Venhelis Mod

[morano]

I'm stuck! I've no idea what is wrong.

Im working on ym mod and have many great ideas but im stuck in the map-building. regions, ground types, etc etc checked all ,resolved all minor errors (running RTW with _show err command)

BTW: when building your own map :
-make sure every faction has a leader
-make sure this leadre has proper age to be leader
-also any general/admiral/ leader must have an army or fleet
-every city above 'village" level must have at least one core building according to its level
-check your ground_types.tga for unaccesable terrain types and campare them to cities ,units etc placed on the map

but still when chooseing faction my RTW drop to windows all the time ,not even showing error message. I tryed with smaller maps , less factions but with the same result- the best was to see loading screen with progres bar , but at 80-90% it crushed again. WHAT do I do wrong with my campign maps? any help?

here are all files i changed (2,5 mb)




no changes in units names, stats etc - for now on i just try to make running campaign map - help me please.

thanks

[Makanyane]

but still when chooseing faction my RTW drop to windows all the time ,not even showing error message

Unfortunately there are quite a lot of possible errors that do that before you get to loading bar, which can be wrong use of generals names in descr_strat, landmass problem, rivers, problems with colours in map_regions and descr_regions not tying up etc. etc. etc.....! One thing that can help differentiate errors is: was a new map.rwm generated before it crashed?
(also if it was - make sure you're remembering to delete it each time you try a new change)

the best was to see loading screen with progress bar , but at 80-90% it crushed again.

Only one I can remember that crashes most of way down loading bar (and not at very end) is having radar_maps that are too large, for big maps you can't actually have them same size as map_regions - in 1.5 /1.6 you can do without them though so try that on the version that got that far.

Would look at files but link doesn't seem to work at the moment.

[morano]

yes , map.rwm is generated every time ,and i delete it before each RTW run.

also included :
faction maps
leader portraits
radar maps (both samll and big size)
blank disasters.tga,
roughness.tga
traderoutes.tga
water surface etc etc


just like in regular Imperial campaign - as i said for now on i just tryied to change map only ,so factions, characters ,units etc are intact.

is that might be something with ancillaries? wich ,as i heard ,changes 3 other files export_descr_ancillaries.txt,export_descr_ancillary_enums.txt,export_ancillaries.txt


i red couple tutorials here ,before started myown map ,but seams to me there are few other files need to be changed which weren't mentioned in none of them.

someone said it might be because of family trees which are not modyfied by TiME (f.e.), if that so -which file must be modded for family trees?


im going to sleep ,maybe tomorrow i will get some fresh look on it.

[morano]

one more thing: what does map_heights.hgt do ? is that file shuould be generated along map.rwm file? i never get such a result.

[Makanyane]

I see you mentioned using TiME, I'm not sure how reliable that is, a few people seem to have had problems - so perhaps its not good for later patches (not sure)??? Personally I prefer altering the files manually, it gives you a clearer understanding of file structure and what you've altered if nothing else.

Please say which patch of RTW you are running 1.2 / 1.5 etc,

Re: map_heights.hgt, its not meant to do anything in 1.5 but having one in either provinical campaign or base folder can cause problems - if you've still got one rename it so its not found.

Family trees are under armies section for each faction in descr_strat. If you haven't made any changes to characters / armies then in theory family trees shouldn't be altered - also unless you've attempted to add new ancilliaries you wouldn't need to do anything to other files you mentioned. While you're trying to get map to load you don't actually need leaders to have any ancilliaries etc., you could just delete the
'traits ....'
'ancilliaries ....'
lines from below each leader, (make a copy of descr_strat first so you can put them back later if they are not problem).

Can you try re-posting the files somewhere, link still doesn't seem to work...

[morano]

I heard about problems maight be caused by TiME , but I tryied to use it only to generate map ,so text files would be very simple (map dimension ,region names ) and then finish them manually. I've checked them and they seems to be ok.

