Changing Cannons from Units to Professions [IMPLEMENTED]

[Schmiddie]

More or less. It is generally a kind of overhaul of the current graphics and a new mix because we need them for experienced and standard profession. Graphic for specialist exists (personally I love this one).

 

[raystuttgart]

... we need them for experienced and standard profession.

Exactly.

...Graphic for specialist exists (personally I love this one).

I am confident that it is looking great.

Well, the next couple of days I will start the branch "Cannons" based on Release 2.9.
And then step by step we build everything we need.

Today though I am also taking a break.
Celebrating the new release a bit.

 

[Schmiddie]

Question: Shouldn't we implement the tech tree before we do that? Because tech tree will significantly change the Cannons/Artillery...

 

[raystuttgart]

Because tech tree will significantly change the Cannons/Artillery...

Exactly.

Thus we first need to have the Cannons / Artilleries so we can later use them properly in "Social Progress".

It will be more effort the other way around.
I would otherwise have to do the effort for Cannons in "Social Progress" twice.

 

[inaiwae]

for me more units that can be moved to professions the better (simply fits the theme), also ... I am not sure if it was mentioned / considered ... would be nice if garrisoned units can be trained into, rather than putting them into random building so they are accepted by code as teachers ... I sort of started to look into it a few weeks go, but had very limited time, and just put it on todo list and never had a chance to revisit it

 

[raystuttgart]

@inaiwae

I was once thinking about a "Military Academy" feature.
(Basically a new Building with a Profession "Recruit" creating a Yield "Training".)

But I have so many features concepts on my list ...
Currently I really need to do a "hard triage" and only post the stuff that I might find time to do ...

 

[Mr. ZorG]

Basically a new Building with a Profession "Recruit" creating a Yield "Training"

it will be more logical than a cavalryman engaged in farming and at the same time training new cavalrymen
that's a good idea. and if it had not sounded here, then I myself would have suggested it.

 

[inaiwae]

I was once thinking about a "Military Academy" feature.
(Basically a new Building with a Profession "Recruit" creating a Yield "Training".)

I had similar idea, just using fort and its upgrades instead of completely new building

 

[raystuttgart]

I had similar idea, just using fort and its upgrades instead of completely new building

If you guys really want to discuss such a feature, please create a new thread.
(I could actually imagine that we implement it ...)

 

[Schmiddie]

@raystuttgart

If you want to implement this feature let me know. If it does not need to be finished asap...

 

[raystuttgart]

@raystuttgart
If you want to implement this feature let me know. If it does not need to be finished asap...

No, it does not need to be finished asap.

Currently @Nightinggale and myself will most likely concentrate on "improvements" and "fixes".
So at the moment improving XML systems (e.g. like "Cargo Overhaul") and finishing "Lakes" has higher priority.

So do not worry, enjoy your break.
Once I need graphics I come screaming for help ...

 

[raystuttgart]

Hi guys,

I had 2 spare hours this morning, so I started merging / finishing my prototype for this concept.
(It is one of the most wanted concepts since RaR, but I somehow never found time for it.)

--------------

Done:
(Wanted to be sure first it works.)

A) DLL logic is fully done !
(AI also knows how to use it.)

B) UI display / texts also done.
("Bombard" now also got an Icon.)

C) Protoype testing successfull
(Wanted to make sure animations also look nice.)

D) All XML configurable of course
(<iBombardRateChangeProfession> at Professions)

--------------

Todo:
(Tedious but easy.)

C) Actuall conversion of "Artillery Units" into "Artillery Professions".
(Graphics exist, so it is mainly XML work and text writing.)

--------------

Summary:

This concept was successfully verified to work.
It is just a bit of effort to finish it, which I will do the next days.

@Schmiddie:
After so many years that this concept was open, I will finally implement it now.
(The only thing missing is the XML configuration of ArtDefs and Professions.)

 

[raystuttgart]

Images from prototype work / testing:
(I used Profession "Colonial Militia" to test and verifiy that my logic works.)

Just added Icon "Bombard":

Spoiler :

Testing of Prototype Logic:
(Verified successfully, including that animations work.)

Spoiler :

 

[raystuttgart]

@Schmiddie
If you already have some XML to share, please do so.
(It might save me some time. E.g. setting up all the ArtDefs.)

