Are new characters possible?

[Monkwarrior]

My question is related to descr_character file.

There we have two characters that appear in battle maps (named character and general) and 4 characters only for campaign (spy, diplomat, assassin and admiral).

Is it possible to create a new character with some of the actions assigned to the other 6?
In case it is possible, which other files must be modified to make the new character playable?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Dol Guldur]

I seem to remember that new types cannot be added and throw out an error from when I tried a year or more ago. But don't rely on my bad memory ;)

[Monkwarrior]

I seem to remember that new types cannot be added and throw out an error from when I tried a year or more ago. But don't rely on my bad memory ;)

I feared that it was not possible.

But now another question: Is it thus possible to modify one of the agents? My idea is to change the model in strat, but also to make it appear in battle.

Did anybody succeed in this point?

[Dol Guldur]

Well of course bm and sm army character models can be changed - they are just like units. The name in the file refrerences the descr_model_strat.txt model. But only one model can be assigned per character type for each faction.

[Atilius]

Hi Monkwarrior,

I'm not sure if this is of any use, but:


I found I could actually recruit an admiral without building a fleet using this line:

               agent admiral  0  requires factions { blah, blah, blah, }

When the admiral appeared, he was immobile. Since this was not directly related to what I was doing at the time I didn't work on trying to get him to move, but this may be a way forward for you.

In descr_agents_ancillary.txt, there are entries for spy, assassin, diplomat, and admiral. There are also entries for engineer, quartermaster, priest, and others. To be honest, I'm not sure this file is even used by the game, but it did lead me to wonder if these other types might be recruitable. I once tried recruiting the quartermaster without success, but I don't recall if I'd given him an entry in descr_characters.txt, which might be necessary.

[Monkwarrior]

Well of course bm and sm army character models can be changed - they are just like units. The name in the file refrerences the descr_model_strat.txt model. But only one model can be assigned per character type for each faction.

Yes, I know it, but the question that comes to me is how to indicate in export_descr_unit that one given unit must have the bm model of the agent assigned.
In case of generals, we have the attribute general_unit, but this is the only case in game. In case of admirals they don't appear in battle (as everybody already knows ).

Hi Monkwarrior,

I'm not sure if this is of any use, but:


I found I could actually recruit an admiral without building a fleet using this line:

               agent admiral  0  requires factions { blah, blah, blah, }

When the admiral appeared, he was immobile. Since this was not directly related to what I was doing at the time I didn't work on trying to get him to move, but this may be a way forward for you.

In descr_agents_ancillary.txt, there are entries for spy, assassin, diplomat, and admiral. There are also entries for engineer, quartermaster, priest, and others. To be honest, I'm not sure this file is even used by the game, but it did lead me to wonder if these other types might be recruitable. I once tried recruiting the quartermaster without success, but I don't recall if I'd given him an entry in descr_characters.txt, which might be necessary.

Thanks Atilius.
I'll have a look at this. Perhaps the other possible agents are still considered in the game engine, although not implemented.
I will report my findings (if any ).

[Dol Guldur]

Yep, we had the admiral present but immobile in some testing last year - but could not find a way to make use of this or expand it.

The model assigned to bm or sm is done so in desc_characters.txt - but that you know. I'm not quite sure what you mean.

[Monkwarrior]

Yep, we had the admiral present but immobile in some testing last year - but could not find a way to make use of this or expand it.

The model assigned to bm or sm is done so in desc_characters.txt - but that you know. I'm not quite sure what you mean.

Sorry, it's the problem of my English level

You are speaking of the character appearing in the campaign map.
I'm speaking of the character appearing in the battle map. The bm of a character is the model of a single soldier, not of a whole unit.

The generals don't appear "alone" in battle map, but as part of a unit. This unit is the "bodyguards", that come with the general_unit attribute in EDU.

The game knows that, when a family member comes to age, the bodyguard unit appears together with the general.

The lesser general bm appears automatically in battle map in one unit of an army without any indication. The game engine simply makes it because it is coded for that.

But, in case we assign a bm to a diplomat, for example, there is no mean (to the best of my knowledge) to say the engine which unit must go with this character, and a single model cannot appear in battle map.

In any case, if you have the old non-working descr_character file with the modifications, please PM. I'd like to have a look into it.

Thanks.