My RTW is 1.2 ,and now I'm trying to lunch my mod without map_heights.hgt in BASE folder...

and here is new link to my files ZIP (2,5 mb)

http://www.savefile.com/files/174472

[Makanyane]

After very quick look, some things seem strange, not sure if they work under 1.2 or not but have not seen them done that way before.. and I'm answering on basis of 1.5

descr_regions.txt has 'none' in line where resources should be, try doing a find and replace and substituting 'timber' or some other known resource.

descr_strat has 1 character per faction but no army; for the leader to appear on map he normally needs at least one unit which becomes his bodyguard, look at a vanilla strat (or one from whichever mod you're ammending) and paste in
army
unit description (doesn't really matter which unit you use so long as it exists in EDU)
below each character..
Also even if he is only person in family I think perhaps he needs relative line, like
'relative Galerius Agrippa, end'
at bottom of his factions section.

[morano]

added resources, characters with armies and heirs ..still nothing :(


http://www.savefile.com/files/175442

[Makanyane]

I've finally found space to put 1.2 install and have progress of sorts, it doesn't seem to like having slave faction at the top of descr_strat, cut and paste the whole slave section down to bottom , below all other factions (just above diplomacy section). That will then go back to throwing KTM errors with show_err messages - that is actually progress - though no guarantee you won't meet another CTD

Main thing it's moaning about is you still don't have relative section for your leaders - now you've got heirs etc in, you'd also have to have character records for their mothers... If you go back to the first version that only had one leader per faction, watch out for the fact that you were missing the
'named character,' statement at that stage.

Don't know if it will matter in the end but vanilla 1.2 descr_strat has a win_conditions section below campaign dates ie.

start_date -270 summer
end_date 14 summer

win_conditions
land_owner 20 100
land_owner 20 100
land_owner 20 100
land_owner 20 100
land_owner 20 100
land_owner 20 100
land_owner 20 100
land_owner 20 100
end_win_conditions

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

you might want to paste in the win_conditions bit, in case that causes problems later... (but I don't really know if it does anything, just superstitious)

[Makanyane]

Just realised I was being thick, reason it CTD's if slave faction is at top of strat is because CTD causing error (rather than other ones) is in slave section.

You've got

character, sub_faction parthia, Aaron,

for the slave faction - Aaron is from slave section of descr_names, which is unfortunately misleading as you don't actually use those here.

If you have sub_faction parthia - then you have to have name from the Parthia section!! Having name from the wrong factions name list is one of the causes of errorless CTD's.

(Am double posting rather than editing in hope morano spots additional info.)

[morano]

i think im about to give up, already feel like wasteing my thime with this engine- it simply doesn't work. Here are changes I made:

-i've edit orginal (working, checked) imperial campaign 'strat' file this time rather than use Time generated files. only changes are : city,regions names, characteres localization (x,Y) and resources x,y pasted from 'strat' file generated by TiME

nothing

-then i realize that might be because of victory condition part in 'strat' which i don't understand but in my campaign all factions are playable and only romans in imperial, so i've changed it to exactly the same as it is in imperial camp.

nothing

-replaced maps (climates, ground types) with blank (all temperate grassland, all fartile medium type) ,because it might be some unaxessable regions -but i checked this many times ,if any city or charactere has chance to go go freely. anyways ,just in case i've replaced those maps with blank ones

nothing

got no more ideas :( im resigned . I think the better idea will be to pay someone who will code orginal engine for me to simulate this world.


one more funny thing:

in orgial "strat" file there is character (pontus) named "Laotice" ,she is a female ,age 55

this campaign works fine

but when i run my campaign i've got err_log - " Laotice is a MALE name assignet to a female character" - that gives me idea about stupidy of this engine -one thing is ok for one map and it is error for another , no suprise my campaign not working at all.

here are new files -as they are on my drive (of course EMPIREMOD_regions_and... file goes to "text' folder)

http://www.savefile.com/files/190332

map.rwm is generated
err_log errors were fixed
got CRT before loading bar screen


thanx for ANY help

[Makanyane]

Think you might be getting confused as you're getting frustrated (don't worry, we've all been there!)

In Pontus section original strat has:
character_record Laodice, female,

Your strat has got
character_record Laodice, male, command 0, influence 0, management 0, subterfuge 0, age 55, alive, never_a_leader

so a: unless you changed descr_names.txt you shouldn't be using that name for a male.

b: you shouldn't have a male of 16 or over in character record section that's for children and wives only - older males have to be placed on map with an army.

c. from where he is in relative section:
relative Laodice, Pharnaces, Herakles, Spartocus, end
relative Pharnaces, Pythodoris, Dynamis, Gepaepyris, Paerisades, end
relative Herakles, Antonia, Dionysos, Rhescuporis, end
he would also need to be the faction leader for Pontus, which by the way, you don't seem to have one of at the moment.

