A comment on mod switch usage

**Borsook** · 12-25-2006, 13:22

I'd like to propose an alternative to using mod switch - namely unpacking all necessary packs moving their content to appropriate place in the directory structure and deleting them. This way you'll still be able to add things like UI files easily and it will allow users to play EB on BI or ALEX engines more easily (which is very fun!)

**Gazius** · 12-25-2006, 15:04

Isn't alexander just a mod itself, and not a expansion like BI was, adding new features and such?

**Ludens** · 12-25-2006, 15:10

Originally Posted by Gazius

Isn't alexander just a mod itself, and not a expansion like BI was, adding new features and such?

Alexander adds a few new mechanisms, mainly revolving around the character of Alexander himself. Nothing substantial though, and so far no modification project has decided to make use of it.

**Gazius** · 12-25-2006, 19:38

Originally Posted by Ludens

Alexander adds a few new mechanisms, mainly revolving around the character of Alexander himself. Nothing substantial though, and so far no modification project has decided to make use of it.

Are these documented someplace? Does the AI perform better?

**Borsook** · 12-25-2006, 22:30

I do not know about any differences being documented - but indeed Alexander exe is different, and my current test runs seem to show a difference (for the better also) in AI behaviour, especially in army composition. It (the exe) does not support on the things like new formations/swiming units etc added in BI. Any way whether or not ALEX engine is of use, still I there is BI to consider.

**Gazius** · 12-25-2006, 22:34

Originally Posted by Borsook

I do not know about any differences being documented - but indeed Alexander exe is different, and my current test runs seem to show a difference (for the better also) in AI behaviour, especially in army composition. It (the exe) does not support on the things like new formations/swiming units etc added in BI. Any way whether or not ALEX engine is of use, still I there is BI to consider.

So... does it perform better to even BI? Since BI isn't supported by EB anyways, the features added by it don't matter, too much, I'm just looking for the smartest AI I can find.

**Borsook** · 12-25-2006, 23:45

Originally Posted by Gazius

So... does it perform better to even BI? Since BI isn't supported by EB anyways, the features added by it don't matter, too much, I'm just looking for the smartest AI I can find.

I do not want to mislead you, my experience with EB on ALEX is very limitted. I've run dozens of vanilla Imperial Camps on BI engine and quite a few on ALEX one, and it seemed to me that AI's play on ALEX was better. But it is affected by so many factors one can never be 100% certain. It wasn't worse for sure, and if you wanna try you just need alex exe and chat_filter.san from ALEX and can delete all the other of it's files, so if you already have the expantion no pain in trying it out.

**Ludens** · 12-25-2006, 23:58

Originally Posted by Gazius

Are these documented someplace? Does the AI perform better?

Not by my knowledge; but improved A.I. was not one of the advertized features. If you really want to know, you could ask Lusted. He's the only one who has done any serious modding with ATW.

Edit: interesting news, Borsook. I may give it a try, if I find time.

**blacksnail** · 12-27-2006, 23:07

Originally Posted by Borsook

I'd like to propose an alternative to using mod switch - namely unpacking all necessary packs moving their content to appropriate place in the directory structure and deleting them. This way you'll still be able to add things like UI files easily and it will allow users to play EB on BI or ALEX engines more easily (which is very fun!)

This is not really feasible for us at this time. We currently support RTW 1.5 as EB's platform and I don't think that's going to change in the near future.