 

[raystuttgart]

Hi guys,

after briefly discussig with @Schmiddie we will postpone finishing this for a couple of days.

For everybody who knows me or ever worked with me:

Spoiler :

Having to wait is so cruel ... ... want to have my toy now ... please give me !

----

Reason is that @Schmiddie had already invested a lot of effort for this in last RaR release.
In order to not waste any efforts or potentially do unnecessary double work, both of us should properly synchronize.

At the moment though @Schmiddie is on a vacation trip and will not return before New Years Eve.
And well, it is not that urgent to finish it now. ray may need to wait and be a bit of patient as well sometimes.
In the end, waiting a bit, properly synchronizing and building on already invested effort will result in much better quality (e.g. of graphics).

----

@Schmiddie
Thanks for your willingness to support again.
And I am really already looking forward to using your great graphics once more.

 

[Schmiddie]

I appreciate that you will wait

I had already finished the complete graphics for all nations (including veteran units) when I noticed that I'm not able to implement the bombard function. Then I threw all the stuff out of the release, but I should have all the files on my PC. I will do a research when I returned home.

 

[raystuttgart]

It is alive !!!
This was way more work than I had expected actually.

I had to change so many details in XML that I somtimes thought I might go crazy.
(ArtDefs, Professions, Units, Promotions, Events, Civilization Infos, ...)

But now, finally Artillery is a Profession with Experts.

• 3 Artillery Professions exist (Light, Heavy and Royal)
• Units (unless criminals or such) can be equipped in these Professions <--- Major Change to before
  
• Each of them has an Expert (Light, Heavy and Royal)
• Experts can be bought in Europe fully equiped
• Artillery can however not be built anymore - no more building of Units <--- Major Change to before
  
• DLL Diplo Event "European Wars" now gives an Expert "Royal Artillerist" fully equiped in Profession "Royal Artillery"

----------

Important additional technical notice (for modders):

Now every Royal Expert can be received by a Colonial Nation fully equiped in his Royal Profession by e.g.:
(This was not possible before technically - I changed that.)

• Python Events
  
• DLL-Diplo-Events
• Placement of World Builder

So it is now possible to:

• create Python Events that rewards a Colonial Player with e.g. "Royal Helbardiers" or "Royal Light Infantery" or ...
• create DLL-Diplo Events where a Colonial Player is e.g. rewarded "Royal Line Infantery" or "Royal Dragoons" or ...
• create Scnearios by World Builder where "Colonial Nations" have "Royal Units" (in Royal Professions) to fight with

To avoid any misunderstandings:
In normal gameplay the "Royal Experts" and "Royal Professions" are still locked.
(Colonial Players can only get them by Events or Worldbuilder. Not by buying and also not for equipping normally.)

----------

 

[raystuttgart]

@Schmiddie
After so many years this is now finally implemented.
Thanks again for sending me your graphics so I could easily integrate it.

 

[raystuttgart]

create Python Events that rewards a Colonial Player with e.g. "Royal Helbardiers" or "Royal Light Infantery" or ...

@Raubwuerger
Could you be interested to come up with some new Python Events giving "Royal Experts"? - just a few of course.
(They will be automatically equipped in the Royal Profession, you would not need to do anything special for it.)

e.g.

• Third City founded --> A retired "Royal Helbardier" from the Mothercountry offers to be hired (1 Royal Helbardier) --> certain chances (weight tag: -1)
  
• Stables exist in town --> A retired "Dragoon Officer" offers to train your mounted troops as "Royal Dragoons" (1 Royal Dragoon) --> random chances (weight tag: 500, which is 5%)
• 5 Heavy Artilleries alrady exist on Map --> A war in Europe ends and you are offered to buy "Royal Artilelry" (1 Royal Artillerist) --> random chances (weight tag: 500, which is 5%)
  
• ...

These are just examples that came to my mind. You could do whatever you want of course.
(The event creator always decides on the story he wants to tell, so you could let your imagination go lose.)

----

All of that is possible on "Yields" now, if you are interested.
But I might also ask @Nightinggale to merge that into "Plains", so you can work with that branch.

Let me know if that sounds fun to you.

 

[Raubwuerger]

Shure, why not.
But first, I'd still like to finish my domestic advisor for apprenticeships. I'm already relatively far, only the implementation I do not really like. There I must still deepen my Phyton knowledge a little bit ...