Some Questions about Modding PON...??

[Hohenlohe]

Dear Philippes, in the past I did most time some decent changes to the model-files in your different AGE-games. But now I am more interested to create an alternative GC with about 12 starting factions from which 4-5 are other than the original. Thereby I would take the Sardinia faction out of playability, eventually the Japan faction too...

I would prefer to implement the Ottomans, Ethiopia, the Zulus or one of the Boer states, Paraguay and eventually, but I am still not certain the Apaches and/or Mexico...
The last ones would be indeed a little bit interesting.
Some of the Apache Clans were adopted by the Diné aka Navajos which did not exist ingame thus I would mix these peoples. The Apaches were the only American Indian peoples which were able to resist about 40 years against the US expansion from around 1850 on. So what would have happened if the Apaches would be slightly better prepared for the fight??

So I have some questions:

1.) is it possible to restrict certain technologies up to a certain level especially for tribal nations...??

2.) is it possible to start with more than 8 factions...??

3.) how should or can I define the victory conditions for the factions or the ai factions...??

4.) can I implement some new buildings like horse-breeders ranch or hunting lodge and then I would need to implement some new ressources like horses and/or wild animals...these ressources could eventually be connected with tribal nations as a low-level tech...?!?

5.) will be there any event or scripting tool available to an more easier way modding existing files or create new ones...??

I hope you could help me a lot...

greetings

Hohenlohe aka MikeFrank(PDOX forumite)

[Pocus]

Hi Hohenlohe!

I have to admit I have good news and bad news... The good news is that everything you are speaking about can be done by a modder, without altering the engine. The bad news would be that for the time being, we won't be able to spend much time explaining how to mod the complex concepts you want to put in place, as we are very busy fixing the issues people see (mostly improving UI and optimizing speed).

I hope that former modders of our games, current betas of PON and with the help of the AGE wiki (which has received a lot of content for PON) it can be enough for you to progress.
If you are stuck on a specific problem, post a focused question in the modding forum though, that we can answer to.

[Hohenlohe]

Hi Hohenlohe!

I have to admit I have good news and bad news... The good news is that everything you are speaking about can be done by a modder, without altering the engine. The bad news would be that for the time being, we won't be able to spend much time explaining how to mod the complex concepts you want to put in place, as we are very busy fixing the issues people see (mostly improving UI and optimizing speed).

I hope that former modders of our games, current betas of PON and with the help of the AGE wiki (which has received a lot of content for PON) it can be enough for you to progress.
If you are stuck on a specific problem, post a focused question in the modding forum though, that we can answer to.

Hello Pocus, thx for your answer...I hope that some people from Si-games would be interested to help me or any other one...Anybody interested will be welcome. I would be happy if we could form one small modder group which would be interested to do some smaller scenarios or this bigger one . an alternative GC from 1850 until 1920.

And thx for your wonderful work with PON...the demo shows me what kind of potential PON has...

greetings

Hohenlohe aka Mike

[Franciscus]

Hi, Hohenlohe. I might be interested in the future in modding Portugal - in fact I have already changed a few small things with Generalisimo, to improve the "stock" map.

I know that Bohemond has already modded the demo in order to add Spain as a playable nation (check the AACW spanish forum), so it seems possible and "easy" to increase the number of starting nations

Nevertheless, I will first try to play and understand the "basic" game...

Also, unfortunately, my free time is not large, and my historical knowledge is surely much limited in comparison to you (you said you have read 12000 books about history ?? :hat

[Athens]

For adding a new playable faction

1) open the Scripts subfolder in PON
2) Find the file named Script1850GRC ans rename it Script
3) Do your change in this text file: by example for Ottomans, search for


SelectFaction = $TUR
MapOffSets = -33990;-4500
ScenVictoryCond = str1850ScenarioVC_TUR
SetCapital = $Constantinople;10
SetMoraleLevels = 75;135
ChangeFacMorale = 85
ChangeRailPool = 0
ChangeRiverPool = 60
SetTRSAssetsInfos = $uni_CMN_Sup_Rail;$uni_CMN_Sup_Riv;$uni_CMN_Sup_Sup1;$uni_CMN_Sup_Mch
SetFacUnselect = 1
AddRulerToFac = $ruler_TUR_Abdulmecid;0

Change the Bold line to SetFacUnselect = 0


4) Launch PON and press F9 key
5) Once the game is loaded, save the game.
6) Quit PON. You have created a new GC scenario with Ottoman playable by player. Now I don't know if the loading screen can support more than 8 Nations...

