Leader Optimization Project Mod for 1.06

[Pocus]

Yes, it does. For example, the '61 Confederate generals are put in their relative regions, not all in Richmond. The USA Leaders.sct & CSA Leaders.sct files are where it is located, IIRC. Mainly entry date and location, not so much rank. Although you could check the .ali files to see which ones are different. Sometimes they start off at a lower rank with the capacity to be promoted.

You could use WinMerge (or another line-by-line comparison program) to match the file(s) up against the official file(s).

I already use it to synch code with Celtic, the other dev. Problem, is that everything must be done in XLS first, and I know not of any program which can compare an XLS line by line (but lets be honest, I would not have time to do that for the mod)

[PBBoeye]

Sorry - I forgot. I actually did, and there are very few alterations in those files from the original. Mainly just the big 'groups' of generals that come during each year - location mainly, and if they are added generals via the Leader Mod.

[PBBoeye]

Extended names.

Some generals have extended names (i.e., their full first name written, their middle initial, and their last name), but some generals have a more limited form of naming (just their first initial and their last name written in full). I know that these 'short names' are for 'divisional' or 'extra' generals, but think that maybe this mod could expand the general names to all have their first name written out in full (i.e., David Hunter instead of D. Hunter).

I've done that with all the new leaders from the Leader Mod in the XLS files update. I'll go back and start to do it for most of the other leaders over time. I've found two good sites for full general's names.

Btw, [color="RoyalBlue"]the XLS files for Models and Units have all been updated to incorporate the Leader Mod[/color]. Hopefully this cuts down on some of the syntax issues that have cropped up.

Additionally, I have fixed all the Poor_Spy_Networks busts in the XLS file, and mentioned it to Pocus, as well as forwarded the XLS files to him.

[PBBoeye]

Something people need to weigh in on is this:

I've noticed something concerning the new supplemental USA major generals (who have game-official brigadier files). That is, the new major general levels for these leaders have them with abilities, whereas the brigadier levels (official) do not.

So what to do? Do we add them into the Brigadier levels? There are about 10 Union generals, and about 5-6 of them have added abilities.

[Eugene Carr]

I suppose you could argue that these new abilities have become apparrant as part of their raise in rank.

Personally I am thinking of spreading the abilities wider but thinner to see what results. ie giving an ability per star (possibly adding artierist and cavalryman as an extra to those who qualify)

I wonder if that would give different formations within an army a different character according to their leadership chain.
A lot of the abilities assigned would have to be fairly arbitary "old regular army = Training or Drilling", " earlier AoP = slow move" "March to the Sea = Forager" if particular info isnt known.

A lot of the newer generals on the list are 3-1-1 and some variation in that may also be interesting.

using the xls /csv is easier than going into the text files but I've only ventured on the models and units so far so salutes to you guys for what you have done

[Rafiki]

I already use it to synch code with Celtic, the other dev. Problem, is that everything must be done in XLS first, and I know not of any program which can compare an XLS line by line (but lets be honest, I would not have time to do that for the mod)

I have to admit I was pretty surprised when I heard you use XLS-files as the basis for the database, seeing as they are wholly unsuitable for text comparisons, revision control and whatnot. CSV-files would've worked the same, even when coming to using Excel to edit, while being easier to handle direclty by various tools.

[tagwyn]

Little Mac's failure to reinforce Pope after he began his ill-advised retreat after the slaughtrer of the ANV at Malvern's Hill is in my opinion actionable treason or per se incompentence!! Li'l Mac knew or sould have known to divide our forces in the presence of a dangerous enemy, i.e. Lee, is foolish at best, treasonous at worst. Tag

[Prussian Prince]

Just installed the Leader Pack. Got this message on startup:

"TListModels.Get Data container for models defintions has some descrepencies for UID 408"

Love this Mod but now the game won't even start up. Really don't want to re-install.

Stewart

[McNaughton]

Just installed the Leader Pack. Got this message on startup:

"TListModels.Get Data container for models defintions has some descrepencies for UID 408"

Love this Mod but now the game won't even start up. Really don't want to re-install.

Stewart

Delete your Units and Models folders before you install. That should fix the problem. The problem is, there is a new UID 408 and the game cannot allow two UID 408s to exist.

[Prussian Prince]

Thanks for the quick reply!

[runyan99]

There are still some spelling errors from the stock game which remain uncorrected in this mod.

USA Hurlbut is mispelled as Hurlburt.

CSA Theophilus Holmes is mispelled as Theophilius with an extra 'i'.

I haven't checked it yet, but I really hope CSA Ransom is no longer spelled as Ramson.

[Prussian Prince]

I know 1.07 is not official yet but when will the Leader Pack be compatable?

[PBBoeye]

Grievances addressed.

Next version will come out after the v1.07 database is released. That will be some time, because v1.07 is having some teething pains.

[LSSpam]

I know 1.07 is not official yet but when will the Leader Pack be compatable?

Is it not compatable now?

[Prussian Prince]

I have been playing a new game today with 1.07 and the leader pack without any problems.

[McNaughton]

I have been playing a new game today with 1.07 and the leader pack without any problems.

Problems may not be apparent, but, you could be omitting some valuable 1.07 changes in certain files due to the leader mod overwriting them with 1.06d version files.

[LSSpam]

Problems may not be apparent, but, you could be omitting some valuable 1.07 changes in certain files due to the leader mod overwriting them with 1.06d version files.

