First off, credits for this unit should go to AAranda! :goodjob: on this one.

Now, here I'm modding his modmod :lol:. How funny is that?

Anyway, I found that his tech req is a bit too close to Siege Weapons. So I tried to think about chopping woods and thus my comments in 2.8 discussion thread. Afforess (there I spelledit right this time! :D), Dancing Hoskuld, and Vincentz made few cool comments there. But I realized that since Dancing Hoskuld gave good logic about chopping, that I would move this thread here to give 2.8 discussion thread space to discuss modern and future ideas for next version.

Okay, I will quote Vincentz's comment:
@ os79

How about making the Ram break fortifications only (like in my warlords mod). A ram doesnt really have colletoral damage or damage units. The primary reason (and much needed element) for a siege weapon in early eras is to break citywalls/fortifications.

Ram Stats (Subject to Final Version changes if necessary)
Cost: 25
Str: 2
Move: 1
Req Tech: The Wheel and Masonry
Can only defend
Can't capture
Bombard Rate: -3%

Download here: Beta2 (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?dd5nw2f0anl)
Use this tutorial (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=8295452#post8295452) to add this module to Custom Units folder.

Thanks Vincentz for the tips in the several posts below!

The break fortifications only is this one :

<iBombardRate>8</iBombardRate>

with the number being the percent that it "bombards"

make sure that these are zeroes :

<iCollateralDamage>0</iCollateralDamage>
<iCollateralDamageLimit>0</iCollateralDamageLimit>
<iCollateralDamageMaxUnits>0</iCollateralDamageMaxUnits>

and this one is set to 1 :

<bOnlyDefensive>0</bOnlyDefensive>


That should hopefully make a Ram that can bombard fortifications, but not inflict normal/collateral damage to units.

The download is ready here in the first post! :D

one note. 3% bombard is 3% of the total %. Civ4 mixes this around a lot (or I do. Dont remember ;)).
So if bombard 3% of a city with 100% defence then it will drop to 97%. BUT if bombard 3% of a city with 20% then its (100/20) of 3% = 0.2 of 3% = less than 1% so it would maybe not drop at all. The reason why RoM's siege weapons are set so low is because of the promotions. I found out the "hard way" with my warlords that cannot get bombard promotions. And since the Ram cannot attack, it will only get the promotions that it starts out with (which is 0, if I dont remember wrong)

one note. 3% bombard is 3% of the total %. Civ4 mixes this around a lot (or I do. Dont remember ;)).
So if bombard 3% of a city with 100% defence then it will drop to 97%. BUT if bombard 3% of a city with 20% then its (100/20) of 3% = 0.2 of 3% = less than 1% so it would maybe not drop at all. The reason why RoM's siege weapons are set so low is because of the promotions. I found out the "hard way" with my warlords that cannot get bombard promotions. And since the Ram cannot attack, it will only get the promotions that it starts out with (which is 0, if I dont remember wrong)

Catapults' Bombard Rate is 8%. I will playtest with my Ram and should let you know how the RoM deal with percentage for sure.
Thanks :D.

(or I do. Dont remember ;)).

Might be you. I attacked the city with 10% defense with three rams, 9% total. It went to 1% the first turn, then next turn, just one ram was enough, and I went screaming war howls and conquered the city for the empire :lol:.

Vincentz,

Your confusion on the issue might have to do in part with buildings that reduce the rate at which bombarding reduces defences. With just a wall, all bombard effects are reduced by 20%. With high walls and a castle, that amount increases significantly. It might also track differently when the city in question has a defensive bonus from both culture and buildings. I've never experimented with the numbers sufficiently to really make sure of that.

Anyway, I have to say, this one mod piece does look like a good addition to the game. It'll help avoid the tendency for cities to be nearly unassailable until the development of catapults. I may just have to try this out on my next game!

Vincentz,

Your confusion on the issue might have to do in part with buildings that reduce the rate at which bombarding reduces defences. With just a wall, all bombard effects are reduced by 20%. With high walls and a castle, that amount increases significantly. It might also track differently when the city in question has a defensive bonus from both culture and buildings. I've never experimented with the numbers sufficiently to really make sure of that.

You are correct. When I attacked the first city, it had no wall and thus it was literal 9% the first time. Well, the next city had the wall and had 30% defense. I expected 21% after the bombardment(ramming). But it was 24%! So, yes, wall had something to do with reducing the effect of ram's attacks. It took me 4 or 5 turns before I attacked to conquer :lol:. It was cool!

The graphic for the ram has no icon in the civilopedia and, so all I see is a annoying pink square... :/

Any solutions?

The graphic for the ram has no icon in the civilopedia and, so all I see is a annoying pink square... :/

Any solutions?

I got this modmod from AAranda and I did not change graphics in any way. Neither do I know how. But I will be MORE THAN HAPPY to have someone help me here. It is a minor cosmetic update that would be nice but who ever said that cosmetic updates don't matter, right?

I got this modmod from AAranda and I did not change graphics in any way. Neither do I know how. But I will be MORE THAN HAPPY to have someone help me here. It is a minor cosmetic update that would be nice but who ever said that cosmetic updates don't matter, right?

Just looked quickly, but it looks like you forgot/didn't make a button for it. It should be a 64x64 dds file.

I got this modmod from AAranda and I did not change graphics in any way. Neither do I know how. But I will be MORE THAN HAPPY to have someone help me here. It is a minor cosmetic update that would be nice but who ever said that cosmetic updates don't matter, right?

There you go ;)

Just put the dds into your folder and lead the unitartdefine path there (starting from modules)

There you go ;)

Just put the dds into your folder and lead the unitartdefine path there (starting from modules)

Thanks. But still blob in civipedia. But don't worry, I think I know what you are attempting ot do. i will look for other dds of Assyrian_ram in RoM.fpk and extract it to my folder and see how it goes from there.

I tried to fix that button but still there is a blob. That is weird because before I tried anything, the butto was there, just like Vincentz's pic. But after I tried ot fix for DJM, it went blob. So here is my Ram folder in the attachment, if anyone have time, please look into it and see if you can fix it.

Also, if you have even more time, see how I can fix it for other mods than RoM. I tried to install it to Quot Capita but when I just moved my ram, the game froze. No crashes, no movement, nothing at all, just froze. It works just fine in RoM but not in QC, why?

Thanks!

I updated to beta2. It now is completely working because it use Rise of Mankind's own folder structure for its artdefines.

I will continue to work on making it work with art files INSIDE Ram folder. I still need help as my above post says, but now download the beta2 please then play around importing art files and changing xml, etc then give me the fixed Ram folder and I will credit you.


Meanwhile I will do it as well, just in case I stumble on solution as well.

Thanks!

Does this modmod still work? I would like to include it in a Better RoM modmod.

Does this modmod still work? I would like to include it in a Better RoM modmod.

It should. I hadn't played with it since 2.71. So download it. The reason for my slight uncertainty is that it refers its artdefines to Assets/Art of RoM for its art. Look through the module, and see if you can improve it if it needs it.

Then by all means, include it!

I eventually got this working with its own graphics as part of AAranda's Units upgrade. I have not posted it yet. I am currently moving the text out of the unitinfos files and into a GameText file so we can support many languages. I am also fixing some of the English and trying to figure out how to write some concept stuff for it :).