Hi Guys,
A long post (apologies) but also a few thoughts regarding Script files (ie: Early.txt/High.txt/Late.txt) in MTW. The intention of this post is to extract info, maybe over time, that relates to Script modding.
As many of us know, producing any new mod will involve many changes to a Script file, whether or not you are -
- basing your mod on the existing MTW Campaign map
- providing a different Campaign map for your mod (with all of the inherent considerations)
I suspect any individual who has attempted such modding will have a lot of work/clarification/amendment/adjustment in this area pertaining to providing a good/correct 'Script' for your mod.
This post is intended to extract such ideas/thoughts/suspicions/facts from anyone who has anything to offer in this area of MTW modding. The idea being that MAYBE if we can collect enough info from patrons in this group we just may be able to create some sort of 'Advanced Scripting Guide' and 'Script validation program' that would incorporate the 'rules' implicit in Script modding.
Ok, I hear you say "We already have a few guides that explain the various keywords and parameters in Scdrpt files. What are you talking about?"
Yes, I know ... BUT we have very little in terms of knowledge pertaining to inter-relationships between -
a) the various parts (different keywords/parmeterss and the implications of such) in the Script file
b) the Script keywords and the "internal working of" the MTW engine in respect of these Script keywords
So, exactly what are these 'rules' pertaining to Script files? That's precisely what this post is intending to ascertain
Previous work by modders
========================
Whether or not you've experienced problems in this area the 3 questions to be asked are really -
1) WHAT is your mod trying to do/achieve in respect of changing keywords/parameters in the Script file for your mod?
2) Is whatever your mod is attempting to achieve POSSIBLE in terms of how the MTW engine deals with a Campaign game - in other words - how much of what you've defined in your Script for your mod actually works correctly woth the MYW engine?
3) Have any of the MTW engine's hard-coded facets foiled/fooled you - insomuch that certain MTW 'hard coded things' will ALWAYS manifest themselves - REGARDLESS of 1) and 2) above?
Now, there are many modders in this forum (whether they are 'regular' posters or not) who have had a lot of success in modding these Script files. Consequently, such modders have undoubtadly also experienced a lot of 'trial and error' in debugging their Scripts and have learned a thing or two along the way. Such modders have probably a good idea, from their own experiences, of what is a yes-yes and what is a no-no in terms of writing Scripts.
At present this little group of ours has no 'guidelines' for modding such Scripts WHEN THEY GO WRONG. However, considering the number of new Scripts that have been written for new mod's I'm sure many of us have thoughts/ideas/facts pertaining to what we can or cannot do in terms of writing such Scripts, and also how to correct or avoid certain problems.
What ARE the rules?
===================
Many of us who have attempted modding of Scripts, whether successful or not, must have some thoughts on the inherent problems associated with such modding. However valid these thoughts are, whether they are suspicions/facts/observations - all such knowledge may well be useful. To my mind, many considerations of Script modding are still unknown ... for example -
- is it necessary to ALWAYS have 2 'opposite' cultures (ie: Christian/Islamic, Christian/Orthadox, Orthadox/Islamic OR can we define a mod with just 1 culture for all/most factions?
- do we ALWAYS require a/the Pagan faction?
- do we ALWAYS require the Golden Horde to appear?
- on changed MTW campaign maps, where exactly will the Golden Horder appear?
- is the appearence of the GoldenHorder related to the MTW regions id's?
- is the Pope faction ALWAYS required
- what happens if we have do Christian factions BUT none of these factions are 'Crusader' type factions (like the Danes)?
- do we require a minimum number of Sea regions to be defined?
- do we require a minimum number of Land regions to be defined?
- what is the minimum number of factions we can define?
- what is the minimum number of cultures we can define?
- if we MUST have the Pope defined, and put him on an island with no sea port defined for that Land region - what happens if some faction invades and kills the Pope? Will the Papla faction always re-generated in other 'strange' regions?
- What happens if we define 2 adjacent provinces with different characteristics that do not appear to be supported in the present Scripts? (there are 100 other questions relating to this one!
There are SO many other things we just don't know (as a group) but some of you guy's may well know them.
Whats the Purpose
=================
Well, I'm currently doing something that is very closely related to Script type files. I would really like to have a better idea of the various yes-yes/no-no's that other people have ascertaned via their work in Script modding.
I'm currently involved in writing a utility and I really don't know what all of the do's and dont's are in respect to Script files. Therefore this utility can do so much but really DOES'NT have ALL the info required for automatically generating Script files. However, if I get enough feedback from this post I can do 3 things -
1) provide a better utility, in terms of accuracy
2) maybe, in time, provide a write-up/document pertaining to "Script modding" - not in terms of what any keyword/paramter does but in respect of the inter-relationships between both -
a) different keywords in any one Script
b) the Script parameters and the MTW engine considerations for the campaign game
3) start writing a new utility "ScriptValidator" that will try to validate any modders Script
My main hope/asperation would be 3) - BUT such an aspiration could only be realised IF enough good info is provided to this thread.
Many of you guys have knowledge. If we can collect all this knowledge and put it all together then I'm prepared to build such knowledge into a "ScriptValidator" type utility. Such a utility would probably have to be amended/updated/corrected for a while as we all learn more and ascertain the REAL IMPORTANT do's and dont's of Script modding. However ... anything is better than nothing.
Conclusion
==========
If we can collect enough info regarding "Script rules" we can do two things -
- provide a guide/document pertaining to "Scripting Rules" (ie: not what the various keywords/parameters in a Script actually MEAN but rather detailing the inter-relationships between some keywords/parameters and what potential effects/problems should be considered for anyone modding in this area!
- probably produce a program/utility/tool that incorporates all of the rulesd/ideas gleaned from all of you modders who have been through this process of Script modding.
Is this necessary? Is this important? Will the ideas in this thread just turn out to be a lot more 'hogwash'?
I think not. If I can extract/ascertain enough info I really think we can produce another utility "ScriptValidator" which would tend to make ALL of our modding endeavours a bit easier. Ok, maybe such a utility would be constantly changing (a case of incorporating rules as and when we are sure of them! but surely ...
.. anythings better than nothing. Or not?
After all, this IS a modders group This IS what we are all interested in hobby-wise. If we can make it a bit easier for ourselves, and for new patrons, then why not?
If you have any info pertainng to modding Script files (especially in terms of no-no's and yes-yes's) then let's hear them
regards,
Welly.
Bookmarks