[Bohémond]

As far as I know, loading screen in PON demo can support 18 Factions

[Hohenlohe]

Hi, Hohenlohe. I might be interested in the future in modding Portugal - in fact I have already changed a few small things with Generalisimo, to improve the "stock" map.

I know that Bohemond has already modded the demo in order to add Spain as a playable nation (check the AACW spanish forum), so it seems possible and "easy" to increase the number of starting nations

Nevertheless, I will first try to play and understand the "basic" game...

Also, unfortunately, my free time is not large, and my historical knowledge is surely much limited in comparison to you (you said you have read 12000 books about history ?? :hat

Dear Franciscus, truely I have read about 12000 books from the age of 6 onwards, but about history I may have read only 6000 history books, from the rest it was around 3000 books from the sci-fi/fantasy genre and the rest children/youth books, theological books, crime novels, bellestrics,etc...

But you know surely more about portugese and/or spanish history, eventually even more about the related colonial empires than I would ever learn sofar, thus your help would be very nice.
In terms of time I have some slightly similar problems. Although a retired postman(with matura...*grin*)I am nowadays involved in three different MMOs and play beyond that two or three different games in the strategy and rpg genre and allowed myself to start a social project in my old postman area cooking for lunch every Wednesday for some poor people because of my special experience from my old civil service days in a catholic youth hostel anno 1983/84. It makes me very happy to cook for other people especially for such people which I still knew.

Thus you can support me anytime, as I will be happy to get such good help from you and some other good fellows from our community. I can offer for the first time an online meeting via skype either every saturday evening or every tuesday evening eventually each week or every two weeks how you would like it.
I hope that I will be able to communicate well enough in English as I had this language as main lesson in my past school days. Although it would be interesting to learn additionally portugese or even spanish in my old days at our socalled public "Highschool at evening" which would not be to cost intensive.

So it belongs to you how you will be able to do so...

heartful greetings

Hohenlohe

edit: I has hoped it would be not regarded as arrogance if I made it public how much I had read in my past lifetime...*smile*
Wisdom is nowadays very helpful if we want to change the view of our world and to beware life on earth and to teach our children to learn from the past to change the future as I am a good catholic christian believer...

Maybe the Lord bless you all...

[Hohenlohe]

For adding a new playable faction

1) open the Scripts subfolder in PON
2) Find the file named Script1850GRC ans rename it Script
3) Do your change in this text file: by example for Ottomans, search for


SelectFaction = $TUR
MapOffSets = -33990;-4500
ScenVictoryCond = str1850ScenarioVC_TUR
SetCapital = $Constantinople;10
SetMoraleLevels = 75;135
ChangeFacMorale = 85
ChangeRailPool = 0
ChangeRiverPool = 60
SetTRSAssetsInfos = $uni_CMN_Sup_Rail;$uni_CMN_Sup_Riv;$uni_CMN_Sup_Sup1;$uni_CMN_Sup_Mch
SetFacUnselect = 1
AddRulerToFac = $ruler_TUR_Abdulmecid;0

Change the Bold line to SetFacUnselect = 0


4) Launch PON and press F9 key
5) Once the game is loaded, save the game.
6) Quit PON. You have created a new GC scenario with Ottoman playable by player. Now I don't know if the loading screen can support more than 8 Nations...

Dear Athens, my best thanks to you because I can now try some different approaches I like...

greetings

Hohenlohe aka Mike

[Generalisimo]

As far as I know, loading screen in PON demo can support 18 Factions

Exactly... more than that will NOT fit inside the interface (on where you select your country) and so the game will crash.