Could you speculate on which changes maybe lost? I've grown attached to the leader file and find myself loath to start a new game under 1.07 without it.

[McNaughton]

Could you speculate on which changes maybe lost? I've grown attached to the leader file and find myself loath to start a new game under 1.07 without it.

Sorry, have no clue as I don't know what XLS files were modified for 1.07, so I don't know if or which files may be changed. We will have to wait for 1.07 to be finalized, and the XLS files released, for cutting and pasting changes over the new XLS (just in case there are other minor changes that affect other units, or other parts of leaders that are new in 1.07).

Chances are nothing conflicts, but, you never know for sure until the XLS files are released!

[runyan99]

So, who's going to be the official updater-to-1.07 guy?

[Dogrobber]

Any possibility of this excellent mod being updated to 1.07 by someone who understands how the CSV splitter thing works? Which unfortunately is not me ...

[McNaughton]

I haven't heard from PBBoeye in a while, but suspect that (as in all of us) real life may come into conflict with computer gaming. I am finding myself, that I can devote less and less time.

However, I hope that there isn't a 'curse of the leader mod', with the disappearance of Stonewall, then Hancock, and now PBBoeye?! Shudder!

[runyan99]

There does seem to be a trend of disappearing modders. Perhaps the strain of modding becomes too much, and these men end up curled in a fetal position, lying in a pool of their own spittle, unable to return to the keyboard, or even to resume normal lives.

[Pocus]

This is somehow natural, few if any people stick to a single game for long. We have the same behavior for beta testers, 80% will disappear within 15 days, and of the 20% remaining, a quarter at most will still be active at the end of the beta testing.

[Winfield S. Hancock]

No curse of the leader mod on my end, just the curse of a lot of things going on in my life right now. Starting with my long vacation, and a very busy schedule this fall for the company I own, I have had almost zero gaming time or time to look at upgrading the mod to make it compatible with 1.07.

I agree with many that the best solution would be to take all the leader mod changes and put them in the XLS/CSV format, but I simply do not know how to do that, and dont think I will have the time to learn in the near future.

I will repeat an offer I have made a couple of times previously on the board, namely that if someone who know how to do the XLS/CSV thing wants to work on this, I will collaborate with them to the extent I can to get the thing done.

I put a lot of time into the leader mod, and really like the end product. When I do have time to play AACW again, I want to be able to enjoy it with the mod included.

So, any takers on working with me for the update?

[runyan99]

So, any takers on working with me for the update?

I'm inclined to help you, and I do have a copy of Excel installed now, but I'm somewhat daunted by the complexity of the task, and I don't really know where to start.

Why does putting the mod into Excel format make it easier to update as time goes on?

[McNaughton]

I'm inclined to help you, and I do have a copy of Excel installed now, but I'm somewhat daunted by the complexity of the task, and I don't really know where to start.

Why does putting the mod into Excel format make it easier to update as time goes on?

PBBoeye was working on this already.

[runyan99]

PBBoeye was working on this already.

That may be, but he hasn't checked in for a week, according to the forum.

But please educate me a little about the .xls files. Do you have to cut and paste all the modded info back into the .xls files every time there is a patch or update? How often are the .xls files updated? I don't see dates for version info on the files.

I don't even know what I don't know yet.

[Winfield S. Hancock]

Well, I think by putting the changes in XLS format you can make the leader mod its own scenario, which in turn makes it easier to spot and update changes as new release versions come out from AGEOD, and to make sure that if AGEOD changes anything in the leader or model files when updating to a new version, we dont accidentally lose the benefit of the changes by overwriting the new files with the files from the leader pack.

As far as how I did it, I went in and modded through text editing several key files, including the list of units, models, etc, to add new leaders, change existing ratings, make certain leaders promotable, etc. I have kept every change I made logged in a Word document, which could be a great source if someone wanted to code the changes straight into XLS.

I have attached the change log here.

[runyan99]

Tonight as an experiment, I opened up the .xls files for the April scenario, tried to make some very minor changes (reducing Stonewall to a * when he appears, and Bonham and Holmes), and then tried to recompile the .xls files into a new scenario file using the instructions in the BoA modding guide.

And of course when I loaded it up, it crashed. Color me discouraged already. There are just too many files interdependent on one another, filenames that have to be just right, etc. I followed the instructions as carefully as I could, but I have a feeling I cannot possibly get it right. One misnamed file during the conversion or incorrect entry in the original .xls file crashes the whole thing.

I had to drop one of my Computer Science classes in college because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. This experience feels similar.

Given how touchy the scenario creation process is, maybe Hancock had the right idea about editing the .txt files instead.

[Jagger]

Tonight as an experiment, I opened up the .xls files for the April scenario, tried to make some very minor changes (reducing Stonewall to a * when he appears, and Bonham and Holmes), and then tried to recompile the .xls files into a new scenario file using the instructions in the BoA modding guide.

And of course when I loaded it up, it crashed. Color me discouraged already. There are just too many files interdependent on one another, filenames that have to be just right, etc. I followed the instructions as carefully as I could, but I have a feeling I cannot possibly get it right. One misnamed file during the conversion or incorrect entry in the original .xls file crashes the whole thing.

I had to drop one of my Computer Science classes in college because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. This experience feels similar.

Given how touchy the scenario creation process is, maybe Hancock had the right idea about editing the .txt files instead.

It is without a doubt very tricky. I suspect I have made every mistake in the book-and I still make every mistake in the book. Although when it does work, it is nice to see the change in action.