Exact unit start and end recruitment dates in

**The Blind King of Bohemia** · 11-07-2006, 00:40

If you go on TWC and look in the Medieval II modding forums some guy has put up the text files in the Imperial Campaign for download. This is what is available to you:

; pool --> name of mercenary pool
; regions --> list of regions belonging to pool
; unit --> name of mercenary unit
; --> exp X --> experience level of mercenary unit
; --> cost X --> cost to recruit mercenary unit
; --> replenish X - X --> upper and lower bounds on pool replenishment rate
; --> max X --> maximum pool size for unit
; --> initial X --> initial pool size for unit
; --> {optional} start_year X --> year that unit becomes available {0 indicates no set start year}
; --> {optional} end_year X --> last year that unit will be available {0 indicates no set end year}
; --> {optional} religions { A B C } --> list of faction religions unit is available for {no entries indicates available for all religions}
; --> {optional} crusading --> {requires one religion to have been specifed} unit only available to crusading/jihad armies
; --> {optional} events { A B C} --> unit only available after all specified events have occurred, event is a string corresponding to descr_events.txt

And here's an example of a pool from the Mercenaries file:

pool Burgundy
regions Dijon_Province Metz_Province Rheims_Province
unit Mercenary Frankish Knights exp 0 cost 1080 replenish 0.01 - 0.06 max 1 initial 0 end_year 1300 religions { catholic orthodox }
unit Mercenary German Knights exp 0 cost 950 replenish 0.01 - 0.06 max 1 initial 0 start_year 1300 end_year 1500 religions { catholic orthodox }
unit Landschneckt Pikemen exp 0 cost 530 replenish 0.04 - 0.13 max 2 initial 0 start_year 1470 religions { catholic orthodox }
unit Mercenary Crossbowmen exp 0 cost 860 replenish 0.04 - 0.13 max 2 initial 1 end_year 1300
unit Mercenary Pavise Crossbowmen exp 0 cost 930 replenish 0.04 - 0.13 max 2 initial 0 start_year 1300 end_year 1480
unit Mercenary Arquebusiers exp 0 cost 830 replenish 0.04 - 0.13 max 2 initial 0 start_year 1400 events { gunpowder_discovered }
unit Mercenary Spearmen exp 0 cost 660 replenish 0.04 - 0.13 max 2 initial 1 end_year 1400
unit Free Company Longbowmen exp 0 cost 930 replenish 0.02 - 0.07 max 1 initial 0 start_year 1338 end_year 1470
unit Free Company Men at Arms exp 0 cost 710 replenish 0.02 - 0.07 max 1 initial 0 start_year 1338 end_year 1470
unit Pilgrims exp 0 cost 35 replenish 0.18 - 0.5 max 4 initial 1 religions { catholic } crusading
unit Crusader Knights exp 0 cost 220 replenish 0.08 - 0.17 max 2 initial 1 end_year 1300 religions { catholic } crusading
unit Crusader Sergeants exp 0 cost 110 replenish 0.08 - 0.17 max 2 initial 1 end_year 1300 religions { catholic } crusading
unit Swiss Pikemen Mercs exp 0 cost 690 replenish 0.04 - 0.13 max 2 initial 0 start_year 1400

The dates I assume will apply to normal trained units as well, which is fantastic, much better than early, high and late and great news for modders. This was a question I wanted ER to ask CA but it looks like they already listened, great stuff.

**Epistolary Richard** · 11-07-2006, 01:02

Yeah, no. Those dates are only going to work for the descr_mercenaries.txt file - but CA have added something to the edb file that should allow a similar effect which I go into in more detail in my still-unapproved final report...

**The Blind King of Bohemia** · 11-07-2006, 01:14

Well looks like I jumped the gun but I assumed they would control things like Gothic Knights and pike units the same way. Looking forward to finding out, and I hope it is reasonably system as that mercenary method sounded pretty good to me.

**Epistolary Richard** · 11-07-2006, 01:41

It's actually one that has enormous amounts of possibilities - if you see the opportunities it presents. As usual, CA have included a couple of things which they use sparsely just to get their desired effect which open huge doors for people interested in modding that aspect of the game.

**shifty157** · 11-07-2006, 02:47

Originally Posted by Epistolary Richard

still-unapproved final report...

Well I should hope they approve it very soon. If they wait until the game comes out then therell be no point to it. The whole reason was to give us some idea of the modding before the game came out but it seems like CA is being overly restrictive of their information yet again. Sometimes I feel like Im trying to steal the secrets on how to build a nuclear warhead.

**Epistolary Richard** · 11-07-2006, 03:15

Yes, I would hate for it to be a history lesson.

In all fairness though, a few days before or after the game's release won't do anything to invalidate the information within it. As much as you can learn from opening the files - I think there is a lot more value that can be gleaned about the meaning and potential in those files from conversations with the people who were most involved in their creation - and having had a root through the files first might even allow people to understand the possibilities better in context.

But in any case - I have hopes for Wednesday, in which case it will coincide nicely with the reports back from the Gold events.

**alpaca** · 11-07-2006, 18:35

Well I think every modder is waiting for some statement from CA about modding tools since they apparently packed pretty much anything.

The crusading keyword is pretty interesting, it shows that crusades and jihads are of the same object (at least somewhere in their hereditary), that might point to an ability to mod them quite heavily and, possibly, add additional similar objects.

**Lusted** · 11-07-2006, 19:16

ER, im guessing the files of the game you played weren't packed, yet Repman has reported that everything is packed in M2Tw apart form the world folder.

**Epistolary Richard** · 11-07-2006, 20:27

The version of the game I was using was the release version - though obviously with the aid of the developers I had access to their own subsequent builds. I understand completely the apparent contradiction between my first report and what members such as repman have seen - I can only say that there are certain topics on which I cannot speak freely, but must allow CA to take the lead with.

I think it would be safe to assume that their own timeline would be planned around the official release date - and not that of independent stockists jumping the gun in order to increase their own sales.

Hopefully, the community will trust that I would not have raised expectations of the extent that they would be able to mod M2 if I had believed that there would be insurmountable obstacles in their path.

**Lusted** · 11-07-2006, 20:46

So basically there is a pack extractor but it's planned for release around the official release date.

**Epistolary Richard** · 11-07-2006, 21:03

I accept no responsibility for any inferences you make from my entirely non-commital comments.

**Solon of Athens** · 11-07-2006, 21:24

Originally Posted by Epistolary Richard

I accept no responsibility for any inferences you make from my entirely non-commital comments.

Yeah Pack extractor!

**DukeofSerbia** · 11-09-2006, 13:05

Originally Posted by The Blind King of Bohemia

The dates I assume will apply to normal trained units as well, which is fantastic, much better than early, high and late and great news for modders.

Yes, yes, yes! My dream of including various mercenaries companies in MTR becomes reality! This is phenomenal. I can’t describe it. And it allows that mercenaries can be hired historical.