Mercenary modifications

[mlp071]

I just downloaded without any problems. Do you have all those requirements listed:


Javascript enabled
Cockies enabled
Macromedia flash player 6.0 +


Plus on Axifile you need to wait 20-35 sec till download link shows up.

I posted rapidshare link also :)

you can try that one :)

Thanks

[JMRC]

Hi!

After reading your comments I went back to starting point and began testing with EB standard EDU file, redmeth's money script and mlp071's latest merc file.

I noticed that around 250 BC, most factions were bankrupted and unable to buy more troops. This happened because they had high upkeep costs (Macedonia had around 15K Mnai of army upkeep while Saka had around 10K) and the helping money was not enough to balance the accounts.

If the AI could replenish the troops, this could be easier. But as it is, they have lots of stacks which in fact are half-empty and don't pose a real threat.

So, I guess we'll have to pump more money into the system as time passes by, in order to cover the upkeep costs and allow them to recruit full units to renew their stacks.

IMO, we'll have to "set" a general value of army upkeep and construction effort costs, for each faction, along the time.

For example, we could say that the Romans should have:
- around 50K Mnai at anytime up to year 240BC
- around 100K Mnai at anytime between 239BC and 120BC
- around 200K Mnai at anytime between 119BC and the end of the game

Of course, it will require some programming in EBBS to give or remove money from the Treasury, to keep it at the desired level.

With this logic, we could allow Baktria and Parthia's armies to grow faster than Seleukeia's, when this last empire started to crumble. And allow the Greeks to be a bit more powerful than Macedon as time passes by, while cutting Epeiros' treasury towards the end of its "lifetime" and allow it to be conquered by its neighbours. To be truthful to History, the Romans should have far more money than its neighbours, because by the end of the game they should have about 1/3 of the EB territory.

I haven't had the time to study this logic and obtain the values that will allow for (tentative) historical results, but I'm really convinced that with a careful balance of the factions' Treasuries, we can reach results that approach History.

[mlp071]

Hi!

After reading your comments I went back to starting point and began testing with EB standard EDU file, redmeth's money script and mlp071's latest merc file.

I noticed that around 250 BC, most factions were bankrupted and unable to buy more troops. This happened because they had high upkeep costs (Macedonia had around 15K Mnai of army upkeep while Saka had around 10K) and the helping money was not enough to balance the accounts.

If the AI could replenish the troops, this could be easier. But as it is, they have lots of stacks which in fact are half-empty and don't pose a real threat.

So, I guess we'll have to pump more money into the system as time passes by, in order to cover the upkeep costs and allow them to recruit full units to renew their stacks.

IMO, we'll have to "set" a general value of army upkeep and construction effort costs, for each faction, along the time.

For example, we could say that the Romans should have:
- around 50K Mnai at anytime up to year 240BC
- around 100K Mnai at anytime between 239BC and 120BC
- around 200K Mnai at anytime between 119BC and the end of the game

Of course, it will require some programming in EBBS to give or remove money from the Treasury, to keep it at the desired level.

With this logic, we could allow Baktria and Parthia's armies to grow faster than Seleukeia's, when this last empire started to crumble. And allow the Greeks to be a bit more powerful than Macedon as time passes by, while cutting Epeiros' treasury towards the end of its "lifetime" and allow it to be conquered by its neighbours. To be truthful to History, the Romans should have far more money than its neighbours, because by the end of the game they should have about 1/3 of the EB territory.

I haven't had the time to study this logic and obtain the values that will allow for (tentative) historical results, but I'm really convinced that with a careful balance of the factions' Treasuries, we can reach results that approach History.

This is more of the money script issue. Can you post it there so that developers can see it ?

Thanks

[mlp071]

And allow the Greeks to be a bit more powerful than Macedon as time passes by, while cutting Epeiros' treasury towards the end of its "lifetime" and allow it to be conquered by its neighbours.

I am getting confused about KH's strenght in the game . Historicaly they lost 267-261 war against Makedons handsomely and Athenai lost free city status as the result.

Maks only got down by Romani some 100+ years later.

Yet, in game Maks are the one getting slaughtered regulary.That is if going to try historical approach.

[mlp071]

Well, i did tests with Redmeth's and Errant's scripts before,but didn't test with Sheep's yet.

So here we go:


VH/M with Sheep's script:




- All factions are still in game

- Did quite a bit : Romani ,Makedonia, Baktria,Qarthadastim

- Didn't try to do anything or almost anything : Sweboz, Getai, Sauromatae, Pontos

- Maks were actually more lucky then good. Epeiros took Pella in 267 , but then got fully into Sicily, completely ignoring Makedonians.Meanwhile Maks needed 40 years and numerous attempts to take Athenai.They only succeded when KH decided to get involved in Asia Minor.Their further expansion was just following teritories that epeiros was holding, and Getai/Sweboz didn't even try to conquer. If everyone was active , Maks would be history by 260 at latest.

- And yes, despite all that Romani power, Epeiros still has Tarentum.Romani simply just ignored it, yet again.

I am very pleased with army composition, they were close to last test , little more on levies side 60/40 %.
And numbers of factions military were close, if not similar to previous test.Several armies had siege engines , and one Baktrian had actually 2 .





There is not much more i can do with this script until new EB update, other then some small rebalancing if it's needed. After several (10+ ) tests , i noticed that army sizes stay same no matter how many mercenaries is available in pool.

Only difference is makeup of the armies, and i am satisfied with present ratio.Anything more on either side would cause major diference between big and small factions.

You will find updated Desc_Mercenaries in my first post for download.

thanks

[MiniMe]

2 mlp071
Great job, man, manythanx

Stupid question: is there any way to implement your mercenary file to modify existing game, that began with classic EB mercenary file?
(deleting map.rwm doesn't help)

[mlp071]

2 mlp071
Great job, man, manythanx

Stupid question: is there any way to implement your mercenary file to modify existing game, that began with classic EB mercenary file?
(deleting map.rwm doesn't help)

It doesn't look like, since all that data is stored in savegame file.At best i think you will get previous units already in queue to be recruited and new ones.Old ones then will not show up again, after they got recruited.

But, again, i didn't test that. Will try it tommorow.

[Dan_Grr]

Making several tests is essential to check the balance on the scripts and you've done it well. I don't play EB for several weeks because of boreness and A.I sadness, but if I ever come back Im going to try this, thanks.