Medmod IV v3.14 Update

[WesW]

Quote[/b] (oaty @ April 29 2004,00:35)]Well my problem came from not having excel to read your spreadsheet but I found this program http://download.com.com/3001-2064-10281288.html
at cnet.com and it downloaded pretty quickly too. its free for 30 days and if you register its free for life.

Well my question now is when it comes to crusades. I installed the 2.01 patch right before I installed the 3.14 wesmod. so I don't know wich one caused it but the deal is I use to donate troops to another factions crusade if I was catholic but I noticed I can no longer do this. I was wondering if you did this or somehow it got disabled with the latest patch and it is not displayed in the readme text.

I didn't see this before I posted. Anyway, I have never heard of anyone donating troops to a rival's Crusade, so I have no idea what happened, but I don't think anything I did would affect something like that.

Btw, I have free Excel and Word viewers in my mod stuff, I just haven't gotten around to uploading them. You should be able to find them at Microsoft's website.

[Turbo]

Quote[/b] (+DOC+ @ April 13 2004,04:25)]After playing about 50 turns, it does indeed look as if the provincial unit bonuses are hampering the AI from building up in some provinces. This is especially prevalent with regards to building salt, silver and gold mines/mine complexes.

THis can also be a problem for the AI in reaching the high-tech units In provinces where the specialisation is for a low-tech unit (e.g. Berber Camels) the AI will often not build further up the tech tree (or at least more reluctantly) once the province is capable of building the specialised unit. Consider Constantinople in the original MTW early campaign, which never seems to develop enough to produce Varangian Guards due to its bonus for Kataphraktoi.

Maybe something to consider for the next version. Otherwise, cracking Mod. :)

regards

Doc,

I am also seeing this, particularly in fought over regions. The AI almost never rebuilds a castle in these regions. When it does, it builds just enough to make the unit for which it gets a bonus. This seems to result in an usually large number of low quality units (spearmen and archer hordes) being produced by the AI later on in the game as the starting advanced buildings are destroyed by conquest. These drawbacks with the AI cause MedMod to be very challenging at the start with the game becoming easier and easier as the game goes on.

[+DOC+]

Hi Turbo,

YEs, this is definitely the reason. In my not so humble opinion, this is why provincial bonuses have to be used sparingly and with great thought, as the repercussions on AI province development can be potentially disasterous to the AI maintaining a mid-late game challenge.

That's why in my own mod of MTW which I play I use the following rules when assessing provincial development.

1st.
They have to thoroughly tested. This can be done using the -ian command, starting a campaign and choosing to go the Papist faction for instance. Put the game on auto run and the map on full view and observe how the AI plays and builds for as many turns as possible to convince yourself that the bonus are beneficial.

2nd.
Be very careful in provinces with mining resources, trading goods and metal. In my experience it's best to keep these provinces free from provinical bonuses, unless thoroughly tested. With trading goods on coastal provinces, it's possible to use provincial bonuses for ships and then tie the merchant improvement to the shipbuilding to ensure that the AI builds up sufficiently. Like I said before I'm happy to share my files with anyone who wishes to see what I've done. By having ship bonuses in Wessex, Denmark and Venice along with suitable starting improvements and a modified tech tree, I can ensure that shipping improvements and the top merchant buildings are built by the AI to maximise trade income.

3rd.
In big important provinces, e.g. Constantinople and Egypt for instance, be very careful giving provincial bonuses that can restrain AI development. The Kataphraktoi bonus in Constantinople is crippling and very limiting as the AI doesn't build further improvements to reach other useful units. Changing this to Pronoiai makes a world of difference, as by following the path to this unit, it also uncovers the buildings necessary for Byzantine Lancers and Varangian Guards.

4th.
In less useful provinces with poor income and no resources, provincial bonuses can be used in their element. One should consider low tech units to limit AI developemnt in these provinces, which in turn encourages the spending of wealth in other "more useful" provinces. Obviously it can be equally detrimental to the AI if it tries to build up everything in every province.

Some working examples with my mod include:

Byzantine Infantry in Anatolia
Italian Light Infantry in Milan
Avar Nobles in Moldavia
Faris in Arabia
Pronoiai in Constantinople
Removing provincial bonuses for the Gold Mine provinces of the Almohads, Il de France.

But in general it works better by removing them for main provinces.

[Elmo]

Hope you heatlh has improved Wes.

I've resurrected MTW on my PC and was wondering if there will be any further upates to MedMod? Thanks.

Edit - OK never mind, I see the new thread in Engineering. Still I hope you are well Wes.