Didz's Dumb Question Thread

[MikeV]

1. Where do the screenshots go?

The preferences.empire_script.txt file has this entry, by default:

gfx_screenshot_folder ./screenshots; # gfx_screenshot_folder <folder>, Folder to where save screenshots relative to Empire directory #

Two things to note:

1. The directory has to exist (this software is too dumb to create it).
2. You can change it to someplace else by editing the file and re-starting the app.

Also, the Alt-PrtScrn key combination copies the current screen to the Windoze clipboard. You should be able to fire up your favorite picture editor and use Paste to grab it.

[MikeV]

There are two ways to trade.

1. There's a land route from your capital to the other faction's capital. You must control the provinces in between.

2. There's a route between your home port and the other faction's home port. If their home port gets blockaded, you don't get trade no matter how many other ports in other provinces they have.

So, the case they missed was a route from your home region to theirs, where one or the other does not directly contain a port, but has a valid path to a port (such as Great Britain to/from Russia).

Guess it's meant to keep land-locked factions (like Austria) puny and poor, and naval powers (like Portugal) huge and powerful, just like IRL of the time.

[MikeV]

I had a scan through that earlier but didn't spot anything to do with screenshots I'll have another look. As I said, Sega Pass claim the screenshots work the same way in ETW as they did in previous games but that doesn't seem to be true, unless its a case of turning the feature on somehow.

The parent folder is there where they say it should be e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\The Creative Assembly\Empire but the tga folder is missing.

So, the line in the preferences.empire_script file reads

gfx_screenshot_folder ./screenshots; # gfx_screenshot_folder <folder>, Folder to where save screenshots relative to Empire directory #

Do you think its just a case of replacing <folder> with C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\The Creative Assembly\Empire\tga ?

I'm suspicious: the default setting in the file uses the "./" prefix, which is typical on Unix but not on Windoze. So, I wonder which style slashification works, and whether it can handle spaces in the path name.

Requires further experimentation by those patient enough ...

It would seem that the simplest approach would be to create a "screenshots" folder in the Empire directory and leave the default setting alone.

[Didz]

and what does your signature mean?

Sorry...I completely missed this question, and only noticed when MikeV tried to answer it for me.

Its supposedly my family motto, and according to the researcher it translates roughly as 'Strong in peace, or war'

I think you can only unfix plug bayonets. Don't think there's a performance hit though.

Nope! you definately can't unfix plug bayonets. I posted a warning about that earlier. Fixing plug bayonets turns you musketeers into expensive spearmen for the rest of the battle, and apparently thats working as intended. However, 'wiggy' does say you can unfix socket bayonets, but I think he's wrong, for a start you don't have the option to fix them in the first place they just appear on the ends of your mens muskets, and secondly the button he says to press to unfix them doesn't exist. I suspect this was a feature CA decided to abandon by failed to tell the advisors about.

At the start of your turn (after hitting the end turn button and letting it run through the other factions, but not when you load/continue from a saved game file), among the info droppings on the left will be one or more with an anchor symbol stating "Trade route raided." Bring up the full dialog and click the magnifying lens: it will take you to the fleet that's sitting on your trade route.

Thats was actually my point. When those reports appeared they all pointed to the Straits of Gibraltar where a Morroccan Fleets was blockading my trade route from the Altantic into the Med. I've dealt with that now and the Morrocan Fleet is lying on the sea bed just off the coast of Algiers. However, my trade with Denmark and Sweden is still blocked and there is no way of finding out quickly e.g. by clicking on the trade route in the Trade Report why it is still blocked.

In effect the 'Trade Route Raided' report only provides you with a snapshotof the primary reason your trade is blocked not the full story, and if you deal with that primary cause there is no report that says 'Well done, but you still can't trade with Denmark because Sweden has captured their Trading Port'. I was only able to work this out only by carefully tracking the trade route right back to its source and spotting that the flag flying over the port was the wrong colour.

The preferences.empire_script.txt file has this entry, by default:

gfx_screenshot_folder ./screenshots; # gfx_screenshot_folder <folder>, Folder to where save screenshots relative to Empire directory #

Two things to note:

1. The directory has to exist (this software is too dumb to create it).
2. You can change it to someplace else by editing the file and re-starting the app.

Also, the Alt-PrtScrn key combination copies the current screen to the Windoze clipboard. You should be able to fire up your favorite picture editor and use Paste to grab it.

So, just to clarify then, if I create a folder C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\The Creative Assembly\Empire\screenshots you think this may work.

Test Results
Well I created the folder and took some screenshots, but nothing appears in it. You sure its not necessary to do anything else like change the <folder>? (BTW: I also made sure the screenshot was being taken, by pasting it into a word document and its definately being taken just not being stored.)