As you seem to be having problems with family sections - suggest you make a back up of the changes you made - then paste in vanilla family tree and armies for Pontus, just changing x/y coordinates to the ones you want (or any valid location). Do the same for any other faction it complains about below Pontus - get back to a map that loads, then make any alterations you need to families one character at a time. It is painstaking way to do it but advisable even after you think you know what you're doing!!!!

[morano]

I shouted YEAH! when loading bar get its 100% ... but then crash ! :(

changes to my last files:
1.Pontus faction hasn't leader named Manufati or somethin -therefore he wasn't head of the family ,so Laodice was ...as a MAN ! I fixed it and no more bugs at this stage.
2. little more manevouring with characters and cities on the map , Gaul general was placed on the river, city Shev in region ssahela was in wrong place( no idea why but fixed)

3. climate tga was matched to other maps ,coz there was few 'pink' climates under cities or characters causing bugs 'wrong tile' - unless i thnik that was the reason

and finally -no bugs ,errors and wonderfull sight of loading progress bar


100% and back to windows

[Makanyane]

I think I'm reaching same state of frustration now

Thought there might be some easy fix I/you had overlooked so have been experimenting with your files. Bodged up strat to same point you did, so it gets to end of errors. Got same end of loading bar CTD - tried various changes to parts that looked strange:
Replaced gladiator_uprising and brigands as default rebels in your descr_regions (I'm not sure you're meant to use them there - as they are 'non region related')
Replaced faction_creator slave in descr strat with faction_creator romans_julii
(again not sure if that is problem - but you don't normally see it)
Tried various changes to simplify climate/ground type maps etc - which didn't seem to make any difference.

Finally tried loading it under 1.5 (having taken win_conditions bit back out of strat) that started generating new error messages about admirals being in invalid locations - probably on land (so 1.5 seems to give show_err message on that wereas 1.2 didn't ) so I took out all admirals after that it loaded in 1.5 but crashed on scroll over certain regions. And by the way when it does load with that map heights you get weird effects around the coast as you've got areas that are RGB 0 0 0, they should be RGB 1 1 1 or it gets confused as to wether its land or water.

Still couldn't get same changes to load at all under 1.2 though !!!!

SO ANYONE ELSE PLEASE - WHAT ARE REQUIRED DIFFERENCES TO LOAD UNDER 1.2 INSTEAD OF 1.5 ?????????????????????

EDIT: Its occurred to me that trying to have senate in as live (but unplayable) faction on new map in 1.2 could be a problem as am not sure if senate missions are hardcoded to region names - however trying to make senate die on start up as in: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=50447
doesn't solve ctd at end of loading bar - and I think senate has to be in strat for 1.2?!

[morano]

http://www.savefile.com/files/233457

final version of my files... no more ideas what can be wrong any help?

[Makanyane]

Had another look at this, replaced faction_creator slave line with romans _julii
and got some more error messages, Pontus had two leaders on same co-ordinates (x 238, y 12) and line 4047 Artemas slave was apparently invalid location. that still CTD'd at end of loading bar... Tried under 1.5 which loaded but crashed on viewing Dacian provinces - so changed creator and rebel type for them, which is now stable, if playing as Egyptians, but crashed on viewing senate tab if loading as Romans....

Problem with end of bar CTD under 1.2 is definitely to do with hard coded senate missions, finally found this:https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...+missions+hard
changed the first four of your regions to internal name of those hard coded ones and it now loads, however playing as romans still seems buggy so you could still have problem with senate relationship.

Is there any reason why you couldn't do the mod for 1.5 patch? That is more flexible in that at least you can omit senate from strat if you can lose faction - or possibly internally re-name it (although I've only tried that under BI.exe)

Anyway file to get it to load under 1.2 should be here;
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FM25XTAO
(please back up your versions before overwriting, and note I may have mangled some of your files in the process !).