Making Epeiros able to recruit Massilian hoplites in Massalia

[QuintusSertorius]

I'm hoping this one is relatively straightforward. I'm thinking about a new migrated faction game (playing with Epeiros-as-Massalia), but it will be rather strange not being able to recruit the iconic Massalian unit. At present Koinon Hellenon can recruit them there (along with Aedui and Arverni).

I could just use the console to spawn some of the mercenary units whenever I would want to recruit and delete the appropriate money with a negative add_money, but that's not the most elegant of solutions. And it messes up the financial calculations too.

So I think I need to change the ownership in the EDU and the EDB (add thrace to both).

EDU change is easy.

EBD I see this line three times:

recruit "hellenistic infantry massiloi hoplitai" 0 requires factions { greek_cities, } and hidden_resource NW and hidden_resource A and hidden_resource n1 and hidden_resource y2 and hidden_resource n4 and hidden_resource n8

If I add thrace after greek_cities, will that make them recruitable?

Do I need to do something with telling it what model to use as well? EDIT: Checking out this thread, I think I need a texture and unit card (both of which I can copy).

Hmmm, this was simple until I got to the descr_model_battle.txt and discover the slot I'd want for the Massilians is used by Epeiros as hypaspistai. Now while I never use them (can't without a type I government), that's possibly in dangerous territory removing them. Files are backed up, let's see what happens.

[QuintusSertorius]

Possibly because I don't have Notepad++ or equivalent, the game wouldn't even finish loading up when I changed those files, so reverted to the backups. So I went ahead without the changes and instead look to hire mercs. Perhaps every time I hire one, spawn an additional one.

Though it turns out having set it up, Massalia just doesn't have enough income to act as a one-province faction. Even after judicious use of process_cq on ports, markets and such, and disbanding almost my entire army (now four units of levy hoplites, two of akontistai, two kluddolon and my FMs) I'm just about breaking even. I think the big difference is that unlike Asia Minor, it isn't covered in mineral resources. I'll give it a while longer and see what happens, but it seems I need immediate conquest to have anything like an economy. Which is a shame.

[Gugus]

There is another solution, I offten use this one. You can make the mercenary Massilian Hoplites recruitable. You have to edit only one file (and you can do that with standard Windows Notepad):
export_descr_buildings.txt
Find a line that has :
hellenistic infantry massiloi hoplitai
copy it then paste to proper Epeiros barracks (either factional or regional its up to you where you want to recruit them from) - remember you have to paste it to every level of barracks. Then change the:
hellenistic infantry massiloi hoplitai
for:
hellenistic infantry massiloi hoplitai merc
Thaths it. If you want, you can add recruitment of Massilian Hoplites to other cities, but for that you have to know wich hidden resources they have (listed in DESCR_REGIONS.TXT).
You have to do the above plus modify the values of hidden resources (in bold):
recruit "hellenistic infantry massiloi hoplitai" 0 requires factions { gauls, scythia, } and hidden_resource NW and hidden_resource A and hidden_resource n1 and hidden_resource y2 and hidden_resource n4 and hidden_resource n8

You can do that to all mercenary units with any faction, any city, just make sure that in EDU your faction is listed in the ownership line.
G.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Though it turns out having set it up, Massalia just doesn't have enough income to act as a one-province faction. Even after judicious use of process_cq on ports, markets and such, and disbanding almost my entire army (now four units of levy hoplites, two of akontistai, two kluddolon and my FMs) I'm just about breaking even. I think the big difference is that unlike Asia Minor, it isn't covered in mineral resources. I'll give it a while longer and see what happens, but it seems I need immediate conquest to have anything like an economy. Which is a shame.

Well, in EB very few (human played) factions can survive with only one city. Casse is the only one I know of, but only for a limited time, because you're at peace with the Eleutheroi, and you still have to disband troops to do it.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect Massilia, as a player faction, to be forced into blitzing Emporion at the beginning of the campaign in order to make ends meet - after all, that's another Greek colony, isn't it? It would be natural for Massilia and Emporion to be close allies. You could even give Emporion to the Massilian faction at the beginning of the campaign, so you start off with two cities instead of just one.

Maybe Massilia too could start off at peace with the Eleutheroi - maybe that would boost her trade sufficiently at the beginning.

[QuintusSertorius]

Funny thing is, Pergamon is absolutely rich enough (having mines, a port and roads) to sustain you for a while as a single-city starting point. Doesn't even take much expansion in Asia Minor to continue to be economically viable since there's loads of ports and mines in that western peninsular.

[Captain Trek]

Funny thing is, Pergamon is absolutely rich enough (having mines, a port and roads) to sustain you for a while as a single-city starting point. Doesn't even take much expansion in Asia Minor to continue to be economically viable since there's loads of ports and mines in that western peninsular.

Not to mention that longlasting peace between you and the KH and Maks (assuming you transplated Epiros there) is possible because of the water between you and those to factions, which will make them far less likely (and able) to attack you on a whim, so trade with them might well serve to make Pergamon able to float itself with no satellite cities.