The Complete EDU Guide - Discussion

**Aradan** · 09-09-2007, 20:34

Thx for the feedback, mcantu. That's useful for campaign AI balancing.

**Squid** · 09-29-2007, 12:58

One thing that I think should be included. For the mercenary_unit attribute it prevents a unit replenishing losses. I also believe that it forces the units with the attribute to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all faction owners of the unit even if they have their own texture line in DMB.

**Aradan** · 09-29-2007, 23:14

Thx, Squid, added. Are you sure about the texture and sprite thingy?

**Squid** · 09-30-2007, 05:32

Pretty sure, I was testing how to get two differently textured units for one faction from one DMB entry, so I had two EDU entries pointing to one DMB. One of the EDU entiries had the mercenary_unit attribute the other didn't. The one with the mercenary_unit attribute displayed the merc texture, the other the specific texture for the faction I was testing with.

**Aradan** · 09-30-2007, 13:42

Yep, tested it myself, didn't have the time to edit the Guide though. Thx for the confirmation!

**Lysander13** · 10-01-2007, 16:28

Question for Aradan actually.....
When the developers of FATW decided to make the switch from Darth Formations to Sinuhet; did you guys have to make wholesale changes to the formation line in the EDU in terms of unit width and depth to improve the performance of Sinuhet's AI? Also did you guys have to change the amount of soldiers in the soldier line as well?

**BozosLiveHere** · 10-01-2007, 16:52

Originally Posted by Squid

One thing that I think should be included. For the mercenary_unit attribute it prevents a unit replenishing losses. I also believe that it forces the units with the attribute to use the 'merc' texture and sprite lines in DMB for all faction owners of the unit even if they have their own texture line in DMB.

I'm pretty sure that's the merc trick we've been using in EB for years to squeeze an extra skin per model. I didn't know it wasn't common knowledge.

**Aradan** · 10-01-2007, 18:57

No, we didn't change anything in our EDU for that purpose. Sin's formations are very flexible in this regard. But that could depend also on the specifics of your game's EDU. The only suggestion I could perhaps make is to make your horse-archers formation less wide, because with Sin's formations they really tend to try and flank/envelop your infantry and being narrower makes them more versatile.

Well, Bozos, nothing remains a secret for long in a community... And now everybody knows! Or at least those that bothered to read the Guide...

**Lysander13** · 10-01-2007, 19:11

Originally Posted by Aradan

No, we didn't change anything in our EDU for that purpose. Sin's formations are very flexible in this regard. But that could depend also on the specifics of your game's EDU. The only suggestion I could perhaps make is to make your horse-archers formation less wide, because with Sin's formations they really tend to try and flank/envelop your infantry and being narrower makes them more versatile.

Thanks for the tip. One more question if i could and pardon if it's a tad bit off topic. Have any FATW players reported occasions of an "idle" reinforcing army using Sin's formations?

**Aradan** · 10-01-2007, 20:47

I don't think any have, but I have seen it happening some times. But i have seen it hapenning with vanilla and Darth too. I have restricted it a bit by changing some offsets, but I don't think there's a way to solve it completely, due to the way the formations are coded - and the lack of a descrimination between normal and reinforcing armies.

**Makanyane** · 10-01-2007, 21:03

another topic that might be relevant to this:

I've been having trouble with the 'Abilities at a Glance' section of the units info screen not showing up, have pinned it down to an extent as being to do with the selection of the stat_ground bonuses, problem seems to be mainly to do with having -1 and -1 for forest and snow (the last two figures) eg:
stat_ground 1, 2, -1, -1
though some other permutations seems to be doing it to me as well. The full EDU entry for the unit that definitely isn't working is:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

has anyone else experienced that or got any ideas as to why that would be happening?

P.S. attributes like "can form shield wall" are showing up fine in custom battle selection they just don't appear on the unit info screen for that unit....

**Lysander13** · 10-02-2007, 03:19

Originally Posted by Aradan

I don't think any have, but I have seen it happening some times. But i have seen it hapenning with vanilla and Darth too. I have restricted it a bit by changing some offsets, but I don't think there's a way to solve it completely, due to the way the formations are coded - and the lack of a descrimination between normal and reinforcing armies.

I've never actually seen it happen with Sinuhet's; I've seen it in vanilla and Darth's but only when i was tinkering with a few things and i omitted his width forcing while using huge unit sizes. I ask because it's been mentioned to me a few times. Must be just one of those weird things i haven't seen yet. Thanks for the cavalry tip...I'm gonna narrow down some of the cavalry formations in the EDU a bit and see if i like the angles they take a little better.