Research: Fixing the trait bugs

**Bob the Insane** · 02-27-2005, 15:15

player1 - I understand where you are coming from and I understand the problems you have pointed out... (I have removed the code I suuggested to avoid confusng people)...

But, one thing I noted with the example you provide, it will not trigger coward for simply withdrawing from the battlefield immediately (on the battlemap). Where GeneralNumKillsInBattle = 0 and PercentageEnemyKilled = 0 (I presume)... Was this intentional?

**player1** · 02-27-2005, 17:00

The problem is that if you leave that, then you could get coward trait when enemy withraws right from start (and not just you).

**Pode** · 02-27-2005, 20:54

Try adding a not WonBattle condition

**Camp Freddie** · 02-28-2005, 16:55

Originally Posted by Bob the Insane

But, one thing I noted with the example you provide, it will not trigger coward for simply withdrawing from the battlefield immediately (on the battlemap). Where GeneralNumKillsInBattle = 0 and PercentageEnemyKilled = 0 (I presume)... Was this intentional?

Player1's fixes to my attempt at solving the coward bug seem to be the best option. Generalfoughtincombat seems to be totally buggered. This could be affecting the Heroic Saviour ancilliary too, which should be changed to GeneralNumKillsInBattle > 0.

To answer your question, it will not trigger if you withdraw, BUT that isn't what the coward trait is about.
There's another trait (indecisive attacker) and 3 triggers which cover withdrawing before combat (100% chance when you are the attacker, 50% chance when odds are 0.8-1.5 and a 50% chance for a 2-step increase when odds >3). It has huge thresholds though (8, 16, 32) and has goodcommander and goodattacker as antitraits, so it's hardly ever seen.
Strangely, if odds are 1.5-3 and you aren't attacking, it's safe to withdraw - another trait glitch!
Therefore, in Trigger V0200, the > 3 should be reduced to > 1.5. If you want coward traits to be added, then put "coward 1 chance 50" in Trigger V0200, which would now fire when odds >1.5 and you withdraw. You could put "coward 1 chance 10" in Trigger V0190 as well, if you want to really persecute generals who avoid battle when they have a good chance of winning!
The only problem is that I don't know how often the AI general withdraws. If he withdraws a lot (he did in MTW) then he could be heavily penalised by coward traits. That might even be the reason why "indecisive attacker" has such high thresholds.

**player1** · 02-28-2005, 22:10

Well, it's interesting to point that when using autocalc, if having enough troops, generals rarely fight, which already increases chances of gaining this coward trait for AI.

So no need to add more futher.
Fixed Coward trigger does even more then enough.

**player1** · 02-28-2005, 22:25

By the way, Heroic Savior works fine, since one of the conditions is already generalnumberofkills.

**player1** · 03-01-2005, 00:53

ALERT!
Scarrface fix is not working well!

It seems that GeneralHPLostRatioinBattle is working as intended when doing autocalc battle (checking % of health lost).

Only in manual battle it checks % of health remaining.

So, the fix for Scarrface has fixed the trait for manual battle, but broke it for autocalc.

P.S.
As sideffect, there would be more brave and scarred AI generals.

**Simetrical** · 03-01-2005, 01:03

Oh, God. Another difference between autocalc and battle map. This one will be even harder to sort out, since at least doubling the check gives us something we can work with. At least here we might be able to get away with not using the condition, though, I suppose.

-Simetrical

**Camp Freddie** · 03-01-2005, 10:15

Uuurgh...

Oh well, I'm kinda happy that this will make it harder to kill the enemy generals.
Also, since the autocalc doesn't give double traits, the AI shouldn't get the full scarface until it's fought an average of 14 battles (4 threshold / 0.3 chance).
And if you've modded the game with double comabt trait thresholds, it would be an average of 27 battles before the AI gets scarfaced.

How did you test it? I'm guessing you used the "less than" 0.7 fix, raised the chance to 100 (and deleted the roman-only scarred chance), then autocalced a few battles, and you got "been in the wars" after every battle - right?

**player1** · 03-01-2005, 12:04

Originally Posted by Camp Freddie

How did you test it? I'm guessing you used the "less than" 0.7 fix, raised the chance to 100 (and deleted the roman-only scarred chance), then autocalced a few battles, and you got "been in the wars" after every battle - right?

Something like that.
Later I tried =1 and =0, just to be sure .

**player1** · 03-17-2005, 15:32

Ok, after some investigation I'm pretty sure that adding Conspirator to assassins is unbalanced.
There is already more then enough synergy without it to get uber-assassins, and extra possible 1-3 to Subterfuge adds a lot.

Now, my theory is that sabotage was originally planned to be spy mission, but was later move to assassins.

So, instead of GoodConspirator, successful sabotage should give GoodAssassin, since that's the trait which governs assassins experience. Also, that way, there will be no dangerous synergy that could make assassins overpowered.

I suggest only changing triggers agents13 and agents14, since having agents15 and agents16 would make sabotage better in exp gain then assassination.

In short, replace:

Code:

;------------------------------------------
Trigger agents13
    WhenToTest SabotageMission

    Condition not MissionSucceeded

    Affects BadConspirator  1  Chance  100 

;------------------------------------------
Trigger agents14
    WhenToTest SabotageMission

    Condition MissionSucceeded

    Affects GoodConspirator  1  Chance  100

with this:

Code:

;------------------------------------------
Trigger agents13
    WhenToTest SabotageMission

    Condition not MissionSucceeded

    Affects BadAssassin  1  Chance  100 

;------------------------------------------
Trigger agents14
    WhenToTest SabotageMission

    Condition MissionSucceeded

    Affects GoodAssassin  1  Chance  100

What do others think?

**Jambo** · 03-18-2005, 00:52

Have you noticed that even when diplomats fail missions they seem to gain experience? Similarly, spies and assassins never seem to lose their skills when they miss targets or get caught in a city.

**player1** · 03-18-2005, 09:35

Actually, I've seen something opposite.

I've seen some agents losse all their experience (good trait goes back to 0) when fail the mission. But I think it's only realted to thse units that you get at the start of the campaign. Others, later build, don't have such weird handycap.

Maybe these two things are related in some way.