Giving Thorakitai to Makedon.

[Reverend Joe]

I understand that it is a simple process to allow Makedon to recruit Thorakitai, but I fear I must throw myself upon the mercy of those more experienced than I at this sort of thing. The simple fact is, every time I open up a text file to try to edit anything in the game, my mind immediately binds up and freaks out because I have no idea what the hell I'm looking at. It's like a third-grader trying to do calculus.

So, could some helpful soul guide me through the process?

[Socy]

Well, I'm not too good at explaining it to you myself, but I learnt how to add units / swap skins etc. from this here helpful thread: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=104615, started by myself. See post # 4 by Maion Maroneios.

My tip is (Atleast I do this when I "mod" my EB) to keep notes of what you do, and take everything slowly, reading carefully. I usually have a "help-document" up where I make notes of what I've done and whats left to do. I suppose it requires a little bit of fantasy and imagination to figure out some things, but if you read carefully, and compare with existing unit-entries in the different documents, I'm sure you'll do fine. Atleast I did, and I'm not the brightest when it comes to "modding" .

[Reverend Joe]

Holy shit.



I just realized I will literally need step-by-step instructions on how to do this. I tried looking in the descr_models_battle file and I was so over my head I felt like I was drowning.

Help! Please!

[konny]

There is allready an entry for Makedon Thorakitai in DMB, so I think you only need to make the changes in EDU and EDB:

(1) open export_descr_units.txt
(2) search for "greek infantry thorakitai"
(3) add to ownership (last line) ", macedon"
(4) open "export_descr_buildings"
(5) search for "hellenistic infantry hysteroi pezhetairoi"
(6) copy the entire block to the end of that building (that is under the line of the "dacian infantry rhompharoi thorakitai" but above the "}")
(7) replace "hellenistic infantry hysteroi pezhetairoi" with "greek infantry thorakitai" in the copied block only (otherwise you would lose the Hysteroi)
(8) copy the result the same way at the end of the next building

Now you should be able to recruite Thorakitai in all towns where you can recruite Hysteroi Pezhetairoi when the latter become available, that is after the "Vanilla Marian Reforms", from level 4 and 5 factional MIC.

[konny]

Going a step further (I think I will do that for my own Makedon campaign when the time arises):

Make a "Marian Reform" for Makedonia in which chain mail infantry can be recruited from every truely Makedonized province:

(1) Delete all entries for the Hyteroi Pezhetairoi and Makedonian Thorakitai in the named two building complexes save for one each.
(2) Delete in the remaining four entries the part with the hidden resources. It should look this way:

recruit "hellenistic infantry hysteroi pezhetairoi" 0 requires factions { macedon, } and marian_reforms
recruit "greek infantry thorakitai" 0 requires factions { macedon, } and marian_reforms

Now you can recruite these two from every Level 4 factional barracks (requires minium a Level II government and so a subjugation or homeland province)

[Reverend Joe]

Thanks a lot, Konny! Trying the changes now.

Edit: is this supposed to be save-game compatible? Because I just loaded up my Makedon campaign and I can't recruit Thorakitai.

Oh, wait - I know the problem; the recruitment is based on the March of Time! So, how do I remove this requirement for the Thorakitai? Just delete all the hidden resources?

Also, the second building already seems to be able to recruit Thorakitai; they even have Macedon in the "requires factions" slot, is this an oversight?

Edit 2: forget what I said about the thorakitai; it was the Seleucids, not Makedon. Dunnp how I missed that. Anyway, how do I remove the "march of time" requirement? Is it the marian reforms trigger?

Edit 3: okay, I'm gonna stop bothering you... I think I figured this stuff out.

[konny]

Edit: is this supposed to be save-game compatible?

Yes

Anyway, how do I remove the "march of time" requirement? Is it the marian reforms trigger?

Yes

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

The Makedonia MICs actually already include the Thoraktia recruitment thread since they share the MIC with Baktria. If you want, you can just add "macedon," to every Thorakitai entry for "romans_brutii,".

[Dutchhoplite]

As my skils in this area are allmost zero...Is it really that easy to give thorakitai to Macedon??

Sorry for bringing this topic back up again :(

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Just back up your files and give it a try as it is explained.

[Dutchhoplite]

It's like reading some horrible ancient text to me

So the steps i have to take are:

Step 1: changing ownership in export_descr_unit

Step 2: adding "macedon," to every Thorakitai entry for "romans_brutii," in export_descr_buildings

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

That should probably do it. You may get the peasant cards in game, I don't remember, but if so that is easy to fix.