Incidently, it appears the Russians and Japanese have cracked this, I've found a Russian website which includes a download of a modified preferences file that handles screenshots correctly, and I've found a Japanese site which shows a line by line analysis of the preferences file which notes on how to modify all the options including the screenshots. Unfortunately, not being able to read either Russian or Japanese it doesn't help much. The only thing I did manage to work out is that you can change the default unit sizes from (Default = 0) to (Double=2) to (Ultra=1) don't ask for a logical explanation to that but thats what it said. Apparently, Ultra produces units with 160 men in them. I have tested it though, so make sure you take a back-up copy of the file if you plan to experiment.

[anweRU]

In effect the 'Trade Route Raided' report only provides you with a snapshotof the primary reason your trade is blocked not the full story, and if you deal with that primary cause there is no report that says 'Well done, but you still can't trade with Denmark because Sweden has captured their Trading Port'. I was only able to work this out only by carefully tracking the trade route right back to its source and spotting that the flag flying over the port was the wrong colour.

Yep. It is the AI's favorite tactic - send an army or fleet into an opponent's trade ports. Once in a while you'll see a proper blockade, that is the blockading fleet just outside the port as in previous TW titles. That happens when there is an army or fleet in the port already.

In your case Denmark will never recover unless (i) Sweden is destroyed or (ii) you declare war on Sweden, ally yourself with Denmark, get military access, sail near to Arhus, and drop an army (just one unit is enough) on the port to flush out the Swedish fleet.

That's because the zone-of-control of the Swedish fleet in the port covers the land connection (arrows) between Copenhagen & Arhus, so the Danes cannot send an army to rescue their port from foreign occupation...

[Jason X]

Nope! you definately can't unfix plug bayonets. I posted a warning about that earlier. Fixing plug bayonets turns you musketeers into expensive spearmen for the rest of the battle, and apparently thats working as intended.

when I first fixed plug bayonets, I had the same nasty shock so after the battle I read the description of the tech - definitely working as intended.

However, 'wiggy' does say you can unfix socket bayonets, but I think he's wrong, for a start you don't have the option to fix them in the first place they just appear on the ends of your mens muskets, and secondly the button he says to press to unfix them doesn't exist. I suspect this was a feature CA decided to abandon by failed to tell the advisors about.

no. if you read the tech description in game, it makes it clear that the point of socket bayonets is that you don't need to fix and unfix them - your line infantry can shoot or melee with bayonets without having to fix/unfix bayonets. just switch them to melee mode and they'll stab away, switch melee off and they'll go back to shooting.

in general, i find the tooltips and right click for info pretty extensive in-game (which is a polite way of saying RTFM :

[Didz]

No. if you read the tech description in game, it makes it clear that the point of socket bayonets is that you don't need to fix and unfix them -

The only reason I mentioned this is that 'Wiggy' says you can do it. Which made me wonder if I'd missed something. But as you say it sounds like this might have been a planned feature that got cancelled only nobody remembered to tell 'Wiggy' about it.

[Kobal2fr]

The only reason I mentioned this is that 'Wiggy' says you can do it. Which made me wonder if I'd missed something. But as you say it sounds like this might have been a planned feature that got cancelled only nobody remembered to tell 'Wiggy' about it.

On a related note, both the in-game advisor and the tech description state that ring bayonets boost melee but detract from accuracy & reloading - I wish there was a way to affix/remove them. In fact, I'm pretty sure the battle advisor plainly says "you can affix them, but..." so seems to me they're not working as intended.

That said, I'm not sure they really give penalties to shooting, and AFAIK it's not something that's easily tested in a custom battle, since you can't pick and choose which techs apply :/

[Melvish]

A good way to get a clue of what the upgrades and experience do to units stats is to check them in battle mode by right clicking on the unit card.


my

[Jason X]

i forgot to mention that you can check which techs someone has that you don't (and therefore could be stolen) by going to the diplomacy screen and picking the technology option.

the ones that appear on their side satisfy the potentially nickable ones. then just cancel out of diplomacy.

[Didz]

i forgot to mention that you can check which techs someone has that you don't (and therefore could be stolen) by going to the diplomacy screen and picking the technology option.

the ones that appear on their side satisfy the potentially nickable ones. then just cancel out of diplomacy.

Yes, thats actually what I've been doing, but its a bit long winded.

I was hoping the same information might appear as a list somewhere. It would save a lot of time when seeking Technology Exchanges through diplomacy too.

[HKDDJulker]

1. Does "visiting" an enemy university actually do anything for your gentlemen? I've done this several times and the only thing i've seen happen is that my gentlemen tries to steal technology, even though that is not what I told him to do... So what if anything does clicking on the "visit" button do, besides move carl linnaeus into denmarks school to steal a tech?

[A Very Super Market]

He shouldn't be stealing anything unless you click on one of their techonologies. Basically, visiting just shows you what techs they have.