmans mods?

It's an altered EDU file. Guess. :beam:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Watchman

It's an altered EDU file. Guess. :beam:

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Yes, that's correct. It's an alternate approach.

I used your EDU file for a while but it changes some of the basic values of many units and, to be honest, since I use Arkatreides unit cards as quick-reference, I did not wish to change the basic values that come in those cards.

BTW, I use some small stickers to mark the can_swim, shield_wall, schiltrom and spear_bonus_x values. That way I can change the values without having to change and reprint the cards.