Playable Senate?!

[Mamba]

The easy way to trick the game in any situation is to just let Rome rebel. You can't win the game without Rome (plus, Rome is such a crappy settlement anyway).

[Captain Fishpants]

Despite appearances the Senate is not a faction like any other, or intended to be playable. The Senate is as much a scoring mechanism and a mission generator as it is a faction, so don't be surprised if the game goes loopy when you play as the Senate.

The Senate is actually doing a bunch of stuff in monitoring Roman attitudes that the other factions don't do, and modding the game to make them playable renders the whole thing very unstable: basically, the game will crash sooner or later.

[Monarch]

Despite appearances the Senate is not a faction like any other, or intended to be playable. The Senate is as much a scoring mechanism and a mission generator as it is a faction, so don't be surprised if the game goes loopy when you play as the Senate.

The Senate is actually doing a bunch of stuff in monitoring Roman attitudes that the other factions don't do, and modding the game to make them playable renders the whole thing very unstable: basically, the game will crash sooner or later.

I see, I suppose that makes sense, they way they are setup with only one province and such suggests they are not a 'true faction'.

Edit: Interesting idea for a mod. Just like RTR did, dissolve the Senate first of all. Then create a new faction like EB did and name them the SPQR, starting provinces: Rome. Then give them the starting troops and stats that the 'true' Senate has, make them purple and bang. Theorettically your not playing as the games Senate but you are playing as a purple faction named the Senate.

Heh again probably wont work, but maybe...

[player1]

Hmm, Captain Fishpants...
What exactly does "options bi" tag in descr_start.txt file of barbarian invasion file.

Since you obviosuly turned off senate logic for BI campaign, so maybe something similar needs to be done to original campaign too make it less buggy while playing unlocked senate faction.

Of course, it would totaly change game when playing other roman factions (no more real senate), but it would be still interesting to know.

[Captain Fishpants]

Hmm, Captain Fishpants...
What exactly does "options bi" tag in descr_start.txt file of barbarian invasion file.

Since you obviosuly turned off senate logic for BI campaign, so maybe something similar needs to be done to original campaign too make it less buggy while playing unlocked senate faction.

Of course, it would totaly change game when playing other roman factions (no more real senate), but it would be still interesting to know.

The "options bi" tag is used to enable features specific to Barbarian Invasion, and not necessarily turn off RTW code.

I have to point out that I'm not a coder here, but the chances are that, given that BI has its own version of the .EXE, code related to the Senate has been removed/disabled anyway. This particular option probably won't do anything helpful when used with the original descr_start file and .EXE.

Hope that helps.

Is there any similar factions in BI which should not be made playable ?

It's probably a good idea from a stability point of view to avoid using the emergent factions as playable ones: the Roman Rebels, the Romano-British, the Ostrogoths and the Slavs. Any of the starting factions will be fine, though.

There are plenty of threads knocking about here and at other sites relating to this aspect of modding, as you probably know.

[Dromikaites]

I have to point out that I'm not a coder here, but the chances are that, given that BI has its own version of the .EXE, code related to the Senate has been removed/disabled anyway. This particular option probably won't do anything helpful when used with the original descr_start file and .EXE.

Actually bi.exe (RomeTW-BI.exe) does have the Senate inside. The best way to see that at work is to copy the RTW \data folder and name it \my_mod and then start BI with -mod:my_mod option. Not only the Senate works like in RTW but the religions are there too.

It's probably a good idea from a stability point of view to avoid using the emergent factions as playable ones: the Roman Rebels, the Romano-British, the Ostrogoths and the Slavs. Any of the starting factions will be fine, though.

There are plenty of threads knocking about here and at other sites relating to this aspect of modding, as you probably know.

The Romano-British are clearly special because they can emerge without having the can_horde ability.

Speaking about emerging, do you have any idea about why an emergent faction can only show up on the tiles which are on the edge of the world map?

Is there a way to make a faction emerge in a province which is not on the edge of the map?

[lar]

ostrogoths and roman rebels dont emerge on edge of map.

neither do romanobritish but they do appear on edge of land (map continues into water)

[TheViking]

It's probably a good idea from a stability point of view to avoid using the emergent factions as playable ones: the Roman Rebels, the Romano-British, the Ostrogoths and the Slavs. Any of the starting factions will be fine, though.

There are plenty of threads knocking about here and at other sites relating to this aspect of modding, as you probably know.

do you know why its only the celts and berbers that becomes playable after i made all the starting factions playable? if i choose Lombardi ie. i crash to desktop.

[Viking]

do you know why its only the celts and berbers that becomes playable after i made all the starting factions playable? if i choose Lombardi ie. i crash to desktop.

You have to add descriptions, `cause they have none.

[IceTorque]

Despite appearances the Senate is not a faction like any other, or intended to be playable. The Senate is as much a scoring mechanism and a mission generator as it is a faction, so don't be surprised if the game goes loopy when you play as the Senate.

The Senate is actually doing a bunch of stuff in monitoring Roman attitudes that the other factions don't do, and modding the game to make them playable renders the whole thing very unstable: basically, the game will crash sooner or later.

Is there any similar factions in BI which should not be made playable ?